Affiliate Success

Affiliate Interviews: Andreas Johannesson, founder of SweGaming Affiliates AB

Published

6 years ago

October 19, 2016

In our newest affiliate interviews series we caught up with Andreas Johannesson, co-founder of SweGaming Affiliates AB, and owner of BettingLounge.co.uk and MessiVsRonaldo.net. Andreas together with his partner recently decided to take on the UK market as well, after they’ve sold their Swedish sites to an affiliate industry giant!
So without any further delays, here is another affiliate success story featuring Andreas Johannesson!

Name: Andreas Johannesson
Age: 22
Hometown: Gothenburg
Living in: Gothenburg
Favorite Food: Pasta
Must Read Book: Steve Jobs biography
Profession/Job title: Founder

GAV: Hi Andreas, first of all, tell us and our readers a bit about yourself! How did your career start in the industry? What determined you to engage in this activity and start working at SweGaming Affiliates (Bettinglounge.co.uk and Messivsronaldo.net)?

Andreas: Me and my partner David started our business when we were still in high school back in Sweden at the age of 18. We just wanted to get hold of some extra cash so that we could travel and do things that we couldn’t do otherwise. We were also very interested in creating webpages and value to our visitors and therefore we launched our first website betexpert.se back in 2012.

Our company, Swegaming Affiliates AB, first solely focused on the Swedish gambling market but since we sold our Swedish websites to one of the giants of the affiliate industry back in June of 2016 we wanted a new challenge and decided to take on the UK market with sites like BettingLounge.co.uk and we also acquired the site Messivsronaldo.net.

GAV: Could you tell us a bit about SweGaming Affiliates and Bettinglounge.co.uk and Messivsronaldo.net? What are the strong points of the website’s and what makes them stand out from the other niche websites? Regarding Messivsronaldo.net, we can certainly say it jumps out of the routine websites… the design is really appealing.

Andreas: Our long term goal with BettingLounge.co.uk is to create a complete betting guide with reviews, bonuses, odds comparisons and free bets updated with new content each and every day. In other words we want to create a website that will cover all of the betting world for UK bettors.

Messivsronaldo.net is another story, there is no other website that compares the past decade two best football players that we do. We have every single statistic you can think about when comparing these two and it drives traffic like crazy.

GAV: What were the bumps that you encountered and how did you overcome them?

Andreas: We have had many bumps in the past but as long as you figure out what you’re doing wrong then it’s just up to fixing it. I think many don’t really think about what they did wrong the last time but just keep on going with new projects instead of fixing what’s wrong and taking it from there.

GAV: We have browsed Messivsronaldo.net and found some high quality content and a high volume of statistics. Are you writing it by yourself or you have a team of people writing your editorials and doing the research?

Andreas: We have a small team near London in the UK that’s taking care of the statistics, Facebook page and content writing.

GAV: How about the Messivsronaldo.net Facebook page, do you manage it, it has quite a nice fan base with pretty good engagement level too?!

Andreas: We have worked a lot of gaining Facebook followers and to engage them and so far it seems like it’s working. A good day can bring us as much as 500 new followers – although both Messi and Ronaldo must have had good games the day before – it’s pretty clear what’s driving traffic to our site. It’s the same team that manages the Facebook page as manage the statistics and content of the site.

GAV: We are sure that you receive daily messages from Affiliate Managers showcasing their products. You of course select them by the brands they work with; but what are your thoughts on how Affiliate Manager-Affiliate relationships should be built and maintained?

Andreas: I think the most important is that both parties understand that the other party needs to make money from the relationship as well. I feel like there are many people in the industry, both affiliates and operators, that miss this and therefor many partnerships don’t stick in the long-term.

GAV: How do you see the future of the gambling industry? For instance, will it become a global phenomenon in the near future?

Andreas: When all regulations and laws are fixed there are several very big markets that will come available for the gambling industry. The biggest example is probably the US, when they get it all regulated that will become the world’s biggest market again overnight. The markets of Africa, South America and Asia is also up for grabs and when all these get the infrastructure that the west world has gambling will for sure be a big thing there as well.

GAV: Can you name one change that you want to see in the UK betting affiliate ecosystem?

Andreas: To be honest, as we haven’t been in the UK market for that long time I think it’s too early to say anything about this.

GAV: What would be your advise to the new affiliates who are looking to venture into this great industry?

Andreas: Even though it may seem like there is competition like no other affiliation niche with work you’ll get to the top as well. I guess it’s all about not giving up and putting in the hours.

GAV: How do you see the Central and Eastern European affiliate market, do you think that this region is somehow overlooked by brands that are not applying for licenses, etc. ?

Andreas: I think it’s somehow overlooked. But I guess a big part of that is the player value that, I guess, is a lot lower than a Swedish, Norwegian or UK player. But the volumes should make up for that and there are probably big opportunities in the Eastern Europe markets.

GAV: Since the Berlin Affiliate Conference is almost here, we would like to ask your opinion on these event, are you guys attending these conferences or are you going to be in Berlin? How about SiGMA?

Andreas: We always go to all the conferences – London, Berlin, Amsterdam and also Sigma – and think it’s a great way to get to know people from the industry, especially if you do not live in one of the big gambling places in Europe as Malta for example. Also a great way for new affiliates to get into the business and understand how things are done.

GAV: Who is your favorite celebrity and if you’d have to a pick a destination in Eastern Europe, where would you travel?

Andreas: As a swede the question is pretty easy… Zlatan of course! Prague!

GAV: Where you wouldn’t want to travel?

Andreas: Hmm.. Albania maybe?

GAV: What is your opinion about the GamblingAffiliateVoice.com?

Andreas: It’s a great place to get information about what’s happening in the industry. We usually use it to find information about new affiliate programs that want to work with us.

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Fiat & Crypto: King Billy players get the best of both worlds

Published

2 weeks ago

March 20, 2023

George Miller

Fiat & Crypto: King Billy players get the best of both worlds

See how the casino players can deposit in crypto and play in fiat.

Since the dawn of e-gaming robust payment systems have been crucial for the success of any online casino, as they are a key factor in creating a positive and satisfying gaming experience. Moreover, the availability of different payment options allows players to choose the method that works best for them, whether it be classical fiat money or cryptocurrency.

But is it possible for an operator to give its players the best of both worlds, fiat and crypto at once? Yes, it is, with the King Billy feature “deposit in crypto, play in fiat”. The concept is simple. A casino player deposits in crypto (choosing among 4 cryptocurrencies King Billy supports). Then, the system automatically shows them their balance in the currency of their choice (among the 14 currencies King Billy supports, used by more than 3 billion people worldwide). When the players withdraw, their transaction takes place back in crypto.

What are the advantages of this system? Ruslan Legenzov, King Billy Casino Head of Affiliates (or “Lord of Affiliates” as the internal etiquette demands) has the answers: “Good things come in threes, and there are certainly 3 very good things about our “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” feature.

First of all, depositing in crypto means less hassle and paperwork for the player and elimination of the dreaded “transaction not coming through” issue. This has been a problem and actually a torment for many of our players in remote areas of the world. As a global casino, we are happy to act in ways that give peace of mind to our players.

Secondly, this system offers a greater player experience to the King Billy Citizens and Nobles, as they can now take advantage of our numerous promotions and offers in fiat. For example, players who deposit in crypto can now participate in our extremely popular fiat-only “Slot of the Month” offer, that’s been a staple of our casino since our launch.

Finally, with “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” our players, especially the not so cryptocurrency-savvy have a much clearer understanding of their wins or losses. I am sure that a player, let’s say from Vietnam, prefers to see, in real time, how much his slot win is worth in the Vietnamese Dong than running in parallel a crypto converter tool to do the math!”

Well said and well done your Majesty.

For those interested in the “deposit in crypto, play in fiat” feature, King Billy Casino accepts the following currencies: Euro (€), US Dollar ($), Canadian Dollar (C$), Australian Dollar (A$), New Zealand Dollar (NZ$), Norwegian Krone (kr), Indian Rupee (₹), South African Rand (R), Vietnamese dong (₫), Indonesian rupiah (Rp), Malaysian ringgit (RM), Thai baht (฿) and the Philippine peso (₱). King Billy also accepts the following cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC) and Tether (USDT).

King Billy Casino is a new-generation online casino, launched on St. Patrick’s Day in 2017. It is available in 4 languages (English, German, French and Finnish) and it has an impressive record in awards with 25 wins, shortlists and other distinctions, and an amazing variety of features and games. King Billy has prioritized the creation of a superb user experience, focusing on the myth of King Billy and his Kingdom and treats all players with the specialness they deserve.

Affiliate Success

Rightlander wins “Best Tech for Affiliate Programmes” at IGB Affiliate Awards 2023

Published

1 month ago

February 17, 2023

George Miller

Rightlander wins “Best Tech for Affiliate Programmes” at IGB Affiliate Awards 2023

Following the launch of their innovative Smart Workbench, Rightlander, the advertising and affiliate compliance monitoring specialist, have won the award for ‘Best Technology for Affiliate Programmes’ at this year’s IGB awards ceremony in London. The annual award, dubbed the Oscars of the iGaming affiliate market, recognises the most successful businesses in the gambling industry.

Rightlander is a state-of-the-art advertising and affiliate compliance platform that allows advertisers and networks to identify potentially non-compliant content across different territories. It does this by scanning affiliate content from within the target market, looking for events or conditions defined by clients and regulators, and sending alerts when it finds content that meets those conditions.

According to the judges, who praised the submission’s clear evidence and figures showing customer adoption and cost savings, Rightlander’s offering is “a very strong piece of technology which leads the industry in protecting affiliates, operators and ultimately players and ultimately makes the industry better for being in it.”

Ian Sims, Founder of Rightlander said “We are extremely happy to have won the Best Tech for Affiliate Programmes and this is a milestone moment for Rightlander. We developer/marketing folks love to throw around words like “game changing” and “AI-driven” but when you win an award for “Best Tech for Affiliate Programmes” and it’s one of the judges calling it a “game changer”, that is quite an endorsement.”

Over the past 5 years, Rightlander has scanned tens of millions of webpages to help advertisers identify non-compliant advertising by their marketing partners to protect their brand and regulatory licenses.

Affiliate Success

Casino Guru wins IGB Affiliates Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year

Published

2 months ago

February 14, 2023

George Miller

Casino Guru wins IGB Affiliates Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year

Casino Guru has won the IGB Affiliates recognition in the Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year category.

Casino Guru has won the IGB Affiliates Awards distinction in the Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year category, an award granted to affiliate services with an unfaltering track record in their commitment to raising player protection standards and contributing to the industry’s ability to better understand gambling-related harm.

Casino Guru underwent a thorough review, which included a look into how the company sought to educate and protect players beyond statutory requirements and the active steps taken to introduce players to a safer gambling journey in every market they engage with.

The assessment distinguished Casino Guru for its comprehensive efforts in responsible gambling and gambling harm prevention as captured by the Gamtegrity, the unifying home of all responsible gambling and consumer protection projects and initiatives launched under the Casino Guru banner and name.

Spearheaded by Šimon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Sustainable & Safer Gambling Lead, Gamtegrity reunites some of the company’s most impactful projects and initiatives geared towards raising standards for the entire industry insofar as problem gambling, player behavior, and harm protection are concerned.

Vincze hailed the IGB Affiliates distinction as a deserved and important milestone in the company’s ongoing efforts to provide the industry with guidance on how to better protect consumers and provide players with assistance on their journey to picking the best and most responsible industry operators.

“QUOTE by Šimon”
I am thrilled from this recognition as it includes most of the projects that I work on. However, this achievement is a reflection of work throughout the departments of Casino Guru and I feel honored to translate it to the rest of the industry. Safer Gambling is undersized in affiliate space, and it is great that iGB motivates companies to compete in it.

Casino Guru’s Gamtegrity project reunites the company’s Global Self-Exclusion System (GSES), an ambitious cross-border initiative designed to create a comprehensive global mechanism that enables players to exclude themselves from regulated gambling markets and focus on recovery.

Casino Guru has similarly focused on creating tools that assist and help vulnerable players to address their problem as well as find help, extensive global information and easy access to treatment options.

The company has also leveraged its industry expertise to create the Casino Guru Academy, an ambitious undertaking which understands how important it is to educate industry professionals about best practices in customer support, casino bonuses, safer gambling, and other important areas.

Not least, Casino Guru’s ample effort and experience in maintaining responsible gambling standards that go beyond national legislation have led the company to set up the Casino Guru Awards which seeks to distinguish prominent operators that share the company’s core values in providing consumers with the safest gambling possible.

The Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year distinction is evidence of the strong and meaningful impact Casino Guru has had in bettering responsible gambling standards and seeking to actively assist players who may struggle with gambling-related problems or suffer gambling-related harm.