Affiliate Success
Cybersquatting
Cybersquatting is one of the most serious problems that can affect your brand and also your domain/website! This problem has became increasingly more serious last year, when domain name poaching became a mainstream concern!
What is cybersquatting?
The practice of cybersquatting (or domain squatting) occurs when a party registers, uses or sells a domain name with the sole intention of exploiting the “rightful” owner, in other words: purchasing a domain name just for the purpose of reselling it at a superior price, or using it for different spam activities. Cybersquatting first appeared in the middle of the 1990’s when most of the companies did not yet used the internet for marketing reasons and thus didn’t have a true understanding of trademarking or registering domain names! As it happens in other places too , there were already back then parties who understood the true value of registering profitable domain names and selling them back to those big companies for serious profits.
The premium targets in this case are usually celebrities or big brands, but affiliate websites are also targeted!
In order to protect your domain name and your reputation you should take the following precautions just so that you avoid domain hijackers:
- The first and perhaps the most important step is to register your trademark. You just simply can’t afford NOT TO. By doing this you’ll be able to enforce your rights as owner of the trademark/domain name, in case you have to prove it in a court of law that you are/were the first one to use it! You can register your trademark at the Trademark Clearinghouse which maintains a global database of verified trademarks for the DNS(Domain Name System). But keep in mind that the Trademark Clearinghouse is not a trademark office, next to them you also have to register with at your country’s trademark office!
- Make sure you register multiple variations of your domain name.The reason behind this is that a
typosquatter could be already buying up the most common misspellings of your brand name.The most easiest way to avoid this particular type of cybersquatting is to register multiple spellings of your brand/domain name, and by this we mean that you should register plural, singular and also the acronym of your brand or domain.
- To better target different online markets you can and should register your domain with a variety of extensions, such as: .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, after this you can also register your domain with relevant ccTLD’s (country code top-level domains) too.
Be wise and don’t let the cybersquatters get you and monetise your traffic, take this preventive steps in order to protect your domain and brand from fraud!
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Affiliate Success
Casino Guru secures SBC Awards shortlist for Casino Affiliate of the Year
Casino Guru, the world’s largest and most up-to-date database of online casinos, has landed on the shortlist for SBC Awards 2024 in the Casino Affiliate of the Year category.
Casino Guru, which has processed more than 6,930 casinos, and prides itself on the world’s largest forum community built around informing players, enters a competitive field of 12 contestants all vying for the distinction.
SBC Awards 2024 is due to take place on September 26 at the MEO Arena on the final day of the SBC Summit, celebrating industry-wide achievements. Casino Guru is proud to be shortlisted for this important accolade. The company has worked tirelessly to establish itself at the top of the industry.
In embracing the affiliate business model, Casino Guru has created a groundbreaking and industry-shifting paradigm through the introduction of the Safety Index, a complex algorithm powered by big data, consumer feedback, and a meticulously in-house analyst team that has allowed Casino Guru to not only be the go-to repository for online casinos but also provide players with a credible source of information when it comes to the inherent trustworthiness of each casino brand listed in the constantly-growing database.
In welcoming the nomination, Šimon Vincze, Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, said: “I am thrilled to see Casino Guru shortlisted for the category again this year! Our competitors for the winner are recognised companies with a considerable impact on the online gambling affiliate business. The criteria for the winner go beyond our unique approach to affiliation and consider growth in multiple areas. I am convinced that we have much to offer in this sense as well, and I am looking forward to the judge’s conclusion.”
The Safety Index in particular has been a dynamic and living ecosystem that has been evolving on a weekly and monthly basis, registering movements in casinos’ overall ranking based on a comprehensive set of factors, such as complaint resolution, terms and conditions, licensing issues and more.
Having those efforts recognized by the SBC Summit Awards is a huge milestone for the company, which has operated with an unwavering commitment to bringing consumers the best possible choices from a database that easily constitutes the world’s largest.
Casino Guru is a trailblazer in building an affiliate business that is fully consumer-focused and consumer-facing, by offering an uncompromising, verifiable and transparent accreditation process that ultimately benefits consumers and helps match their preferences with the best casino brand.
Casino Guru is looking forward to September 26 and is excited about the opportunity to demonstrate to the panel of judges that the company is committed to raising standards for the way consumers engage with the industry in a manner that protects consumers and distinguishes the best operators and brands on the market, helping drive a sustainable and healthy environment for all.
Affiliate Success
ReferOn Nominated for “Acquisition and Retention Partner” at SBC Awards 2024
ReferOn, a state-of-the-art affiliate management platform, announces its nomination in the Acquisition & Retention Partner category at the prestigious SBC Awards 2024.
The inclusion in this category highlights ReferOn’s efforts to create and develop a targeted product for the needs of the iGaming industry, recognizing the team’s innovative approach and notable results in the field of affiliate marketing.
ReferOn’s nomination as an Acquisition & Retention Partner confirms that the affiliate management platform has proven its effectiveness and understanding of customer needs, as noted by the judging committee. Designed with years of iGaming experience its team, ReferOn caters to the specific needs of affiliates and managers, offering a flexible and scalable solution for managing large networks of companies in one comprehensive hub.
Alexia Gauci, B2B Sales Manager of ReferOn, commented on the nomination: “Being mentioned in the ‘Acquisition and Retention Partner’ category at the SBC Awards 2024 means a lot for our team. We are providing innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of iGaming professionals. We’re continuously enhancing the platform’s capabilities so our clients can solve the issues they are facing & achieve business goals.”
ReferOn brings reporting capabilities, robust back-office functions, and unique reward mechanics, all designed to simplify administration and enhance data control. With features like Sub-Affiliation and Independent Deal Calculations (IDC), ReferOn offers transparency and flexibility, helping users with tracking key metrics easily for quick data-driven decisions.
In addition to its technical improvements, ReferOn started educational initiatives & received good feedback from the audience. The team already conducted two free seminars, “ReferOn Insights” for Operators and Affiliates to provide valuable knowledge and strategies for maximizing affiliate marketing success.
The ReferOn team will be exhibiting at SBC Summit 2024 in Lisbon and will showcase its latest developments and offerings at booth F430 from 24-26 September. Visitors will be able to ask ReferOn representatives questions and learn more about the platform’s advanced features and innovations.
Affiliate Success
Game Lounge Swedish Website (SveaCasino.Se) now QMRA Compliant
QMRA is a Quality Mark for iGaming affiliates, launched in February 2024. QMRA is available for the following jurisdictions: Belgium, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, USA Michigan, UK, Poland, Estonia, Ontario
QMRA is a follow up from successful Dutch Quality Mark KVA, which currently has most affiliates as members and works with several operators (like LeoVegas, TonyBet, HardRockCasino, 711 and Tombola).
QMRA now has various prominent members, like: Gaming Innovation Group (Gentoo), Applied Digital Media Group, Leadstar Media (for Germany) and Game Lounge as well.
Game Lounge joined QMRA with GuideCasino.Be before, and has now joined QMRA with various markets. For Sweden, the first website has been found compliant: SveaCasino.Se
Having the Quality Mark will instill trust in Swedish consumers, authorities and operators.
SveaCasino.Se is a well known Swedish website, with estimated traffic (SEMRUSH) of about 100.000 per month. SveaCasino.Se will be carrying the QMRA mark from now on. This means that the website has been checked against the QMRA Compliance Code:
- Channelling objectives
- The affiliate shall not advertise or promote the offer of unlicensed operators.
- The affiliate shall not make use of brand imagery, call-to-actions or make other references to the website and offer of unlicensed operators.
- Responsible advertising
- The affiliate shall never aim their advertising activities at persons that have not reached the age of 18.
- The affiliate shall add an 18+ characteristic to every webpage of their website and to any marketing activities on social media. The characteristic shall be clearly identifiable and visible to the consumer.
- The affiliate shall be mindful of the design of their marketing activities, as to not directly or indirectly target or exploit minors.
- The affiliate shall not make use of minors, directly or indirectly, in any marketing activity or imagery used in relation to marketing for games of chance.
- The affiliate shall not aversely influence excluded persons in a way that may convince or encourage them to start gambling, discourage them from further self-exclusion or target them in any marketing activity targeted at advertising games of chance.
- Careful and balanced design
- All marketing activities shall use no uncertain terms or mislead the consumer as to the nature, workings, prizes, risks and odds of the offer.
- The affiliate shall not use any uncertain terms or mislead the consumer as to their affiliation, role or activities. The affiliate shall clearly disclose their role as a marketeer.
- The affiliate shall not imply or state that the consumer may have a predominant influence on the outcome of a game of chance, or that the outcome may be influenced in any other way other than chance.
- The affiliate shall clearly state the type of game of chance is offered.
- The affiliate shall clearly state the license status of the operator.
- The affiliate shall not claim that it is quick or easy to win often or a large amount of money in any game of chance.
- The affiliate shall not encourage excessive or irresponsible gambling behavior.
- The affiliate shall not claim that the offer is free, the best, the cheapest or on sale in any way.
- Contributing to responsible gaming
- The affiliate shall share information regarding the risks associated with gambling for money.
- The affiliate shall share information and the means to get help with a (developing) gambling addiction. This information shall be:
- The national support helpline for gambling addiction;
- Parties that offer further assistance for a gambling addiction;
- Further information on gambling addiction;
- The possibility of self-exclusion and the Swedish Gambling Authority.