Affiliate Announcements
XLMedia expands into Romania with affiliate acquisition

XLMedia‘s Ory Weihs (Group CEO) has reaffirmed his company’s commitment to the igaming industry with the announcement that it has bought a portfolio of Romanian-facing affiliate websites and obtained a licence in the country.
The digital marketing company paid approximately US$1m for the online betting and gambling content websites, the most significant of which is ponturi-bune.ro, a predominantly sports-focused affiliate site that also covers the casino and poker verticals.
Although this year XLMedia has made significant acquisitions outside the igaming space, including Canadian credit card comparison website Greedyrates.ca and mobile performance marketing platform ClicksMob, chief executive Ory Weihs said the Romanian deal demonstrated its continuing commitment to the igaming industry.
“We have quite a lot of activities outside of gambling but still gambling is our biggest vertical and this is a display that we are still very much interested in investing in it,” said Weihs.
“Although this is a smallish deal it shows that even though we’ve acquired assets outside the gambling sector in the last couple of years as well, we’re still very much interested to grow in gambling, especially in regulated markets like Romania, and we expect to make more acquisitions in the future.”
Since 2015, in order to operate in Romania affiliates have been required to obtain a Class II licence from Romania’s National Gambling Office (ONJN). XLMedia was granted a licence in January and there are currently 28 other affiliates holding licences in the country, according to the ONJN’s website.
A number of leading European operators have entered the Romanian market since the new regulatory system was put in place, and the fact that many of its clients are already in Romania was one of the driving factors behind XLMedia’s decision to enter the market, said Weihs.
Ponturi Bune counts large European operators such as 888, Unibet and NetBet among its affiliate marketing partners.
He added that he believes the Romanian market has a lot of potential for further growth. “Of course it is a less mature market than Scandinavia or the UK but it is not necessarily a reflection of the market size.
“It always has been a very active sportsbetting market, it is a growing economy, there are quite a lot of people in Romania, it is in the European union, it is regulated so it has all the characteristics of a gambling market that we are interested in.”
XLMedia and other large affiliates such as Catena and Raketech have been very active in acquiring smaller affiliates over the past 18 months, with the pace of M&A activity expected to continue in the near future.
Affiliate Announcements
Affiliate Leaders Summit Grows 40% as Global Operators and Affiliates Flock to Lisbon

Following a successful run, the Affiliate Leaders Summit will make its return to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) this September, now expanded to a three-day format and featuring the debut of the Affiliate Leaders Awards.
Taking place from 16–18 September, the Affiliate Leaders Summit runs alongside SBC Summit as a focused, standalone platform for affiliates, affiliate managers, and enabling suppliers. It also delivers a more targeted networking and learning experience, with a dedicated content stage and curated audience of 8,000 operator representatives and 3,500 affiliates.
Affiliate Leaders Summit delegates will also enjoy full access to wider SBC Summit features, including evening socials, the main expo floor, and Super Stage keynotes from leading voices such as Gary Vaynerchuk.
Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “Last year’s launch of the Affiliate Leaders Summit was a big milestone for us. The response was incredible, but we knew we could do even more. That’s why this year, we’re giving it the time it deserves; three full days to ensure attendees can take in everything this event has to offer.
“We’re also introducing the Affiliate Leaders Awards, which I’m personally very excited about. Affiliates play a vital role in this industry, and it’s time we had a platform that truly celebrates their work alongside the operator programmes and suppliers who help make it all happen.”
A 40% expansion of the 2025 show floor also underscores the event’s rising influence, following 2024’s debut that earned standout NPS ratings—79 from affiliates and 68 from operators. This year’s exhibitor list is stacked with leaders of the field, including Catena Media, Clever Advertising, Evoke, Flashscore, Kaizen Gaming, Medier, Megapari, Novibet, and Shake, offering attendees direct access to key players across the affiliate and operator landscape.
On the conference side of things, the Affiliate Leaders Stage at this year’s summit delivers a powerful three-day journey through the evolution of affiliate marketing, starting with the martech tools redefining performance and partnerships, moving into audience-focused strategies that tap into community-driven SEO and smarter collaboration, and culminating in a forward-looking exploration of AI, diversification beyond Google, and the future role of affiliate managers.
With debates, CEO insights, hands-on workshops, and panels tackling everything from automation and CRM to content authenticity and deal transparency, this stage arms attendees with the ideas, tools, and strategies needed to thrive in a rapidly shifting digital landscape.
The conference sessions will bring together some of the biggest names in affiliate marketing, including Jonathan Edelshaim (CEO, Natural Intelligence), Elaine Gardiner-Ruddock (Managing Director, TAG Media), Peter Gunni (CEO, Traffic Lab), Filip Komljenovic (Head of Sales, Sofascore), Deb Lee (Director of AI & Data Operations, CILA, Entain), Andre Machado (CCO, Clever Advertising), Leanne Muleba (Chief Operations Officer, Matching Visions), and Johan Styren (CEO & Co-founder, Dilanti Media).
Those joining the Affiliate Leaders Summit will benefit not only from the tailored content on the dedicated stage and Super Stage but also from the addition of the Global Markets and Emerging Markets stages. With affiliates and operators among the most curious about cross-border growth, these new stages provide an ideal opportunity to explore regional strategies and understand new audiences.
Affiliate and operator attendees can expect the VIP treatment at the Affiliate Leaders Summit, with complimentary access to the event’s premium evening networking lineup. That includes the high-energy Opening Party with Joel Corry and Imanbek, and the return of INFINITY Lisbon, featuring electrifying performances from Alok and Timmy Trumpet.
Sojmark added: “The Affiliate Leaders Summit is designed to make networking and easier by giving you a dedicated space to connect. But the hospitality doesn’t stop there. You’re part of the full SBC Summit experience. With access to all six stages, complimentary food and drinks at the Food Festival, and the freedom to explore every area of the event, you’re welcome to engage as widely as you like. The Affiliate Leaders Summit simply helps you focus your efforts where they matter most.”
Affiliate Announcements
ReferOn Launches Three Powerful New Features for Smarter Affiliate Management

ReferOn, the next-gen affiliate management system, has introduced three major features aimed at making affiliate operations faster, smoother and more scalable than ever.
The latest updates, including Async task tracking, affiliate-controlled postbacks and bulk payment generation, reflect ReferOn’s ongoing commitment to removing friction and empowering users with practical and efficient tools.
- Async Tasks: Say goodbye to frozen screens, slow loading and laggy sessions. The new system handles background-heavy processes such as bulk payments asynchronously (and with real-time tracking). This ensures smoother overall performance where users can monitor complex actions without overloading their session.
- Affiliate-Controlled Postbacks: Affiliates can now manage their own postback setup directly in the platform (when enabled by their manager). No more tickets, long email threads or tedious back-and-forth communication. Campaigns go live faster and everyone moves more efficiently and with less delay.
- Bulk Payment Generation: One of the more repetitive recurring workflows for users just became radically more efficient (and easy). Users can now generate payments for multiple partners in bulk with just a few clicks, freeing up time for higher-impact work.
Vladyslav Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented on the new features, “At ReferOn, we design for scale, efficiency and performance. These new features are more than simple improvements, they represent the foundations of a more autonomous, convenient and resilient system. We’re about empowering both operators and affiliates, and we’ve done that by providing self-service and streamlined tools to keep control in their hands. The ReferOn team continues to deliver on our promise of user empowerment without complexity.”
Affiliate Announcements
Discover Affigates: BetConstruct’s Innovative Affiliate Network for the iGaming Sector

Industry powerhouse BetConstruct is announcing the official launch of Affigates, a full-scale affiliate ecosystem that is set to redefine how operators and partners connect in iGaming.
What Sets It Apart?
Affigates brings affiliate software, affiliate program management, and a performance-tested network under one roof, designed from the ground up for scale, speed, and smarter growth.
From AI-aided management to a proprietary scoring system that filters the noise and finds real partners, Affigates removes the friction and delivers results that actually move the needle. With over 4500+ affiliates, 630+ active partner operators, and access to more than 30 million players, the ecosystem is already making a significant impact.
See It First at iGB L!VE
Affigates is making its global debut at iGB L!VE in London, where the sharpest minds in iGaming converge. You will find the ecosystem in action at its own stand, C40, as well as the dedicated team behind it.
Catering to both ready-to-scale operators and affiliates aiming higher, Affigates is here to deliver the affiliate solution the industry has been waiting for.