Affiliate Success
Affiliate Interviews: Faith Knott of MadAboutLottery.com
Meet Faith Knott of Madaboutlottery.com! Faith is new to the industry but is running MadAbout Media Ltd‘s brand new portal Madaboutlottery.com.
Name: Faith Knott
Age:23
Hometown: Widnes
Living in: Widnes
Favorite Food: Chicken Nuggets
Must Read Book: The Secret
Profession/Job title: Web Administrator
GAV: Hi Faith, first of all, tell us and our readers as well a little bit about yourself. How did your career start in the industry? What was the key idea of developing this great online lottery comparison site?
Faith: Hi, I first started in the industry about 15 months ago. Previously I was in the retail and sales industry and seen this job advertised and thought I’d try my hand at online marketing sales. When I started at MadAbout Media they had already established online bingo and casino comparison sites, and lottery seemed the next logical gaming niche to target.
GAV: Since there are thousands and thousands of online lottery websites in this niche out there, where do you think MadAboutLottery.com stands now?
Faith: MadAboutLOTTERY.com launched about 12 months ago so it is still pretty new but we have 100% unique content, dedicated social channels and have fantastic working relationships with lottery affiliate managers. So hopefully in the next 12 months it will be a well established online lottery comparison site.
GAV: How do you see the UK online lotto market at this moment?
Faith: Lottery in the UK is huge at the moment, specially with all the different variations of lotto games and syndicates. These are just two of the reasons that we want to advertise lottery as players, like in other niches, love variety.
GAV: How about the Irish one?
Faith: Just like the UK and lotteries all over the world, the Irish market is huge and has the potential to become bigger still.
GAV: In your opinion what are the strong points of MadAboutLottery.com and what makes it stand out from the other UK niche websites/directories?
Faith: As mentioned earlier, the site has trustworthy content plus dedicated affiliate managers helping us to push their brands by offering MadAbout Lottery players unique offers and bonuses.
GAV: How did you start and most of all what bumps did you have to overcome at the beginning?
Faith: We have a slots comparison site http://www.mobileslotsites.com/ that ranks really well and a site template that helps players navigate the site easily, so we used the tried and tested template with the lottery site and that seems to be working great for us. There wasn’t really many bumps to overcome but the main obstacle was the language barrier with affiliate managers from overseas lotteries.
GAV: We have found some great quality content on the site. Are you writing it by yourself or do you have a team of people writing for you – with you? How many lotto site reviews are there on your website?
Faith: We have a dedicated writer for MadAbout Lottery who sign up to all the different brands. They play the games, they check the promotions that are advertised work whether it be a deposit bonus or free tickets. At the moment we have just under 50 reviews, these include all different national lotteries plus sites that offer syndicate options. As and when new lotteries and lotto games become available we will add them to the site to give our players more options.
GAV: How do you manage to keep the content fresh and relevant on your website, when a lot of fluffy and nonsense appear on the Internet non-stop?
Faith: We keep the content fresh by visiting the brands we advertise and being in communication with their affiliate managers almost on a daily basis. This helps us make sure bonuses, offers and the latest promotions are always up to date on our site and social channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
GAV: We are more than sure that you receive messages from Affiliate Managers on a daily basis showcasing their best products. You of course select them by the brands they work with; but what are your thoughts on how a real Affiliate Manager-Affiliate relationship should be built?
Faith: All the affiliate managers I work with are professional, friendly and approachable. Although I’ve had emails from affiliate managers who don’t introduce themselves in their email and almost demand to be added to our site and to take up the homepage in the best converting positions. I believe that a real Affiliate Manager/Affiliate relationship should be almost like a friendship as well as a professional business relationship, after all we are all working towards the same goal.
GAV: How do you see the future of the online/landbased lotto industry? For instance, will it become a truly global phenomenon? What about the UK market’s future?
Faith: I think the UK and global lottery markets will only get bigger and better. With the emergence of mobile and tablet gaming people can buy tickets any time of the day wherever they are. Plus lottery sites also offer instant games so players can play a variety of games while they wait for the lottery numbers to be drawn.
GAV: Tell us one change that you want to see in the lotto affiliate ecosystem?!
Faith: Regular payment dates and realistic thresholds would be ideal. Some thresholds are far to high and can take a few months to hit. Another would be access to more tools such as live lottery XML feeds and direct landing page links to the different lotto’s.
GAV: Do you have any advise you would like to offer to newbies who are looking to venture into this great industry!?
Faith: Being a newbie myself I’ve already seen the benefits, I’ve attended a few conferences and met some fantastic business contacts/friends. The affiliate managers even run competitions which benefit us affiliates, I myself was lucky enough to win such a competition from attending LAC. So if you are new to the industry and you feel like giving up, don’t, as the perks are fantastic.
GAV: Do you attend any iGaming/online casino conferences? If so, which one is your favourite and what is your most fun experience?
Faith: I’ve attended a few conferences but LAC was by far the best. I was looking forward to attending AAC but unfortunately can’t attend, but there is always next year or maybe I’ll be at Berlin at the end of this year.
GAV: What do you think the chances are for Eastern Europe to become a potential gaming hotspot in the future? Where do you think the region must improve upon?
Faith: The Eastern European market, like any other market world wide has the potential to become a gaming hotspot. If their market is regulated and policed correctly it should do really well.
GAV: Where would you like to travel in Eastern Europe?
Faith: I would like to travel to Poland, it looks a lovely country and a nice short getaway for a city break.
GAV: Where you wouldn’t want to travel in Eastern Europe?
Faith: I’ve never really thought about it, but there are a lot of beautiful cities in Eastern Europe, as long as it was safe I would travel to most places.
GAV: How about a favourite celebrity, do you have one one?
Faith: I’d probably say Channing Tatum, because whats no to like 😉
GAV: What is your opinion about the Gambling Affiliate Voice?
Faith: I’m a regular visitor to the Gambling Affiliate Voice to keep up to date with upcoming events and certified websites. It is a fantastic site for an affiliate such as myself 🙂
GAV: Thanks for the interview Faith, it was a real pleasure. We wish you all the best and Happy Birthday to MadAbout Lottery!!!
If you would like to suggest subjects for future affiliate interviews, be sure to send your suggestions to: [email protected] .
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.