Affiliate Success
Income Access Releases Survey Report on State of Play in Affiliate Marketing

Results show that 86% of respondents have mobile sites with corresponding traffic on the rise
Montreal, QC. 7th March 2018 – Income Access, Paysafe’s marketing and technology services provider, has released a new survey report, entitled State of Play: iGaming’s Affiliate Marketing Industry. The report includes statistical and anecdotal insights on the current state of the affiliate marketing industry as well as expectations for 2018 and what trends will define the months ahead.
More than 20 survey questions cover a range of topics, including mobile traffic and optimisation, preferred advertising models, verticals and markets of interest, factors when considering an operator partner and more. The full report is available for download on the Income Access website.
Questions related to mobile and promotional strategies were among the most revealing. 86% of affiliates said that they currently run a mobile site and 77% selected content (i.e. online site reviews, sports news, etc.) as a key promotional strategy. For the latter point, other popular promotional strategies include banner adverts with sign-up offers (55%) and Twitter accounts with trackable links (30%).
Casino (44%), sportsbook (36%), poker (31%) and bingo (27%) were identified as the top four verticals that affiliates are considering promoting in the future. eSports (25%), lottery (21%) and social gaming (21%) also showed signs of long-term affiliate interest.
Income Access compared several results to a separate 2016 affiliate survey – also conducted by Income Access – that addressed many of the same topics and questions. This comparison showed an increase from 20% to 39% of affiliates who said that more than 50% of their traffic arrived from mobile devices. For verticals, the number of affiliates who selected bingo as a current focus rose from 17% in 2016 to 40% in 2017. Casino was the top current vertical of focus at 75%.
Several affiliates provided personal and anecdotal commentary about the current state of affiliate marketing, expectations regarding the affiliate channel’s evolution and the most important questions affiliates will ask themselves in 2018.
Through the Income Access Network, iGaming’s longest-serving independent affiliate network, Income Access is in daily contact with leading industry affiliates across an array of verticals and markets. With its suite of digital marketing services, including affiliate programme management, media buying, SEM, ASO and content marketing, Income Access has also gained in-depth knowledge of the tools and strategies leveraged by iGaming industry stakeholders.
Lorenzo Pellegrino, CEO of Income Access and Digital Wallets at Paysafe, said: “With the survey report, Income Access set out to evaluate the state of the industry through the eyes of affiliates. What we found was a mix of consistency, which can be seen in results for the leading markets and verticals, and evolution. Increased interest in bourgeoning verticals such as eSports and Lottery is a great sign for the industry. That affiliates are making a conscious effort to be strategic with their content development is similarly encouraging.”
For more information about the survey report, please contact Income Access.
About Income Access
Founded in 2002, Income Access is a technology company, affiliate network and digital marketing agency servicing the global gaming market, including regulated iGaming, social gaming, land-based casinos and online financial trading (forex, binary options). Through its award-winning marketing software and a partnership-centric approach, Income Access delivers comprehensive data and strategic insight on marketing campaigns across all digital and offline channels.
In September 2016, Income Access was acquired by Paysafe Group, the company behind the digital wallet brands NETELLER and Skrill. Income Access is partnered with over 300 gaming brands worldwide. These include: Betfred, Bet Victor, BGO Group, Caesars Interactive, Coral, Gala Interactive, IGT’s Lottomatica, Jackpotjoy, Lottoland, Pinnacle, PMU, Sportingbet, Stan James, and TwinSpires.
About Paysafe
Paysafe is a leading global provider of end-to-end payment solutions. Our core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through our industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallets and online cash solutions. Delivered through an integrated platform, our solutions are geared towards mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between bricks-and-mortar and online payments. With over 20 years of online payment experience, a combined transactional volume of US$48 billion in 2016 and over 2,600 staff located in 12 global locations, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across 200 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world.
Affiliate Success
EEGS Webinar: Affiliates Face New Demands in Balancing Compliance and Conversion

On May 13th, the Eastern European Gaming Summit (EEGS) hosted a dedicated affiliate webinar exploring one of the most pressing challenges in iGaming today: how affiliates can stay commercially effective while adopting an increasingly responsible role in player protection. The session, titled “Balancing Compliance and Conversion: The Affiliate’s Role in Responsible Gaming” featured Gjorgje Ristikj, Founder of Gamblers Connect and Co-Founder & CEO of RankRadar, as keynote speaker.
The conversation unfolded against a backdrop of intensifying regulatory oversight and market saturation, highlighting the transformation of the affiliate segment into an essential part of the iGaming ecosystem. As emphasized during the discussion, affiliates are no longer peripheral actors but full-fledged digital media businesses, operating with considerable investment in content, compliance, analytics, and brand credibility.
Ristikj pointed out that modern affiliates are increasingly absorbing roles traditionally associated with internal marketing teams, from advanced SEO operations and audience segmentation to responsible gaming communications and transparency standards. These shifts are not merely cosmetic. As the speaker noted, operators now rely on affiliates not only to acquire traffic but to reinforce brand integrity, especially in competitive or newly regulated markets.
One of the core themes discussed was the growing expectation for affiliates to support safe gaming environments, both through the content they produce and the brands they choose to promote. In a concrete example, Ristikj introduced a Responsible Gambling Scoring Index, developed by Gamblers Connect. The tool evaluates operators on the presence of key responsible gaming features and publicly displays a score to inform and empower players. This kind of initiative reflects a broader industry movement to embed responsible gaming principles at every stage of the user journey.
Another major focus was the mounting operational pressure faced by affiliates. While operators remain accustomed to revenue-share partnerships, Ristikj argued that fixed listing fees are becoming necessary to sustain professional affiliate operations. Investment in content, platform development, video production, and tracking infrastructure has significantly raised the cost of doing business, especially as privacy regulations and attribution challenges reduce the reliability of traditional performance models.
The webinar also touched on the emergence of video-driven affiliate strategies and personal branding as a differentiator in a crowded landscape. As new players, many backed by agencies or former operator teams, enter the market with aggressive strategies, trust and transparency are becoming the critical assets for sustainable success.
The session concluded with a clear message: affiliates who want to remain relevant must adapt to a new standard of accountability. That means embedding responsible gaming principles not only as a compliance checkbox but as a core part of the brand experience, something players, regulators, and operators will increasingly expect.
The EEGS Affiliate Webinar is part of a broader initiative by EEGS to provide actionable insights and elevate the strategic role of affiliates in the global iGaming industry.
For those who missed the live session, the on-demand video is now available. You can watch the full session here: https://youtu.be/MJeYZfPI6Rs?si=BVp0yA0Vcpu9FDJx
Affiliate Success
First iGB Affiliate Manager Academy to shine a light on effective AI-Driven affiliate recruitment strategies

Organisers of July’s edition of iGB L!VE – the first to be held in London – have announced the launch of the AI focussed iGB Affiliate Manager Academy which will be held July 1 as part of London iGaming Week.
The training and mentorship program which is being curated in partnership with Affiverse, founded by veteran affiliate marketer Lee-Ann Johnstone – and which guides businesses on how to launch, scale and grow successful affiliate programs, has been designed to help organisations of all sizes understand how to leverage new tactics and simple AI tools to recruit, retain and activate affiliates more effectively.
The Academy will offer a mix of practical learning, tactical assessments and personalised coaching providing affiliate managers with an invaluable opportunity to learn from industry leaders. Each unique session will include topical insights drawing on the dominant trends in the market.
Looking ahead to the Academy Lee-Ann Johnstone said: “I’m delighted that Clarion has invited Affiverse to develop a bespoke training academy specifically for iGaming Affiliate Managers.
“In an industry that’s constantly evolving, and which is powered by the early adoption of new technologies, businesses and affiliate managers have to keep learning in order to remain competitive. The only way we get to understand the affiliate space and all the complexities it entails is on the job – from others!
“It has always been important to me that those who have knowledge pay it forward and I’m really excited to be given the task of leading the curation of this unique event bringing the best of the best together in order to teach, train and coach affiliate managers as we move forward.
“The gap between AI-empowered affiliate managers and those relying solely on traditional methods is widening every month. The iGB Affiliate Manager Academy will provide the bridge to ensure businesses are on the right side of that divide.”
Reflecting on the importance and objectives of the iGB Affiliate Manager Academy, Global Portfolio Director Naomi Barton said: “Our live events are all about delivering real value to our international community of stakeholders. Lee-Ann and her team at Affiverse are spearheading the academy syllabus and content stream alongside IGB’s events production team to provide tailor made training and mentoring for new and existing affiliate managers as well as those who want to learn and scale their affiliate programs faster.
“The workshop will provide insider access to the exact AI-driven techniques that are assisting brands to deliver real results. Most significantly this isn’t just theory — instead it’s a hands-on expert-led roadmap focussing on immediately implementable tactics that will transform your program performance.”
Affiliate Success
SOFTSWISS Affiliate Software Platform Wins at IGA 2025

SOFTSWISS, an international tech company with over 15 years of experience in iGaming, announces that Affilka by SOFTSWISS wins Affiliate Company of the Year at the International Gaming Awards 2025. The comprehensive software platform helps manage, track, and analyse affiliate performance in the most convenient way.
The event recognises leading industry experts, both online and land-based. This achievement came as a well-deserved gift for the platform’s 7th anniversary. The award reflects the platform’s dedication to optimising affiliate program management and elevating the operational efficiency of its clients. By helping operators optimise affiliate partnerships, Affilka by SOFTSWISS has established itself as a technology-driven leader in the iGaming realm.
Powering over 440 iGaming brands, the platform currently has more than 360,000 affiliate accounts and 85 million registered players. One of its most impactful updates is the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature. This innovation accelerates redirects up to five times, reduces bounce rates and increases conversions by up to 7%. By enabling players to access casino sites faster, the feature drives higher registrations and deposits.
Other notable platform functionalities include built-in payment processing, which helps streamline financial operations with trusted payment systems and bank transfers. The flexible commission constructor and near real-time reporting features enable operators to tailor their strategies according to constantly evolving business needs.
“We are honoured to receive recognition at such a prestigious level,” said Anastasia Borovaya, Head of Affilka by SOFTSWISS. “This award reflects our unwavering dedication to delivering the best affiliate management solutions in the industry. With over seven years of expertise, a highly professional team, and a passion for innovation, we’ve built a platform that ensures exceptional service and continuous product enhancements for our clients. We’re committed to maintaining this momentum and supporting the growth of our partners worldwide.”
Now, Affilka by SOFTSWISS is showcasing its latest features and achievements at iGB Affiliate in Barcelona. On 21–22 January, the team welcomes partners and clients at stand C10.
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