Affiliate Success
AffiliateFEST 2018 – Key Note Speaker Announced

Affiliate Insider has promised to keep “affiliate entrepreneurs ahead of digital disruption” after securing Influencer CEO Ben Jeffries as a keynote speaker for AffiliateFEST 2018.
The fourth edition of AffiliateFEST is being held at Hilton Olympia on Wednesday 19 September, alongside the Betting on Sports Week in London (18-21 September). At just 22 years of age, Jeffries has already become an undisputed leader in influencer marketing having developed cutting edge techniques and technologies for Influencer, a company he founded alongside YouTube sensation Caspar Lee.
Influencer is an AI-driven, SaaS platform, allowing brands to manage influencer marketing campaigns from start to finish. The brands can connect with the most influential content creators on social media, having reviewed their analytics and follower demographics to make sure they are perfect for both their brand and campaign.
Jeffries’ keynote session will explore influencer marketing as an acquisition medium and help affiliates to understand the value that this can bring to their sites as a new form of online marketing, which is on the rise but yet to find its fit within the affiliate channel. The content will help #AffiliateFEST2018 delegates to better understand how they can implement the concept to increase brand reach and promote acquisition.
“I am excited to be speaking at this year’s AffiliateFEST,” said Jeffries. “There is such a strong relationship between affiliates and influencer marketing, which I don’t feel has been explored to its fullest yet. “Factor in iGaming and you have three of the biggest industries of the moment. I’m looking forward to talking to people about the synergy between these three industries, and the best and most mutually beneficial way to harness it.”
Affiliate Insider CEO Lee-Ann Johnstone added: “We’re thrilled to have Ben and Influencer join us at this year’s Bootcamp to teach our delegates about how influencer marketing is impacting the affiliate channel.“AffiliateFEST is designed to keep affiliate entrepreneurs ahead of digital disruption so it’s vitally important our bootcamps are delivering the latest insights in an ever-changing landscape. Innovation and skills development is at the forefront of all that we do to support revenue growth in this channel for affiliates and operators alike.”
As with previous AffiliateFEST editions, the focus will firmly be on providing a depth of content around digital learning, as opposed to selling and promotion of services. The agenda has been curated by Johnstone to help iGaming affiliates to growth hack their businesses through a day of intense digital learning and exclusive networking opportunities.
As well as Jeffries, the list of confirmed speakers already includes RefToken.ioCEO Jan Sammut, Miratrix Founder Nick Duddy, Harris Hagan Partner John Hagan, Mishcon Partner Nick Nocton, Scout Gaming Group Commercial Director Joakim Renman, BGO CMO Allan Turner, Blockchip COO Diana Rotaru and former Google SEO expert Fili Wiese from Search Brothers.
Affiliate Success
ReferOn Wins Prestigious “Rising Star Provider of the Year” Category at the AffPapa Awards 2025

ReferOn, a state-of-the-art affiliate management system, has won the “Rising Star Provider of the Year” title at the 2025 AffPapa Awards — a milestone that recognises the platform’s bold innovation and rapid growth in the affiliate tech space.
This award reflects ReferOn’s ability to deliver fast, transparent and scalable affiliate solutions that answer key industry demands. The category highlights the best rising companies in the iGaming and affiliate marketing industries, celebrating innovation and problem-solving solutions.
The AffPapa Awards is an annual event that recognises greatness in iGaming. The ceremony celebrates developments and innovations among affiliates, operators and B2B providers who have raised the bar and set new standards.
Vladyslav Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented on the achievement, “ReferOn wasn’t built to impress, it was built to solve. From day one, we challenged how affiliate platforms should work, look and feel — because the existing ones simply didn’t. More than a win, this award highlights the value of asking the right questions and building with purpose.”
2025 has been a crucial year for ReferOn, with the company receiving widespread industry recognition and implementing core product developments. Heading into Q3 and Q4, ReferOn is preparing a range of new features and enhancements focused on elevating the user experience and streamlining affiliate operations. The team will travel to iGB Live in London this July ready to share what’s next, meet with partners and discuss how ReferOn is refining affiliate management.
Affiliate Success
Casino Guru shortlisted in 2 categories for iGB Affiliate Awards 2025

Casino Guru has been shortlisted for the iGB Affiliate Awards 2025, joining a competitive field of contestants in the “Best Casino Affiliate” category and the “Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year.”
The iGB Affiliate Awards recognize companies in the iGaming affiliate space that have demonstrated their value through a range of initiative. This is reflected by the event’s coverage of more than 20 award categories.
Casino Guru is honored to have been shortlisted in two categories for one of the most prestigious industry events that celebrates advances in the affiliate industry and iGaming sector as a whole, and particularly in two areas where Casino Guru particularly excels.
Casino Guru has developed the world’s most comprehensive and meticulously detailed database, which actively evaluates the standing of individual casinos by scrutinizing dozens of different criteria for each listing.
These criteria are dynamic, meaning that Casino Guru is constantly reviewing offers to accurately assign ratings.
The resulting assessment is based on technological, legal, and industry knowledge, helping players make informed choices about their gambling.
Daniela Sliva, Public Relations and Creative Projects Director, said: “The shortlisting reflects Casino Guru’s ongoing commitment to upholding the highest industry standards. The Safety Index and Casino Guru Complaint Resolution Center have consistently delivered real-world impact for players, enhancing transparency and responsibility across the sector by showing operators that when it comes to their offers, it’s the players who decide. At Casino Guru, we ensure that players have all the information they need to make informed decisions. Being shortlisted for the prestigious iGB Affiliate Awards confirms that we’re on the right track.”
Casino Guru is also distinguished for its ongoing commitment to the Gamtegrity platform, which reunites the company’s efforts to make gambling safer and more transparent by advancing research, education, and best practices.
The official ceremony will be held at the Troxy, East London, on July 3, 2025. The iGB Affiliate Awards will be held on the final day of the iGB Live 2025 conference.
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
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