News
Things must change

James Ashton from FindMyUKCasino.com says that affiliates targeting self-excluded players are damaging the entire industry
The relationship between online casino operators and affiliates is under more strain than ever before as regulators and watchdogs continue to tighten responsible gambling requirements.
The UK Gambling Commission has made clear that operators are ultimately responsible for the content that is published on their behalf by affiliates.
This has forced online gambling brands and their affiliate managers to audit their publisher partners and set guidelines for the responsible marketing of their sites.
As a professional online casino affiliate committed to responsible and compliant marketing, we have welcomed this approach as we believe it is also our responsibility to protect players.
This has seen us carry out major changes to our site, from ensuring significant and full terms and conditions are always next to bonus offers via auditing and reworking content.
For example, our best online casino page only lists four of our partner online casino brands with those listed scoring the highest during our review process.
Other online casino affiliates list hundreds of online casinos under their best online casino pages in a bid to maximise revenues from what is usually a high-volume traffic page.
We believe players searching for best online casinos are looking for information about the brands that stand out above the rest – listing hundreds to maximise commission is therefore irresponsible.
There are plenty of online casinos affiliates just like us, affiliates that care about players and being responsible over trying to turn a quick profit. But there are some that are not.
Recently I have seen a growing number of online casino affiliates creating content aimed at UK players that have self-excluded, pushing them to non UKGC-licensed websites.
These publishers are writing ranking pages around terms such as “Online casinos not on GamStop” when we all know that UKGC-licensed operators must work with GamStop.
These ranking pages then list tens or even hundreds of online casino sites that hold licenses from Curaçao and other offshore jurisdictions.
The only reason for creating content around these terms is to target those that have self-excluded because they believe they have a gambling problem or acknowledge the have an addiction.
This is disgraceful behaviour on behalf of the affiliate and is doing untold damage to publishers that believe the foundation of their business is to protect all players, not just the most vulnerable.
Some publishers have stopped short of actually listing online casinos that are not on GamStop and that don’t hold a UKGC licence, but have still created content around these terms.
Again, this is clearly aimed at drawing players searching for these terms to their sites, and then pushing them to other articles and reviews where they are encouraged to sign up and play.
Online gambling operators should also be concerned; some of the publishers creating these sorts of pages are among the largest in the industry and also promote UK-licensed brands.
These operators should be concerned about what impact partnering with affiliates that undertake such black hat techniques might have on their licence should the UKGC find out.
This practice needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency; online casino affiliates publishing such pages should do the right thing and take them down.
UK-licensed online casino operators should better audit their partners – just Google “Online casinos not on GamStop” and you can easily see who is creating content around these terms.
Once they have identified the culprits, they should issue an ultimatum – remove the page or they will cease working with them. This is the only way to protect players and, ultimately, their licence.
On a personal and professional note, it really is a shame to see that some affiliates do not see that their ultimate responsibility is to ensure that players are properly protected.
To do this, they need to provide them with the information they need – including T&Cs – about online casinos to enable them to make an informed decision about where to play.
They should make players aware of the resources available to them if they do feel they have a problem, such as GamStop, and not use it as a technique for acquiring new players.
There are plenty of affiliates out there doing great things when it comes to responsible gambling and compliance, which makes it such as shame that a small number are behaving so badly.
This is not only damaging to online gambling operators and affiliates, but also to the UK players they are pushing to these offshore sites.
Affiliate Announcements
ReferOn Expands Offering with New Support Packages, “ReferOn Assist”

ReferOn, an innovative affiliate management system, has experienced significant growth in 2024, with multiple technical and quality-of-life improvements to the platform. As a result of an influx of new operators and affiliates, ReferOn has introduced ReferOn Assist.
ReferOn Assist offers tailored support packages in three distinct tiers: ReferOn Assist, ReferOn Assist Plus, and ReferOn Assist Premium. Each tier provides enhanced support, cost-effective hourly support rates and more to help users meet their affiliate marketing strategy goals.
ReferOn Assist, the entry-level subscription package, includes a number of benefits, such as guaranteed support hours, faster response times and a higher resolution priority compared to ReferOn Basic users. All ReferOn Assist subscribers also receive direct channel support for easy access to our agents. Lastly, subscribers to this tier also enjoy more cost-effective out-of-hours support prices and affordable review reports for business analysis purposes.
ReferOn Assist Plus offers a further guaranteed response time, a larger bundle of support hours included and extra training time to help maximise affiliate operation efficiency. This subscription tier includes a quarterly review report packed with valuable insights and dedicated resolution priority for any pressing queries or issues. All subscribers also receive even further reduced out-of-hours support rates.
The last tier, ReferOn Assist Premium, provides operators and affiliates with the most comprehensive dedicated support package. Subscribers receive the highest response time and a large bundle of inclusive support hours at reduced rates. Premium users have access to a dedicated support manager for tailored assistance and the most cost-effective prices for after-hours support.
Each of these support packages are tailored to continue to provide the best possible customer service for Referon clients, whilst also helping reduce costs.
David Harris, ReferOn’s Operation Lead, commented on the new support packages, saying, “ReferOn prides itself on providing top-quality support for all operators and affiliates. The release of the ReferOn Assist packages allows us to prioritise helping our valued partners to ensure that they can make the most of our platform at all times. We look forward to seeing how the ReferOn team can work closely with all our users to achieve their business needs.”
Awards
Casino Guru shortlisted for AffPapa iGaming Awards due on May 28

Casino Guru is part of the upcoming AffPapa iGaming Awards due to take place in Malaga, Malta on May 28, with the company shortlisted in both the “Branding of the Year” and “Casino Affiliate of the Year” categories.
This marks another major milestone for Casino Guru this year, as the company has been shortlisted for both the iGB Affiliate Awards and the SBC Awards Europe.
These achievements have clearly demonstrated Casino Guru’s lasting influence in the iGaming industry and the prominent status it holds thanks to its ongoing efforts to make the sector more transparent, responsible, and safer for players.
Daniela Silva, Public Relations and Creative Projects Director, said: “The nomination for the ‘Branding of the Year’ category is an exceptional achievement for Casino Guru. The company has worked tirelessly to establish itself as a brand synonymous with player trust and recognition, and I am confident this nomination exemplifies exactly that. Our creative projects extend beyond Casino Guru alone, as the brand continues to expand and promote best practices in iGaming that help players stay safe, informed, and responsible.”
Casino Guru’s nominations for the AffPapa iGaming Awards reflect the painstaking work the company has put into ensuring that it builds a brand that is synonymous with player trust and confidence.
Through the Complaint Resolution Center and Safety Index, Casino Guru has consolidated its presence in the industry as the foremost authority on guiding players to the best casinos.
Casino Guru uses the world’s most advanced evaluation process and regularly reviews entries into the database to ensure impartiality and objectivity in offering players the opportunity to choose from a list of established and carefully-assessed brands.
Awards
Industry praised as finalists announced for July’s iGB Affiliate Awards

Stephen Carter, Clarion Gaming’s Head of Affiliate Content and internal judging lead for the IGB Affiliate Awards has praised both the number of submissions received and their overall quality.
Speaking as organisers published the list of finalists across the 20-strong categories, he confirmed: “Our external industry judges who are selected for their expertise and their depth of knowledge of the iGaming affiliate sector have been hugely impressed by the overall quality of the individual submissions and the number of companies that have chosen to participate in the 2025 edition of the Awards.
“Both metrics are indicative of how seriously the Awards are taken and how they are widely recognised for being the most prestigious and transparent merit-based awards in iGaming.
“It’s also significant that 40% of the submissions which have progressed to the finals are from businesses not previously shortlisted. This level of engagement demonstrates the relevance and reputation enjoyed by the iGB Affiliate Awards across the iGaming ecosystem.”
Madrid headquartered Betandeal has achieved the most shortlisted entries, making the cut in five categories. The affiliate agency is closely followed by Gambling.com Group, which has put itself in the running across four categories, for best affiliate in casino, sports and bingo (via its WhichBingo brand) as well as Affiliate Employer of the Year.
Newcomer WagerWire has also been shortlisted in four categories across sports, Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year, Employer of the Year and Best Affiliate Campaign.
Interest is mounting in the showpiece black-tie event, with the industry celebration being presented by broadcaster and musician Myleene Klass MBE.
The critically acclaimed television personality, part of the original Britpop era, will host the Cool Britannia-themed event being held 3 July at the Troxy, the stunning Art Deco masterpiece situated in the heart of East London.
The Troxy has an 80-year musical heritage and has featured performances by Liam Gallagher, Jarvis Cocker, Garbage and the Cure.
Members of the iGaming affiliate community can still participate in the public vote for Game of the Year by following the link found at https://www.igblive.com/igb-affiliate-awards-2025. Votes must be cast before 3 June.
The iGB Affiliate Awards shortlist can be viewed at: https://www.igbaffiliate.com/en/articles/121752/igb-affiliate-awards-2025-shortlist-revealed/
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