News
Growth of Illegal Casinos and Betting Sites

Plenty of reports have surfaced in recent times over the increase in the number of people taking to online gambling sites during lockdown across the world. Yet, what hasn’t been touched on just yet is the number of illegal platforms that have cropped up recently, too. Yet, Australia has just released details of the increase in the amount of illegal online betting sites springing to life during these tough times.
Despite Australia’s government going all out in a bid to block such sites from penetrating through to the country’s gamblers, it seems as though offshore sites are once again targeting such players in their masses. According to analytics from SEMrush, the number of searches for “online pokies” within Australia went through a swift leap in April to 40,500, which is massive in comparison to February’s result of 12,100.
Even more than that, an increase in the search for “online casino Australia real money” spiked by 540%, showing that the country still has quite the desire to gamble, despite strict gambling laws being in place there.
It was only a few months prior that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) ordered its internet service providers (ISPs) to block 52 illegal online casino sites. Those platforms remained blocked to Australia gamblers, but this hasn’t stopped numerous other offshore and illegal casinos and sportsbooks to appear during lockdown.
Australia Fighting a Losing Battle?
Some might suggest that the Australia government is fighting a losing battle when it comes to blocking access to offshore online gambling sites. There are so many in existence, that by the time they finish blocking them, plenty more will have opened their virtual doors. While it’s not specifically illegal to play online casino games in the country, it is illegal for websites to provide Australians with that sort of service.
This is different to nearby country New Zealand, where online casino gambling is licensed and regulated. That’s why it’s possible to find various lists of the best bookmakers in New Zealand, as these are fairly commonplace to residents. Yet, Australia is a bit more conservative when it comes to the accessibility of such. Could Australia learn from New Zealand’s setup? Well, possibly. But, it does seem like Australia has a bigger problem with people becoming addicted to gambling, in general.
That being said, research does suggest that the number of people in Australia participating in online gambling declined during the months of March and April this year. However, those who were accessing gambling sites did actually end up spending more money than normal at them. This doesn’t fare well for the industry in general where Australia is concerned, as the government estimated that last year, citizens lost around $400 million by participating in online gambling expeditions.
However, statistics did display that participation in gambling at offshore platforms prior to the pandemic had been on the decline. Unfortunately, that seems to have now become a little irrelevant with more Australians looking to satisfy their gaming needs while having nothing better to do with their time at home.
News
Vote now for N1 Partners in two EiGE Awards 2025 nominations!

The N1 Partners affiliate program is making headlines again with new nominations! This time, the team has been shortlisted among the brightest stars of the European iGaming industry for the European iGaming Excellence Awards (EiGE Awards 2025).
The award ceremony will take place on October 30 in the heart of Warsaw, bringing together the most influential players in the iGaming market – operators, affiliate programs, payment providers, and trailblazing tech innovators.
Gambling affiliate program N1 Partners is nominated in two top categories:
- Best iGaming Affiliate Program
- iGaming Leader of the Year (individual)
How to vote for N1 Partners in both categories (it will take no more than a minute):
- Go to: https://hipther.com/events/egc/eige-awards/
- Select the “Best iGaming Affiliate Program category” → click “Continue to vote”.
- Choose N1 Partners from the list → enter your personal details → click “Vote”.
- Return to the awards page → select “iGaming Leader of the Year (individual)” → click “Continue to vote”.
- Select Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners from the list → enter your details → click “Vote”.
Online voting is open until August 26.
Why N1 Partners?
- 12+ high-converting brands
- 10+ Tier-1 GEOs
- Flexible payment method CPA | RevShare I Hybrid
- Insights from in-house analysts
- Benefit from top offers
- 24/7 support
Support N1 Partners and Head of Affiliate Alexa Bond with your vote – who knows, your vote might make all the difference!
News
N1 Puzzle Promo: Complete Challenges, Earn Puzzles, and Get a Chance to Win a VR Pilot Course!

The N1 Puzzle Promo from N1 Partners affiliate program is picking up pace — and the competition for the main prize, a real helicopter Robinson R22 Beta II, is getting serious.
One of the best casino affiliate programs N1 has launched a special activity for participants, offering a chance to earn extra puzzle pieces and try their luck in a draw for awesome prizes! Simple as that.
Campaign period: August 15 – November 15, 2025.
All the details are below.
To earn additional puzzle pieces and improve your position on the leaderboard, you need to complete the following challenges:
- Be a registered participant of the N1 Puzzle Promo and have minimum one puzzle piece already earned for traffic
- Post positive reviews about your cooperation with N1 Partners on 4 websites: Business of Apps, Affpaying, CPA.Club, and Trustpilot (direct links to N1 Partners profiles below):
- https://www.businessofapps.com/affiliate/n1-partners/
- https://www.affpaying.com/n1partners
- https://cpa.club/en/companies/n1-partners
- https://www.trustpilot.com/review/n1.partners
- Subscribe to N1 Partners’ social media:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n1_partners
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/n1partners/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/n1partners
- Take part in the N1 Partners survey
Here come the rewards.
In addition to three extra puzzle pieces for the main leaderboard, all participants will enter a giveaway for a home VR flight training set — the “Pilot Course”.
What’s inside the set?
- Meta Quest 3 (128 GB)
- Licensed VR simulator
- PC-compatible cable
Find more details about the special tasks on our website at the following link: https://n1.partners/news-page/n1-puzzle-promo-challenge
N1 Puzzle Promo: More traffic → More puzzles → Closer to the winning!
Awards
ReferOn Earns Dual Nominations for Innovation and Marketing Excellence at SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025

The company continues its growth in 2025 with key industry recognition
ReferOn, a next-gen affiliate management platform has been shortlisted for the “Affiliate Product Innovation” and “Best Marketing Solution Provider” categories at the upcoming SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025.
These nominations come after an important year for the company, defined by strong market traction, continuous product development, and an increased demand from operators and affiliate managers looking to transition from outdated legacy platforms to a more agile, transparent, and scalable solution.
Since its launch, the ReferOn team has demonstrated its commitment to solving real problems for affiliate teams. At the core of its value propositions is creating a simple and accessible platform that’s built for modern needs. Core developments like full-cycle automation, customisable dashboards, instant postbacks, and real-time data visibility help to reduce chaos and boost performance. Additionally, tools like the Sub-Affiliate System, No Bundling Model, and dynamic variables assist with increased operational control.
Vlad Bondarenko, ReferOn’s Head of Product, commented on the nominations, “We didn’t build ReferOn to compete with legacy platforms — we built it to replace them. Every development, addition, and decision is guided by the goal of empowering our users to move faster, make more insightful decisions, and scale efficiently. These nominations have shown us that we’re moving in the right direction and that our incredible team is working towards something truly impactful.”
ReferOn’s roadmap remains ambitious and future-focused, with numerous investments in product developments, customer-facing services, and initiatives that help affiliate teams act faster and move smarter.
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