News

Sports Betting Thriving Despite Lockdown

Published

5 years ago

September 4, 2020

Wanna Make a Bet?

The global pandemic put North American professional sports on the shelf for nearly five months but bettors soon found leagues that they never knew existed and, well, if you’re dying of thirst in the desert and someone offers you water, you don’t ask if it’s Fiji. Soon there were millions of experts on Belarusian soccer and Taiwanese paddle ball willing to put up or shut up. Even eSports became a mainstream betting vehicle with everything from League of Legends to Madden NFL simulations.

Sports betting may not be the oldest profession but it is quickly becoming one of the most compelling. After decades in the shadows, it has recently been legitimized due to it finally being legalized in many parts of the United States. But gambling, whether it be legal or illegal, will always be pervasive because it’s fun, and potentially profitable if you know what you’re doing.

Adam Burns, an industry sportsbook director, stated, “Business is booming. “We probably took in 10 times more money than last year on the 2020 NFL Draft. It goes to show people are looking for something to bet on. The draft is always big, but I couldn’t believe how much money [was bet] when I woke up the next morning.”

In April of this year, betting was up 50 percent at New Jersey sportsbooks over last year on sports other than basketball, football, and baseball, to the tune of $21.7 million.

Prior to the reopening of sports in North America, Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayUSA.com network, stated, “The rise in bets on nontraditional sports has been interesting, and with auto racing and golf closer to starting, that trend could increase.”

Books are Booming

Now that the NBA, MLB, and NHL are in full swing, business is booming even more as evidenced by reports from the best online sportsbooks in the industry. But with the king of kings, the NFL, drawing closer, the numbers are expected to soar as long as the leagues can remain open for business.

In August of 2019, a total of $744,065,765 was legally wagered in the United States and $61,762,233 in revenue was hauled in as a result. But industry experts are nearly unanimous in declaring that this August will dwarf last year’s take, not to mention what the offshore books will do as well.

But few believe the take this month will beat the record-breaking month of November 2019, when U.S. sportsbooks handled over $1.8 billion, due to the fact there is no preseason football. “It’s a reach,” opined ESPN gambling writer David Purdum when asked by US Bets whether the month that starts Saturday can break the November ’19 record, “especially without preseason football, which accounts for more than most would believe. Last August, around 25% of the total handle bet in Nevada sportsbooks was attributed to football wagers. The NBA will probably make up for the lack of football, but even then, eclipsing a regular-season football month seems unlikely.”

As Purdum noted, the NBA and NHL are both playing in August which is a first for both leagues and will only add to what should be a robust betting handle this month. SportsHandle Editor-in-Chief, Brett Smiley, echoed Purdum’s sentiments regarding his skepticism of a record handle in August of 2020, “There are so many moving parts here, including players going in and out of quarantine. Over/under on games played for any of these leagues, I mean, who knows? We’re in completely uncharted territory here and there’s too many unknowns in the equation. I think people may watch in record numbers, but hopefully people who have taken a serious economic hit — and that’s an awful lot of Americans — are not using limited resources to gamble on sports. Betting 10 bucks is fine, but that doesn’t impact handle much.”

Purdum referenced the uncertain economic times and the looming election as another hurdle to climb for a record-breaking month, “The U.S. betting market is expanding and growing. We have more visibility than ever at how much is being wagered, which may lead to some record-setting numbers in some states. Records seem to be set routinely these days. But, to me, the pandemic, the pending election, and uncertainty surrounding the economy and sports in general will, at some point, have a negative impact on the betting market.”

Whatever happens this month, one thing we do know is that Americans have a growing passion for the action. Sports betting is now mainstream and records will be routinely shattered for several years to come as more states enter the fray and become beneficiaries of all that additional tax revenue. Legalized sports betting in the USA has been a long time coming but at long last, we’re glad it’s arrived.

Related Topics:Dustin Gouker Esports North American professional sports

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Awards

ReferOn Earns Dual Nominations for Innovation and Marketing Excellence at SiGMA Euro-Med Awards 2025

Published

4 days ago

August 13, 2025

George Miller

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.

News

StatsDrone now supports over 2000 affiliate program integrations

Published

4 days ago

August 13, 2025

George Miller

StatsDrone now supports over 2000 affiliate program integrations

StatsDrone has achieved a significant milestone in their journey to being the best affiliate stats app both with accurate data and with the most affiliate program integrations.

The company recently achieved a milestone of over 2000 affiliate program integrations. Most of the integrations are for iGaming affiliate programs while others include affiliate networks, finance affiliate programs and crypto related programs.

Since launching the app over 4 years ago, the other milestone achieved is nearly 1200 affiliate programs marked as migrated or closed.

The multi-award winning app connects to affiliate programs through credentials using scraping or through using API keys. API data is supported by 61% of affiliate programs listed on StatsDrone currently as of August 2025.

COO and Co-Founder Darrell Helyar had this to say about the milestone: “Achieving this milestone reaffirms StatsDrone’s position as a leader in affiliate marketing, enabling affiliates to optimize performance and drive results. With an exceptional team committed to accuracy, innovation, and support, we continue to build trust and deliver outstanding results for everyone we support.”

The data that StatsDrone can get for customers is on the following levels: account, brand, campaign, dynamic variables and postbacks.

Dynamic variables, advanced data solutions for affiliates

Dynamic variables are proving to be one of the more popular tools offered at StatsDrone.

Dynamic variables is supported with the following affiliate program software: MyAffiliate, ReferOn, Mexos, CellXpert, Income Access, Affilka (SoftSwiss), RavenTrack, Alanbase, tap (Smartico), MAP, Post Affiliate Pro, Affise, Affelios, Entain / BetMGM, FlexOffers, NetRefer and PartnerMatrix.

Postbacks are currently available in StatsDrone for MyAffiliates, Affilka, Affise, Cellxpert and a few more.

StatsDrone helps affiliates identify when affiliate programs closed or migrate affiliate software which can render their old tracking links as invalid.

Finding affiliate programs

StatsDrone doesn’t just have 2000 affiliate program integrations but every integration is a review and part of our program database.

Affiliates can search for programs by affiliate software, if they have an API for accessing their data, postbacks, dynamic variables and exclusive deals too.

By far the most common integration technically falls under proprietary which means operators that choose to build their own affiliate program and not use a platform.

MyAffiliates has been the most popular platform as operators choose to launch their platform off of. Affilka, ReferOn and RavenTrack have been the fastest growing platforms.

On top of getting stats to affiliates, the company does it all with accuracy in mind. If an affiliate finds any data point not to be what it should be, they can report it to the StatsDrone team to have it fixed.

Likewise, if an affiliate wants a single program added, it is added to the list and most of the time the program is added within minutes.

News

Slotozilla Expands Partner Network With 25+ Affiliates and Unveils 139 New Bonuses in Q2 2025

Published

4 days ago

August 13, 2025

George Miller

Riding the wave of a hugely successful Q1, Slotozilla has continued its momentum through Q2 on the back of iGB Live London 2025. The platform consolidated the quarter by adding over 25 affiliate partners and launching 139 exclusive bonuses. This milestone marks a glistening moment in the company’s mission to deliver premium value and choice for online casino stakeholders.

Slotozilla, widely regarded as the go-to destination for expert casino reviews and free slot demos, confirmed the new additions in July. The partnership network now features several industry trailblazers, such as:

FTDgallery: Known for offering exclusive bonuses and promotions.
GameGrow: A network renowned for its games and deep insights into the Canadian market.
ToTheMoon Affiliates: ToTheMoon is a leader in championing gamified campaigns in several markets.
Luckpartners: Emphasises a mobile-first approach and localised gaming experiences.

Each partnership leverages unique regional expertise and, importantly, exclusive promotions to enrich users’ journeys on the platform. The new affiliates collectively unlock a vast array of offers, including 87 welcome bonuses and 52 no deposit bonuses. This totals 139 sublime bonuses right there for the taking.

The iGB Live London 2025 presented a golden opportunity for Slotozilla to engage equally outstanding industry leaders to improve user experiences. The company subsequently sent a delegation of experts to the event. “It was an incredible experience to meet so many passionate affiliates face-to-face,” said Tim Cline, Slotozilla’s editor-in-chief. “I’m proud of the collaborations we’ve initiated and excited about the value these brands will bring to our users.”

Geographical reach also extended into 15+ nations during Q2, with significant growth in Germany, Poland, Canada, and Italy. These expansions reiterate Slotozilla’s global vision and its commitment to localised content. With tailored bonuses and responsible gaming advocacy, the platform has never been more player-centric.

Looking ahead, it appears that activity is not slowing down any time soon. Slotozilla aims to grow its affiliate roster, refine its rankings, and introduce fresh insights to its platform.