News
How Will Gambling Affiliates be Affected by Rule Changes in the UK?
As the iGaming market in the UK has grown exponentially since 2010, we’ve also seen associated money-making opportunities emerge in the sector.
For example, the most successful gambling affiliates can earn in excess of £20,000 per month when ranking well for competitive search volume keywords, simply by promoting a particular casino brand through their site.
However, given the recent proposals aimed at safeguarding players in the iGaming market and the wider impact of Brexit on the European gambling industry in the UK, the future for affiliates has become uncertain. But how will they be affected by any rule changes?
Exploring Current Affiliate Restrictions
During the House of Lords Select Committee meeting on the Social and Economic Impact of the Gambling Industry in February, delegates discussed a wide range of measures to help protect vulnerable and underage gamblers.
They also entertained the ambitious proposals by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Gambling Related Harm, which included measures such as a £2 online slots betting cap and a comprehensive review of the licensing criteria imposed on operators.
Another key topic for discussion was the role of affiliates, and more specifically how operators feel about regulating these entities and the way in which they advertise to their customers.
Currently, there is a clear rule which makes operators liable for the actions of their affiliate partners, with this having been in place since the last review of the market in 2018.
This rule created a sense of accountability amongst operators and made them directly responsible for the marketing activity (and breaches) of their affiliates, resulting in a slew of financial sanctions for brands across the board.
This was also part of a wider drive to curb the publication of misleading information on affiliate sites, which could occasionally be utilized to target vulnerable or underage players.
Aside from misleading advertising, this body of rules and wider regulatory framework also covers specific database practice requirements, including the requirement to demonstrate explicit consent for any person who happens to be on an affiliate’s email marketing list.
By attempting to control sponsored iGaming messaging in this way, both the UK regulator and the government caused a considerable splash in the affiliate market.
For example, Sky Bet closed their affiliate program completely after the new rules were imposed, while a host of other market-leading operators listed on mybettingsite.uk ceased to partner with their most inefficient and untrustworthy affiliates.
This also contributed to the significant spike in mergers and acquisitions in the iGaming market during 2018/19, so it should come as no surprise that stakeholders are watchful in the event that new affiliate laws are passed.
So, What Does the Future Hold for iGaming Affiliates?
The main worry here is that the previous measures clearly have not resulted in the level of control and conformity that regulators would like, which is why alternative (and potentially stricter) measures may be under consideration.
In fact, the most logical and likely move would be to see the government (in conjunction with the UK Gambling Commission) attempt to regulate affiliates and their activity directly.
In theory, this could broadly follow the US model, where sports betting affiliates are required to register or license their operations in full before deals can be struck to promote online sportsbooks and iGaming brands.
This would not only potentially result in the formation of a new and standalone regulatory body, but costs may also be introduced to create a barrier to entry for new affiliates and make the practice less profitable for rogue operators.
Just as in 2018/19, any new rule changes could also trigger another wave of mergers and acquisitions.
In this instance, such strategic moves could well help smaller operators to absorb increased operational costs, while enabling larger corporations to strengthen their market share.
On a fundamental level, however, any new rule changes would require operators (and, to a lesser extent, affiliates) to boost their legal representation, in order to help minimize regulatory costs and pay for any external legal support that may be required.
These challenges will be compounded by Brexit, particularly for UK operators who may also be struggling with the increased RGD levy and other regulatory restrictions.
So, all stakeholders will be waiting with bated breath in the coming months, to see which of the new iGaming rules and regulations are likely to impact on the lucrative practice of affiliate marketing.
What does it really take to pick the right iGaming offer for promotion? With so many variables to consider, it’s easy to make mistakes, especially for affiliates just starting out.
To help clarify things, N1 Partners and the RichAds ad network joined forces to share practical advice on choosing profitable offers and avoiding common pitfalls.
The conversation took place during the N1 Puzzle Promo — a competition where affiliates, both seasoned and new, experiment with different traffic sources, tools, brands, and GEOs to achieve one main goal: maximize profits from their traffic. And selecting the right offer is the first step toward success.
Meet the Experts
Before diving into the tips, here are the people sharing their insights:
 Daria Maichuk
Affiliate Manager at N1 Partners |
Veronika Ponomareva Head of Customer Service at RichAds |
What is RichAds?
RichAds is an ad network offering a wide range of traffic sources, including:
- Telegram ads
- Push notifications
- Popunders
- Domain redirects
- Native ads
- Display traffic
Prices start at just $0.005 CPC for push ads and $0.5 CPM for popunders, with access to traffic across 200+ GEOs from Tier 3 to Tier 1.
How to Choose an iGaming Offer: Expert Advice
We asked Daria and Veronika the most important questions affiliates have when evaluating iGaming offers.
1. What parameters of an iGaming offer should be analyzed first before launching?
Daria Maichuk
“Start with the GEO: is gambling legal, how competitive is the market, and how solvent is the audience? Then check the payment model (CPA, RevShare, Hybrid) and the funnel: registration flow, minimum deposit, and site usability. The product matters too — top providers, live casino, sports, esports, localization, and bonuses. Finally, look at retention: how long players stay active and what campaigns keep them engaged.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“First of all, it’s the payout conditions, brand and its reputation on the market, as well as the funnel flow and the content of pre-landing/landing pages to pay attention to. Many things can affect a campaign’s result such as verification before the first deposit, the lack of locally popular payment methods support and the first deposit amount.”
2. How can a beginner determine the potential of an offer? Which metrics should they focus on to avoid wasting budget?
Daria Maichuk
“Key metrics are Conversion Rate (CR), Earnings Per Click (EPC), and Click-Through Rate (CTR). A low CTR usually means the offer doesn’t match the audience or creatives. Test multiple landers — welcome pages and reg forms typically perform best. Also consider First Time Deposits (FTD) and retention, as they reflect the long-term potential of an offer.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“Cost per registration, cost per conversion and ROI — are basic yet the most crucial things to look at. Potential means the long-lasting profit, so pay attention to the LTV (Lifetime Value). An offer could have a moderate EPC, but if the player retention is high and brings many secondary deposits, then the LTV would be extremely high accordingly. Ask your manager about the LTV of the offer in the required geo.”
3. How does a brand’s license affect the choice of GEO and traffic?
Daria Maichuk
“White licenses allow affiliates to work in regulated markets and run campaigns on official ad channels like Google Ads, FB, and TikTok. Grey licenses are also usable, but platforms often restrict or ban them, so affiliates need strong moderation skills.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“The licensing topic is highly important due to the fact that it determines the legality of traffic and what sources are acessible. Strict licenses (MGA, UKGC) approve only the cleanest traffic (mostly PPC and SEO). The traffic is very expensive, but provides quality leads. Curacao license gives more freedom as you can work with push-traffic, teasers and popunders. High risks come with no license at all as well as the accessible traffic sources are very limited.”
4. Which three GEOs currently deliver the highest ROI in iGaming, and why?
Daria Maichuk
“Germany: high purchasing power, stable LTV and retention, large deposits, strong conversion.
Canada: fast-growing, high trust in licensed brands, boosting CR and retention.
Australia: players spend more, stay active longer, and convert well into deposits.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“Depends on the traffic source we’re looking at, for example, if it’s either push or pop, then Bangladesh, Brazil and South Africa are currently on top.”
5. How can you understand whether an offer fits your main traffic source (FB, PPC, push, etc.) before testing?
Daria Maichuk
“Beginners often test blindly, but it’s possible to know in advance. FB and Google are the most widespread sources. Google traffic is highly engaged because players search for the product themselves. Facebook is harder for retention, but we work actively to improve it, especially for this audience, where push campaigns are essential. Push/Pop works for most offers, though CR is lower. If an offer has working apps (ASO), it can also be promoted through stores.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“Facebook and Google Ads are following strict guidelines on accessible content regarding iGaming offers, so it’s a common headache for marketers to test offers there and co-exist with moderation rules. Push and pop traffic doesn’t apply so many demands to the advertising content, so they’re way more preferrable for promotion means. So are Telegram Mini Apps, by the way, since they feature more tolerant moderation by advertising networks and fresh relevant audience.”
6. Top 3 traffic sources for iGaming in 2025?
Daria Maichuk
“Google: high-intent users, precise targeting.
Facebook: huge reach, flexible creative testing.
SEO: long-term stability, independent of traffic costs, especially effective for RevShare.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“Telegram Mini Apps: fresh audience, broad opportunities for advertising formats and extremely relevant users who come from casual games and tap-to-earn clickers.
Push-notifications: proven traffic source with high CTR and pre-made user bases that provide easier outreach to converting players.
Popunders: high CR and cost-effective means for promotion, since quality landing pages are usually enough to convert impulsive gamblers.”
7. Do your affiliates drive traffic through Telegram and what are the specifics? What do you think about mini-app traffic?
Daria Maichuk
“Yes, we’ve seen such cases, but most affiliates still prefer other sources. Data is still limited, but we’re closely monitoring Telegram and mini-app traffic and see strong potential here.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“For us it’s a channel that we actively explore, since introducing Telegram Mini App ads showed us how much of a potential they hold straight away. First of all, TMAs themselves offer a global coverage and outreach to a variety of potential leads for the iGaming products, coming from all over games and applications. In fact, since the moderation policies there are independent from the official Telegram Ads platform, that gives additional interest to this traffic.”
8. How many FTDs are needed to objectively evaluate an iGaming offer?
Daria Maichuk
“PPC: 20–30 FTD.
Facebook (slots): 20–30 FTD.
Facebook (crash games): at least 100 FTD.
In-app: around 100 FTD.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“At least 30 FtD, but to evaluate the offer properly it’s best to look into the player activity in the long run, the average amount of the deposits and other in-depth metrics.”
9. Which KPIs do you recommend for testing: ROI, FTD, deposit, or retention?
Daria Maichuk
“We often use soft KPIs. On average, we expect the avg dep count to be >=2. Sometimes we also track the ratio of total deposits to partner payout.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“It’s a complex matter as hitting the KPIs is usually the result of a combination of factors getting along.”
10. What should affiliates do if an offer “drops” after two weeks — switch or optimize?
Daria Maichuk
“If results were good initially, optimize creatives and targeting. If not, check whether the creatives included slots actually available in the product. Our managers always provide updated slot and targeting recommendations.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“Optimize the campaign, examine the metrics, check the creatives, change landing pages – try to find the correlation to this in the traffic performance.”
11. Which statistical indicators show that an offer can be scaled?
Daria Maichuk
“The main sign is stable positive ROI over several days or weeks. Also look at the funnel (click → registration → deposit) and player retention.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“Simply, a more or less stable ROI is the main indicator here.”
12. How to scale an offer within one source without lowering CR?
Daria Maichuk
“Increase budgets gradually — 10–20% every 1–2 days. Scale your best-performing bundles first. Always refresh creatives: without new content, audiences burn out and CR declines.”
Veronika Ponomareva
“The same level scaling is the key. If by creatives, then create new combinations of creatives and landing pages. If by the audience — gradually add more newcomer oriented targetings, instead of increasing the bids on the current ones. Just test everything by degrees.”
Conclusion
The N1 Puzzle Promo highlighted not only the competitive spirit among affiliates but also the importance of knowing how to pick the right iGaming offers. From choosing GEOs and traffic sources to tracking KPIs and scaling campaigns, the advice from N1 Partners and RichAds gives affiliates a clear roadmap to better results.
RichAds continues to support the iGaming community with its self-serve platform, offering access to 220+ GEOs and multiple traffic types from push and popunders to Telegram Mini Apps and native ads.
Launch smarter campaigns, work with the right offers, and grow your iGaming profits!
Affiliate Announcements
KVA launches new website: stronger quality mark and clear recognition for consumers
The Responsible Affiliates Quality Mark (KVA) has launched its updated website. The modernization is the result of months of preparation and stems from the first meeting of the Alliance for Combating Illegal Online Gambling in May 2025. During this meeting, participants, including the KVA, emphasized the importance of enabling consumers to more quickly and accurately identify which players in the online gambling market are reliable and legal.
The foundation of the KVA: Thorough inspection and legal security
The KVA was founded in 2021, shortly before the opening of the legal online gambling sector in the Netherlands. At the same time, the KVA Code was developed, which all affiliated members must comply with. Compliance with this code has a legal basis: it is contractually established between the KVA and its members.
The KVA Code is based on current legislation and regulations in the Netherlands and is amended as needed. The code consists of six fixed components:
- Contributing to channelisation and combating illegal supply.
- Responsible use of marketing channels.
- Careful and balanced design of expressions.
- Preventing deception.
- Tailoring advertising to addiction prevention.
- Compliance with the Decree on Non-Targeted Remote Gambling Advertising.
All members are fully assessed annually. They receive a comprehensive advisory report, supplemented with random samples and audits based on signals. Compliance assessments are conducted by KVA Compliance Officers, who operate independently within the organization under contract. This guarantees a legally anchored and reproducible assessment structure.
The foundation of the KVA remains unchanged. However, the updated website provides a clearer and more accessible overview of what the KVA Code entails.
Increase recognition
Previously, consumers weren’t always clear about the KVA quality mark when they encountered it on an affiliate website. With the updated website, the KVA aims to improve this by making the quality mark’s function more transparent. Individual certificates for each affiliated website immediately show how it was assessed, how often inspections are performed, and when the last assessment was conducted. We also specifically explain which KVA Compliance Officer assessed the website, for transparency reasons. The certificates increase consumer recognition.
The new website contains several extensions and improvements:
- KVA certificates per website : Each affiliated member has its own page with a certificate, which shows how the assessment was made, whether the organization behind the website has been verified, and who performed the last audit. All the different certificates can be found on the member page: https://kva.nl/leden/ . Many of our members have now set up links from the quality mark to their own certificates.
- KVA Team: Clear information is now available about the team behind the KVA: https://kva.nl/het-team-van-kva/
- Transparency statement: a page explaining the organizational structure behind the KVA: https://kva.nl/transparantieverklaring/
- Advisory Board : The role of external advisors has been given a more prominent role. The KVA is supported by Yvon Jansma (Center for Responsible Gambling), Peter-Paul de Goeij (online gambling specialist), Eric Konings (VNLOK), Anne-Jaap Snijders (Book of Sports expert), and Björn Fuchs (VNLOK chairman). Advisory Board page: https://kva.nl/de-raad-van-advies/
- Responsible Gambling page : comprehensive information for consumers about signs of problematic gambling behavior, tips for responsible gambling, and referrals to support agencies: https://kva.nl/verantwoord-gokken/
- Publications section : an overview of studies, reports, and warnings issued by the KVA. This regularly highlights the risks of illegal online casinos, misleading affiliates, and new marketing tactics: https://kva.nl/publicaties/
Informing and protecting consumers
With its updated website, the KVA is positioning itself more emphatically as a consumer information hub. It regularly issues warnings about the risks of illegal gambling through social media and accessible articles. In doing so, the quality mark aims to contribute to the channeling objective: encouraging participation with legal providers and combating illegal offerings.
Steven Vrolijk, representative of the KVA: “With the updated website, we’re taking the next step in professionalization. The quality mark will be more recognizable for consumers, while members can continue to rely on a robust and legally sound assessment procedure. Through our role within the Alliance, the constructive contact with the regulator, and the input of experienced market experts, we want to continue contributing, together with our members, to channeling legal supply and tackling the illegal sector. Naturally, we thank all members and affiliated partners for supporting our initiative.”
Surf On the Waves to Success: N1 Partners at SBC Summit Lisbon 2025
From September 16 to 18, the N1 Partners team will take part in SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon — one of the largest events in the iGaming industry. Thousands of professionals from around the world will gather at Feira Internacional de Lisboa & MEO Arena to discuss trends, exchange insights, and build new partnerships. N1 Partners is known for preparing something special for every event, and this time the team will bring a vibrant surf-inspired atmosphere to booth F84.
Surfing the Wave of Opportunities with N1 Partners
At every conference, meeting the N1 Partners team is a chance for affiliates to advance in the N1 Puzzle Promo and get closer to the grand prize of the year — the Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter. In Lisbon, this journey takes on a fresh theme — surfing, as a symbol of freedom, energy, and moving forward.
At the N1 Partners booth, the team will recreate the vibe of a real surf camp, giving partners the chance to discuss business opportunities and take part in activities designed to help them “catch the wave” of success.
What Visitors Will Find at Booth F84
- Surf Bar serving signature bubble teas and retro-surf–style cocktails
- Surf Balance Board Challenge: test your balance, claim guaranteed prizes, and get the chance to win an all-inclusive surf trip
- Meeting zones designed for productive negotiations and top-tier deals in a comfortable setting
A Dream Trip for the Winner
N1 Partners will raffle off a certificate for an all-inclusive surf camp trip, which includes flights, villa accommodation, training with a professional coach, and a branded surfboard delivered directly to the winner.
How to participate:
- Visit booth F84
- Register for the giveaway
- Be present at the raffle (stay tuned for the exact time on N1 Partners’ social media)
Full terms and conditions will be available at the booth.
See You in Lisbon
SBC Summit Lisbon is the perfect opportunity to meet the N1 Partners team, explore new projects, learn about the latest brand launches, and discuss exclusive partnership opportunities. At booth F84, visitors will find live business conversations, branded merch, and additional puzzles to bring them closer to the grand prize of the N1 Puzzle Promo.
Why N1 Partners
Working directly with an advertiser, partners of N1 Partners benefit from:
- 14+ licensed casino and sportsbook brands with Reg2Dep up to 70%
- top deals across 10+ Tier-1 GEOs
- CPA up to €650, RevShare up to 45% + NNCO, and hybrid models
At booth F84, the N1 Partners team will be focused on real business. Whether you run SEO, PPC, FB, or other traffic sources, you’ll discover how to turn them into even greater profit with N1 Partners’ offers.
Don’t wait: book your meetings with N1 Partners’ affiliate managers now and make your SBC Lisbon experience as productive as possible.
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News2 weeks agoN1 Partners is giving away a trip to a surf camp at SBC Summit 2025 in Lisbon
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Affiliate Announcements21 hours ago
KVA launches new website: stronger quality mark and clear recognition for consumers
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News18 hours ago
How to Choose an iGaming Offer: N1 Partners x RichAds Share Their Expertise