News

How Will Gambling Affiliates be Affected by Rule Changes in the UK?

Published

4 years ago

June 30, 2021

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.

Related Topics:Affiliate Restrictions iGaming market in the UK

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Affiliate Success

ReferOn Wins Prestigious “Rising Star Provider of the Year” Category at the AffPapa Awards 2025

Published

4 days ago

June 4, 2025

George Miller

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.

News

People moves: LiveScore Media MD joins QiH Group as new CMO

Published

5 days ago

June 3, 2025

George Miller

People moves: LiveScore Media MD joins QiH Group as new CMO

The power affiliate welcomes its latest addition to the C-level team, who will begin working on strategy for various geographies and new verticals

QiH Group, the affiliate known throughout the industry for its compliance-focus and creative customer retention strategies, has welcomed its new CMO, James McCarthy.

Joining from LiveScore Media, where he was MD, McCarthy will start officially on 2 June, using his experience at betting and gaming giants Betfair, Betway Group – and of course, LiveScore – to inform his new remit at QiH Group to drive profit across all marketing activities.

Based in QiH Group’s London office, McCarthy will manage the marketing team of 17 – which will expand to 27 in the coming months – overseeing double digit growth through marketing channels and commercial relationships, as well as improving on the current team’s capabilities.

Speaking of the new move, McCarthy said: “It’s such a pleasure to join a company that has grown so thoroughly and organically in licensed markets. QiH Group is a big name in the iGaming affiliate space, and I look forward to managing the continued growth in diversified sectors and locations.”

Jamie Walters, CEO of QiH Group, said: “QiH has moved from strength to strength recently, growing and adapting with the iGaming markets in the UK, Europe and North America. Welcoming someone as experienced and talented as James onto our team is another strong step for us. I welcome his expertise and am delighted to see where his marketing leadership takes us.”

Affiliate Announcements

ReferOn Expands Offering with New Support Packages, “ReferOn Assist”

Published

2 weeks ago

May 27, 2025

George Miller

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.”