News

Does the iGaming industry struggle with integrity when it comes to reviews?

Published

4 years ago

July 23, 2021

In this day and age building a successful iGaming affiliate site requires so much more than just an attractive homepage and a list of decent welcome offers that match your niche.

So fierce is the competition within the industry, it’s evident that there’s no room for complacency. The bare minimum isn’t enough to get a site by anymore, especially if they want to rank amongst the top sites for their all-important high-value money making search terms.

Nowadays, in order to realistically compete, affiliates should be building customer confidence via trust signals such as in-depth, well-researched slot reviews and ratings.

If you were to search Google for your favourite online slot game right now, we guarantee you’d quickly stumble across some of the most reputable iGaming affiliates on page one of your search. These sites have put the time and effort into writing high-quality content.

That being said, the reality is that only a small fraction of reviews that appear at the top of Google are actually original and completely accurate. According to the experts at Slot Gods, one of the leading sources of independent bias free online slot reviews, the industry has a genuine problem with integrity, here’s what they have to say on the matter.

The unfortunate truth behind online slot reviews

Writing informative reviews is a fantastic way to show your end user that you not only know what you’re talking about, but that you’re just as passionate about the subject matter as they are. Ultimately it goes a long way towards boosting your conversion rate and creating repeat visitors who will no doubt return to your site seeking new offers and quality content.

At this point, it’s pretty common knowledge amongst everyone working within the iGaming industry that content is king… However, there are affiliates out there that just view content as a means to an end to rank, rather than to actually give their users a meaningful experience.

The end goal for some affiliates is to quickly bloat their site with content, so what do they do? They hire a freelance content writer to knock out a handful of reviews for them.

We have absolutely no qualms with affiliates relying on freelancers to produce content, they’re arguably the backbone of this industry, especially considering site owners have so many day-to-day tasks to contend with already that keep them busy throughout the day.

The issue at hand is that many of these affiliates are hiring budget freelancers from sites such as Fiverr that have absolutely no industry expertise, as a result these content writers are finding themselves on other affiliate sites practically re-writing their reviews with little effort.

This leads to unoriginal copy and paste reviews that offer nothing substantial when compared to other sites. Even more worrying is that this practice can often cause an adverse chain reaction… One affiliate will copy another affiliate and so on, each picking up the same mistakes.

If the original slot review featured an incorrect figure such as the wrong RTP percentage (which happens very often ) then all of the reviews that followed will also feature the wrong percentage.

This leads to confusion for practically everyone, even worse, players might deposit money at a casino to play that specific game under the assumption that it has a better chance to pay out.

Affiliates need to take more responsibility when it comes to filling their site with review content, it’s understandable that financial constraints would mean that inexperienced content writers write the reviews, but if this is the case the site owner should still be checking the key facts and figures related to each and every slot that goes on their site. Blind faith gets you nowhere.

The bigger problem – Honesty

Frustratingly, the issues don’t end there. There are actually plenty of genuinely well-written reviews out there that do read well and contain factual and correct information relating to the game… The problem though? They’re not at all impartial.

Realistically, we’re all in the same boat. We want to make as much money as possible from our endeavours and enjoy the flexible lifestyle that comes with creating a site that can generate a passive income over a sustained period of time. Should that come at the cost of your integrity?

There are plenty of online slot games out there that just aren’t very good, it’s the same as any industry, not all products are top quality, award winning creations. So why are we seeing so many online affiliate sites praise every single slot as if they’re the best thing since sliced bread?

We believe in honesty when it comes to slot reviews. Yes, someone might read your review and be deterred from hitting play, but is it not better to send a user back a page in search of a slot that is right for them as opposed to getting them to deposit and play a game they didn’t enjoy based on your false recommendation?

Visitors to your site aren’t stupid, they know that if you’re willing to speak honestly and frankly about a slot, even if it’s not very good, then they can trust your judgement elsewhere. Don’t be that site that oversells, it does a disservice to yourself and will lead to unhappy players.

What makes a good, honest and readable slot review?

According to the team at Slot Gods, the very first thing any content writer should do before they even begin typing the first word of their review is actually visit the developer’s website, load up the demo version of the game and spend a considerable amount of time playing it.

It sounds simple, but it’s clear that so many reviews are based off another affiliate’s page and not an actual well-informed review that was written off the back of a playthrough. Play the game, and make sure you take a good look at the developer’s game sheet that goes with it.

It’s also worth cross referencing all of the key information such as minimum bet, maximum bet, RTP percentage, maximum win potential and volatility… This is because operators don’t always follow standard slot specifications… Developers often create games with adjustable minimum and max bets and RTP percentages to accommodate a specific operator.

Ultimately, from this point on it’s down to you and your writers. Give players what they want, the hard, cold facts that accurately depict what an online slot is all about.

Don’t just tell them it’s amazing, don’t just tell them that they could win tens of thousands of pounds playing it… Tell them what they actually need to know about the game! Describe how it looks, sounds and how engaging it is during base gameplay and during bonus features.

Players want in-depth, high-quality content that will leave a lasting impression, give it to them.

Affiliate Announcements

Affiliate Leaders Summit Grows 40% as Global Operators and Affiliates Flock to Lisbon

Published

4 days ago

July 23, 2025

George Miller

Affiliate Leaders Summit Grows 40% as Global Operators and Affiliates Flock to Lisbon

Following a successful run, the Affiliate Leaders Summit will make its return to the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL) this September, now expanded to a three-day format and featuring the debut of the Affiliate Leaders Awards.

Taking place from 16–18 September, the Affiliate Leaders Summit runs alongside SBC Summit as a focused, standalone platform for affiliates, affiliate managers, and enabling suppliers. It also delivers a more targeted networking and learning experience, with a dedicated content stage and curated audience of 8,000 operator representatives and 3,500 affiliates.

Affiliate Leaders Summit delegates will also enjoy full access to wider SBC Summit features, including evening socials, the main expo floor, and Super Stage keynotes from leading voices such as Gary Vaynerchuk.

Rasmus Sojmark, Founder and CEO of SBC, said: “Last year’s launch of the Affiliate Leaders Summit was a big milestone for us. The response was incredible, but we knew we could do even more. That’s why this year, we’re giving it the time it deserves; three full days to ensure attendees can take in everything this event has to offer.

“We’re also introducing the Affiliate Leaders Awards, which I’m personally very excited about. Affiliates play a vital role in this industry, and it’s time we had a platform that truly celebrates their work alongside the operator programmes and suppliers who help make it all happen.”

A 40% expansion of the 2025 show floor also underscores the event’s rising influence, following 2024’s debut that earned standout NPS ratings—79 from affiliates and 68 from operators. This year’s exhibitor list is stacked with leaders of the field, including Catena Media, Clever Advertising, Evoke, Flashscore, Kaizen Gaming, Medier, Megapari, Novibet, and Shake, offering attendees direct access to key players across the affiliate and operator landscape.

On the conference side of things, the Affiliate Leaders Stage at this year’s summit delivers a powerful three-day journey through the evolution of affiliate marketing, starting with the martech tools redefining performance and partnerships, moving into audience-focused strategies that tap into community-driven SEO and smarter collaboration, and culminating in a forward-looking exploration of AI, diversification beyond Google, and the future role of affiliate managers.

With debates, CEO insights, hands-on workshops, and panels tackling everything from automation and CRM to content authenticity and deal transparency, this stage arms attendees with the ideas, tools, and strategies needed to thrive in a rapidly shifting digital landscape.

The conference sessions will bring together some of the biggest names in affiliate marketing, including Jonathan Edelshaim (CEO, Natural Intelligence), Elaine Gardiner-Ruddock (Managing Director, TAG Media), Peter Gunni (CEO, Traffic Lab), Filip Komljenovic (Head of Sales, Sofascore), Deb Lee (Director of AI & Data Operations, CILA, Entain), Andre Machado (CCO, Clever Advertising), Leanne Muleba (Chief Operations Officer, Matching Visions), and Johan Styren (CEO & Co-founder, Dilanti Media).

Those joining the Affiliate Leaders Summit will benefit not only from the tailored content on the dedicated stage and Super Stage but also from the addition of the Global Markets and Emerging Markets stages. With affiliates and operators among the most curious about cross-border growth, these new stages provide an ideal opportunity to explore regional strategies and understand new audiences.

Affiliate and operator attendees can expect the VIP treatment at the Affiliate Leaders Summit, with complimentary access to the event’s premium evening networking lineup. That includes the high-energy Opening Party with Joel Corry and Imanbek, and the return of INFINITY Lisbon, featuring electrifying performances from Alok and Timmy Trumpet.

Sojmark added: “The Affiliate Leaders Summit is designed to make networking and easier by giving you a dedicated space to connect. But the hospitality doesn’t stop there. You’re part of the full SBC Summit experience. With access to all six stages, complimentary food and drinks at the Food Festival, and the freedom to explore every area of the event, you’re welcome to engage as widely as you like. The Affiliate Leaders Summit simply helps you focus your efforts where they matter most.”

Affiliate or operator? Get your free pass now.

News

iGaming.Com joins QMRA & More News

Published

5 days ago

July 22, 2025

George Miller

The Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA) initiative is pleased to announce that iGaming.com has officially joined its growing network of compliant affiliate partners. The partnership starts with the inclusion of iGaming.com’s Danish portfolio, which will now be reviewed and monitored under the QMRA compliance framework.

This move follows earlier commitments by other major players in the iGaming affiliate industry, including Gentoo Media, Leadstar Media, GameLounge, and as a QMRA Operator, LeoVegas. With iGaming.com now joining their ranks, QMRA continues to build a stronger foundation for responsible and transparent affiliate marketing practices in Europe and beyond.

As part of the onboarding process, QMRA’s compliance team will assess the participating iGaming.com website against the established QMRA Code of Conduct. The partnership reflects mutual confidence and a shared objective: raising the standard of regulatory compliance and responsible marketing in the affiliate sector.

“We are very pleased that iGaming.com has chosen to partner with us. Their decision shows continued momentum in the industry towards credible, structured compliance. It also strengthens QMRA’s ability to advocate for a safe and transparent online gambling environment,” said Steven Vrolijk, spokesperson for QMRA.

Google Core Update: Optimized QMRA Member Certificates

In other news, following the latest Google Core Update, which emphasized the importance of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), QMRA is further optimizing its certification standards. Specifically, QMRA certificates will now include a new section titled Company Verification and Relationship with QMRA.

This section confirms that:

QMRA has verified the identity of the organization behind [Website Name] and confirmed that it is an established, demonstrably reliable entity with a registered business. QMRA maintains direct contact with the management of this organization regarding the operation of the website. A contractual relationship exists between QMRA and this company, under which periodic compliance checks are carried out and clear agreements have been made concerning adherence to applicable laws and regulations.

This added transparency helps reinforce the credibility of certified affiliate websites, not just with regulators and partners, but also with search engines increasingly focused on authoritative sources.

German Deposit Limits

Recently, QMRA specialists conducted research related to the overarching deposit limits in Germany: https://qmra.eu/online-gambling-deposit-limits-in-germany/

Germany’s strict deposit limit policy aims to reduce gambling harm, but its rigid framework, exemplified by a €1,000 monthly cap and technical restrictions, may unintentionally drive players toward illegal markets, highlighting the need for data-driven, flexible regulation that balances consumer protection with market realities.

News

Amusnet Partners with Leading Affiliate CasinoFreak

Published

5 days ago

July 22, 2025

George Miller

Amusnet Partners with Leading Affiliate CasinoFreak

Amusnet is excited to announce a new partnership with CasinoFreak, one of the most trusted and comprehensive online casino affiliate platforms. This collaboration supports our ongoing efforts to expand global reach and deliver high-quality gaming experiences to a broader audience. The affiliate is renowned for its reliable casino reviews, in-depth game insights, and player-first approach. This partnership will focus on providing in-depth coverage of Amusnet’s diverse portfolio of top-tier casino titles to CasinoFreak’s global user base – launching with a spotlight with the standout release, Sparta Legend.

“Working with CasinoFreak aligns perfectly with our vision of reaching players who value quality and amusement. Their commitment to up-to-date information and user-focused service makes them an ideal partner to showcase Sparta Legend’s unique gameplay and thematic appeal.”, comments Liliya Chatalbasheva, Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer at Amusnet.

“Sparta Legend by Amusnet is a bold step into the heart of ancient Greece, where polished visuals meet deliberate, focused gameplay. Its Free Spins feature with stacked Wilds creates steady momentum, and the Buy Feature allows immediate access to the core mechanics. As April’s Editor’s Choice, the game earns its place through consistency, clarity, and a theme that never strays from its mark.”, said Bogdan Romedea, PR Specialist at Casino Freak.

As we begin this exciting partnership, we invite gaming enthusiasts to explore CasinoFreak’s comprehensive reviews. With Sparta Legend and other Amusnet titles in focus, this collaboration marks an important step in enhancing the online casino experience and deepening community engagement. It reflects Amusnet’s commitment to partnering with top affiliates to deliver exceptional gaming worldwide.