News
The Ethics of Ranking: Can Affiliates Be Both Commercial and Credible?
Ethics is one of the most important issues in the world of online gambling affiliates. Many gamblers wonder if websites can be both credible and commercial. Who better to answer this question than an industry veteran, who has worked with well known operators and affiliate companies? He is also the founder of Mithrillium Media Ltd., which makes him uniquely qualified to answer our questions.
Mister Sebastian Jarosch is a unique voice in the industry. He has worked to push gambling affiliates towards a UX-focused model, steering away from the SEO-oriented approach that seems to have been the standard for years. For his effort, Mr. Jarosch has won several awards, including:
- EGR Awards for Best Affiliate Programme 2020
- Casinomester 2020 Awards Best Casino Group
- Askgamblers Awards Best Partner 2021
How do you define ethical ranking in the iGaming affiliate space, and where do most platforms fall short?
Ethical ranking means structuring your rankings based on relevant, objective, and player-focused criteria, such as licensing, payout speed, support quality, and bonus terms, rather than on commercial deals alone. Many platforms fall short by putting profit before player trust, often placing the highest-paying brands at the top regardless of their actual value.
Can affiliate sites truly be both profit-driven and objective in how they present casino rankings?
Building a sustainable business requires a long-term mindset. Profit and objectivity often go hand in hand. Affiliates can build trust and loyalty by focusing on reliable operators that provide real value to players. Credibility leads to returning visitors, which in turn generates sustainable revenue.
What internal processes or principles do you follow to ensure your rankings remain transparent and fair?
We use a scoring system that evaluates factors like licensing, RTP fairness, withdrawal limits, player complaints, localization, and support quality. Every casino goes through a structured review checklist, and we register accounts ourselves to verify the experience. Commercial relationships never override our core review criteria.
How do you handle partnerships with operators that want higher visibility but may not fully meet your review standards?
Visibility is tied to our review scores and player satisfaction. If an operator underperforms or doesn’t meet our standards, they won’t receive top positions, regardless of the deal. We frequently receive requests from operators wanting to purchase top positions with flat fees, but all our commissions are performance-based.
Do you disclose how rankings are determined, and do you think transparency in methodology should be an industry norm?
Yes, we outline our ranking factors and provide explanations for each top listing. We absolutely believe transparency should be standard in this industry, players deserve to know why a brand is recommended and how it compares to other operators.
How do user reviews or feedback factor into your ranking algorithm, if at all?
Player feedback is a core part of our review process. We monitor complaints, payout delays, and general satisfaction. If a brand gets repeated negative feedback, their score is reviewed and the position can be downgraded.
What role do editorial independence and content-firewall structures play in maintaining integrity?
Editorial independence is critical to building credibility. All of our reviews follow the same procedures and are never influenced by commercial agreements. Operators may provide input on factual details like ownership or bonus amounts, but not on our opinions. Protecting the trust our writers build with readers requires a firm boundary between monetization and content.
Are there ethical gray areas that affiliates regularly encounter when balancing commercial pressure and content accuracy?
There’s always pressure to soften criticism or inflate ratings, especially from less reputable brands. It takes strong internal policies to navigate these challenges while staying true to user-first values. Sites like Casino-Groups operate without paid placements and rank casinos solely based on performance and trustworthiness.
Do players care whether rankings are monetized, or is trust more about perceived value and consistency?
Players know that affiliate sites generate income. What matters is consistency and value. If they consistently receive helpful, accurate insights and feel that the platform protects their interests, they’ll return, even if the rankings are monetized.
Looking ahead, what needs to happen for ethical ranking practices to become the baseline standard across the affiliate industry?
More affiliates need to understand that long-term value lies in trust, not manipulation. As players become more informed and regulators more involved, ethical ranking won’t just be a best practice, it will become a necessity. Building a strong reputation in the player community through honest reviews leads to satisfied visitors who keep coming back.
News
LEONBET and Simon Msuva Continue the Journey with a Nationwide Media Tour Following The Msuva Story
Following the release of The Msuva Story documentary, LEONBET and its brand ambassador, Simon Msuva, are continuing the campaign with a nationwide media tour to share the footballer’s inspiring journey and encourage young Tanzanians to pursue their dreams with determination and confidence.
The media tour saw Msuva visit leading radio stations across Tanzania, where he discussed his football journey, the challenges he overcame, and the message behind the documentary. Through these conversations, LEONBET and Msuva encouraged young Tanzanians to believe in their ambitions, work hard, and never give up on their dreams.
The documentary chronicles Msuva’s rise from a young football enthusiast to one of Tanzania’s most recognisable professional players, highlighting the determination, discipline, and resilience that shaped his career.
“As someone who started with a dream, I want young people to know that every challenge can become an opportunity if you keep believing in yourself,” said Simon Msuva. “I hope my story inspires the next generation to pursue their goals with confidence and determination.”
As part of the campaign, LEONBET and Msuva also hosted a special community football event featuring local teams Taifa King (Temeke) and Wekewa FC (Kinondoni). Held at Mwembe Yanga Grounds, the friendly match brought together football, entertainment, and community engagement, with Simon Msuva attending as the guest of honour and meeting young fans throughout the day.
The initiative reflects LEONBET’s ongoing commitment to supporting sports development and creating opportunities that inspire young talent across Tanzania. Beyond sponsoring professional athletes and sporting initiatives, the company continues to invest in projects that strengthen local communities and promote positive role models.
Through The Msuva Story and the accompanying media tour, LEONBET and Simon Msuva hope to remind young Tanzanians of one simple message:
“Every dream is possible if you believe.”
Affiliate Success
ReferOn Wins “Best Affiliate Management Platform” at the iGB Affiliate Awards 2026
ReferOn has been named the Best Affiliate Management Platform at the prestigious iGB Affiliate Awards 2026, marking another major milestone in the company’s growth. Announced live at iGB LIVE, the recognition follows a year of relentless product innovation, customer growth, and a continued focus on simplifying affiliate operations.
Turning Complexity into Clarity
Managing high-volume affiliate programs requires processing millions of data points every day. ReferOn was built to eliminate that complexity through automation, real-time insights, and streamlined workflows.
This year also marked the introduction of Refie, ReferOn’s integrated UX layer. Instead of forcing affiliate managers to navigate complex backend data, Refie turns raw operational data into clear, actionable insights. From onboarding to daily performance tracking, it helps teams spend less time on administration and more time driving strategic growth.
Alex Bukin, CEO of ReferOn, commented: “Winning the iGB Affiliate Award is a remarkable achievement for our entire team. As affiliate programs grow, so does the complexity behind them. From day one, our ambition has been to remove that complexity, so operators can focus on growth instead of operational friction. This recognition reinforces our belief that great B2B technology should be simpler, more intuitive, easier to work with, and built around the people who use it”.
Having secured major industry awards over the past 18 months, — including ‘Affiliate System of the Year’ at AffPapa and ‘Best Affiliate Software’ at SiGMA — ReferOn looks ahead with a roadmap that remains focused on making affiliate management even more intelligent, transparent, and effortless. Our upcoming developments will continue to simplify complex workflows, expand AI-powered assistance, and provide operators with even greater visibility and control over their affiliate operations.
Affiliate Success
Kongebonus becomes first Norwegian affiliate to win Best Casino Affiliate at iGB Affiliate Awards 2026
Kongebonus has become the first Norwegian affiliate to win Best Casino Affiliate at the iGB Affiliate Awards 2026, a landmark recognition that names the independent Norwegian guide as the world’s leading casino affiliate for 2026.
The award was presented on 2 July during iGB L!VE London, where the iGB Affiliate Awards celebrated the affiliates, programmes, networks, suppliers and individuals helping to drive the iGaming sector forward.
iGB Affiliate described first-time contestant Kongebonus as a “Norwegian local hero”, noting that the platform claimed the award in a close race and ended Gambling.com Group’s two-year reign in the highly competitive category. Independent judges praised Kongebonus’ “super smart” approach, highlighting its combination of innovation, engaged player community, and strong editorial presence across Google News and the media.
The recognition reflects Kongebonus’ focus on detailed operator testing, transparent casino reviews, community-led content and player protection. The platform tests casinos with its own money before reviewing them, publishes its full methodology and continues to invest in responsible gambling resources, including practical guidance and support signposting for players.
David Nilsen, Editor-in-Chief at Kongebonus, said: “Winning Best Casino Affiliate at the iGB Affiliate Awards is a huge moment for Kongebonus and for everyone who has helped build the platform. To be recognised in a category alongside some of the biggest and most respected names in the affiliate industry is something we are incredibly proud of.
“I’ve spent more than ten years on the inside of this industry, and I’ve seen how big the gap can be between what a casino promises and what the player is actually left with. Closing that gap is the whole reason we test the way we do.
“What this award tells us is that being the most trusted guide matters more than being the biggest one, and that’s the only thing we’ve ever set out to build.”
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