News

N1 Partners puts Deputy Head Vlad Chernov in the spotlight in N1 Faces

Published

1 month ago

April 13, 2026

Why do some teams scale and grow consistently, while others start losing money as soon as they increase volume — even when working with the same offers and traffic sources? The difference rarely comes down to tools. More often, it’s about how the system is managed: how decisions are made, how responsibility is distributed, and how the team works with partners when performance starts to decline.

In the new episode of N1 Faces, the N1 Partners team introduces Vlad Chernov, Deputy Head of Affiliates. In this interview, Vlad shares how he entered affiliate marketing, what managing a team really means in a fast-moving environment, where money is most often lost during scaling, and what principles help build teams that actually drive growth.

How did you get into affiliate marketing, and when did you realize this was the field you wanted to grow in?

I entered the industry in 2020. Before fully moving into affiliate marketing, I worked in a range of roles — from Customer Support Manager to Operations Director. That gave me a broad understanding of processes, team management, and how the business operates from the inside.

Over time, I became more interested in the affiliate side: how deals are structured, how traffic is driven to casino products, and which sources partners rely on. When the opportunity came to move into affiliate marketing, I quickly realized this was the area where I could develop my skills, work closely with partners, and directly see the impact of my decisions.

What brought you to N1 Partners, and what was the deciding factor?

When I was just starting out in affiliate marketing, I was actively studying the market and consistently following N1 Partners — their positioning, their brands, and the fact that they were always among the top performers. I also paid attention to the team and saw professionals I genuinely wanted to work with and learn from.

The key factors for me were a strong brand portfolio and the flexibility to choose my direction — both in terms of the team and traffic sources. It was also important for me to join a company that values new ideas and supports initiative. I’ve always seen that as a critical part of professional growth.

What’s more challenging in team management: scaling results or developing the team itself?

Scaling results is definitely more challenging.

We operate in a highly dynamic environment where the market changes almost daily. What works today may stop working tomorrow.

That’s why both we and our partners often find it harder to maintain and grow performance — it requires constant attention to key metrics and the ability to adapt quickly.

At the same time, team development is an ongoing process. We’re continuously looking for ways to streamline workflows, reduce manual tasks, and improve efficiency. We’re also gradually integrating AI into our internal processes to increase both speed and quality.

What qualities define a strong affiliate manager today?

First and foremost — strong communication skills. This is especially critical at the very first touchpoint with a partner. The way you communicate early on often determines whether you’ll even get a response.

Honesty and transparency are just as important. In this industry, building trust is essential because everyone is ultimately working toward shared results.

I would also highlight a deep understanding of analytics. An affiliate manager should go beyond basic metrics like average check or ROAS and understand profitability, traffic quality, and overall campaign efficiency.

And of course — multitasking. It’s unavoidable today. We work with 10+ brands, accept traffic from multiple sources, and constantly test new funnels and hypotheses together with partners.

How does team growth impact the quality of partner relationships, and what’s critical to avoid a drop in service when scaling?

Team growth and the level of expertise among managers form the foundation of everything that follows. We’re very selective in hiring and place a strong emphasis on analytics and understanding traffic sources, as this directly impacts our ability to scale.

As the team grows, processes become just as important as people. It’s essential to have a transparent system in place: clear standards, shared understanding of goals and key metrics, and consistent approaches to working with partners. This ensures stability and maintains service quality even as volumes increase.

At the same time, the level of the team remains critical. Strong specialists set the bar and shape the overall approach. That’s what allows you to scale without losing quality.

What are the most common pitfalls when working with partners, and where do teams usually lose money?

Most losses happen during scaling, when quality starts to drop as volume increases. A typical mistake is choosing the wrong scaling strategy — pushing all ad sets instead of focusing only on those that have already proven performance with strong CTR and EPC on the affiliate side, as well as solid player activity and ROI on the advertiser’s side.

Another key factor is offer selection. Chasing an offer with a 10–15% higher CPA doesn’t always make sense if the conversion rate is lower. In the long run, this directly impacts profitability.

From our side, we focus on selecting offers that perform best in real time for a specific traffic source. We can also provide actual performance proof and help partners secure the most competitive terms available on the market.

How do you build relationships with key partners so they don’t just stay, but grow with you?

I focus on a personalized approach and building trust-based relationships with a long-term perspective.

I’d rather start with a small test, scale gradually, and increase the rate later than run multiple tests and stop working together — even if early results are not ideal.

We work toward win-win conditions and continuously test new approaches and hypotheses. With the right strategy and offer selection, I’m confident that mutual growth is always achievable.

What helps you stay focused and make decisions under constant pressure?

Prioritization and structured task management are key.

It’s important to assess situations objectively, double-check information, and base decisions on data rather than emotions. Staying calm and focused allows me to work effectively under pressure, adapt quickly, and take responsibility for decisions with confidence.

If you weren’t in iGaming…

I’d likely still be in a related field. One option would be marketing in another industry, where I could apply my experience. Another would be returning to operations, focusing on building and optimizing processes in a high-risk environment.

Either way, I’d want to stay in a fast-paced, high-responsibility environment with challenging tasks — that’s what drives me.

Top-3 Blitz

What mistakes most often prevent affiliate teams from growing?

1. Choosing the wrong strategy and chasing higher payouts instead of conversion and sustainability.
  Teams often choose offers based on CPA alone, ignoring conversion, even though conversion drives long-term results.
2. Lack of communication with the manager.
  Teams sometimes stop traffic without notice and draw quick conclusions without investigating deeper. The issue might not be conversion, but something like incorrect postback setup.

Mixing traffic from different sources without proper segmentation.
These flows need to be agreed upon and segmented to maintain quality and properly analyze performance.

What do you look at first when evaluating a partner?

Audience fit and traffic quality.
The traffic must match our target audience and meet internal profitability benchmarks.
Flexibility and willingness to collaborate.
The ability to adapt quickly and find win-win solutions is key.
Previous performance.
I look at historical data, results in other campaigns, and how consistently the partner meets agreements.

What factors most influence traffic profitability today?

Cost of acquisition and player retention.
It has become harder to both acquire and retain users.
Funnel and landing page optimization.
Even high-quality traffic can drop off if the funnel is too long or complex.
Continuous campaign optimization and bid adjustments.
Daily monitoring of metrics and fast adaptation—from both the partner and advertiser side—is critical.

Working with N1 Partners

Partners who want to discuss a launch, tailor conditions to their traffic, or test an offer can reach out to Vlad directly.

N1 Partners is a multi-brand affiliate program and direct advertiser, bringing together 14+ casino and betting brands with strong LTV and Reg2Dep rates of up to 70% across Tier-1 GEOs.

N1 Partners offers competitive terms for top partners, including CPA up to €650-700 and RevShare up to 45%, ensuring stable and scalable performance.

Trusted by 14,000+ partners, N1 Partners stands out for its transparency, flexibility, and focus on long-term partnerships, supported by a strong product portfolio and advanced retention systems.

Related Topics:affiliate marketing Casino affiliates iGaming N1 Partners Performance Marketing

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News

Behind the Game What Makes Products Convert

Published

3 days ago

May 13, 2026

Master Editor

In iGaming, registration does not bring value — the result appears only when the user makes the first deposit. Therefore, the Reg2Dep metric plays a key role: it shows how much you will earn from each attracted user.

Behind the Game is a series of expert materials where specialists from the N1 Partners affiliate program across different teams break down how strong iGaming products are built from the inside.

In this article, you’ll learn how the product affects Reg2Dep: what helps bring the player to the deposit, where the conversion is lost, and which solutions provide stable growth.

Top 3 must-have factors of a successful iGaming product: what has the strongest impact on Reg2Dep today?

Alignment between the offer and the player’s expectations (shaped by the traffic), including proper game selection in the lobby, plays a major role.

It’s also important to pay attention to bonus policy. The bonus offer must match the audience’s expectations and be easy to understand.

Speed is equally important — everything should be tested, from page loading to payment confirmation. Alignment between the offer and the player’s expectations (shaped by the traffic), including proper game selection in the lobby, also plays a major role.

Top-3 factors that stand out:

First, the product must provide the maximum number of local payment methods with high approval rates.
Second, it needs strong retention and VIP retention — achieved through CRM, bonus mechanics, and gamification.
And of course, the foundation is a stable, fast platform without technical issues.

If you want to work right away with products where this system is already well-established and generates stable profit, join N1 Partners!

What do partners need to know when choosing a product and which red flags can’t be ignored?

You should pay attention to all product weaknesses, especially:

Low payment approval rates.
Confusing or irrelevant bonus terms.
Slow support and weak brand reputation in the community.
Unstable website performance on mobile devices.

Most often, the quality of the payment infrastructure and the availability of local solutions are underestimated.

Partners also don’t always consider retention depth and VIP segment management, as well as basic factors like page load speed and product stability.

Which onboarding elements determine whether a player makes the first deposit and where do users most often drop off?

Players don’t like to wait — fast and simple registration is crucial (1–2 steps, no unnecessary fields). There must also be a clear and understandable welcome offer, and the path to deposit should be direct and fast, with helpful prompts. If these conditions are met, players won’t drop off at the earliest stages.

Convenience is important for players at every stage of the way to the deposit, so the main points of the user loss look like this:

At the payment method selection stage.
At the data entry stage — if the form is too long or complicated.
During redirection to a PSP — especially if there are payment approval issues.
At the stage of exploring bonuses or choosing content and games — if the terms or interface are not clear enough.

Which UX changes in N1 Partners projects have recently driven the biggest conversion growth?

The greatest impact came from three areas: increasing the number of local payment solutions, personalising offers immediately after registration based on traffic type, and updating the cashier.

The new payment area became clearer and more stable for players, which directly improved conversion rates.

How does player behaviour differ across GEOs, and how do N1 Partners products adapt to Tier-1 GEOs?

User behaviour differs significantly depending on the GEO, from preferences in payment methods to the perception of bonuses.

In Tier-1, players are more demanding: product speed, transparent conditions, user-friendly UX, and a wide range of local payment solutions are critical for them.

In Tier-2, users are more sensitive to bonuses and retention mechanics, take longer to make a deposit decision, and react more strongly to the size and terms of the offer.

N1 Partners products adapt to these features through localisation of payment methods, UX development, and gamification.

Which product hypotheses most often drive Reg2Dep growth?

The most consistently effective hypotheses are those focused on simplifying the deposit flow and expanding the list of payment methods. Additional growth comes from personalised welcome offers tailored to the traffic source and type.

Which features of N1 Partners products help achieve high conversion?

A key role is played by strong payment expertise and extensive localisation of payment solutions. Conversion is further boosted by a fast registration form, a flexible bonus system with clear terms, and advanced gamification. All of this is continuously optimised through A/B testing at every stage of the funnel.

To sum up, a high Reg2Dep is the result of a systematically built product: strong payment infrastructure with local methods, fast and intuitive UX, and relevant bonus logic. This combination determines whether traffic turns into revenue.

If you want to drive traffic to strong products designed for players, start working with N1 Partners. The affiliate programme unites 14+ casino and sportsbook brands with high Reg2Dep, operates in 10+ Tier-1 GEOs, and offers competitive scaling conditions — payouts up to €700 CPA for top partners and RevShare up to 55% + NNCO.

Be number one with N1!

Conferences

G GATE CONF 2026 — June 26–27, Tbilisi

Published

4 days ago

May 12, 2026

George Miller

G GATE CONF (ggateconf.com) will take place in Tbilisi, Georgia — a multi-vertical affiliate conference bringing together industry professionals from around the world in one venue.

The event will be held at Expo Georgia, the country’s largest event hub, occupying four pavilions as well as the open-air space between them. In 2026, the organizers expect up to 7,000 participants from the CIS, Europe, Asia, and other regions.

When and Where

Dates: June 26–27, 2026
Location: Expo Georgia, Tbilisi, Georgia

Event Scale

G GATE CONF is a two-day event with a rich business and networking program:

2 stages featuring industry speakers
100+ company and service booths
50+ zones and activities for networking, learning, and relaxation
Open-air zones for informal networking

Some formats are developed exclusively by the G GATE team specifically for the conference and are not repeated at other events.

Who Attends

The audience of G GATE CONF 2026 includes:

Media buying teams and solo arbitrage specialists
SEO specialists and agencies
Company owners and C-level executives
Advertisers and CPA networks
Affiliate market service providers: payment solutions, trackers, anti-detect browsers, proxies, creative agencies

Verticals

Main conference verticals: iGaming, White Hat, Crypto & Finance
For the first time at G GATE CONF, the following verticals will be featured: Dating, Adult, mVas, Sweepstakes

Each vertical will have dedicated activities and engagement formats to help participants quickly find relevant contacts and solutions for their needs.

Special Projects and Activities

In 2026, the conference will include 7 special projects, such as:

PITCH — a startup competition for launching and scaling affiliate industry projects
G GATE AWARDS — an industry award with a gala dinner honoring companies and market leaders
Merch Shop, SEO Shop, Match Point, and other interactive formats

Special attention is given to the afterparty, a large-scale evening event featuring headliners and dedicated networking zones, including VIP areas.

Why Attend

G GATE CONF focuses not only on content but also on the density of valuable contacts. The conference brings together multiple verticals and formats in one place, allowing participants to:

Achieve partnership goals
Discover new traffic sources and services
Connect with industry professionals beyond the standard “booth-card” format

Tbilisi was chosen as a convenient meeting point for participants from different countries, and the summer dates allow for a seamless combination of work, leisure, and networking.

Affiliate Announcements

Management Buyout Successfully Completed at ReferOn

Published

5 days ago

May 11, 2026

George Miller

ReferOn, an affiliate management platform for the iGaming sector, today revealed the successful conclusion of a management buyout. Former General Manager Alex Bukin purchases the platform, moving the company into its next stage of independent growth. Bukin will take on the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to advance the company.

Assessing the platform’s path three years after its launch, Alex Bukin, CEO of ReferOn remarked: “This is a significant moment for ReferOn and marks the start of a new phase for the company.” The management buyout offers us the long-term perspective needed to consistently enhance the platform. We uphold our dedication to product development, enhancing our solutions for partners, and facilitating ReferOn’s ongoing expansion in significant markets.

The acquisition comes after a significant phase of advancement for the firm. Established on a base of operational effectiveness and scalable technology, ReferOn persists in expanding its footprint throughout the industry. In its initial year, the platform announced 35.7 million clicks, 2.4 million sign-ups, 18,000 affiliates, and 136,000 active trackers. The company’s extensive range of tools enhances flexibility for operators and affiliates, generating momentum that recently led to ReferOn being recognized as the “Best Affiliate Platform” in 2025 and 2026 by key industry players.

This change will not impact daily operations; assistance and current collaborations will continue as normal. As part of its continuous growth strategy, ReferOn is enhancing its product lineup with the introduction of new features, such as Refie, the integrated interface layer of the platform. The platform continually improves user experience and security via dynamic reporting, Company Grouping, Sub-Affiliation, Independent Deal Calculation (IDC), two-factor authentication (2FA), and thorough mobile optimization.

To maintain operational continuity, the current leadership team stays intact, guaranteeing stability as the company moves into its next phase of growth. With Bukin’s appointment as CEO, Vlad Bondarenko has moved from Head of Product to Chief Product Officer, and David Harris, who was previously Operations Lead, has become Chief Operations Officer. As the organization embarks on its next phase, it continues to prioritize equipping operators with top-tier tools and a dedication to providing the future of affiliate management.