The N1 Puzzle Promo journey reached its culmination in Barcelona, where N1 Partners hosted a grand final event that became one of the standout events of the iGB Affiliate week. Taking place after the first day of iGB Affiliate in Barcelona, the evening marked the official conclusion of a year-long campaign that ran throughout 2025 and consistently engaged partners across the industry.

Designed as a large-scale finale, the event brought together a carefully selected audience of industry leaders, top-performing affiliates and long-term partners. Interest in the final exceeded expectations well in advance, with more than 2,000 registrations submitted and over 600 guests attending the closed-format celebration. Limited access and a curated guest list helped shape an atmosphere of anticipation and made the night one of the most discussed gatherings of the conference week.

Where the Final Began: First Moments of the Night

From the moment guests arrived, the tone of the evening was clear. Paparazzi-style photographers welcomed attendees at the entrance, capturing arrival moments and setting a cinematic pace for what followed. Inside, flight-attendant-inspired stewards guided guests through the venue.

Multiple zones were designed to balance entertainment and conversation. A signature cocktail bar served drinks created specifically for the night, while a dedicated VIP area offered a comfortable setting for private discussions, networking and informal meetings that continued throughout the evening.

When the Stage Took Over the Night

The stage program played a central role in shaping the atmosphere of the night. Rather than relying on a single format, the evening unfolded through a sequence of performances that kept guests engaged from start to finish. Energetic dance acts set the pace early on, followed by moments of contrast, including classical compositions reimagined in a rock-driven style.

DJ sets carried the momentum between performances, while the appearance of the event’s headline guest became a natural high point of the program. Combined with lighting design and stage production, the performances created an experience that stayed with guests long after the evening came to a close.

As a final personal touch, guests were invited to visit the custom patch bar, where they could take home a souvenir marking their participation in the N1 Puzzle Promo grand final.

Celebrating the Leaders of N1 Puzzle Promo

At the core of the evening stood the award ceremony, recognising the partners who defined N1 Puzzle Promo throughout the year. N1 Partners highlighted those who consistently maintained a strong pace across the campaign and secured top positions on the leaderboard through long-term performance rather than short-term spikes.

As the final results were announced on stage, the emotions in the room spoke for themselves. The winners of N1 Puzzle Promo shared their reactions moments after the ceremony, reflecting on the journey, the competition and what the victory meant for their teams.

1st place – Cash Splash, winner of the main prize: a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter

The winning team, Cash Splash, shared their impressions after the announcement of the results:

“The emotions are overwhelming, honestly at the highest level. The event itself was impressive, and winning the main prize among such strong peers feels truly incredible. For a long time, we were simply doing our job, and only closer to the end did we realise we could compete for first place and win the helicopter.

What mattered most for us was that this was not just a promo or a prize. Throughout the campaign, it was clear that N1 Partners focus on long-term relationships and transparent partnership. We understood what we were competing for, and that level of clarity was a strong motivation.”

2nd place – Advertise.net, awarded an Aston Martin Aramco AMR24 F1 Simulator

The second-place team, Advertise.net, shared their perspective on the promo and the competition:

“The first emotion was pure excitement. For us, even making it into the top three already felt like a win. We worked on this for a long time, and seeing our company’s name on stage was an incredibly emotional moment.

What mattered most in this promo was transparency and fairness. We could track our results almost in real time and clearly understand how we could influence the outcome. This was not a vote or a matter of luck, it was the result of real work.”

3rd place – Traffic Squad, winner of a Rolex Sky-Dweller watch

4th place – Seven Group
5th place – Alfaleads Network

Each announcement was met with strong engagement from the audience, reinforcing the competitive nature of the promo and the scale of its rewards. The ceremony underscored a key message of the campaign: consistency, strategy and commitment over time were central to success.

The Final Piece of a Year-Long Story

The N1 Puzzle Promo Grand Final was not positioned as a standalone celebration, but as the natural conclusion of a campaign that unfolded throughout the year. By combining immersive production, a strong narrative arc and tangible recognition of partner achievements, N1 Partners delivered a final that felt both earned and relevant to the industry.

Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners, shared her thoughts on the campaign finale:

“The N1 Puzzle Promo Grand Final in Barcelona became the culmination of the entire campaign and a reflection of what was achieved over the year. Bringing our partners together to celebrate their results highlighted the commitment, consistency and long-term effort behind this journey.

This finale was our way of showing that we are not just working side by side, but building long-term partnerships based on trust and shared goals. Seeing our partners celebrate their achievements, share emotions and connect with each other confirmed that we created something truly meaningful for the affiliate community.”

The grand final also attracted strong interest from industry media. Representatives of leading iGaming and affiliate outlets attended the event, capturing its atmosphere and engaging with partners throughout the evening. Their presence reinforced the broader industry relevance of the N1 Puzzle Promo finale and extended its visibility beyond the conference floor.

As the evening came to a close, the grand finale reflected what the promo was ultimately about: long-term collaboration and a shared moment of celebration with the iGaming community.

N1 Partners expressed appreciation to all guests who joined the N1 Puzzle Promo grand final party and helped turn the evening into one of the most memorable moments of the conference week.

Be number one with N1 Partners.

What mistakes do partners most often make when launching and scaling ad campaigns?

What real challenges do they face in day-to-day work, and what prevents them from achieving stable results?

In this case study series by N1 Partners, we break down real affiliate campaigns, highlight common pain points in affiliate marketing, and show how partners find practical solutions that lead to measurable success.

This edition focuses on ad creatives. No abstract “best practices” – only concrete mechanics, insights, and ideas you can apply to your campaigns right away.

The cases were shared by Bogdan Solodushchenko, Affiliate Team Lead, and Dmitrii Filippov, Affiliate Team Lead (SEO).

CASE 1 (Facebook Traffic)

Context

• GEO: DE
• Traffic source: Facebook
• Brand / vertical: N1Bet
• Campaign goal: Increase conversion

Initial Challenge (Pain Point)

• What wasn’t working in the creatives?
  The creatives showed a low conversion rate from registration to first deposit.

• Was the issue related to format, messaging, visuals, or the offer?
  Primarily to the information shown in the creatives and the creative format itself.

What the Data Revealed

• Which metrics indicated the problem?
  Low reg-to-dep conversion.

• Where did the funnel break?
  At the creative level and during audience targeting.

What Was Tested

• Visuals
  Aggressive, dynamic video creatives with slot gameplay.

• Messaging (emotional vs rational)
  High aggression and heavy use of triggers.

• Focus: bonus / product / UX
  Emphasis on the bonus and a female character in video creatives.

Decision Made

What was changed in the creatives?

1. Updated the bonus and featured a top-performing slot with proven product quality
2. Added a dedicated promo code directly into the creatives
3. Refocused targeting on the most active audience segments, segmented by gender, average age, and peak activity time slots during the week

Why this approach was chosen?

Users were not getting what they came for after landing on the product.
The promoted slot wasn’t visible, the bonus was outdated, and the product’s visual style didn’t match the creative – all of which created a mismatch in expectations.

Results

• • What improved?
    Reg2dep increased from 8% to 22%.

• How quickly did the results appear?
  Almost immediately – visible within 4–5 days after relaunching the test.

Key Takeaway

• What worked best?
  A full creative overhaul aligned with the actual product, which helped meet real player expectations.

• Is this scalable?
  Absolutely. Once a winning creative format is identified, we scale through variations – tweaking individual elements while preserving the core message and logic.

CASE 2 (PPC Traffic)

Context

• GEO: CA
• Traffic source: PPC Direct (Ice Fishing keywords)
• Brand / vertical: RollXO
• Campaign goal: Increase conversion

Initial Challenge (Pain Point)

What wasn’t working?
Most traffic came from Ice Fishing slot keywords, but the slot wasn’t available on the homepage. Users came specifically for that game, couldn’t find it immediately, and quickly lost interest.

Was this about format, messaging, visuals, or the offer?
The issue was primarily the incorrect landing page choice.

What the Data Revealed

Which metrics signaled the issue?
Lower reg2dep compared to similar traffic sources.

Where did the funnel break?
At the landing page selection stage.

What Was Tested

Visuals
Ice Fishing slot keywords.

Messaging
Pure slot-focused keywords.

Decision Made

What was changed?
Traffic was redirected straight to the demo version of the slot, and the game was also added to the homepage.

Why this approach was chosen?
Users interested in a specific game want immediate access, not extra steps inside the product.

Results

What improved?
Reg2dep increased by 8%.

How fast did the impact show?
Almost instantly – positive dynamics were visible within a couple of days.

Key Takeaway

What worked best?
Switching to a highly relevant, thematic landing page. Players landed directly on the demo and got exactly what they were looking for.

Is this scalable?
Yes – the approach can be scaled within the campaign and tested across other slots and games.

Quick Q&A

If you were launching these campaigns today, what would you do differently?

Bogdan Solodushchenko:
I’d take a more structured approach from day one: clarify with the manager what’s currently performing best, which audiences respond strongest, which top slots to use, and which bonuses convert best. And if campaigns lead to a specific slot, I’d ensure it’s immediately accessible on the product.

Key conclusions from these cases?

Bogdan Solodushchenko:
There’s no universal approach. Targeting and creatives must be customized per offer, because not every product supports the same funnel logic.

Who are these cases most useful for?

Bogdan Solodushchenko:
For all partners. New teams can boost conversion, while experienced ones can improve player quality. Personalization impacts both.

CASE 3 (SEO Traffic)

Background

After a major Google core update, conversion from the landing page on the Lucky Hunter brand dropped sharply in the DE GEO. The goal was to quickly find a working setup to retain the partner and preserve traffic volume.

Context

• GEO: DE
• SEO type: Cross-brand
• Brand / vertical: Lucky Hunter casino
• Campaign goal: Increase CR (reg2dep)

Initial Challenge (Pain Point)

What wasn’t working?
Click-to-registration was strong, but registration-to-deposit dropped significantly.

Root cause
The same landing page had been used for a long time, leading to classic creative fatigue.

What the Data Revealed

Which metrics raised red flags?
Very low r2d with strong c2r.

Where did the funnel break?
At the reg-to-deposit stage.

What Was Tested

• Slot-focused landing pages

Decision Made

Traffic was redirected directly to specific slots – not random ones.

After testing multiple options, the best performers were:

• Jetsetter
• Sweet Sugar
• Kenneth Must Die
• Bikini Paradise

Results

Which metrics improved?
R2D increased from 23% to 51%.

Time to impact
Within one month.

Key Takeaway

What worked best?
Fast reaction from the manager: identifying the issue early, flagging it to the partner, and implementing concrete corrective actions.

Is this scalable?
Yes. Creative testing remains scalable, especially as SEO shifts toward content quality rather than aggressive link-building.

CASE 4 (SEO Traffic)

Background

A partner requested a promo code-first setup, where the promo code had priority over tracking links. Traffic was planned from forums, platforms like Reddit, and Google search – both short posts with guides and long-form articles.

Context

• GEO: Worldwide
• SEO type: Parasite SEO
• Brands / vertical: Goldex Casino, Spirit Casino
• Page goal: Traffic from non-standard queries

Initial Challenge (Pain Point)

What wasn’t working?
At the approval stage, promo codes couldn’t be promoted separately without links.

Root issue
Players were not being attributed in stats after entering the promo code.

What the Data Revealed

Which metrics showed the issue?
High CTR but no registrations or deposits.

Where did the funnel break?
At registration.

What Was Tested

• Promo code flows without tracking links

Decision Made

What was changed?
Dedicated landing pages were built for these funnels, with full brand descriptions and clear promo code activation mechanics.

Why this solution?
Together with Product Managers, we analyzed the funnel, ran tests, and selected brands suitable for promo-code-driven traffic.

Results

What improved?
Traffic launched successfully, the hypothesis was validated, and the number of FDs increased.

Time to impact
Within the first two weeks after launch.

Key Takeaway

What worked best?
The promo code performed exactly as the partner expected. Providing the right functionality directly contributed to traffic growth.

Is this scalable?
Yes – we now understand how to properly use promo codes without tracking links and how to correctly track such mechanics.

Quick Q&A

If you launched these SEO campaigns today, what would you change?

Dmitry Filippov:
First, I’d evaluate how the creative performs on the partner’s specific source, not just overall stats. Second, I’d run multiple tests to explore all possible scenarios.

Main takeaway?

Dmitry Filippov:
Regularly review landing page performance and switch to alternatives immediately when performance drops.

Who benefits most from these cases?

Dmitry Filippov:
Teams working with large volumes who may miss isolated traffic drops. The manager’s role is critical – spotting issues early and bringing ready-to-use solutions. From a source and GEO perspective, this applies to any SEO type and any market.

Final Note

These cases once again prove that sustainable growth in affiliate marketing isn’t built on universal formulas, but on attention to detail: traffic source, GEO, product, and real user intent.

Most failures are fixable – the key is spotting the issue in time and doing the work to correct it.

And this is exactly where the N1 Partners affiliate team is always ready to help.

Join N1 Partners affiliate program and become number one in the industry!

Gentoo Media Inc. released a trading update for the fourth quarter of 2025, provides preliminary financial guidance for the full year 2026, and announces its intention to initiate a refinancing of its outstanding bonds and credit facility.

Q4 and Full-Year 2025 Performance (unaudited)

Gentoo Media reports improved operating performance and cash generation in the fourth quarter of 2025. Revenues for the quarter amounted to EUR 25.5 million and adjusted EBITDA amounted to 14.9 million, with an operating cash flow of EUR 10.4 million. Full year 2025 revenue ended at EUR 98.6 million, adjusted EBITDA at EUR 41.4 million and operating cash flow at EUR 33.0 million.

January 2026 trading is in line with budget and management expectations, supporting continued confidence in the Company’s financial outlook.

Refinancing of Bonds and Credit Facility

Building on the improved financial performance and a strengthened operational and financial foundation, Gentoo Media has mandated ABG Sundal Collier and Pareto Securities to arrange a series of fixed income investor meetings commencing in February 2026.

Subject to market conditions, the Company intends to issue a 3-year senior secured floating rate bond in an aggregate nominal amount of EUR 120 million, split between a SEK and a EUR tranche (the “New Bonds”). Proceeds are intended to refinance the Company’s existing EUR and SEK bonds (ISIN NO0013024018 and ISIN NO0013095687) and its credit facility. Upon completion, the New Bonds will constitute the Company’s principal debt.

Preliminary Guidance for 2026

In extension of this announcement, Gentoo Media presents a preliminary outlook for the financial year 2026. Given the timing of this communication, the guidance is provided within a wider range and should be considered an early indication of management’s current expectations for the year.

Revenue: EUR 105-115 million
Adjusted EBITDA: EUR 49-54 million
Cash from operations: EUR 37-41 million
Cash outflow related to deferred payments: EUR 3.5 million

Operational and Financial Outlook

Gentoo Media enters 2026 with record-high end-user deposit volumes at partner operators exceeding EUR 200 million in Q4 2025, which underpin operator revenue and hence Gentoo Media’s performance-based revenue streams. The business operates on a structurally optimised and disciplined cost base, providing a stable platform for continued margin expansion and stronger cash flow generation year-over-year, supported by limited committed investments.

In 2025, the Group incurred approximately EUR 5 million in non-recurring costs related to operational improvement initiatives and restructuring, alongside approximately EUR 38 million in cash outflows related to M&A and corporate split activities from prior years. In 2026 non-recurring costs are expected to decrease materially, with remaining deferred M&A-related payments of approximately EUR 3.5 million.

The 2026 financial year is also expected to benefit from a significantly more favourable global sporting calendar, including the FIFA World Cup, which historically drives higher user activity and commercial performance compared to 2025 that had no major international sports events.

Gentoo Media will publish its full Q4 2025 Interim Report on 24 February 2026, as planned.