News

The Ethics of Ranking: Can Affiliates Be Both Commercial and Credible?

Published

4 months ago

July 7, 2025

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.

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Awards

ReferOn in the Spotlight: Nominated for the Prestigious “Best Affiliate Software 2025” Award at SiGMA Europe Rome

Published

30 minutes ago

October 23, 2025

George Miller

ReferOn in the Spotlight: Nominated for the Prestigious “Best Affiliate Software 2025” Award at SiGMA Europe Rome

ReferOn shortlisted for another major award as it heads to Rome

ReferOn, the next-gen affiliate management platform, has been shortlisted for the “Best Affiliate Software 2025” category at the upcoming SiGMA Europe Awards — recognising its commitment to reshaping modern affiliate tech.

2025 marked a crucial year for the company as ReferOn evolved into one of the most forward-thinking solutions in the iGaming affiliate space. The platform continues to tackle industry pain points head-on with technological advancements like Independent Deal Calculation for flexible reward logic, multi-brand dashboards, and affiliate-controlled postbacks, all designed to give users real-time visibility and frictionless control.

Alex Bukin, ReferOn’s General Manager, commented, “This nomination is a reflection of how far ReferOn has come in such a short time. Behind every new innovative feature is a team that’s not just developing a platform, they’re transforming affiliate marketing. Our mission has always been to strip away complexity and chaos and focus on giving affiliate managers the clarity and tools they need to succeed. This recognition tells us we’re on the right track.”

ReferOn is not stranger to recognition, winning the “Best Partner For Customer Acquisition & Retention” award from the previous year’s SiGMA Europe Awards. The team now aims to build on that positive momentum and showcase its latest advancements in affiliate operations at Booth 5044 during SiGMA Europe 2025 in Rome.

Affiliate Announcements

IZIGROUP Partners with PartnerMatrix to Expand Global Reach

Published

1 day ago

October 22, 2025

George Miller

IZIGROUP Partners with PartnerMatrix to Expand Global Reach

A new chapter of innovation begins as PartnerMatrix, one of the industry’s leading affiliate marketing software providers, partners with IZIGROUP to strengthen its global presence and enhance player acquisition through smarter, data-driven, and fully compliant marketing technology.

The collaboration will empower affiliates promoting IZIGROUP’s online brands, IZIBET and Dragonara Online Casino with cutting-edge tools to manage, track, and optimize campaigns more efficiently. This partnership reflects a shared vision for growth, innovation, and regulatory excellence within the evolving iGaming landscape.

PartnerMatrix, part of the EveryMatrix group, is known for delivering flexible, secure, and high-performing solutions that enable operators to scale their affiliate programs globally while maintaining compliance and transparency values deeply aligned with IZIGROUP’s operational philosophy.

“PartnerMatrix’s platform is the best in the industry, robust, reliable, and designed for performance,” said Cristian Rachieru, Head of Online Operations for IZI Interactive Limited, the company licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) to operate IZIGROUP’s online gaming brands.

“With PartnerMatrix and the full suite of EveryMatrix products powering our operations, we’re ready for a full house. This partnership will further strengthen our ability to connect with players globally while remaining compliant and delivering exceptional online gaming experiences.”

Hasmik Movsisian, Chief Commercial Officer at PartnerMatrix, added: “We are delighted to partner with IZIGROUP, a company that shares our dedication to innovation and responsible growth. By combining our advanced affiliate management technology with IZIGROUP’s strong brand portfolio, we’re confident in driving higher engagement, stronger performance, and lasting success within regulated markets.”

This collaboration marks an important milestone in IZIGROUP’s continuous journey of innovation and expansion. By uniting PartnerMatrix’s affiliate marketing expertise with IZIGROUP’s trusted brand portfolio and the EveryMatrix ecosystem, the partnership sets the stage for long-term success and sustainable growth.

News

N1 Partners launches a promo for N1 Bet: earn extra payouts for your FTDs!

Published

6 days ago

October 17, 2025

TheVoice

N1 Partners has just launched a new campaign for its flagship brand – N1 Bet. Until the end of November partners can boost their payouts by up to +7% when driving traffic to two key Tier-1 GEOs: Australia and Germany.

Promo period: October 16 – November 30
Promo GEOs: Australia (AU), Germany (DE)
Traffic sources: FB, In-App, UAC, Email, SMS, SEO, PPC, ASO, and more.

* How it works: the more FTDs your players bring, the higher your bonus to your CPA.

500–899 FTDs → +5% payout on CPA
900+ FTDs → +7% payout on CPA

* Results for Australia and Germany are combined, as well as all accounts of one participating team within the affiliate network.

Why is it worth focusing on Australia and Germany with N1 Partners?

🇩🇪 Germany (DE) brings steady, high-quality traffic with strong evening activity and players who prefer dynamic slot mechanics.
🇦🇺 Australia (AU) delivers solid conversion on slot-focused content and a loyal base of engaged users.

Joining this promo also boosts your progress in the N1 Puzzle Promo, the massive campaign featuring luxury prizes and the ultimate reward: a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter. The more traffic you send to N1 Bet, the closer you are to the leaderboard’s top!

N1 Bet is a part of a top iGaming affiliate program and one of N1 Partners strongest and most consistent brands, that offers solid conversion, flexible promos, and smart analytics to help affiliates earn more. With an updated design and an optimized retention funnel, the brand performs equally well across online affiliate programs (slots & live) and sports betting segments.

Work with a brand that delivers – and get the most out of every lead!

For questions or personal assistance, reach out to your Affiliate Manager or our LeadGen Manager Christina via the contacts below:
[email protected]
LinkedIn
Telegram

Be number one with N1!