Affiliate Announcements

888 to shut down UK affiliate programme?

Published

8 years ago

January 29, 2018

888 has denied it is shutting down its UK affiliate programme after a number of affiliates received emails yesterday stating they must no longer target UK traffic and 888 would no longer pay them commission for newly generated players.

In an email seen by iGaming Business, affiliates were told: “As you may be aware the regulatory landscape for affiliates is constantly changing and evolving, especially in the UK. In order to help ensure that we work with our affiliate partners in a compliant manner, we are seeking to exert greater control on the traffic which is generated from the UK.

“As a result, from January 29th 2018, you must not target UK IP addresses and/or any persons located in the UK. Therefore, we shall no longer pay you any commission with regard to money players in the UK which you generate.”

Some posters on the GPWA (Gambling Portal Webmasters Association) forum interpreted the email to mean the programme was shutting down. “Unless I’m reading things incorrectly with my dodgy eyes…bye bye then!” said one.

When contacted by iGB, the operator said: “888 takes the issue of responsible gaming very seriously and has taken a number steps to ensure its marketing complies with the Gambling Commission’s LCCP and ASA’s advertising codes.

“In order to monitor the actions of affiliates more closely, 888 has already terminated its relationship with a large number of affiliates and will continue to close and terminate accounts in order to work with fewer affiliate partners and have better oversight of their activities.”

Duncan Garvie, who runs affiliate and mediation site ThePogg, said he hadn’t received the email as he no longer works with 888, but that it didn’t surprise him.

“I’ve been anticipating this particular move for a while now. With the punitive approach the UK authorities have been taking towards operators and affiliates we’ve already seen a number of programmes close up completely or implement very aggressive terms.

“I was fully expecting one of them to work out eventually that they simply had to stop accepting UK traffic from affiliates rather than close or destroy their reputation with really questionable terms.”

Another poster on the GPWA forum pointed out the email did also contain the following line: “If you do wish to continue working with us in the UK please contact us, through this link: http://affiliates.888.com/contact-us.htm.”

His take on it was: “I think if you are prepared to work closely with them, accept the UK marketing guidelines and make any changes they request you to, that you can still carry on working with them.”

Operators have come under fire for their marketing activities, including those carried out by affiliates, over the past year and 888 was one of several operators to receive a warning from the Advertising Standards Authority over an advert run by an affiliate partner.

As a consequence, operators have been placing more and more compliance demands on affiliates. Bet365 recently carried out an overhaul of its programme and Paddy Power unveiled a ‘one-strike’ policy for affiliates in September.

In September, Sky Bet controversially announced that it was shutting down its affiliate programme altogether, although some have been cynical about its motives.

In a recent interview with iGaming Business’ sister publication iGB Affiliate magazine, Gambling.com’s Charles Gillespie said: “Let’s be clear — Sky still works with strategic media partners. My take on the Sky situation is that it was a set of unique circumstances — they are preparing for a listing this year, private equity owns the business, the owners and the management of the business are being very aggressive on hitting targets and what can be easier than turning off a bunch of legacy rev share and using compliance as an excuse?”

The 888 email suggested, however, that it will be taking a less heavy handed approach to historic traffic than Sky Bet, with the email also having stated: “The aforementioned shall not apply with respect to non-UK money players or to money players which you have generated in the UK prior to such date, subject to the Uffiliate terms and conditions found at http://affiliates.888.com/terms-and-conditions/ (the “Terms”).”

Source:iGB

Up Next

Game Lounge acquires Slottracker.com

Don't Miss

SPORT.Guru Launches Managed Affiliate Programme with Income Access

Affiliate Announcements

IZIGROUP Partners with PartnerMatrix to Expand Global Reach

Published

5 days 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.

Affiliate Announcements

BetGoat Partners with NetRefer for its Affiliate Marketing Platform

Published

2 weeks ago

October 13, 2025

George Miller

BetGoat Partners with NetRefer for its Affiliate Marketing Platform

Crypto-first operator BetGoat has joined forces with NetRefer, the industry’s leading data-driven, AI-powered affiliate marketing platform, to launch and expand its affiliate programme with speed and precision.

BetGoat has quickly established itself as a next-generation casino and sportsbook, combining a crypto-only payments model with a sleek, mobile-first platform. The brand caters to players across Asia, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, offering extensive coverage of global and regional sports alongside a dynamic casino portfolio.

From Premier League football and NBA basketball to UFC, esports, and Formula 1, BetGoat delivers thousands of live events each month. Odds are updated in real time, while in-play markets give players the ability to act on every moment of the action. This focus on immediacy and responsiveness reflects the operator’s commitment to delivering a seamless betting experience.

Beyond sports, BetGoat’s casino and live dealer catalogue features leading providers such as Pragmatic Play, Evolution, and NetEnt. The operator processes deposits and withdrawals exclusively in digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, with rapid turnaround times and no fiat restrictions, ensuring both efficiency and transparency for players.

Licensed by the Anjouan Gaming Board, BetGoat places a strong emphasis on responsible play. Its platform integrates a wide range of tools that allow customers to set deposit, wager, and session limits, take timeout periods, or opt for self-exclusion, supported by a 24/7 service team. This combination of crypto-driven innovation and player protection reflects BetGoat’s commitment to long-term sustainability.

Affiliate marketing is central to BetGoat’s growth strategy. By selecting NetRefer, the operator gains access to performance insights and flexible reporting that allow it to adapt quickly in fast-moving markets. With the support of CoPilot AI, ASR 1.0 API, and the newly released Report Builder, affiliates benefit from actionable, data-driven intelligence that drives measurable results.

Crucially, BetGoat also utilises NetRefer’s Data Ingestion API, a robust solution that delivers 99.5% availability, standardised inputs, and frequent data updates. The API reduces delays and manual work by correcting errors automatically, ensuring affiliates receive accurate reporting and rewards with greater speed and consistency. For a fast-scaling crypto operator, this level of reliability and precision is essential.

Marky Chan, Affiliate Manager at BetGoat, said: “Our experience with NetRefer has been outstanding. We chose the platform for its strong reputation, reliable tracking, and scalability, all essential for managing BetGoat’s growing affiliate network. The onboarding process was smooth and well-supported, with clear guidance from the team. We particularly value the powerful reporting and commission management tools, which make tracking and optimising performance effortless. NetRefer is a reliable, user-friendly, and responsive partner, and we highly recommend it to any business looking to manage and grow their affiliate programme effectively.”

Amanda Camenzuli, Manager of NetRefer’s Account Management team, commented: “We’re excited to welcome BetGoat to the NetRefer family. By embracing the Data Ingestion API, they’re setting their affiliate programme up for success with accurate, standardised data and fewer operational hurdles. We look forward to supporting their growth and helping them reach ambitious new milestones.”

This partnership brings together BetGoat’s innovative, crypto-first vision with NetRefer’s 20 years of affiliate marketing expertise. Together, the companies will deliver an affiliate programme built on transparency, performance, and sustainable growth.

Affiliate Announcements

KVA launches new website: stronger quality mark and clear recognition for consumers

Published

1 month ago

September 18, 2025

George Miller

KVA launches new website: stronger quality mark and clear recognition for consumers

The Responsible Affiliates Quality Mark (KVA) has launched its updated website. The modernization is the result of months of preparation and stems from the first meeting of the Alliance for Combating Illegal Online Gambling in May 2025. During this meeting, participants, including the KVA, emphasized the importance of enabling consumers to more quickly and accurately identify which players in the online gambling market are reliable and legal.

The foundation of the KVA: Thorough inspection and legal security

The KVA was founded in 2021, shortly before the opening of the legal online gambling sector in the Netherlands. At the same time, the KVA Code was developed, which all affiliated members must comply with. Compliance with this code has a legal basis: it is contractually established between the KVA and its members.

The KVA Code is based on current legislation and regulations in the Netherlands and is amended as needed. The code consists of six fixed components:

Contributing to channelisation and combating illegal supply.
Responsible use of marketing channels.
Careful and balanced design of expressions.
Preventing deception.
Tailoring advertising to addiction prevention.
Compliance with the Decree on Non-Targeted Remote Gambling Advertising.

All members are fully assessed annually. They receive a comprehensive advisory report, supplemented with random samples and audits based on signals. Compliance assessments are conducted by KVA Compliance Officers, who operate independently within the organization under contract. This guarantees a legally anchored and reproducible assessment structure.

The foundation of the KVA remains unchanged. However, the updated website provides a clearer and more accessible overview of what the KVA Code entails.

Increase recognition

Previously, consumers weren’t always clear about the KVA quality mark when they encountered it on an affiliate website. With the updated website, the KVA aims to improve this by making the quality mark’s function more transparent. Individual certificates for each affiliated website immediately show how it was assessed, how often inspections are performed, and when the last assessment was conducted. We also specifically explain which KVA Compliance Officer assessed the website, for transparency reasons. The certificates increase consumer recognition.

The new website contains several extensions and improvements:

KVA certificates per website : Each affiliated member has its own page with a certificate, which shows how the assessment was made, whether the organization behind the website has been verified, and who performed the last audit. All the different certificates can be found on the member page: https://kva.nl/leden/ . Many of our members have now set up links from the quality mark to their own certificates.
KVA Team: Clear information is now available about the team behind the KVA: https://kva.nl/het-team-van-kva/
Transparency statement: a page explaining the organizational structure behind the KVA: https://kva.nl/transparantieverklaring/
Advisory Board : The role of external advisors has been given a more prominent role. The KVA is supported by Yvon Jansma (Center for Responsible Gambling), Peter-Paul de Goeij (online gambling specialist), Eric Konings (VNLOK), Anne-Jaap Snijders (Book of Sports expert), and Björn Fuchs (VNLOK chairman). Advisory Board page: https://kva.nl/de-raad-van-advies/
Responsible Gambling page : comprehensive information for consumers about signs of problematic gambling behavior, tips for responsible gambling, and referrals to support agencies: https://kva.nl/verantwoord-gokken/
Publications section : an overview of studies, reports, and warnings issued by the KVA. This regularly highlights the risks of illegal online casinos, misleading affiliates, and new marketing tactics: https://kva.nl/publicaties/

Informing and protecting consumers

With its updated website, the KVA is positioning itself more emphatically as a consumer information hub. It regularly issues warnings about the risks of illegal gambling through social media and accessible articles. In doing so, the quality mark aims to contribute to the channeling objective: encouraging participation with legal providers and combating illegal offerings.

Steven Vrolijk, representative of the KVA: “With the updated website, we’re taking the next step in professionalization. The quality mark will be more recognizable for consumers, while members can continue to rely on a robust and legally sound assessment procedure. Through our role within the Alliance, the constructive contact with the regulator, and the input of experienced market experts, we want to continue contributing, together with our members, to channeling legal supply and tackling the illegal sector. Naturally, we thank all members and affiliated partners for supporting our initiative.”