Affiliate Interviews: David Hjelmström, founder of Betting.se and SweGaming Affiliates AB

There is no doubt that the online gambling sector of the Scandinavian region drives large volumes of players and the quality in term of wager value is the most increased in the industry. However this also means that the competition is harsh among affiliates that are looking to attract the players and drive them towards partner brands. The story of David Hjelmström, founder at Betting.se, is quite interesting and it gives us an inside scope of what is happening in the online gambling affiliate industry of the Scandinavian region.

David is the 3rd affiliate which will fly for free to SiGMA(Summit of iGaming, Malta). You to can benefit of this promotion, just be sharing your story as David did. Read more details here: https://gamblingaffiliatevoice.com/share-story-us-get-free-flight-sigma-limited-offer-first-40-affiliates/

Without any further side details, I give you the interview with David Hjelmström.

GAV: First, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to interview such a highly appreciated professional of the industry. Could you fill out the short form below so our readers can imagine your profile?

• Name: David Hjelmström
• Age: 21
• Hometown: Gothenburg
• Living in: Gothenburg of course, where else.
• Favorite Food: Meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries
• Must Read Book: Svenska miljardärer (Swedish billionaires)

GAV: Tell us a bit about yourself, we want to know who David really is, the main person behind Betting.se. Where were you born? What was the key idea of developing this great website?

David: I were born just outside Gothenburg city where I lived for a long time and then moved into central Gothenburg later on. In high school I meet my future colleague. We started to bet on football and ice hockey games before we had the age with our parent’s IDs. It continued and we were thinking, someone has to make money on this. So we started our first affiliate site, betexpert.se. Since then we have built a lot of casino and sports affiliate sites with varying quality. With betting.se, we wanted to invest properly on a website that really stands out.

GAV: Since there are thousands of sports betting review websites out there, and the Scandinavian market is quite ruff, where do you think Betting.se stands now?

David: I think we make a serious impact on the Swedish market out with our new site Betting.se. It just got launched and in the next couple of months and on EM we will already play a big role.

GAV: What are the strong points of the website and what makes it stand out from the niche websites? We can certainly say it jumps out of the routine websites…the design is really appealing.

David: I think Betting.se is standing out with our daily Betting tips and our own build odds checker. We are also in the work with filming video reviews that will stand out. The design is not a normal WordPress theme. Bettting.se design is built from the grown by my amazing Colleague.

GAV: What were the bumps on your road when you got started and how did you overcome them?

David: The first and biggest bump so far is the domain Betting.se. We had a tough work getting in touch with the owner that just had the domain but no website on it. After some dealing about the price, the domain where ours. If you don´t give up and continue to fight you will overcome everything with a bit of luck and timing.

GAV: We have browsed your website and found some high quality content. Are you writing it by yourself or you have a team of people writing your editorials?

David: We have an in-house team that writes most of our editorials. But of course I cannot get my fingers across from writing my own articles.

GAV: How do you keep the content fresh and devoid of clutter when a lot of fluff and nonsense appear on the Internet on a daily basis?

David: There is for sure a lot of fluff and nonsense on the internet but I don´t think it affect us on a bad way. We get our information on official websites. One of our content manager is also an old hockey player and knows people in the biggest league in Sweden and also NHL. There we get some unique content for sure.

GAV: We are sure that you receive daily messages from Affiliate Managers showcasing their products. You of course select them by the brands they work with; but what are your thoughts on how Affiliate Manager-Affiliate relationships should be built?

David: Yes, we get a lot of emails from affiliate managers that wants to work with us. There is always a balance between the brand and the person in self. We also search around and ask people if they are a trusted affiliate program. It is easier to work together if you have a personally relationship with people. Therefore, it is perfect to eat dinners on conferences or just drink a water together on the conference.

GAV: How do you see the future of the gambling industry? For instance, will it become a truly global phenomenon in the near future?

David: I think the gambling industry will continue grow for a long time. It is still a lot of people that are interesting of gambling but has not taken the step yet. It will undulate but continue grow for a long time. But the margin will be smaller in the future with game taxes and more competition.

GAV: Can you name one change that you want to see in the sports betting affiliate ecosystem?

David: I would like more transparency for affiliates. I think it is important that the affiliates know exactly how their players behaves and what they think is good and not. It will help the player value.

GAV: What advise you would like to offer to the new affiliates who are looking to venture into this great industry?

David: When we started in 2013 we felt a bit late. I think it is really hard to venture into the business at the moment. But with tough work, everything is possible but it will take a lot of time and efforts.

GAV: Who is your favorite celebrity?

David: Henrik Lundqvist         

GAV: If you would just open your YouTube search bar, what would you search for?

David: I would search for my favorite hockey team, Frölunda

GAV: Back to work. Do you attend any iGaming conferences? If so, which one is your favorite and what is your most fun experience?

David: I have attended to all iGaming conferences since I started in the business. The conference I get most out of is London. The most fun experience has to be in a conference in Barcelona for three years ago. Me and my colleague had a meeting with a new brand we had not yet met. We got along well and flied to Madrid the day after to watch El Clásico.

GAV: What is your opinion overall about affiliate conferences such as SiGMA?

David: I like SIGMA a lot. The location of SiGMA is great. It is good for the gaming people outside Malta and also easy for the people how lives on the island. It is nice to come and visit the companies in their headquarters.

GAV: How do you rate the chances of Eastern Europe becoming potential gaming hotspot of the future? Where do you think the region must improve upon?

David: I think the chances are good. I don´t see why it should not be a gaming hotspot. I think the region has improved a lot the last five years.

GAV: Alright, here comes the fun part…., where would you like to travel in Eastern Europe, some part of the region maybe that you haven’t visited yet and favorite destination around the world.

David: I would like to visit Klaipéda in Lithuania. I have never been to Lithuania so I think that would be a nice experience. My favorite destination, I have to say Las Vegas.

GAV: Where you wouldn’t want to travel in Eastern Europe?

David: I would like to travel to all countries 🙂

GAV: What is your opinion about GAV (Gambling Affiliate Voice – gamblingaffiliatevoice.com)?

David: The Gambling affiliate voice is useful for us. We look for certified affiliate programs and also read the articles about the industry.