Sky Betting & Gaming to end affiliate marketing program

Betting & Gaming have announced that it will end its affiliate marketing programme, known as the ‘Affiliate Hub’ with effect from 2nd October following a strategic review which highlighted what it calls ‘growing regulatory concerns’.

All existing commission and player referrals with its existing affiliate marketing partners will cease, with the firm asking its partners to remove all existing marketing materials from their respective websites.

In a statement detailing the affiliate programme closure, Sky Betting and Gaming stated that “the regulatory landscape in which the industry operates is developing and maturing and operators are experiencing increased obligations regarding their regulatory responsibilities and level of compliance.”

“In order to continue to operate in a compliant manner, we feel that operating the Programme is no longer viable and that managing the output of affiliates presents a significant risk to our business from a regulatory perspective. It is for this reason that we have chosen to terminate the Programme.”

The upcoming closure casts doubt on the long term futures of Sky’s other affiliate websites, OddsChecker.com and SportingLife.com.

However, Sky Betting and Gaming’s governance committee have yet to make a public statement regarding the closure, with many affiliate marketing industry insiders baffled as to why they have chosen to close what is a very successful affiliate marketing programme.