Better Collective’s Shane Anderson believes affiliates must offer honest reviews of operators, else they risk affecting trust levels among players.

Many affiliates post reviews of different sportsbooks and casinos on their websites and, in an attempt to generate traffic for operators, it's tempting to paint as positive a picture as possible.

However, Better Collective Senior Director, Content & Brand, warns of a greater need to build trust with players.

If a player ends up with an experience nothing like the review they read, both affiliate and operator may lose out, when a more transparent approach would have secured revenue.

Anderson tells Gambling Insider: "Affiliates have the advantage that we can remain honest and transparent across our operator partners, making sure the users of our platforms are completely aware of what they are engaging with when placing a bet with an operator.

"That’s why it’s always better for affiliates to give an honest review of operators. For one, it is a crucial component of building and maintaining trust with the users of our affiliate platforms.

"Of course, some operators may not like criticism that comes along with this honesty – but the benefit of this is it helps keep our operator partners motivated to improve their products.

"In the end, we want to give the best experience possible to our collective end users, and any dishonesty can have negative consequences."

Anderson was speaking for the cover feature of Gambling Insider’s affiliate publication, Trafficology. Read the full article when the magazine is published in early September.