"A trustworthy gateway"

What are some of the goals of Betsson Group Affiliates in 2024 and how do you intend to achieve them? How are these shaped by the overarching goals of Betsson Group as a whole?
We maintain a laser focus on delivering for our channel. The year started with numerous challenges, but our determination to succeed remains unwavering. Excitingly, new markets are on the horizon, adding another layer of expectation. We’ve expanded our global portfolio of sponsorships, providing a robust platform to attract new players. This not only enhances our ability to promote our brands but also generates more organic exposure, offering added value to our partners who promote us.

What about affiliates makes them beneficial to customers and how can affiliates stand out to players in today’s competitive market?
Affiliates will always be integral to how we operate and connect players to brands. As new brands are set up, the best opportunity to get exposure is through affiliates. Established affiliate sites, ranking well on popular keywords, provide a trustworthy gateway for players. Word-of-mouth recommendations add credibility, making players comfortable exploring affiliate sites. For new brands, building exposure takes time, making affiliates a tried-and-tested marketing approach, reaching many people simultaneously.

When it comes to finding partners for an affiliate, what does the screening process look like?
We employ three methods to screen new affiliates. For direct registrations on our BGA site, a dedicated Compliance Team rigorously screens accounts, ensuring accurate information and market considerations. For affiliate acquisitions, we use our vast network to reach out and utilise affiliate tools to identify high-performing affiliates based on various metrics, such as keyword rankings. Affiliates reaching out directly through one of our managers or any of our channels, such as LinkedIn or Skype, we ask a series of questions, establishing market understanding, product alignment, deal specifics and traffic sources before moving forward with the onboarding process.

In the eternal CPA vs rev-share debate, has one been more popular than the other in the past year and, if so, why?
Revenue share remains the most popular commission option, fostering long-term partnerships and credibility. This is essentially the profit-share between the partnership. Over the long term, revenue share can be more profitable and ensures a long-lasting relationship between the affiliates and the operator. A revenue-share deal by default adds more trust and credibility to any new deal as there is no budget involved, but it gives the impression that the affiliate is here to stay and develop. While CPAs are common, their popularity depends on how operators manage budget-based commission deals. CPAs offer quick returns for affiliates and operators, making them essential for performance-based deals like PPC. Some affiliates, buying and selling traffic, may opt for a hybrid (CPA and revenue-share) deal.

Did you see any emerging trends in the affiliate market last year that may become more prominent this year? We observed increased acquisitions in the affiliate market, with larger companies buying valuable assets to expand portfolios and gain market share. The same could be said for operators but more so on the affiliate side. Relationships become crucial in managing these acquisitions. We do see more opportunity from this, albeit also their fair share of challenges to get everything updated. AI adoption is another hot trend and we are exploring ways to use AI to enhance daily processes, and provide increased value to our affiliate partners.

Technology is continuously evolving and we are seeing many emerging technologies that could impact the future of marketing and affiliate work. Do you think VR/Metaverse technology could impact affiliate marketing in 2024?
While not likely in 2024, VR/Metaverse technology may impact the future. Some operators are already active in this space and investments from established game providers indicate its potential. For this to really have an impact, you do need society at large to embrace it. Something that stood out was the Hollywood movie, Ready Player One, as it represented a society that evolved with this technology in a way that made it commonplace. We are far from this reality even in 2024, but you never know what lies ahead. We, as Betsson, are not currently involved; but given the dynamic nature of our industry, future developments or interests cannot be ruled out.

How much of an opportunity do you think the Euros will present to attract new players/ affiliate revenue, especially now the contest is back to being in the summer, unlike the Winter World Cup?
The Euros are always an exciting tournament, filled with drama and passion. As an organisation made up of people from over 70 nationalities, supporting these countries on both a marketing and human level provides a unique opportunity. While the summer factor may impact player activity, the passion associated with betting during large tournaments, such as the Euros, can still lead to increased activity.

What are you most looking forward to in 2024?
The sporting calendar is packed in 2024, with events like the Euros and Olympics, along with other significant events like the Super Bowl, French Open, Wimbledon and Champions League. We also have the exciting US Elections, which generate a lot of interest globally. On the business front, I am eager to drive key initiatives forward and ensure long-term success. We have exciting developments with new markets and we are also a growing team. That creates a learning curve for all to reflect on how we do things, what works best and to get back to basics. I see 2024 as a year of growth and I, for one, am very excited to be actively involved.