Online casinos have been a feature of the internet for almost as long as the internet has been in existence, bringing the casino experience directly into people’s homes.
The size of the sector makes one thing very clear: online casinos are popular. There are literally hundreds of different sites, all of whom are competing for the attention of bettors across the world. Given the level of competition, casinos have to turn to others for assistance in recruiting new players – and that’s where casino affiliate programs come into play, but exactly how do casino affiliate programs work?
What are casino affiliate programs?
Casino affiliate programs are essentially a way of splitting the workload required in finding new customers.
The affiliate is responsible for driving traffic to the casino site. This is often achieved by setting up their own website; tips websites are a popular choice, as are “how to” guides to playing popular casino games such as poker or roulette. As you would expect, the affiliate’s website also includes affiliate links to their chosen casino.
When a customer clicks through to the casino via the affiliate, the casino pays the affiliate for the referral.
What are the benefits of casino affiliate programs?
For casinos, the primary benefit is very simple: affiliates bring new customers to their platform. In addition, the casino also benefits from being able to focus on the actual management of their casino, rather than on attracting new customers. In a way, you can think of casino affiliate programs as a method of outsourcing for the casino: they focus on the site itself, and the affiliate brings in the customers.
For the affiliate, the benefits are very simple also: the affiliate receives monetary compensation for introducing a new customer to the casino. This means that affiliates are able to capture a slice of the ever-popular world of gambling, but without having to go through the laborious process of running a casino themselves.
As a result of the above, casino affiliates are hugely beneficial to both parties.
What are the different types of casino affiliate programs?
There are three main types of programs to be aware of:
1) CPL (Cost Per Lead) programs are a kind of one-time deal. The affiliate receives commission for each customer that they introduce (signs up) to the casino. When they have received their commission, their side of the relationship is complete. There is no requirement from the affiliate to get the customer to spend any money at the casino.
2) CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) programs are more extensive. The affiliate receives commission when the player signs up and makes a deposit of a specified minimum amount. They may also have to wager this amount or at least some of it.
3) Revenue Share programs deepen the link further. The process is similar to CPA programs. The affiliate receives commission when the play signs up and makes a deposit, however this time it’s on a revenue share basis so they will receive a percentage of the users losses on the site. This might be for the lifetime of the user or for a specified amount of time say 12 months.
So all affiliates have to do is introduce customers to the casino?
Ah, not quite – that would be a little too easy.
The majority of casino affiliate programs will have KPI’s in place, this means they will have targets to meet with the players you introduce, in terms of spend/losses etc. So you can’t just send a large amount of low quality players to the casino’s website.
This is why some programs wont risk just paying you for the customer signing up (CPL). Instead they must make a deposit (CPA), and then meet wagering requirements. This means they must spend a certain amount of money before the affiliate receives commission. For example, the customer has to sign-up, make a deposit, and then wager at least £100 before the commission is paid.
There is also sometimes a middle ground, where the customer has to sign-up and make a deposit to release the first commission payment to the affiliate. If that customer then goes on to wager through £100, the affiliate receives a further bonus.
As a result of these differences, it is absolutely vital to read the exact terms of any affiliate program you join, so you know exactly what the customer has to do in order for you to receive payment.
In conclusion
While the old saying claims that it’s the house that always wins, one thing is clear: if you become a casino affiliate, you could be onto a winner too.
Interested in promoting casino affiliate programs after reading?
Check out a list of all the gambling programs available on WOW TRK to start earning commission from as an affiliate here.
