Professor I didn’t mean to ‘bash” affiliates in anyway. I too have partnered with casinos on a profit sharing basis many times. In fact some of the gaming establishments who host popular webmaster programs built their name recognitions prior to resorting to affiliate schemes. Obvious examples are the English Harbour and Forward Slash groups. They were well branded and were well exposed to gaming portals before creating Casinocoins and Referback.
Yet it’s the small proprietors with little or no cash assets who depend on my leg works and a bonus gimmick to earn a quick buck that I steer away from. Yes affiliate programs should be one element of your marketing strategy but it shouldn’t be the sole element. Just like bonuses shouldn’t be the only tool to promote signups. Affiliate scheming is a 1 on 1 gain on the dollar tactic, combining with your brand presence will make your business well rounded.
Some of you may remember Rodman casino. They only lived a few months. Anyways when they first launched their marketing guy approached me to do a business deal. He told me he’s only willing to offer a % plan. I told him I don’t do affiliate deals, only straight fees. He kept insisting that it’s better for them to pay me in the long run then upfront. So to compromise I said the most I can do is a $100/cpa which was reasonable. The guy backed down! Can you believe that? Most casinos would rather pay a cpa then a %. I blew him off and was glad I did but he kept calling and asserted that a % was better for both of us. And now where is Rodman casino?…. Exactly. The moral of the story here is since they didn’t have any cash they had zero risk tolerance. So they wanted me to take all the risks.
Now Adriches has my respect. They’re the only program that offers 7 different pay plans including impressions! It just tells me they’re willing to split the risks with affiliates right in the middle and that means they’re financially sound.