The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is thawing slightly on the issue of casino affiliate marketing and is opening an affiliate test period until April 14. It’s a step in the right direction for affiliates, who haven’t been able to work in the state at all until this point, but there’s no guarantees on how long affiliate marketing will survive in the state.
Commissioners voted late last week to open their regulated gaming market to both revenue share and CPA model affiliate marketing programs. Some commissioners have been reluctant to endorse revenue share affiliate plans because of concerns that the model took advantage of problem gamblers.
Commissioner Eileen O’Brien, the only commissioner to vote against the affiliate reprieve, favored a CPA exclusive model and sees the current test period as a missed opportunity. She explained her position in comments reported on by SBC Americas saying, “To me, if we did anything, it would be only to do the cost per acquisition model. And then we have the ability to see is it really doing what we wanted it to do, which is driving down the push marketing. And so to introduce both, to me, actually loses a research opportunity for us as an agency to see what is the real impact of the method of advertising and affiliates.”
“My job isn’t to make the affiliates money. My job is to maximize the profit and minimize the risk in the Commonwealth,” she concluded.
Other commissioners expressed the opinion that both CPA and revenue share were required to create a competitive market that included opportunities for smaller and minority-owned affiliates.
Massachusetts regulated online gambling market is set to launch on March 10.