Even though affiliate marketing has evolved over the years, the standard business model has pretty much remained the same. This shouldn’t be a surprise, either; it’s a tried and tested method that rewards affiliates based on their performance and success.
You’ll find a huge range of affiliate programs throughout online gaming and discovering one (or the ones) that fit your niche shouldn’t be too difficult. However, you do need to consider several factors when which affiliate programs to work with.
So, what are the different types of affiliate programs in the online gaming sector? And what do you need to consider when deciding which to work with? Let’s find out.
What Is an Affiliate Program?
Joining an affiliate program is a vital aspect of affiliate marketing – if you don’t, you won’t be able to monetize the traffic landing on your site. An affiliate program is simply the program run by the sportsbook or casino that generates your tracking link, sets your commercial deal, and provides the back office where you can track all activity.
When you join an affiliate program, how you get paid will depend on your agreement with the advertiser. Revenue share is popular as the affiliate receives a cut of what the sportsbook or casino earns from the player – after fees have been deducted.
Some affiliate programs will pay on a cost per acquisition basis (affiliates earn a set fee for each player that signs up and makes a deposit), while other programs will over a hybrid arrangement, which is a combination of the two. The best choice depends on your goals, traffic, and niche – and what the affiliate program is offering.
Affiliate Program Categories in the Online Gaming Sector
Okay, so we’ve gone into depth about the different types of affiliate marketing programs from a general perspective. Now, we’re ready to look at the online gaming sector specifically.
Below, you’ll find an explanation of the types of affiliate marketing programs that you’ll find within online gaming and betting.
Casino Affiliate Programs
There are hundreds of online casino affiliate programs out there ranging from some of the biggest and most established brands in the business to new market entrants. Some of these brands will be popular because of the type of casino game they specialize in including:
- Slots
- Table games
- Poker
- Live casino
- Slots
Examples of casino affiliate programs include Bet365 and Casumo.
Sportsbook Affiliate Programs
Sports betting is a huge industry, especially in Europe and (increasingly) now in the US. If you have a general interest in sports and valuable content on your website, then there is no shortage of affiliate marketing programs to join in this sector.
For US affiliates, the most important thing to consider here is which of the sportsbook operators and associated sportsbook affiliate programs are licensed in the states that you are permitted to enter. Not all brands are available in all legal US states, so it is important to only sign up to those that are active in the same markets as you.
Lottery Affiliate Programs
Online lottery is something of an untapped market, and the potential for you to enjoy success is huge if you have been able to create a site that attracts an audience that is primed and ready to convert to the various online lottery products available.
More and more state/national lottery affiliate programs are popping up, and there is also a rise in the number of secondary lottery and betting on lottery operators looking to work with affiliates.
If you can establish yourself as a key player, the lack of competition compared to sports betting and casino gaming can make this vertical one of the most lucrative types of affiliate marketing within iGaming.
Fantasy Sports Affiliate Programs
Sports fans often like to think that they could easily manage a team to success, which is why fantasy sports are so popular. The leading operators in the US sports betting market – FanDuel and DraftKings, built their reputations and their player bases in the DFS space.
Compared to the other verticals we mentioned, there aren’t as many fantasy sports affiliate programs but those that are out there are very good. Nonetheless, you have an opportunity to differentiate yourself from sports betting – and in some cases, you could have success when combining the two and driving cross-sell among your audience.
You’ve Got Plenty of Affiliate Program Types to Choose From
So, there you have it – that’s our in-depth guide to the different types of affiliate programs that you’ll find in the iGaming sector.
Now that you know which affiliate marketing categories you can choose from, why not start your own affiliate website and start driving players to partner brands today.
Finding the right operator partner programs for your affiliate business can be tricky, but Casino Affiliate Programs aims to make it simple. Join and find out how.