I think the answer is more like this:
Branding is not something that can be done just anywhere. McDonald’s didn’t have a brand to build until they had existed for a long time.
Similarly, Joe’s Diner in Timbuktu cannot possibly build a brand as well as Joe’s Diner in Times Square. Nor would a Hard Rock Cafe work in Tibet.
In the end, it has to be a two-way street. Affiliates cannot claim to be helping to brand a casino unless they have a significant amount of quality traffic. Similarly, a casino cannot undertake branding efforts without paying cold hard cash to large, well-known portals with proven traffic.
Therefore, the only way to reward an affiliate is by the players he or she brings in – whether that be by CPA or profit-sharing, in the end it is the only realistic method by which a casino can reward an affiliate.
It’s hard work, no matter whether you are big or small. I know that Got2Bet is often perceived to be big – but in actual fact we make way, way less than other affiliates who have more sites or better traffic. And that won’t improve unless I continue to work hard, unfortunately… this is 4 years down the line and I still don’t have any savings. On the other hand, the standard of living has gotten better and I am able to put my three kids through international school – barely, though.