Affiliate Industry
Parimatch encourages European affiliates not to underestimate Africa
Following Parimatch’s success establishing itself as an exciting and trustworthy brand in Tanzania, the company has set its sights on the wider continent aiming for key launches across affiliate, mobile and sports betting in the near future. As the brand prepares to bolster its position in the market, Parimatch International’s CEO Anton Rublievskyi and CMO Dmitry Belianin discuss the industry’s growth on the world’s second-most populous continent…
“Africa presents an excellent opportunity for affiliates,” according to Dmitry Belianin, CMO Parimatch International, highlighting how the region removes the issues of the overcrowded affiliate market and high cost advertising platforms which have become potential sticking points in Europe. 2020 will see the brand actively develop its status and the status of affiliate market in Africa as Parimatch prepares to expand its footprint on the continent.
“Since the African market is at an early stage of development, the affiliate model has not yet developed,” explained Belianin. “We are now working on this to attract existing affiliates outside the African market by sharing our experiences and case studies, and also providing training. Affiliates that have been involved in working with the African region are already seeing excellent results and their performance is even better than in some European regions. As the sector expands, we encourage all affiliates to work with reliable brands in the market, such as Parimatch.”
Africa has been of key importance for the company over the last five years, not just with affiliates but across mobile, sports and live betting, during which it has been establishing and strengthening its brand in Tanzania. Having navigated the unique rulings and intricacies of the region, Parimatch aims to develop further in 2020 determined to bring its international expertise in building a trusted brand into play wherever it develops across Africa.
While some companies have struggled to gain real traction with local audiences, the Parimatch name is already recognised in Tanzania thanks to a strong commitment to its brand and a strategic rollout of unique activities. Mirroring their own global success with brand ambassadors such as Conon McGregor and Mike Tyson, Parimatch International has achieved significant growth in Tanzania by partnering with prominent cultural and sports influencers. “Our initial retail activity proved successful, however, we realised that in order to further scale the business we needed to focus on the online platform and invest more in this part of our offering,” said Belianin. “A major development for our brand in Tanzania was the signing of Diamond Platnumz as our ambassador. He is one of the most popular singers in Tanzania and a well-known personality. We also hold sports events, arrange match viewings and collaborate with other companies in various business areas. Of course, we plan to broaden our expansion in the African market, but we are approaching this selectively and carefully.”
Echoing this sentiment, CEO of Parimatch International, Anton Rublievskyi, stated: “Before building a brand in a new market, you need to make sure that all processes are in place, the product is competitive and that payment solutions for depositing and cashing out are working efficiently.
In Tanzania, we are promoting our brand through working with Diamond Platnumz, who has written a song for Parimatch which is now live on all local radio stations, as well as running advertising and influencer marketing campaigns. Currently we operate in Tanzania only, but this year we do have plans for expansion in Africa.”
In 2019, Lasha Gogiberidze, former Chief Executive Officer at Parimatch Africa advocated Africa’s position as an ‘excellent demonstration of a market primed to drive the next step’ in the future of both technology and the betting industry. In this new decade, aside from affiliates the next big focus in terms of gaming and technology are unequivocally mobile and live betting according to Belianin and Rublievskyi.
“With the development of mobile devices and technologies, the demand for live betting is growing rapidly,” argued Belianin. “We track customer preferences, and have found that the audience in the region enjoy user-friendly and fast products. Gaming applications with an easily accessible interface and simplified jackpots are popular in Africa. Companies that have adapted their products to this demand have shown steady growth.”
Rublievskyi concurred: “The development of mobile devices and connectivity in Africa is key to the accessibility and popularity of online betting platforms. Of course, we closely monitor the rate of digital transformation across the continent and therefore understand that the demand for retail space is gradually decreasing. Our task is to adapt the product to customer preferences, so we focus on developing convenient mobile apps for players and are moving towards the live betting market.”
In terms of ongoing strategy, Parimatch International is developing a new version of its platform for the African industry which Belianin believes will “fundamentally change the competitive landscape of the Tanzanian market”.
“Parimatch International is a multinational team, and we are working hard to expand our offer within Africa,” he said. “Although we cannot announce the markets in which we plan to launch our product in 2020 just yet, we can say we will be launching in several countries with large markets and great potential for a successful introduction of our online betting format.”
Belianin concluded: “We want to bring our innovative new product to customers in 2020. We also plan to launch several large-scale special projects focused on CSR and Tanzania’s sport industry. Similarly, Parimatch International will strengthen ties with local sports leagues and teams in the near future so in terms of Africa in this new decade, we’re definitely ‘Fired Up to Win’!”
About Parimatch International:
Parimatch International is a part of the Parimatch holding, responsible for the international markets, such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
The company uses the newest version of the Parimatch products, which offer an exciting form of entertainment that enhances customers’ enjoyment of sports and gaming.
The commitment to sports as entertainment is reflected in the sponsorship partnerships: UFC, Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson, and Diamond Platnumz are amongst them.
Parimatch International invests in the building of strong and agile business culture and constantly empowers employees’ development.
Casino Kings, a top UK online casino and sportsbook, is proud to announce its nomination for two coveted categories at the AffPapa iGaming Awards 2025: Casino Operator of the Year and Bonus Offer of the Year. These nominations recognise Casino Kings’ ongoing excellence in delivering market-leading casino gameplay, innovative sports betting experiences, and outstanding promotional offers to its growing community of players.
AffPapa iGaming Awards – Recognising the Best in the Business
Now in its third edition, the AffPapa iGaming Awards celebrate top-tier performance across the online gambling industry, bringing together affiliates, operators, and B2B providers from around the globe. Organised by AffPapa, a leading affiliate network and iGaming directory, the awards highlight excellence in areas such as innovation, player satisfaction, partnership success, and marketing creativity.
. Winners will be officially announced at the much-anticipated awards ceremony on May 28, 2025.
Casino Kings: Where Rewards Reign Supreme
Built on a player-first philosophy, Casino Kings has quickly become a favourite among UK players. And this year’s bonus nomination came from some of its most exciting current offers:
- Bet £10, Get £35 in Free Bets – A must-try for sports fans.
- 150% Welcome Bonus up to £150 + 75 Free Spins on Big Bass Bonanza – One of the most generous welcome packages in the UK market.
- Deposit £10, Get £20 + 50 Free Spins – Perfect for new and returning players.
On top of these, players can always expect something new thanks to a steady stream of daily, weekly, and seasonal promotions. Whether it’s cashback on losses or VIP perks like exclusive bonuses and dedicated support, Casino Kings keeps loyalty at the heart of everything it does.
Committed to Excellence in Online Gaming
Fully licensed in the UK and loudly committed to responsible gambling, Casino Kings offers a secure, intuitive platform for casino and sports fans alike. With top providers like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, and Evolution onboard, the game selection is second to none, whether you’re playing on desktop, mobile, or tablet.
“We’re incredibly honoured to be recognised by AffPapa this year,” said Daniel Shannon from Casino Kings. “These nominations are a testament to the hard work our team puts in every day to deliver an exceptional experience for our players. We’re super excited to be in the running, and grateful to our loyal community for their continued support.”
The post Casino Kings Celebrates Double Nomination at the AffPapa iGaming Awards 2025 appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
When the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) in 2018, it opened the floodgates to sports betting in the US. From the middle of 2018 to now, states with some form of legal sports betting went from the four states ‘grandfathered’ by PASPA to 39 states and Washington, D.C. allowing betting. That’s 36 jurisdictions legalizing in eight years.
Soon after the annulment of PAAPA, market activity exploded with several states legalizing and launching every year thereafter. Each state had millions of new customers that operators wanted to reach quickly, and unique regulatory constraints around marketing and betting. That’s where affiliate marketing stepped in, providing local expertise to help these operators rapidly establish a foothold with customers.
That gold rush has now ended. While states with significant populations like Texas and California remain without legal sports betting, the majority of players in the US have access to it. Several states won’t be legalizing sports betting every year like in the past.
If operators no longer rely on affiliates to help them conquer several new markets every year, what roles do these large, third-party marketing companies have to play moving forward? As the market matures, we’re seeing that affiliate marketing has a crucial role to play in the current marketing climate.
What the Mature Market Looks Like
Aside from the lurking possibility of states with huge populations like California and Texas legalizing sports betting, the market is broadly set. Many states that haven’t introduced betting are unlikely to change that position due to the political climate, like in Utah and Alaska.
Sports betting has never been more popular, with total GGR for sports betting hitting $13.71 billion in 2024, according to the American Gaming Association. That was a 25.4% increase year-on-year. However, sports betting has also never been more competitive. Most US states have intense competition between operators competing in saturated ecosystems.
There’s evidence this is impacting affiliate companies, with Catena Media generating 35% less from US operations in 2024 compared to 2023. Another significant operator in US affiliate marketing, Better Collective, saw US revenues drop from $113 million in FY2023 to $112 million in FY2024.
However, this doesn’t spell the end of affiliate marketing. Without the potential to expand into new states, operators are looking to strengthen and grow market share in the states where sportsbooks are already operational and companies have already conducted marketing campaigns with affiliates.
Companies that have quickly grasped this new approach have shown positive signs. Gambling.com Group reported record Q4 revenues in 2024 and finished with full-year revenue of $127.1 million, a 17% rise from the year prior.
It’s made affiliates effectively take a u-turn to recover all the ground they covered so rapidly with the expansion of the market. For example, the first online sportsbooks launched in Michigan in January 2021, so there was a flurry of marketing activity in the state before that attention moved to other states that launched in the same year, like Arizona in September. Now, affiliates are returning to states like Michigan with new approaches.
Trust and Authority and Blitz Tactics
What do these new marketing approaches entail? Rather than acquiring as many users as possible in a short time, affiliates are now focused on increasing brand loyalty. Affiliates want to increase customer lifetime value (CLV), and are more aware of this metric than the base number of how many new users are added.
That’s led to more personalized advertising campaigns with features like exclusive offers, user engagement tools, and more to keep the focus on retaining players rather than adding more and more customers. Brands are looking to build authority and trust with customers.
Adding a few customers with high CLV is priceless for operators compared to hundreds of customers who will drop off quickly. Affiliate marketing supports these platforms with tailored campaigns using specific state knowledge and personalized customer retention measures.
More Sophisticated Customers
When sports betting first started spreading across the US, most people probably confused parlay bets with the French word parley used in popular movie franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean. That was the average American bettor’s education level on the topic.
So, early affiliate marketing efforts focused on introducing common sports betting terminology to customers while explaining the benefits of sports betting brands. Guides would explain how to sign up with a sportsbook and the difference between a moneyline and a point spread. That easy access to sports betting information made it more straightforward for a broader audience to get involved.
It’s a different market eight years on. Most bettors are far more educated than before and don’t need to be babyfed the basics. If an operator wants to appeal to bettors, it must do more than just offer betting.
That’s why affiliate marketing has shifted to a more detailed and data-driven approach. Rather than explaining how American odds work, affiliate marketing campaigns now compare the value of odds between operators and highlight the best value.
Unique betting features are more important to marketing campaigns as these can help attract bettors with accounts at other sportsbooks to sign up with a new platform.
This is where affiliate marketing can help operators in mature markets, as these campaigns can highlight those strengths against other brands and make each platform’s unique proposition clear to savvy bettors.
Broadening Audience Demographics
Considering odds regularly appear on major league broadcasts and are discussed by commentary staff for games, it’s clear that betting is becoming increasingly mainstream. As sportsbooks look to consolidate and compete in competitive markets, reaching new demographics is a valuable marketing tool.
While bettors in the US are more educated now, operators are looking to attract more than just players willing to learn all the jargon. New marketing strategies must make betting relatable and appealing to various ages and demographics.
The campaign to capture the attention of bettors in their 20s should look very different from one for older players, and the best affiliate marketers are helping operators tailor these campaigns to hit specific demographics.
Affiliates’ Role as Strategic Partners to Operators
The relationship between affiliates and operators has shifted as the operators need affiliate marketing companies to deliver different marketing services. Many operators see affiliates as strategic partners rather than just sources of traffic.
These new data-driven dynamics will let affiliates play a wider role in operators’ marketing schemes, providing data integration like live stats, API odds feeds, and more. Additionally, affiliates use years of knowledge and expertise to help these platforms run campaigns through different media sources, including mobile.
Affiliates also play a helpful role in compliance and responsible gambling. Each state has its own requirements, and while no new markets are opening, states that already permit betting can shift rules around what’s available. Scrutiny from regulators is also increasing. Therefore, affiliate marketing can provide operators with tailored campaigns that take a state-by-state approach.
Conclusion
Affiliate priorities have shifted, moving into 2025 and beyond. The gold rush is over, and the market is consolidating. Affiliates need to expand their services to keep up with the evolving demands of sports betting operators, focusing on longer-term customer acquisitions rather than adding masses of low-value players.
Successful affiliate sites will be the platforms that adapt to the new mature market the fastest and with the most effective strategies. Affiliates are no longer just tools that operators use to attract broad traffic. These companies must provide ongoing data and personalized marketing strategies to provide the best support to operators.
Author: Shmulik Segal, Founder and CEO of Media Troopers
The post What a Mature Market Means for US Affiliates appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Affilka by SOFTSWISS reports its business performance in Q1 2025, continuing its steady growth as one of the industry’s leading affiliate marketing platforms.
The first quarter of the year marked a period of significant achievements for Affilka by SOFTSWISS. In January, it was named Affiliate Company of the Year at the International Gaming Awards 2025, highlighting its growing recognition in the industry.
In the first three months of 2025, 44 new brands joined the Affilka platform, bringing the total number to over 450 brands. During the same period, affiliate GGR rose by 2.7%, the number of visits increased by 3.1%, and affiliate payments grew by 13.2% compared to Q4 2024. Overall, Affilka now supports over 400 thousand affiliate accounts (+23.1% vs Q4 2024) and tracks more than 98 million registered players, up from 87 million in Q4 2024.
Alongside its financial gains, Affilka maintains an active pace of product development. The team is now preparing to release a new feature: Cross-Brand Player Duplicate Detection. It will enable operators to detect identical player accounts across multiple brands within a single affiliate program. The tool will allow operators to optimise their marketing costs and improve traffic quality.
The innovation is the third major update released by Affilka in the last six months. Earlier, the platform introduced the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature, which reduces user redirect times by fivefold and boosts player conversion. The most recent tool, the Cohort Analysis Report, enables operators to track and evaluate player behaviour more effectively.
“Affiliate marketing is evolving fast, and Affilka evolves with it,” says Anastasia Borovaya, Head of Affilka by SOFTSWISS. “We’re focused on helping our partners meet emerging challenges – whether that means offering new ways to analyse player behaviour, refine traffic strategy, or cut costs without losing efficiency. The Cross-Brand Duplicate Detection tool is one more example of how we turn real-world operator needs into functional, high-impact solutions.”
Anastasia Borovaya recently participated as a guest lecturer at the Academy of Gaming Operations, where she led a session on the Affiliate Management course. She is expected to return to teach the course again in the second half of 2025.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS complies with a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 27,800 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
The post 44 New Brands Growth in Q1’25: Affilka by SOFTSWISS Results appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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