GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 11 - January 2010

Dominique Dom squaresoff againstdodgy T&Cs,slippery slopesand nondescriptsites When you launched your first gambling site in2002youposted that youhadone other site – hawkheadhaven.com. What was that site devoted to? How did you decide to get into the gaming industry? Hawkheads are very pretty parrots, and I used to breed them and handraise the babies. I was selling them online. Hawk- headhaven provided lots of information on how to properly keep parrots as pets. Iwas also raising a lot of other birds, but eventually it became too labor intensive and I sold out. My career has been quite illustrious, I have always been an entre- preneur. I stumbled into gaming when I used some free casino games on a free game site I built for friends. I got checks in the mail and couldn’t figure out for some timewhere they came from. Once I did, I was intrigued... The original site is still apageonGamesandCasino. How longwas it before your work as an onlinegamblingaffiliate startedearning youmoney? It tookaroundayearbefore I made anymoney worthmentioning, and for some time I plowed all earnings back into the business...and I still reinvest most of it all the time. You’veseentheonlinegambling industry really evolve.What was it likewhen you firststartedworking in the industry?And howdoes itcomparetoworking inthe in- dustry now? I had a lot more trust back then; there was more individual contact with managers. Conferences were very small, but you really got to know people there. Now the industry has grown so big that it has become impossible to con- nect all the faces with names and Web sites and forum pseudonyms and I have to admit that half the time I don’t know who I am talking toanymorewhen I go to conferences. Some things always stay the same, though–when I got startedpeople toldme Iwas too lateand thecompetition was too big. And the same is told to new affiliates today. There is always room for newcomers in this industry. What commonmistakes do you see new affiliates making right now when they first start off? IMO the most common mistakes are copying what others have done already and promoting dodgy plac- es. That’s a recipe for failure; thenew site has nothing that makes it memorable, and ifplayersdoremember it, it’sbecause they had a negative experience. It is also unlikely Google will value it over older siteswith the identical info. Besides the UIGEA, what has changed dramatically about the industry? Well, I thinkmost of the changes to thenegative are really UIGEA connected. Payments are more irregular, obviously because of UIGEA. Software companies have pulled out of the U.S. Add in the current reces- sion/depression and business has taken a serious hit. In the positive, software companies have generated a load of nice games, lotsmore than they used to. Cus- tomer support is better. Andnewaffiliate programs for themost part arebenefiting from the changes the industry has gone through over the years and have well- thought-out T&Cs for affiliates. You’vebeena longtimeparticipant inon- linegambling forums.Why is it important foraffiliates toparticipate in them?What can affiliates, and affiliate managers for that matter, get out of forums? Forums are invaluable for learning the trade, stay- ing up todate and forming relationships. I have learned much of what I know in forums. Everyone can find support in forums and a lot of wrongs have been rightedover the years because of forums. They can also be a slippery slope where misinformation is passed on, wars break out and lots of negativity can be over- whelming. As a forum user, always think twicebeforeyouhit the “post”button.Do I really know this for a fact? If it’s just an opinion, did I say that, too?Are thereany additional facts I should research and present to make the post informative? Am I just venting, and did I point that out? Am I hurting others withmy post? As a forum reader, ask yourself the same questions when you gather information. Without forums, affiliates would be in much worse positions in this industry. Forums provide support and knowledge, and they aremost certainly here to stay. There isnotadaywhere Ihaven’t learned somethingnew ina forum. Please describe theperfectaffil- iateprogramfor you.Whatabout the perfect af- filiatemanager? My dream af- filiate program will have clear and concise T&Cs, a good current ban- ner selection, well-thought- out promotions and a Web site where you can reach everydes- tination with one click. It will send regular e- mails with new promot ions, games and ban- ners. The af- filiate manager will be available to answer ques- tions, answer e-mailss in a timely manner and act professionally. I also prefer programs that have a forum presenceanduseStatsRemote. Working as an affiliate canbe lonely, yet you’ve done it successfully for several years.Howdoyoumanage toget the so- cial interaction you need to stay sane, whilecontinuingtoput inthetimeneces- sary tobe successful as anaffiliate? Who said I was sane? I went mad years ago! :) I thinkwhat keepsme happily productive 54 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series