GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 15 - January 2011

OTTO BERGSTROM cass When you launched Cassaon-Casino a few years back,you said youwere catering pri- marily to theAsianmarket.Is that still your focus today? To be honest, no. When we started out in 2006 we saw huge potential in the Chinese market since most portal casinos at the time were predominantly concentrating on the U.S. and Europe. We felt that these markets were too competi- tive, hence the reason the Chinese market was a more viable option to us. We soon realized that China prohibits all forms of online gambling, so we decided to concen- trate on the U.S. and European markets instead. This was before the imposition of the UIGEA by the U.S. government. Are the people with whom you originally launched your site still involved in its op- eration? Initially we started out as a two- man band. The site was only a sideline for us and we hoped that it was something we could fall back on in the distant future. Presently I have a new business partner (Max) and he’s a real geek when it comes to search engine optimization, search en- gine marketing and the general layout of our Web site. What did you do before you became an online gambling affiliate? I worked in Si- erra Leone for many years as the opera- tions manager for a Canadian-listed com- pany mining alluvial diamonds and gold. I’m still actively involved in the country and presently I’m the operations manager for a U.S. company mining alluvial dia- monds there. Why did you become an online gaming af- filiate? How did you get your start in the business? A friend of mine was doing ex- ceptionally well as an affiliate and he in- troduced me to the “wonderful” world of online gambling. I had my reservations about becoming an affiliate at first. Ulti- mately I realized that it’s an individual’s choice to gamble, and we decided to de- sign a Web site that is not only informa- tive to players but warns them against the ramifications of excessive gambling. What’s different about the industry now compared towhen you started? Five years ago the industry wasn’t as competitive as it is today and if affiliates were prepared to add glue to their seats and really work hard they soon started reaping the fruits of their labor. I still consider myself a novice when it comes to online gambling and every day I learn a bit more. A couple of years ago the global economy wasn’t as volatile as it is today and there still remains a fair amount of uncertainty as to where it’s heading. In essence this has had a severe impact on the gaming industry in general. How long was it before you started mak- ing money? It took Cassaon nearly two years before it started making money, and the site’s first commission was a “hefty” $270 in January 2008, earned at Wager- share’s Spin Palace casino. What do your friends and family think of your work as an affiliate? My wife has an idea but she is not interested in the gam- bling industry at all. My friends and rela- tives have no cooking clue as to what an affiliate actually does, and to spend the majority of your time in front of a PC is beyond them. What’s the most difficult thing about op- erating your site? Searching for unique content. Rewriting/refreshing your site’s content is arguably one of the most diffi- cult things to do nowadays, and it must be done in such a way that you are not guilty of plagiarism. We make use of gambling books to aid us in writing unique content for our site. This is time-consuming but we’re getting there slowly but surely. The Internet today is like a major dumping site; the majority of the gambling content in it has been recycled a thousand times. What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry? Work as part of a team. A couple of years ago a one-man band still could have pulled it off; however, given the competitiveness of the market today I think it’s best to start out with a minimum of four individuals, tasking each one to work within his/her respective field of expertise and then building the site accordingly. The more dedicated individuals a site has, the more the workload is alleviated and the quicker the site’s overall visibility will be enhanced in the various search engines. What prompted you to join the GPWA? Has being a member helped you in your work? How? I believe that the GPWA is hands down one of the best gambling fo- rums on the Net today and that’s one of the main reasons why I’ve joined. I like the level of professionals involved who cover all spheres of the gaming industry at the GPWA. There are a few GPWA members who set the standard, and reading their threads has helped me a great deal. Guys like Terry (thepokerkeep), who champions the cause of affiliates at a time when more online casinos are trying to dupe affiliates out of their hard-earned commissions. Now I always make sure I read an affiliate pro- gram’s T&Cs in detail before signing up. If you had to pick five keys to success as an affiliate, what would they be? Be prepared to work hard and burn the “midnight oil.” The harder and smarter one works the better the chances are of at- taining one’s goals and being successful. VisitforumslikeGPWAandAffiliateGuard Dog to interact with fellow affiliates. Add unique and quality content to one’s site on a daily basis. Affiliate managers and media advertisers see this and they might approach you either to join their program or for a potential advertising campaign. Establish a sound working relationship with your affiliate managers; they’re the ones supplying you with the latest de- tails/releases of casino games, logos and much more. Always ensure that your players come first, because they are the lifeblood of any successful site. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. One-man band good, two-man band better! 26 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series