GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 16 - May 2011

Your sites are gateways to all forms of gambling except for poker. Any plans to add poker sites to the mix? I think that casinos attract many players. I do in fact designate a small section on my site for poker. But in poker, there are big estab- lished affiliate sites – such as PokerNews – that have large teams of reporters and offer handsome bonuses for players. You have told us that you used to work in the luxury hotel business. Where did you work, and what kind of work did you do? I did accommodation work for a hotel in Monaco. I love traveling, and people. How did you get started in the online gaming industry? I started by chance. I enrolled in an online gambling forum, and I liked it immediately. So I created my first site, which is now five years old. How long was it before your sites started generating significant revenue? I started out knowing nothing about HTML and SEO. I taught myself. You need to put in at least a year before you start seeing re- sults. It takes countless hours. My stats really started to stabilize after two years. You are French. But you operate sites that target the British and Spanish markets. How difficult is it working in Spanish and English for you? What problems do you face that other affiliates don’t have? I confess that it is not easy. It takes courage to work in other languages. I also have pages in Russian, Japanese and Chinese. I love what I do, so I’m not afraid to work for hours and hours to get my results. I was thrilled when I saw my first Japanese and Spanish players! Do you ever gamble, either online or at land-based casinos? If so, which games do you like to play? Yes, and I have won a lot of money. Since I discovered online gaming, I rarely play in a casino. I like to play video poker or progressive slots. Issues regarding late payments by af- filiate programs are a constant source of frustration for our members. Have you found that posting on the forums helps in solving these problems? The GPWA fo- rums are a big help for us. We can express ourselves and affiliate programs that do not pay are affected by our postings, because webmasters will remove their banners. There is mutual support, even if there is competition. I’ve been visiting the forums every day for a long time now, even if I don’t write messages frequently. Now I remove the banners of programs when they’re not paying. It’s frustrating having to run after money that is owed to you every month. What qualities would the ideal program and/or program manager have? The best programs are those that work hand-in- hand with webmasters – programs that send promotions, deal with problems when they occur, respond to messages quickly, keep track of the payments owed to affiliates, and work for us! What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry? I would advise a lot of patience! Do not give up, and put up as much content as possible on your website. Your sites carry the GPWA seal. Has this made any difference for you? Yes, it makes a difference. GPWA is a site that is taken very seriously. Speaking for myself, the seal is a great addition to my sites. You’ve posted that you’re interested in music and dance. Please tell us a little about that. I did dance quite a lot when I was little. I carry on the tradition now, when I go out with my friends. As for mu- sic, I work with music in the background; it relaxes me. How do you like to spend your time off? I’ll go out for a walk along the seacoast. I also love swimming and shopping. And very importantly, I play poker! What’s your favorite vacation spot? My number-one destination is Las Vegas, and the U.S. – I love America and its people. I love South Africa, a beautiful country. My favorite destinations in Europe are Spain, Amsterdam – where I went to the Master Classics of Poker – and Italy. And I don’t want to forget Monaco. What’s the first concert you attended? I will mention one of the highlights: Mi- chael Jackson. If you could have one“super power,”what would it be? I wish I had a photographic memory, to record as much information as possible. Tell us three things that nobody knows about you. Good question! I was a model when I was younger. I made some films. I did astrology. Her secret to staying sane: have patience, and play poker Living in: France FAVORITEFOOD: Italian food – and chocolate! MUSTREAD BOOKS: Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, and Kill Everyone, by Lee Nelson et al., with commentary by Bertrand “ElkY”Grospellier – the hottest tournament poker player in the world! SITES: play-online-uk.com play-on-line.es JOSY celena Josy (right) with her daughter, Jessica. GPWA Affiliate Interview Series