GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 22 - October 2012

ular and it often amazes me just how much those affiliate partners who are predomi- nantly sportsbook-facing can earn from non-sportsbook products, without neces- sarily having to promote these products on their website(s). Of course, we’d prefer it if affiliates promoted all our products and we give them every encouragement and assistance to do so. We also strive to provide customers with the opportunity to experience all of our fantastic products, like our recent “Premier League Bonus Weekend,” which was aimed at both casino and sportsbook customers and was a huge success. We have numerous promotions of this nature. At the end of the day, our affili- ate partners can rest assured they will earn commissions across all our products and for the lifetime of their referred customers. It’s one thing to bring in new players. It’s another thing entirely to get them to stick around. What does bet365 do to retain players sent by affiliates? We pride ourselves on our retention rates and there are many reasons why customers keep coming back to us. For starters, our account-opening bonus encourages repeat business as there is a rollover requirement, which is also the case for retention bonuses given out throughout the lifetime of our custom- ers. Of course, these are nothing without some first-class products and we deliver heavily on that score, too, with our in- play and live streaming products in par- ticular, which are second to none. When you throw in our one-wallet system for customers, seamless payment options and customer service in 17 languages 24/7, it all adds up to a powerful pack- age, and 7 million customers worldwide are testament to that. How is bet365 as a company different from other operators out there? Good question, and I’d like to start by saying we’re very much a family-run operation with Denise and John Coates, our Joint Chief Executives, playing a hands-on role. While other operators have shareholders to answer to, our more lateral structure allows for the business to be steered inter- nally, and as a result we can make busi- ness decisions more quickly. This has a knock-on effect on our 2,000 employees, and virtually everyone I speak to on a daily basis is genuinely proud to work for the company as well as being passionate about what they do. I should also add that our sportsbook is still based in the U.K. – sunny Stoke-on-Trent, to be exact – and not many other operators can say that. For our players and affiliates alike, that has to mean something. bet365 affiliates offers affiliates a 30 percent flat commission on all referred players. Some affiliate programs offer larger commissions to affiliates that bring in a high volume of players or higher revenue. Why did bet365 de- cide to go with a flat commission rate? Granted, some programs offer affiliates a higher starting rate to entice them on board but you have to question what these enhanced rates are really worth. It could well be 40 percent of next to noth- ing if the operator in question isn’t able to convert and then retain their tr affic effectively, and that is where we s core heavily for all the reasons already gi ven. I should also stress that the vast majo rity of our affiliates are making good mo ney from our affiliate program. Describe the office culture at bet 365. How many affiliate managers work on the team? If there were a fly on the w all, what are some of the topics of con ver- sation it would hear about at the wa- ter cooler? We’re a young, vibrant t eam and all get on surprisingly well given that 63 Affiliate Manager Interview Series