GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 24 - April 2013

W elcome for the two-dozenth time to the GPWA Times Magazine ! Issue 24 will be distributed at several events including the Global iGaming Summit & Expo (GiGSE) April 23-25 in San Francisco. Our cover story is a fascinating, in-depth interview Editor-in-Chief Vin Narayanan conducted recently with Amaya Online’s Director of Product Fredrik Kjell and Ongame Director of Business Development Don Jaques. Their wide-ranging discussion touches on many hot topics including poker bonuses, Ongame’s mobile poker platform, the move from closed software systems to open systems and implementing online poker in the U.S. Also in this issue: Jeremy Enke’s look at what affiliates have to say about the future of the poker ecology, Kendra Carrie’s guide for affiliates who want to break into online bingo, Tabitha Moore’s explication of split testing and why it’s one of the greatest marketing weapons you can wield, Phil Kissane’s report on why sports betting is now the U.K.’s largest and fastest-growing online gaming sector, and a heated e-mail exchange between Vin Narayanan and Senior Editor Aaron Todd concerning situational ethics and the recent incursions by PokerStars into U.S. gaming. And not to be missed: hot shots from ICE and LAC, some very good interviews with four affiliates and two affiliate managers, late-breaking webmaster news, notable quotes, the event calendar and the latest Wall of Shame dishonoree. No matter how much you know about online gaming, and regardless of your role in the industry, there’s always going to be something new to learn in the pages of this magazine. That’s why if you haven’t done so already you need to subscribe right now to make sure you never miss an issue. Do it today at gpwatimes.com. I’ll be looking for you there! Sincerely, Michael A. Corfman GPWA Executive Director LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR GPWA Executive Director: Michael Corfman ProgramManager: Steven Corfman ForumModerator: Anthony Telesca Membership Manager: Nancy Troy Marketing Director: Andrea Mullaney GPWA Times Magazine Editor-in-chief: Vin Narayanan Senior Editor: Aaron Todd Copy Chief: Bill Riley Designer: George Choi Advertising To advertise in the GPWA Times, please e-mail: sales@gpwa.org Subscriptions For a FREE subscription to the GPWA Times Magazine, visit: gpwatimes.com ISSN 1941-9872 PHOTO GALLERIES 14 Ice Ice Baby Party 21 LAC Opening Night 37 LAC Networking Party 40 Amaya Playboy Party 67 Fire & Ice Party DEPARTMENTS 6 Webmaster News 8 By the Numbers 43 Event Calendar 54 Affiliate Interview Series 64 GPWA Sponsors 68 Affiliate Manager Interviews 74 APCW’s Wall of Shame 10 Sports betting leads growth within online gambling in the U.K. Phil Kissane of Stickyeyes explores the key search trends affiliates need to know to be part of the explosive growth of online sports betting in the U.K. 24 Cover Story: Canmobile and social save online poker? In an interview with Editor-in-Chief Vin Narayanan, Amaya Gaming’s Don Jaques and Fredrik Kjell talk about hot poker topics including Ongame’s mobile platform, themove from closed software systems to open systems, and implementing online poker in the U.S. 18 Breaking into bingo: The essential affiliate guide Kendra Carrie of Income Access presents the principal factors that affiliates need to understand and consider before entering the bingo niche. 34 The future of the poker ecology – what affiliates have to say Jeremy Enke defines poker ecology and then explains why online poker’s very existence depends on keeping that ecology healthy and balanced. 50 Split testing TabithaMonroe shows why split tests, or A/B tests, continue to be a tried and truemethod for testing the efficacy of the various elements on your landing page. 44 We have a “situation” here The GPWA’sVin Narayanan and AaronTodd have a testy exchange about the ethics (or lack thereof) surrounding themoves by PokerStars to insinuate themselves into U.S. online gaming.