GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 25 - June 2013

line casino software (GameScale). This is our main challenge: Introducing this new product and games to the players. The role of the affiliates is extremely important in this challenge. They have to promote something new for players, and as we all know it can be very challenging trying to convince some affiliates to do that. We need to make them understand that giving players an opportunity to play at a fresh casino is not only great for conversion, but also for retention. Instead of offering five casinos using the same software, they can actually offer their players something dif- ferent and exclusive. In addition to your exclusive games, CosmikCasino recently announced a partnership with BetSoft to bring 30 new games to the online properties. How important is a wide game selec- tion to the success of an online casino? The gaming experience is our top prior- ity. Adding new games on a regular basis keeps the casino fresh and interesting. We launched 30 new games in our first batch on CosmikCasino and we keep adding new games everymonth. We have also launched BetSoft Games at DeuceClub Casino. We are also adding new and exclusive games by GameScale on a regular ba- sis. These games cannot be found in any other casino, and this is what makes CosmikCasino and DeuceClub Casino stand out in the crowd. Some brands, especially those focus- ing on Europe, use sports betting to acquire customers for their other prod- ucts (casinos, poker, etc.). That’s not a path you’ve chosen to travel. What ad- vantages, if any, do you feel you have operating without a sportsbook? What disadvantages do you feel you have working without a sportsbook? Sports betting is an additional tool to attract cus- tomers to the casino, but our main focus is on doing what we know best. And that’s casino. In the future, we do plan to expand and introduce sports betting into our op- erations in a partnership with one of the leaders in the industry. What is the target market for CosmikCasino and DeuceClub Casino? How do you go about reaching that target market? When we first launched, our main target was the French Territories. As soon as we established our brands in the French Territories we started to expand our brands. CosmikCasino and DeuceClub Casino are available in six languages in order to cover all of Europe. Our main markets are the French Territories, Italy and German-speaking countries. In order to reach our target markets we believe in working with a professional, international team – people who speak the native languages and understand the psychology of players and affiliates from the respective countries. It’s one thing to bring in new players. It’s another thing entirely to get them to stick around. What does AffPower do to retain players sent by affiliates? Apart from the obvious, such as 24/7 support and retention in all languages, we have special offers for our existing players, such as free spins to try newly launched games, additional money and special promotions. The monthly updated Promo Calendar informs our players about the upcoming promos and entices them to play again on specific days. Our VIP managers take care of our VIP players extensively and have special offers for them, too, according to their VIP Level. What do affiliates need to know about CosmikCasino and DeuceClub Casino to effectively market the brands to their players? What distinguishes the AffPower brands from other casinos and affiliate programs, both in terms of the player experience and what you of- fer affiliates? As mentioned above, we op- erate on exclusive online casino software (GameScale), which already sets us apart from all other casinos and programs. The player experience is upgraded monthly through the addition of new games and new features, and we offer unique em- bedded free games for affiliates. And as many affiliates will testify, we have some of the nicest and most effective creatives in the industry. AffPower offers commission plans on a sliding scale, from 20 to 45 percent revenue share, based on revenue pro- duced. Why did AffPower choose this commission model? Just to be clear, this is our default commission plan that is of- fered on our website. As we all know, you have to be flexible in this industry, so we close deals with affiliates on a personal ba- sis, based on what we believe will be a win- win situation for both sides. This is the only way to build a real partnership with the af- filiates – as it already says in our slogan! You also offer CPA deals of up to €150. Are there dangers for affiliate programs that offer CPA deals? How do you police CPA fraud? How common is it, and how difficult is it to stop? No affiliate program can work properly without offering CPA deals. Our €150 deal is also the default plan from our website. Any CPA deal is more risky for any program, especially if you don’t know the player value of the af- filiate’s players. Every request for a CPA deal is discussed and analyzed extensively with the affiliate. Luckily, we haven’t ex- perienced a lot of CPA fraud issues. Our fraud department is keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity on all our CPA campaigns and will block any fraudulent player immediately. If you have a good relationship with your affiliates, gener- ally this doesn’t happen a lot, and it’s not a problem to modify or stop any CPA cam- paign immediately, in accordance with the affiliates, if we feel there is something fraudulent going on. Describe the office culture at AffPower . How many affiliate managers work on the team? If we were a fly on the wall, what are some of the topics of con- versation we’d hear about at the water cooler? We are all friends here. Most of us have known each other for years or have worked together before. And I am talk- ing about all the departments and levels, from support up to management. That’s what makes coming to work every day – even though it’s stressful – fun. There are three affiliate managers working here at AffPower at the moment – Nadine Weinmann, Lloyd Apter and myself – and we are always open to hire new, motivated collaborators for our team. As you know, the Mediterranean climate gives us the opportunity for lots of talk – ranging from clothes to weather, food, heat and other topics – that only a fly on the wall will be able to hear. As we are based in Tel Aviv, one of the coolest (and hottest) places in the world, I can tell you that the people here at AffPower are just the same. What do you know about the industry now that you wish you had known when you first started? I was lucky enough to be able to learn the industry from scratch. I started in one of the oldest companies in the industry, learning the psychology of players and what they are 69 Affiliate Manager Interview Series