GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 27 - February 2014

W elcome to Issue 27 of the GPWA Times Magazine , hot off the press just in time to be distributed the first week of February to everyone who will be in London for ICE Totally Gaming and/or the London Affiliate Conference. Record turnouts are expected for both events, and we hope you’re among those who will be there! In this issue’s two-part cover story, Paul Reilly discusses some of the mistakes affiliates have made in the past in preparing for theWorld Cup and Aaron Todd shares his thoughts about what sportsbook affiliates should be doing to ensure that this year’s quadrennial event is a success. Also in this issue, Dan Horvat offers tips on how to speed up your WordPress website; Vin Narayanan, Jeremy Enke and New Jersey native Dan Podheiser present three different takes on what’s happening with licensed online gaming in the USA; and Vin interviews Amaya Gaming’s Fredrik Kjell and Karl Ask, who give us a tour of Game Office, Amaya’s breakthrough player management platform and back office. Inside you’ll also find a pictorial overview of what went on at the Barcelona Affiliate Conference, five affiliate interviews, two affiliate manager interviews, webmaster news, notable quotes, an event calendar, a discussion from the GPWA forums on the value of utilizing social media, and the entirely satisfying nailing of Sheldon Adelson’s hide to ourWall of Shame. One last thing: If you haven’t done so already, take a couple of minutes right now to sign up for a free subscription to the GPWA Times Magazine . Subscribe now at gpwatimes.com– it’s easy! Sincerely, Michael A. Corfman GPWA Executive Director LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR GPWA Executive Director: Michael Corfman Program Director: Anthony Telesca Account Executive: Adam Newman Membership Manager: Nancy Troy Member Services: Loriann Sheridan Marketing Director: Andrea Mullaney GPWA Times Magazine Editor-in-chief: Vin Narayanan Senior Editor: Aaron Todd Associate Editor: Dan Podheiser 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 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 10 GPWA Photo Album: Barcelona 31 From the Forums 60 Creating a better back office – the holistic approach, by Vin Narayanan DEPARTMENTS 6 Webmaster News 8 By the Numbers 13 Event Calendar 48 Affiliate Interview Series 64 Affiliate Manager Interviews 70 GPWA Sponsors 74 APCWWall of Shame 20 Three states today . . . and a stampede tomorrow? Online gaming in the USA Vin Narayanan, Dan Podheiser and Jeremy Enke offer their separate perspective on the past, present and future of licensed, regulated online gaming in the United States. 34 Love at first site: Speed up your WordPress website Dan Horvat tells us why loading speed is so important and shows how to design sites that load in less than one second. 40 Cover Story: Preparing for the World Cup Building better World Cup campaigns Aaron Todd tells us why it’s important for sportsbook affiliates to start planning now for a record-breaking summer and discusses what should be done to make it happen. Top-fiveWorld Cup mistakes Paul Reilly explains why avoiding certain pitfalls will significantly increase your World Cup traffic and improve your revenue stream.