GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 27 - February 2014

GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES The secret of their site’s success? Filotimo! When did you launch your site? In August 2013. How did you become involved in the in- dustry? I used to bet in the past. How long did it take for you to start earning money? A few months after the site was launched. Which segment of your site traffic brings in themost revenue–sportsbook, casino games or poker? The major product of Betarades.gr is the match previews of all sports events: football and basketball games, tennis tournaments and F1 rac- es. Therefore sportsbooks bring in the most revenue. Greece is a regulated market. What are the advantages and disadvantages of market regulation, in your opinion? The current situation regarding the legisla- tion about gambling is not quite clear. The market is not completely regulated as on the one hand there are 24 temporary oper- ating licenses being granted, while on the other hand there are efforts to establish a monopoly or to abolish these 24 tempo- rary licenses and proceed to a notice of new permanent licenses aiming at the re- placement of the old temporary ones. The regulation of the market, as long as it is done properly, may bear benefits for all sides involved: The government would be in a position to collect the expected taxes and the gamblers would have the security of betting with companies that are legally established in their country. It has been predicted that tablet and smartphone users will account for more and more of the online gaming market because “the smaller the screen, the more addictive it is.” Has this observa- tion proven to be true regarding traffic that comes to your site? Yes, this ob- servation has by all means proven to be true. Smartphone and tablet users are differently addicted in comparison with those using a computer. I believe that with time the mobile percentages will be constantly increasing. Your site offers links to live streams of many sporting events. How important is live streaming to the sports betting industry? Live streaming is extremely im- portant for every gambler who bets. The percentages of prematch and live bets are now reversed. The gambler bets more live while watching the match rather than bet- ting before it has started. Are you a one-person shop or are you part of a larger organization? We are a group of people trying to provide the best possible result. Occasionally, and when necessary, we may of course em- ploy externals. Describe your work environment. Do you work from home or in an office? Our workplace is a minimal office in the heart of Thessaloniki in Macedonia. What traits do you look for in an affiliate manager? How about in an affiliate pro- gram? Affiliate managers have to know how to read every partner’s results in or- der to constantly follow up – in coopera- tion with the affiliate – on the promotion of the company they represent and see for themselves if and to what extent the ex- pected conversion rate is obtained. They should at all times be available to solve any potential problems. Likewise, an affiliate program has to pro- vide detailed information to the partner and must be solvent and reliable, while the navigation into the program must be user friendly. What’s your preferred method of com- munication with affiliate managers? Do you like to talk on the phone, by e- mail or via Skype? The choice of Skype is quite good as it is the most immediate one. However, when the working schedule is quite heavy and there is no time avail- able for a conversation via Skype to take place, communication with the manager via e-mail is preferred. What prompted you to join the GPWA? How has it helped you? We believe the GPWA is a great meeting place that pro- vides affiliates the opportunity to exchange views. It is a place where affiliate managers have to visit in order to check out the com- ments on the companies they represent and to deliver help when possible. What do you like about the industry ? The most interesting thing about it is the possibility one has to do many different things if of course one wishes to get seri- ously involved in it. You can make multi- ple trials and tests in order to understand the way every visitor to your site thinks and acts. If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be? Regulation of gambling should be more explicit and clear. We would like to see the issue with the regulation of the Greek market tackled in order to be in a position to define our future steps. THODORIS betarades Age: 29 Hometown: Thessaloniki, Macedonia Living in: Thessaloniki Favorite Food: Moussaka, souvlaki Must Read Book: The Da Vinci Code , by Dan Brown Site: Betarades.gr GPWA Affiliate Interview Series