GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 3 - January 2008

GPWA TIMES | Table of contents Letter from the director Wow! It’s Issue Number Three! IMHO, the GPWA Times Magazine just keeps getting better and better, but of course YOU are the ultimate judge of the accuracy of that statement. So go ahead and look, read, react: we take all comments – positive and negative alike – to heart and use them to help us improve the publication. In our cover story, we take a close look at the European Commission’s Charlie McCreevy, GPWA’s 2007 Newsmaker of the Year. As commissioner for the EC’s Internal Market and Services, McCreevy has been fighting tirelessly for the online gaming industry’s right to access markets – in Europe and in the U.S. We also follow up on our last issue’s piece dealing with Antigua’s David vs. Goliath struggle against the U.S. And we’re sure you’ll enjoy Gary Trask’s article on Skillground’s amazingly popular UTour Golf skill game. Last but not least, we’ve included for your reading pleasure and inspiration a fresh crop of in-depth interviews with some of our most dynamic GPWA members and with several of the best affiliate program managers out there. Recently a member contacted us and asked if we could send him an extra copy of the GPWA Times Magazine. “I want to give one to my mom,” he explained. I can’t imagine receiving a nicer compliment. Thanks, everyone, for your enthusiastic response to our magazine. Sincerely, Michael A. Corfman Executive Director, GPWA GPWA Executive Director: Michael Corfman Marketing Director: Andrea Mullaney ProgramManager: Steven Corfman Customer Service Manager: Eric Almquist Program Assistant: Kim DeForest GPWA Times Managing Editor: Vin Narayanan Senior Editor: Gary Trask Copy Chief: Bill Riley Designer: George Choi Advertising To advertise in the GPWA Times, please e-mail: sales@gpwa.org Subscriptions To subscribe to the GPWA Times, simply register at gpwa.org and provide your mailing address. It’s FREE! Copyright © 2008 Gambling Portal Webmasters Association. All rights reserved. 6 Everest Affiliates goes local Find out how and why a target-specific marketing concept has helped Everest become a major online player. 10 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series Meet three affiliates who have been brought together by their passion for online gaming. 16 2008 Event Calendar Clip and save! 18 GPWA sponsor programs Whether they are platinum, gold, silver or bronze sponsors, these programs are among the best in online gaming. 22 From the GPWA Forums One of the many captivating forums found on the GPWA Web site comes to life in print as we highlight a discussion among our members regarding the rel=”nofollow” tag and its impact on page rank and SEO. 24 GPWA Newsmaker of the Year In a year filled with uncertainty and ambiguity, the online gaming industry was fortunate to have European Commissioner Charlie McCreevy on its side in 2007. 30 Affiliate Manager interview series Three affiliate managers answer questions regarding the tricks of their trade, their personal lives and their involvement with the GPWA. 36 UTour Golf reshaping the skill game market SkillGround’s featured game is breaking into new territory thanks to its appeal to a new demographic. 41 Politics beats fair trade News analysis: The WTO ruling in the Antigua - U.S. case ultimately had nothing to do with online gambling. 42 The GPWA Seal of Approval program The Seal has now been awarded to more than 350 portal sites in 29 countries.