GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 31 - February 2015

WagerOn launched in early 2014 and is the affiliate program for Jackpot Jungle. Does WagerOn operate under the same ownership as Jackpot Jungle? Or is the affiliate program under other owner- ship, with WagerOn merely providing its services to Jackpot Jungle? Same parent company as Jackpot Jungle Casino and Ocean’s Reef Casino (coming soon) but separate entity. Prior to WagerOn, you worked as an ac- countant for the Trinidad and Tobago Agribusiness Association. What lured you to our industry, and specifically, what was attractive about starting a new affiliate program? I had worked in the casino industry before, from 2000- 2004, as part of a fraud/risk management team which I found very interesting and compelling. When presented with the op- portunity to take over this project I was immediately intrigued; as an accountant I found myself somewhat bored with my daily routine, but in this industry you don’t have time to be bored. I’m back and plan on loving every minute of it. Now that you've been working in the in- dustry for a year, what part of your job do you love the most? I love to connect to new affiliates and interact with my exist- ing ones. Many times in this technological age we find ourselves becoming very an- tisocial despite the vast social media net- works that are present. I like the fact I get to reach out and deal with my affiliates on a person-to-person basis. Oh yeah, I love to make money together, too! What do you wish you could change about the industry? I find that too often affiliates struggle to collect their earnings after having done their part and delivered their traffic. I would like to see programs start operating on a higher ethical stan- dard. There is enough money to be made in this industry and definitely enough to go around; everyone can share in the profit. You have stated numerous times that your business principles include com- plete transparency, honesty and hu- man interaction. Why are these traits so important to you? And how do they manifest themselves in your working relationships? As previously stated, this is one of my disappointments with the in- dustry at this point. I therefore operate in a manner where my affiliates have access to content and information about the brand they intend to promote and get updates every time there is a change. Affiliates can contact me just about any time (unless I’ve fallen asleep at the laptop) or count on the fact that I will respond as soon as possi- ble, reassuring them I’m here to help and make sure we both make money. When WagerOn first signed on as a GPWA sponsor, one of our members noticed that your terms included some language that indicated affiliates needed to hit quotas in order to be paid. Within 24 hours, you had that language removed from your program's terms and condi- tions. Can you talk about what hap- pened? Why was it so important for you to remove that condition so quickly? And what did you learn about the GPWA as a result? I remember this situation; I was unaware that the clause in question was still on the site and had not been removed as part of an edit to the T&Cs earlier on. I thanked the member for the notification and reassured him that I would resolve the issue, which I made sure happened as quickly as possible. It’s not just talk; I stand by my promise. WagerOn is not here to trick/cheat any affiliate. We want affiliates to deliver traf- fic to our site and as long as this is done within the protocols of the commission agreement, then rest assured that what- ever earnings you show at the end of the month will be paid to you. Period. Describe your typical workday. How much time do you spend in meetings? How much e-mail do you send out? Do you spend much time on the phone or on Skype? How many affiliates would you say you communicate with on a typi- cal day? Wow, good question. Usually, I have at least one or two meetings every day, because we do business with people all over the world. Most meetings are via Skype. As far as e-mail is concerned, my inbox is always busy. I send out more than 20 e-mails every day. I communicate with my affiliates throughout the day, but some days are busier than others, so an average might not be accurate, but let’s say approximately five per day. It's one thing to bring in new people to a site. It's another thing entirely to get them to stick around. What does Jackpot Jungle do to retain players sent by affiliates? We have a retention program that includes time-lapsed offers, calls and live chat sug- gestions/tips/promotions, and this program is reviewed regularly and changed as neces- sary to ensure positive statistics. Describe your work environment. Do you work remotely? Or do you work in an of- fice with other Jackpot Jungle/WagerOn employees? If you work in an office, de- scribe the office culture. I do work in the office a half day and then work remotely thereafter, allowing me to make myself available as much as possible to my af- filiates. We are on a tropical island so the atmosphere is casual and relaxed — not your normal suit and tie outfit — which makes for a staff that’s comfortable and very efficient. Where did you grow up? We know you went to the University of Maryland. Were you raised in the United States? I was born on the island of Trinidad and Tobago, but my parents wanted more, so we migrated to Canada when I was just five years old. I lived in Toronto for ap- proximately six years. I became fluent in French while living in Canada, but now not so much. My father was then offered a project in the U.S. and we once again mi- grated to another country. We arrived in Washington, D.C. but eventually moved to a place right outside D.C., in Maryland, where I spent my teenage years. I be- came fluent in Spanish while living in Maryland, but once again, it didn't stick. AFFILIATE MANAGER INTERVIEW SERIES JAKOB PERSAD WagerOn Affiliate Manager Interview Series