GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 34 - February 2016

different mantras, require totally different approaches and that players’ needs are much more complex than I first thought. Explain your current role in relation to affiliates. How important are affiliates to the success of TradaCasino? As it stands right now, affiliates make up almost 50% of our traffic, which is a sizable source of revenue for any business. I am really proud of the ratings we have achieved, specifically at Casinomeister (#11 of 98), AskGamblers (#18 of 993) and ThePOGG (#3 of 798). They are, without a doubt, the most important marketing tool we have and a critical part of our business. With TradaCasino being new to the mar- ket, this was something I was keen to take ownership of myself. I am the point of contact for all affiliates. It’s not something I managed in the past, but it’s a part of my role that I am really enjoying. In fact, there is a thread in the GPWA forums called “Annoying things affiliate managers do” and I’m using it as my bible! I got to know some really great people so far and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone face-to-face at LAC this year for a beer. TradaCasino relaunched about a year ago after shutting down for a period of time. Can you explain why the casino was shut down, and what needed to be done to relaunch? We were on the Viaden platform, and unfortunately they pulled out of the market. This meant that we could no longer be a sub-licensee under their license. We had to find a new supplier and games providers, we brought support in-house, and we launched a new affiliate system — the Viaden affiliate system was also no longer available — and a new customer relationship management (CRM) system. Additional delays were brought on by the timing of the U.K. license require- ments —which came at the worst time for us — while we were trying to prepare for our relaunch. How is the player experience different now compared to the experience be- fore the relaunch? The player experience doesn’t compare. The biggest change we made was bringing support in-house. Every staff member, including senior management, spends at least six hours on live chat each week, talking directly with the players. This insight helps all of us keep our ears to the ground and be more proactive in improving the player experience. In addition, we offer better content, better promotions and, most im- portantly, a completely transparent and fair gaming experience. In addition to relaunching the casino, the site launched a new affiliate pro- gram branded Affvantage. How have af- filiates responded to the new program thus far? We brought all old players over from the Viaden systemwith them still be- ing linked to the affiliates who connected them in the first place so they could keep earning commission on these players. We also had an introductory three-month period where we offered a gross revenue share of 40%. We have only had positive feedback as we treat our affiliates fairly. The new program allows our affiliates to see their player statistics in real-time, offers no negative carryover on commis- sions and most importantly, we pay with- in three working days of month-end! Affvantage recently became a GPWA Platinum Sponsor. Why do you feel it’s important to support the GPWA? And how does a sponsorship help your orga- nization? We believe we offer a new and exciting affiliate offering and we want to grow our base of trusted affiliates. What better place to start than the GPWA? Since joining, we have seen a huge spike in our affiliate activity. We have also been active on the forums and it’s fantastic to have such a great level of interaction with our partners, not just “business” but there’s a bit of fun to be had too. Affvantage offers affiliates a tiered rev- enue share from 25-35%, based on gross monthly revenue, with affiliates earning the highest commission tier they reach for all revenue that month and no nega- tive carryover. Why did you settle on this commission plan? Our 25-35% tiered rev- enue structure is paid on our gross month- ly revenue. We chose this structure in the interest of transparency and fairness. We don’t deduct any fees from our payments — administration, banking, taxes, etc. — so our partners know that they will get paid every cent of their commission on time, in full, every single month. TradaCasino could have gone with a third-party affiliate provider when it relaunched, but you decided to go with your own, in-house program instead . What are the advantages of having an in-house affiliate program? Are there any disadvantages? Advantages: Real- time player data. Ability to pay affiliates within three working days of month-end. There is a lower cost associated with hav- ing our own software, so we can offer a better commission structure. In addition , the backend casino provider and the affili- ate system come from the same supplier , so integration is a lot easier and better. We believe we offer a new and exciting affiliate offering and we want to grow our base of trusted affiliates. What better place to start than the GPWA?” 67 Affiliate Manager Interview Series