GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 35 - June 2016

through requirements are met. At that point, the money will be credited to the player’s real-money account and will count as a “win.” Of course, if that money is then lost, affiliates will make revenue share on it. Netgaming Solutions recently became a GPWA Platinum Sponsor. Why do you feel it’s important to support the GPWA? And how does a sponsorship help your organization? We feel it’s important to be seen in the affiliate industry. We want to be there for all our affiliates and answer any questions they have as soon as pos- sible. The GPWA helps us communicate with the affiliate community. When are payments sent to affiliates? Our payments are sent out on the fifth business day of every month at the latest. It’s one thing to bring in a new person to a site. It’s another thing entirely to get them to stick around. What does Amsterdams Casino do to retain play- ers sent by affiliates? Without getting into too much detail, we analyze our play- ers and their behavior in order to use the right tools at the right times to get them to stick with us. We also have monthly player promotions, which usually have very big prizes. We’ve given away trips to New York City, one year’s salary, big- screen ultra-high-definition TVs and much more! For affiliates, this is also a good way to promote our brand. We al- ways have matching graphics to go with every promotion that can be used by af- filiates, and we can always make specific graphics if requested. Problem gambling is a serious issue for our industry. What does Amsterdams Casino do to protect players who may have a gambling problem? Gambling should always be about having fun. And that’s what we want our players to have. Players who have a gambling problem can have their accounts shut down, and we can direct them to the right organi- zations to help them with their problem. It’s also possible for them to set a deposit limit or a time-out, or to be self-excluded. Describe your typical workday. I’m very happy to say I don’t really have a “typi- cal workday.” I have a lot of variety in my work, so no day is ever the same as the last one. I try to spend as little time as possible in meetings, but of course it is necessary to have them. Our team tries to make our meetings as efficient as possible, so we don’t spend two hours when one hour would be enough. I’d say I send out around 20 e-mails a day. I’m always avail- able on Skype for affiliates. Describe the office culture at Amsterdams Casino/Netgaming Solutions. If we were a fly on the wall, what are some of the topics of conversation we’d hear about at the water cooler? If I had to use one word to describe our office culture, it would be easygoing. We have a very relaxed atmosphere at our office and everyone gets along great. The non-work-related conversations would be about football, Formula 1 (at least, I talk about F1, the others not so much) and discussing who gets the next round of coffees. We do 10 card flips to decide who has to get them. Have you attended any gambling indus- try conferences? If so, what were your first impressions? I attended LAC, where we had a stand. I must say it was a great experience to meet a lot of affiliates. I feel it was good for us to be there and to show our brand. Next to that, the parties were awesome! What do you wish you could change about the industry? I don’t think I’ve been in the industry long enough to be able to say what should be changed. I think you would have to ask me this ques- tion again in about a year or so. Where do you think the industry will be in five years? I think, with more and more regulated markets, the industry will be more and more accepted in many coun- tries. The industry will need to adapt to the different ways these markets should be targeted. What works in the U.K. will not necessarily work in other markets . This is a challenge the industry has to take and we, as Amsterdams Casino, will of course try to understand and target these markets as best we can. If someone from out of town were to vis- it you, where is the one place you would have to take them? Since I only moved to Malta last year, I still feel a little bit like a tourist myself! But I would say, go where nobody else goes. Find the quiet but beau- We feel it’s important to be seen in the affiliate industry. We want to be there for all our affiliates and answer any questions they have as soon as possible. The GPWA helps us communicate with the affiliate community.” 65 Affiliate Manager Interview Series