GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 39 - November 2017

SARA KLIMPER | Lapalingo Affiliates You joined Lapalingo as head of affili- ation in July. What have been some of your biggest challenges so far? As a new starter in the company, the challenge is to get up to date with the internal systems and processes and at the same time be there for our affiliates. At the moment, I am setting up an office inMalta and am involved in the recruitment process, whichmakes my day very diverse and anything but monotonous. Previously, you’ve worked with NetEnt and Microgaming as an account man- ager. How does working with a provider compare to working with an affiliate pro- gram? Both roles involve working closely with people, establishing andmaintaining partnerships. Another important factor in both roles is to help partners to drive their and our business’ profitability. The daily tasks differ, but in the end it comes down to the same goal: to grow the business. Have you ever been an affiliate your- self? No, I have never been an affiliate myself, but I know a few people who happily took the jump into another side of the business. What do you hope to accomplish during your time as head of affiliation at Lapa- lingo? By the end of this year, I would like to build up Lapalingo’s brand awareness in the market, achieve more visibility for our stakeholders and motivate everyone to become a part of the Lapalingo jour- ney. In the long run, my goal is to make Lapalingo into one of the most trusted and most played online casinos in the industry. You’ve had a variety of positions outside the gambling industry. How did you be- come involvedwith the gambling industry initially? I have a degree inmedia manage- ment, and during my studies I worked for RTL/Walt Disney. I thought the TV sector was the future of the media, and this sec- tor intrigued me for many years, until after my studies when I relocated to Sydney and got into iGaming. My friend asked me to accompany her to an interview for a CS role at Casino Rewards /Microgaming, and somehow I was also offered a role then. That was my step into this industry. And now, six years later, I am still enjoying the vibrant, fast-paced industry and working closely with these talented people. Lapalingo focuses on “bettertainment.” Can you explain what that means for players? How does it improve the user experience? Lapalingo stands for secure and exciting entertainment. We offer a wide range of secure, high-tech and pop- ular games on the market. Our players can easily access our content from any device. Our German precision combined with ad- vanced technology offers an innovative and user-friendly gaming experience. In addition to the games selection, we provide our own games created in-house, which incorporate exquisite graphics, HD and 3-D technologies, unique motifs, and ex- pert-devised gaming mechanisms that are subject to strict control. Moreover, we hold an MGA license, which is an indicator to our players that we are regulated to Euro- pean standards. Hence, Lapalingo offers an entirely new dimension of innovative online entertainment. What markets does Lapalingo primar- ily target? Our main markets are the DACH (German-speaking countries) and Scandinavian markets. Lapalingo constantly strives for more and better entertainment for our customers, so we are adding more content. For example, recently we launched Endorphina games, which were a success, and by end of this year we are looking to enter into a few other markets. Lapalingo affiliates can earn revenue share of 10-40% based on monthly players referred. Why did Lapalingo decide on this commission model? This is a starting commission model for our affiliates, but we make the effort to negotiate with our affiliates to develop a tailored model suiting each and every one, depending on their situation, such as traffic volume and quality. Usual- ly, affiliates contact me for a change to their commission model. Each affiliate is unique and different and deserves a different approach, and I enjoy being able to cater to that with Lapalingo’s agile structure. Lapalingo focuses on slot machines and live dealers. Are there any plans to get into other verticals? Lapalingo has been around for a very short period of time, and we want to take small steps and get every step right before jumping into a new project. But in the near future, AFFILIATE MANAGER INTERVIEW SERIES Each affiliate is unique and different and deserves a different approach, and I enjoy being able to cater to that with Lapalingo’s agile structure. W W W . G P W A T I M E S . O R G 68