GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 41 - July 2018

sector, with a global presence and a brand synonymous with excellent customer service. If you could change anything about the industry, what would it be? The industry needs to start defending its image – the public perception doesn’t reflect the facts. By and large the industry is well-run, fair and open. The media and a small group of anti-gambling lobbyists, often with no knowledge of the industry, shouldn’t be able to force their opinions without a balanced counter-argument. There are many businesses that support grassroots and charitable initiatives, and they are also providing job creation, which supports young people graduating to enter the market and learn new digital skills. What’s the office culture like at Mintbet? We have a fantastic team spirit where we all help each other, are deter- mined to succeed and are always learning. I’ve had the privilege to build an incredible team who are living the Mintbet brand and are dedicated to the customers that we service and support. If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go? I love skiing and have always wanted to go to As- pen, Colorado. What was the last book you read? The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. What’s your favorite movie? Once Upon a Time in Amer- ica , a true masterpiece by Sergio Leone. If you could have dinner with three people, living or dead, who would they be? Del Boy, Rodney and Trig- ger. “This time next year, Rodney . . .” Name one thing that people reading this magazine don’t know about you. I went to the same school as the golfer Graeme Mc Dowell and actor James Nesbitt. rush that, but you can make sure you are doing all the right things from the start. The marketing cost associated with capturing market share can be exhaustive if not strategized properly. We believe affiliates can help us get our brand out there and remain cost-effective for our business. Competing with the more established sites can be difficult, so we must use our agility to move quicker and offer more value than our rivals when we can. In six short months since going live, we’ve already seen the benefits of having more affiliate relationships within our business, and we will continue to invest in them. How did you decide on the commission model of 45% in revenue share in the first month, with negative car- ryover for sportsbook, but not on casino? We researched the market and the competitive landscape to understand how our products could run commercially alongside the needs of affiliates. We needed to understand how we could afford to work cost-efficiently with affiliates, provide good value and enable them to take a chance on our new brand, but also ensure our profitability alongside that. This is where we felt we could marry the best of both worlds to enable value and provide engaging converting offers to customers alongside. How does Mintbet work to retain players sent by affiliates? We offer one of the best ongoing loyalty sports promotions on the market, offering free bets for life, and we have a number of new promotions that are seasonal, such as our Head or Less and World Cup promotions. These are always innovative and often unique to Mintbet. Our casino welcome bonus is among the best on the market for new players, and we are adding new casino promotions regularly, like Magic Mondays and Wacky Wednesdays as well as Ladies’ Nights. What would be your advice to an affiliate just getting started in the business? Affiliates should do their research, and work with brands that are clear about how they work and who they are as a brand. Relationships are key in this business, so partnering with operators you can trust is so important. Also responsiveness – you want to be working with a brand that won’t waste your time and will help you get the administrative support you need to support your affiliate business growth. Do you gamble yourself? I have been known to occasion- ally have a punt on the dogs, and I have recently purchased a couple of greyhounds and am looking forward to watching them develop. Where do you think the industry will be in the next five years? I think the industry is going from strength to strength. Technology will continue to improve the user experience and provide detailed insights on acquisition trends. There will be further mergers and acquisitions, creating bigger and stron- ger brands; however, there is always room for new entrants offering a unique or innovative product and service. I firmly believe that Mintbet will be a leading player in the iGaming That we are a new brand is great for affiliates , as we are new to their customer base and convert well because we know how to provide experienced and informed customer service and provide great loyalty benefits . 71 W W W . G P W A T I M E S . O R G