GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 44 - July 2019

This issue, we’re interviewing only two webmasters—but we assure you, they are very special webmasters indeed. Quality over quantity, as they say. First, we check back in with a webmaster who has quite literally come back from the brink of death in the time since we last talked to him in 2008. Then, we get to know a newcomer to the industry, one who has moved countries and launched two businesses just since 2016. Though their stories are very different, they exemplify the best traits of the best affiliates in the industry— like tenacity, creativity and the willingness to take risks. GPWA AFFILIATE INTERVIEW SERIES This tenacious affiliate and is ready to launch an ambitious newproject fromthe edge has come back Cedric Amadei - Maxfalcon When we last talked to you in 2008, more than 10 years ago, you men- tioned you’d found the GPWA in 2002, now 17 years ago. When you first joined the industry, what did you think you’d be doing 17 years later? That’s an interesting question: I had no idea at all! Online gambling was such a new experience to me. Even if I weren’t a newbie at creating websites, everything was new and shiny, and the industry was still in its infancy. I knew from nearly day one that there was a lot of potential, and that entering this market would be something that would change my life, but I certainly had not yet witnessed the magnitude of the experience that was awaiting me. I for sure was not expecting to have such results withmy sites! And now that some affiliate media companies from this sector have been listed on stock exchanges, and I still have ties there, it’s just amazing. How do you feel about where you are now compared to where you thought you’d be? I feel very proud of me, espe- cially considering what kinds of events life has cornered me to face! I’m very happy to have faced lots of challenges, learned so much about online marketing and online gambling, and to have some recognition for my work. Also to have been in contact with, known and learned from some of the exceptional and inspiring individuals we have here in this industry. There are still lots of goals and projects to pursue, and even if now I can find satisfaction in my work (which was not always the case in the past), I like to step out of my comfort zone. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry since we last talk- ed to you? How have they impacted your business? In the past, the UIGEA was the event that changed everything in the industry. Suddenly the U.S. market had gone down, and lots of companies were ei- ther closing down or merging in an effort to survive. This completely changed the land- Intro image by pedrosala/Shutterstock G P W A t i m e s . o r g 50