GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 7 - January 2009

12 Rebecca’s Year in Review Take a month-by-month ride with the GPWA’s Rebecca Liggero as she crosses the globe and recaps all of the big iGaming events and parties she and her camera attended during 2008. 34 Inside the Mind of a Gambling Affiliate Steve Nickoloff explains how he got into the affiliate marketing business and how he has made it a permanent source of income. 38 Cover Story: Behind the Curtain at Paddy Power The Irish bookmaker has made a science out of pushing the envelope when it comes to marketing its brand and the result has made a lot of people laugh, even more people angry and the company a lot of money. 56 Affiliate Manager Interviews Get up-close and personal with seven affiliate managers who tell you how they got into the business, reveal their industry secrets and tell you things about themselves that nobody else knows. 70 Eight Mistakes Made by Poker Affiliates Renowned poker affiliate Jeremy Enke gives us the most common pitfalls that curb the growth of beginner entrepreneurs in the poker side of the business. 72 J. Todd’s Wall of Shame The outspoken APCW Executive Director unveils the inaugural class of his Online Gaming Wall of Shame, which is sure to include a name or two of some people who drew your ire in the past year. DEPARTMENTS 6 Webmaster News 8 By the Numbers 10 Cartoon Caption Contest 30 Event Calendar 48 GPWA Sponsors 52 GPWA Seal of Approval Program 54 From the Forums 69 Affiliate Guard Dog Hits & Misses GPWA Executive Director: Michael Corfman Marketing Director: Andrea Mullaney ProgramManager: Steven Corfman Program Coordinator: Teresa Adam SeniorAccountManager: Rebecca Liggero Account Manager: Eric Almquist GPWA Times Magazine Managing Editor: Vin Narayanan Senior Editor: Gary Trask Associate Editor: Dan Igo Copy Chief: Bill Riley Designer: George Choi Advertising To advertise in the GPWA Times, please e-mail: sales@gpwa.org Subscriptions To subscribe to the GPWA Times, simply register at gpwa.org and provide your mailing address. It’s FREE! ISSN 1941-9872 LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR W ell, here we go – off and run- ning in a brand-new year, with January already down to its last few days! This issue of the GPWA Times magazine, the seventh, will debut in London January 27th at the Inter- national Gaming Expo, which brings together the ICE and ICEi exhibitions under one new acronym – IGE. We’ll be attending, and we hope to see you there, too. Our cover story takes an entertaining look at the brilliant method behind the off-the-wall madness at Paddy Power. Their frequently controversial but always astute branding and marketing strategies have been responsible for their rapid expansion, in author Gary Trask’s words, “from street bookie to major player in the world of Internet gambling.” The Paddy Power story is a classic example of what can happen when you’re not afraid to take chances. We think you’ll enjoy the “2008 Year in Review” piece, especially because it’s not just any old end-of-the-year rehash, but Rebecca Liggero’s up-close and personal “social review” of her professional networking encounters with online gambling’s movers and shakers at some of the world’s most sophisticated business venues, includ- ing the hallowed halls of Amsterdam’s Casa del Rosa. We also have in this issue interviews with seven of the best affiliate manag- ers in the business and the longest af- filiate interview we’ve ever published. Finally, don’t miss the thought-pro- voking sample of GPWA forum posts. They convey the agonized concerns and raw emotions that so many of our friends and colleagues are currently experiencing as we all try to make sense of the worldwide economic turmoil and share strategies for coping with the uncertainty. One thing I can tell you for sure: Crises come and go, but the GPWA is here to stay, and is here for you. Sincerely, Michael A. Corfman GPWA Executive Director GPWA Times | Table of Contents