GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 8 - April 2009

Table of Contents GPWA Executive Director: Michael Corfman Marketing Director: Andrea Mullaney ProgramManager: Steven Corfman Program Coordinator: Nancy Troy 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 N ext stop, Amsterdam! This issue of the GPWA Times magazine, number eight, will launch March 30-31 at CAC Amsterdam. As I write, I’m hoping you’ve already registered to attend, because if you’re reading this and you’re not in Amsterdam, it means the events are over and you didn’t come! In this issue’s cover story, Gary Trask gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the latest developments in 3D gaming, which isn’t just for poker anymore. He shows how LeCroupier and Buzzluck are applying the PKR formula to the rest of the casino. Lifelike graphics and astute marketing are attracting more and more players to try something dramatically different. We also continue our popular interview series, this time with four affiliates and three affiliate managers. And be sure to see Nicky Senyard’s discussion on the pros and cons of AdWords, Connie Burstin’s thoughts on the competitive value of cross- culture operations, and Jeremy Enke’s observations on how poker affiliates can benefit from blogging. And you’ll definitely want to take a look at a recent Income Access affiliate marketing survey, comments from attendees at the GPWA January conference in Las Vegas, and Joseph Kelly’s article examining the UIGEA’s exemption from U.S. federal prosecution for fantasy sports. In addition, our “Departments” sections are chock-full of news, gossip, facts, and figures — and the latest installment of our cartoon caption contest; enter to win! Before signing off, I want to tell everyone how delighted I was to see in this issue that Rebecca Liggero has included me among her “favorite affiliate friends.” While it’s true that I meet her basic requirements (I take lots of pictures and I’m an internationally notorious party animal), it was especially gratifying to read what she had to say about the bash at my place last summer: “It was rockin’!” Rebecca has done some great work for this publication, but in my opinion this piece is her finest effort yet. Sincerely, Michael A. Corfman GPWA Executive Director GPWA Times | 12 Rebecca’s Favorite Affiliate Friends They may be famous or infamous.You may hate them or love them. But if they’ve got cameras and can party all night, chances are you’ll find them in the ranks of Rebecca Liggero’s friends for life. 30 Cover Story: 3D Casinos — Online Gaming’s Nifty New Deal Gary Trask takes us behind the front lines at Buzzluck, PKR, and LeCroupier, where designers and marketers are banking on a 3D online casino revolution. 44 Affiliate Interview Series Chalkie, casinoranking, robertmedl, and shaz let us into their lives as affiliates, telling us how they got there, where they came from, and — in one case at least —what the future has in store. 58 Affiliate Manager Interviews Three seasoned industry pros share their perspective and open their hearts in wide-ranging, revealing interviews. 64 The Benefits of Blogging for Poker Affiliates Having a blog associated with your site can be very beneficial to your overall business. Jeremy Enke explains how blogging has gone mainstream in the poker affiliate market. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: 22 Income Access Survey results 24 GPWA Conference in Las Vegas 26 Expanding your reach internationally 40 Affiliate Guard Dog on choosing affiliate programs 66 J.Todd’s Wall of Shame 68 PPC strategies for affiliates 70 A legal opinion on fantasy sports 72 Is the UIGEA here to stay? DEPARTMENTS 6 Webmaster News 8 By the Numbers 10 Cartoon Caption Contest 18 Event Calendar 20 From the Forums 52 GPWA Sponsors 56 GPWA Seal of Approval Program