Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where businesses partner with third-party affiliates who promote their products or services in exchange for commissions.

Think of it as having an army of independent sales representatives working around the clock, each with their own audience, expertise, and marketing approach — but you only pay them when they deliver results.

💡 In the iGaming world, affiliate marketing isn’t just another channel — it’s often the primary driver of customer acquisition.

While traditional advertising requires upfront investment with uncertain returns, affiliate marketing flips the script: you pay only for actual players who register, deposit, and play. This performance-based model has made affiliate marketing the backbone of the iGaming industry’s growth.

Here’s what makes affiliate marketing so powerful: it leverages trust.

When a respected sports blogger recommends a betting site or a casino reviewer highlights a new slot game, their audience listens. That endorsement carries weight that traditional banner ads simply can’t match.

Why affiliate marketing dominates iGaming

The numbers tell the story. In mature iGaming markets, affiliate marketing typically accounts for 30-70% of new player acquisitions. But it’s not just about volume — it’s about quality and cost-effectiveness:

• Reduced risk: You pay for results, not impressions or clicks that may never convert.
• Authentic reach: Affiliates have built-in trust with their audiences, leading to higher conversion rates.
• Diverse traffic sources: From comparison sites to social media influencers, affiliates offer access to audiences you might never reach directly.
• Scalability: As your affiliate network grows, so does your reach — without proportional increases in management overhead.

📚 For insight: How do iGaming affiliates use Blask?

Types of affiliate marketing that drive results

Content affiliates

These are the information powerhouses — review sites, comparison platforms, and educational resources. Content affiliates build trust through detailed reviews, game guides, and industry insights. They typically target players in the research phase, making them incredibly valuable for converting high-intent traffic.

💡 Example traffic source: A comprehensive review of the “Best Online Casinos in Brazil” that ranks operators based on bonuses, game selection, and user experience.

Media buyers

These affiliates specialize in paid advertising — Google Ads, Facebook campaigns, and programmatic display.

They excel at targeting specific demographics and interests, often working with substantial budgets to acquire players at scale.

Influencer affiliates

From Twitch streamers to YouTube personalities, influencer affiliates leverage their personal brand and audience engagement. Their authentic endorsements can drive massive traffic spikes, especially during live streams or viral content moments.

Deal and coupon sites

These platforms focus on attracting price-sensitive players through exclusive bonuses and promotional offers. While the customer lifetime value might be lower, the volume can be substantial.

📚 For more on different affiliate strategies, see What is an affiliate program?

How Blask transforms affiliate marketing intelligence

Understanding which affiliates drive the best results requires sophisticated analytics. This is where Blask’s platform becomes a game-changer for both operators and affiliates.

For operators: identifying winning partnerships

Blask’s analytics help operators answer critical questions that drive strategic decision-making:

• Which affiliate campaigns are driving the highest Acquisition Power Score (APS)? — Track which partnerships convert market presence into actual new customers most effectively.
• How do different affiliate channels impact overall Blask Index performance? — Monitor real-time market share fluctuations driven by specific affiliate activities.
• What’s the real Competitive Earning Baseline (CEB) from affiliate-driven traffic? — Understand the true revenue potential from each affiliate partnership.

For affiliates: spotting market opportunities

By monitoring market dynamics through Blask Index, affiliates can:

• Identify underserved markets — Spot regions or demographics where competition is lower but interest is growing
• Pivot quickly to capitalize on growing opportunities — Real-time data reveals which brands are gaining momentum before they become saturated
• Time campaigns for maximum impact — Track market interest patterns to launch promotions when player attention peaks

📚 See How to explore iGaming market dynamics and brand insights with Blask’s Market Overview page.

The commission structure game-changer

Not all commissions are created equal. The structure you choose can make or break your affiliate program:

• Revenue share — The most common model in iGaming, typically ranging from 20-50% of net gaming revenue. Revenue share aligns affiliate interests with long-term player value, encouraging quality over quantity.
  
• Cost per acquisition (CPA) — A fixed fee for each qualifying player, usually ranging from $50-$500 depending on the market and player quality requirements. CPA offers predictable costs but may not reflect true player value.
  
• Hybrid models — Combining elements of both, such as a lower revenue share plus an upfront CPA bonus. This approach can attract affiliates who want immediate returns while maintaining long-term alignment.

📚 For more on commission structures, see What is an affiliate commission tier?

The dark side of affiliate marketing (and how to avoid it)

Despite its advantages, affiliate marketing comes with challenges that can derail even the best programs:

Quality vs. quantity dilemma

Some affiliates focus purely on volume, sending low-quality traffic that converts poorly and churns quickly. This dilutes your player base and inflates acquisition costs.

Brand safety risks

Affiliates promoting your brand might use questionable tactics, potentially damaging your reputation or violating advertising guidelines.

Attribution complexity

With multiple touchpoints in the player journey, accurately crediting conversions becomes challenging, especially when affiliates use techniques like deeplinks and split testing.

📚 For more on testing strategies, see What is affiliate split testing?

Case study: Makeberry

A growing iGaming operator in Brazil was struggling to compete with larger, well-known brands. Despite offering competitive bonuses and a polished product, their paid advertising campaigns yielded low ROI, and customer acquisition costs were unsustainable.

The breakthrough came when they adopted Blask.

Using Blask Customer Profile, they pinpointed the most valuable segments in the Brazilian market and matched them with affiliate partners who already had access to those audiences. Blask Index helped them track which affiliate sources were delivering genuine market share growth — not just empty clicks or low-LTV registrations. Meanwhile, the Competitive Earning Baseline (CEB) allowed them to benchmark performance and fine-tune commission structures for both scale and profitability.

The results were transformational:

• Affiliate marketing jumped from 15% to 65% of total player acquisition.
• Players acquired through affiliates showed 40% higher lifetime value than those acquired via traditional advertising.
• The operator reduced CPA while improving overall profitability, becoming a serious competitor in the region within just six months.

🚀 Affiliate marketing isn’t about volume — it’s about alignment. When you match affiliate reach with real player intent and optimize using precise market data, affiliate programs shift from being cost centers to growth engines.

Conclusion and next steps

Affiliate marketing isn’t just a marketing channel — it’s a strategic advantage that can accelerate growth, reduce risk, and build sustainable revenue streams.

However, success requires more than just setting up a program and hoping for the best. It demands sophisticated analytics, strategic partnerships, and continuous optimization.

The brands that win in affiliate marketing are those that treat affiliates as true partners, provide them with the tools and insights they need to succeed, and use data to continuously improve performance.

When done right, affiliate marketing becomes a compounding growth engine that scales with your business.