This year was my first time attending the International Gaming Exhibition (IGE) which took place from January 27th-28th and the London Affiliate Conference (LAC) which took place from January 29th-31st and it was quite the experience! Although I was lucky enough to have recently been in Budapest and Copenhagen for other conferences in September, the conferences in London were different and exciting experiences for me filled with meeting up with people that I had already spoken to at the last conferences and new faces that I hadn’t been able to meet with yet. It was also filled with several great moments for Income Access as a company which made me proud to be part of such a fantastic team!

IGE was a very large event which was filled with a wide variety of gaming operators, suppliers, vendors and software providers. Walking into Earls Court was like walking into a enormous maze…….albeit a very interesting one because it was filled with slot machines and dart games.

LAC is an event which is more focused on the affiliate marketing side of the iGaming business. It too was a very busy event with lots of familiar exhibitors like Victor Chandler and Ladbrokes. One of the most interesting features of the two days were the flash mobs who danced to the Jackson Five.

We (Income Access) exhibited at both conferences and this gave us a chance to catch up with everyone during the day like Cheryl from JenningsBet.com, Jason from Bingo.com, Roo and Andrew from Bingoport.co.uk, and Spencer from Freebetshere.com. And for those that we weren’t able to connect with at the conferences, we caught up with later on at the two awards ceremonies and several sponsored parties which happened later on in the evening.

Personally, one of the best parts of the conferences was being able to attend the 2010 iGB Affiliate Awards. I was never more proud to be working for Income Access then when it was announced that we had won 2 awards (Best Affiliate Network and Best Non-Traditional Gaming Affiliate Program) and that my colleague Louis Deering won Best Non-Traditional Gaming Affiliate Manager. I know that everyone from the IA team had such a blast at the awards ceremony and at our table which was filled with great company like Tom from Heaven Affiliates, Leanne from Centrebet, Tim from Gala Coral, Julian from Victor Chandler, and Jackpot.co.uk.

Thanks to everyone for such a great time!

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If you’re already a member of the GLC affiliate program, just keep up the hard work. If there’s anything you need to make your site promotions more effective don’t be shy, just email the GLC affiliate team and they’ll help you any way they can.

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As the IGB awards  slip away in the rearview mirror and the feeling of exhaustion slowly abates,  Income Access thought it would be a good idea to catch up with the winners from the various affiliate categories in order to see what makes them so successful. Over the next week, we will be showcasing exclusive interviews from the winners of the IGB affiliate awards.

2010 is going to be a ‘bonza’ (excuse my Australianism) year for sport, so who better to start off the interview bonanza  with than the winner of the Best Sportsbook Affiliate: BetBrain.com. We caught up with George Voyatzis from BetBrain shortly after he returned to his home base from London:

Income Access: How long have you been in affiliate marketing?

George: I have been in affiliate marketing for just under 3 years.

IA: What made you become an affiliate?

G: I did not want to become an affiliate per se; I have a passion for sports, betting and the internet and was therefore keen on being part of the iGaming industry.  I had limited knowledge of affiliate marketing prior to joining BetBrain.

IA: What is one of the biggest challenges that affiliates face today?

G: With the ever expanding online space, affiliates need to maintain focus on providing a good service for their site visitors, or risk losing them to competitors.  You need to maximize your site’s capability and convert traffic that is relevant to operators.  An affiliate’s site traffic is its livelihood, and keeping a steady loyalty amongst existing users, as well as constantly attracting new users, is very challenging.

IA: What is the most satisfying aspect of being an affiliate?

G: Being able to deal with a myriad of people and operators on a regular basis and working closely to make these partnerships profitable.

George, second from left, accepts the award as the Best Sportsbook Affiliate 2010

IA: What words of wisdom would you share with an affiliate just starting out?

G: Find your niche and focus on that.  Speak to as many people as possible and learn from their experiences.

IA: What is one thing that you see a lot of other affiliates doing, that you simply won’t do?

G: Working on a CPA basis only, because at BetBrain we view our commercial contracts with operators as long-term partnerships.  At BetBrain, revenue generated in the long term is a very significant part of our business.  We promote our partners not only to a multitude of new punters, but also to existing account holders, and provide information that reactivates these accounts.

IA: Was there one deciding factor that brought you to partner with Income Access, or a myriad of things?

G: I have dealt with Income Access on both the affiliate software side and their affiliate management with a number of operators.  I find that compared to other systems, the Income Access software provides an affiliate with the most relevant data, in a system that is easy to navigate.  I find all the Income Access personnel both courteous and knowledgeable and most importantly I enjoy working with them.

IA: In terms of software, what is most important to you/your business?

G: A system that is relatively easy to navigate, provides as much information as possible, and that is secure and stable.

IA: What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about being an affiliate?

G: That is costs very little money to run a good affiliate site.  In order to run a successful affiliate site you need to constantly invest money in improving the site and traffic.  BetBrain employs well over 50 people and we have considerable development, staff and hardware costs.

IA: 2010 is shaping up to be a massive year in sport; do you have any advice for Sportsbook affiliates and merchants to avoid being lost in the crowd?

G: Both affiliates and operators of course need to be prepared for the abundance of sporting events in 2010 and keeping users updated on these events is important.  Making sure your creatives and promotions are relevant to these events is a necessity.  Making sure that you are not running out-of-date Cheltenham Festival banners and promotions during the Champions league final is important!  I have personally been looking forward to the action packed sporting calendar in 2010, and BetBrain have some nice plans for the year.

IA: With the FIFA World Cup coming up, do you have any predictions?

G: I do want Greece to win, but Spain has a great squad and will be the team to beat.  I would also not be surprised to see an African team like Ghana or the Ivory Coast do very well. 

There we have it folks, straight from the horse’s mouth. If you want to contact George feel free to email him at gv@betbrain.com. We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed putting it together! Keep watching this space for more interviews from other great affiliates.

Until next time, keep safe.

Alright, I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong.

I will pay up on my lost bet – a caramel mocha cappucino or something to that effect – but I won’t like it.

Peyton let me down. Matt Stover let me down. The Colts’ offense let me down. ME PERSONALLY.

Going 31-45 with an interception just isn’t good enough when Drew Brees (32-39) is hitting every man on the field.

Surprisingly, the Colt’s rushing game was more effective that that of the Saints, but it didn’t matter when it came down to that one play. Tracy Porter will haunt my dreams for about a week.

Now I did get something right, and as an affiliate, if you saw things my way and gave your players some tips for the game, the defense DID factor into the scoring (small victories do count).

I also predicted a field goal would be the first scoring play…albeit I chose the wrong team…minor details.

Anyways, looking forward, there are some exciting events that are sure to attract a lot of punters.

The Carling Cup will be displaying some top teams in Manchester United and Aston Villa. Yes, Man U is favored in this one, but the underdog has some value because of the odds involved – and you never know what can happen in these kinds of matches. betinternet.com’s sportsbook is a great place to have your punters place their wagers. Check it out and include some content about your predictions and the value in underdogs and you will be sure to attract some additional punters.

Great British Pounds Tables are now available at Ladbrokes Poker and to celebrate this launch Ladbrokes is offering DOUBLE POINTS to everyone who plays this weekend, February 6th and 7th! Great British Pound Tables are exclusive to Ladbrokes Poker Players only and a fantastic chance to meet your fellow Ladbrokes blokes. Look for table tables like Yorkshire Pudding, Bulldog, Charing Cross and Bubble and Squeak in the Ladbrokes lobby! Login to your affiliate account and grab the Ladbrokes Great British Pounds Double Points Weekend text link!

In an earlier blog post, I addressed the interesting topic of the growing popularity of live online casinos and why affiliates benefit from the close relationship players feel with live casinos. After personally checking out the roulette game at CasinoTV, I started thinking about why one of the biggest draws to these casinos is live dealer roulette.

The roulette wheel has always been one of the most recognized symbols of casino gambling — think of your favorite casino movie… was there always a roulette wheel front and center or in the background?  Yup! I’m willing to bet there was.

Not only is roulette a cornerstone in the world of casinos, it’s diverse enough to appeal to almost everyone. Conservative players have fun making the pick between odd or even, black or red, while adventurous players are enticed by the long-shot possibility of picking the right number.  In roulette there’s a bet for every personality and it can be a non-intimidating way get your feet wet gaming online.

I was also surprised and excited to see how easy it is to get caught up in the action as live dealer roulette unfolds before your very eyes. As opposed to roulette games controlled by RNG’s, the live video feed means there’s no question about the legitimacy of the results – affiliates can be reassured that their players will relax and play more knowing the casino is treating them fairly.

CasinoTV specializes in live dealer roulette and players who visit the site will find attractive, professional croupiers to interact with through video and live chat. All this from a state-of-the-art studio that makes players feel as though they are a part of the action.

The excitement players feel from placing bets in a live dealer setting is great news for affiliates. Happy players are repeat players, and their loyalty to an engaging casino means higher commissions for rev. share affiliates!

CasinoTV currently offers its affiliates 35% commission based on rev. share, and has an amazing selection of high quality banners that are sure to convert well on affiliate sites.

Need more information?? Contact the CasinoTV affiliate team – they’d be happy to answer your questions and help you get started! Or, visit http://affiliates1.lgtltd.com to sign-up now.

Sunday afternoon football will come to an exciting climax this weekend with Superbowl XLIV… and my prediction is that the Colts will walk away with their second Superbowl victory since 2007.

Both the Saints and the Colts managed to build upon their regular season success and league leading records – 13-3 and 14-2 respectively – to meet in what will sure to be a great game of conference champs.

This will be a serious battle of strengths. Peyton Manning, essentially one of the best quarterbacks of all time, will be matched up against Drew Brees, an all-star in his own right.

Let’s breakdown some of the key aspects of this game, and I’ll show you why the Colts are destined to hoist the trophy.

1. The Colts have a better defense, and defense wins games.
The colts finished last in the league in rushing, but their solid defense ranks them higher than the Saints during the 2009 regular season in yards allowed per game, passing yards allowed per game and points allowed per game. And yes, Dwight Freeney may not be able to play in the Super Bowl due to a torn ligament suffered in the AFC Championship game but it shouldn’t make too significant of an impact on the outcome. The Saints did beat the Colts in rushing yards allowed per game, but that just won’t be enough to win this one.

2. The Colts have a better offensive line and “it all starts up front”.
Yes, the Saints offensive-line was proclaimed as the “Most Valuable Protectors” in the league this year by John Madden, but it was the Colts o-line that allowed the fewest sacks (10) during the regular season.

3. Manning is simply better than Brees.
As good as Drew Brees has been this year, you can never overlook the clutch performance that Peyton Manning can deliver. The experience of Manning will certainly help keep the Colts offense steady and productive, and the inexperience of Brees will be the downfall of Saints.

Looking at some great sportsbooks like Luxbet and betinternet, there is a variety of interesting outcomes and specials to bet on.

I personally favor the “First Scoring Play” outcomes that betinternet is offering. I see the Saints taking an early lead in this one by kicking a field goal.

Luxbet has a “Defensive or Special Teams Touchdown” outcome that I also like. Both teams have strong defensive units, and I can definitely see them factoring into the scoring.

For affiliates, these special outcomes are great content and fodder for pre-game discussions. By generating some activity around these great specials, you can be sure to attract some players looking to cash-in on this exciting matchup!

Fearless Prediction: Colts 24 – Saints 20

It’s a commonly heard story.  Built a website to sell a product, and somewhere along the way, thought, why not add a banner or two?  That’s exactly what happened to Viktoria in 2006.  Since then, she has developed www.theflop.net into a poker affiliate website offering some of the best bonuses, tournament listings, reviews, strategic advice and poker information.

We sat down with Viktoria to ask her to tell us a bit more about how she got started in the iGaming biz.  Here’s a quick glance of what brought Viktoria to affiliate marketing, and what matters most to her now that we’ve hit 2010.

Income Access: How long have you been in affiliate marketing?
Viktoria: Since 2006.

IA: What made you become an affiliate?
V: I translated a poker book into Hungarian and put up a small website with my life and business partner, Elliott, to sell the book on www.theflop.net. Elliott is a software engineer and built big websites before. Then we thought, why not put some poker room banners on it?

IA: What did you do before becoming an affiliate?
V: I used to be a broadcast journalist (radio) at the BBC.

IA: Tell me about the affiliate program(s) you are promoting.
V: We prefer to work with well-known brands that spend on other marketing channels as well (TV, magazine, etc.). We find that they have better conversions. We also rely on other affiliates’ opinions about which programs to work with.

IA: What is one of the biggest challenges that affiliates face today?
V: I think it has to do with keeping your momentum, and continuing to grow.

IA: What is the most satisfying aspect of being an affiliate?
V: That I am my own boss and I can take a holiday whenever I feel like it J

IA: What words of wisdom would you share with an affiliate just starting out?
V: I think it is very important to get to know the business before investing any work or money. It is getting very competitive and you can’t succeed without knowing what your edge is going to be.

IA: In terms of affiliate software, what is most important to you/your business?
V: Detailed reports are the most important for us, but ease of use comes in as a close second.

IA: What are some trends that you think will affect you/your business come 2010?
V: We just started some new sites targeting the English language market (we only focused on the Hungarian market before) including a new casino site at www.gimmecasinobonus.com. We have high hopes for the new sites.

IA: Have you integrated any new marketing techniques into your promotion strategy this year? Which ones? Have they been effective?
V: We launched a Hungarian and an English social networking site (www.pokerbarat.hu and www.mypokermates.com). The Hungarian site became highly successful; the English one has just launched but we hope it will follow suit.

IA: Before joining an operator’s affiliate program, what do you want to know to help you make your decision?
V: Reputation is paramount, as is having an established affiliate program.  It is important for us that they give a lot to the players, as well as to the affiliates.

IA: What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about being an affiliate?
V: A lot of people think that all affiliates make tons of money without much work. This is simply not true. First of all, not all of us make tons of money.  Second, even affiliates who do earn a lot of money, have to work very hard for it.

Check out Viktoria’s www.theflop.net website to get the full scoop on poker.  You’ll find her recommendations for Best Online Poker Rooms, poker promotions, an interactive blog area, tips from poker pros—and so much more!

If the Internet is a giant mall, (yes, it’s a lot more than that, but for argument’s sake let’s say it is) and there are millions upon millions of stores competing with each other, how are you going to get the message out to your customers about why they should be purchasing your products? And how are you going to establish that you are the most trustworthy option, the one with not only the best product, but the best service and knowledge about the industry you’re involved in? How are you going to get them to buy from you?

One of the most important aspects of having an online business these days is social media. Participating in venues such as forums, blogs, Facebook and Twitter has real value, and remains relatively untapped by iGaming operators and affiliates alike.

The way that I consider social media is as a communication vehicle. It’s a potential for dialogue, a feedback loop—an eliciting of conversation. It’s an opportunity for you to develop your personality and your brand, and it can also be used as an incredible recruitment tool both for operators (seeking affiliates) and for affiliates (seeking players). And perhaps most importantly, it remains a viable way of building and sustaining long-term relationships that add value to your business.

Like the business owner that is a member of a community association and makes sure to attend all of the association’s events or the politician who is out at the supermarket talking to his constituents throughout the week, the iGaming operator and affiliate needs to find their place in the online community. Now, more than ever, this is vital to a brand’s recognition, and in many cases, to the way your potential customers may feel about your company.

The biggest part of this process is to establish your presence in these communities, not as a business, but as an individual. Even if you are representing a business, the fact that you are a person, not an entity, will lead to easier integration into the community and help you to form stronger bonds with the members within. Don’t be afraid to be a representative of a business, but make sure to be yourself, not the business.

Becoming a member of communities where discussions take place regarding products and services that you are involved in opens the door to allow you to reach potential customers. The point is not to sell your products, but to be an expert presence. You can then from time to time, talk about how your product may be a solution someone is looking for.

There are just so many advantages to using social media. It’s a great way to create and develop relationships with customers who, because they have a relationship with you, are now more likely to remain your customer. You get such a great opportunity to increase your brand awareness and develop your personality in these spaces that we highly recommend these strategies to operators and their affiliates.

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