Are quotas and minimum player terms bad for affiliates?
Ask any number of smaller casino and sports betting affiliates that question and you’re likely to get an earful. In a recent article on Gaming Affiliate Guide titled, Why Quotas & Minimum Player Terms are Bad for Affiliates, author John Wright asked that very question and got some very interesting answers.
Casino affiliates, for the most part, aren’t crazy about minimum player quotas because of how they impact the little guys. (The same little guys who’ve sent plenty of business to big-time operators.) Worse yet are retroactive minimums that are applied to existing players.
The Trouble with Mandatory Minimums
If you think these affiliates are just complaining because they can’t compete in a fair market, think again.
Wright’s article includes several quotes from affiliates who point some pretty legitimate reasons why keeping up mandatory minimums is tough. External forces, like the hospitalizations and, of course Google, can put the brakes on successful sites dragging conversions to a standstill.
Active player minimums are especially hard on sports betting affiliates who may see a huge chunk of their annual revenue come during one single season. This is especially true in the US where football betting eclipses everything else by long shot. Hanging on to active players during the off-season can be very tough for these guys but they get stung by minimums anyways.
Some affiliates Wright quotes in his story have a realistic view of minimums and only want an arrangement that’s fair. One anonymous affiliate suggests a middle ground where inactive players are up for grabs after a certain amount of time, but minimums are kept at a fairly low level.
The Future of Minimums
With operators consolidating and land-based casinos getting into online gambling, it seems likely that minimums and quotas aren’t going to go away any time soon. Bearing that in mind, casino affiliates need to exercise great caution when selecting affiliate partners.
We’d also suggest taking a very close look at the fine print on affiliate terms and conditions before you start promoting any operator. Stick with programs that have earned quality certifications from organizations like CAP and Affiliate Guard Dog and your chances of working with fair-minded programs increase considerably.
Are you looking for a one-stop shop where you can manage all your programs from one dashboard – with one point of contact? If you are, check out the new CAP Network. The CAP Network provides access to dozens of great programs, on-time payouts and plenty of exclusive offers and promotions, all from one, easy-to-use site.