Is right now the worst time of year to be running a casino affiliate marketing business? If the chorus of postings and a recent poll from the CAP forums are any indication, the middle of summer is the worst of all.
The challenge for gambling affiliates, no matter what side of the business they’re in, is figuring out how to keep bringing in that revenue stream, no matter what time of year it is.
When Is the Slow Season?
According to responses on a recent CAP Forum thread on the subject summer is definitely the slow time for casino affiliates. A little more than 70% of respondents identified June, July and August as the slowest times for their casino affiliate programs. Regular CAP poster AllFreeChips summed up the sentiment of most posters as follows:
Summer is the worst, this month is slow, lots of new depositors but no big $$
He’s definitely in the majority, but a few posters were seeing a little more summertime action this year thanks to special events like Euro 2012 and the upcoming London Summer Olympics. Here’s what a poster called LowRisk had to say:
I have to say, June hasn’t exactly been fantastic for me. Had a few decent sized bets from some players for today’s final of Euro 2012, although I guess strictly speaking, that’s actually July.
Another CAP reader, identified as Belgamo, has actually been having really good luck this summer:
Typically all summer months suck. But this June is amazing so far! Even with the big hit from Penquin. Go fiqure!
There’s a good chance that he may be benefiting from Penguin-struck competitors.
Want to know more about season market shifts? Check out Seasonal Effects on Casino Conversions.
When Does it Pick Up?
The good news is that the worst of the summer doldrums are just about done.
Here’s what gaming affiliates have to look forward to:
- NFL and NCAA football are just getting ready to heat up in the United States. Most NFL teams report to training camp in the next week or two and, believe it or not, the first NFL preseason game is on August 4 (Arizona at New Orleans).
- Poker affiliates may seen an autumn bump from an influx of US players. Intrastate gaming in New Jersey could be completely ready to go by then. (What role, if any, affiliate partner will play in this market is yet to be determined.)
- If you’re looking for a dark horse, the odds on New Jersey sports betting are looking pretty long. Governor Chris Christie says the Garden State will have legal sports wagering in November no matter what the Feds say.
What to Do Until Then
So what should casino affiliates be doing while they’re waiting for business to pick back up? Why not work on long range marketing plans or build new revenue streams with Forex and binary options sites?
The summer calm may seem nerve-wracking and long, but it will be over before you know what happened.
How do you deal with the slow season? Share your thoughts on our Slowest Time of Year thread.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in July 2013 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.