Why iGaming Affiliate Marketing May Not Be For You

The first time you hear about casino affiliate marketing it actually sounds like easy money. Just send people to online casinos and sportsbooks and collect a cut of their losses forever.
That’s all there is to it, right?
Wrong.
Affiliate marketing is a complicated, time consuming endeavor that doesn’t come with a guarantee that hard work will actually pay off in hard currency. Combine that with some market conditions that aren’t necessarily favorable to the little guy, and you might wind up considering another business all together.
If you’re considering taking a run at the affiliate game, here are a few thoughts that might change your mind.
Affiliate Marketing is Not a Get-Rich-Quick Scheme
Getting started in casino affiliate marketing isn’t easy because it can be months before you ever see your first player. While you’re waiting for that first player to convert, you’ll need to be utilizing social media tools, SEO tricks and anything else you can find.
If you want get-rich-quick; casino affiliate marketing isn’t the way to go.
The Window Has Closed
Spend some time on the CAP forums and you’ll get a sense that the casino affiliate marketing business’ best days are in the rear view mirror.
That’s because once the US market was frozen out; a greater number of affiliates have been competing for a smaller number of gamblers.
While this business is still a viable way to make some extra bucks, today’s affiliates have to work a lot harder than they once did to earn the same amount they used to earn…or less.
It’s Not Exactly Steady Income

If you’re looking for a steady income, you’re probably better off staying in the safe confines of the corporate world. While affiliate marketing can definitely offer up some big pay days, there’s going to be plenty of down periods in between them.
Also, almost every segment of the igaming world has seasonal highs and lows that can seriously impact your business.
For example, you might think that turning your love the NFL into a sports betting affiliate site is great way to make some extra cash. That’s great from August to February. Now what are you going to do for the rest of the year?
You Won’t Have Much Control Over Your Players
Online gamblers can be finicky bunch. That big player you just landed could play big for a few weeks and then disappear forever. Maybe he ran out of cash? Or maybe he was hit by a bus while running home to place a huge wager? You’ll never know.
It Can All Just Go Away
On April 15, 2011 (aka, Black Friday) the American-facing online poker industry disappeared off the face of the earth, leaving plenty of affiliates struggling to pay their bills.
Every couple of months we (sadly) report on affiliate programs that have gone, rogue, by retroactively changing their terms and conditions to freeze affiliate partners out of hard earned revenue.
Are you spotting the trend here?
iGaming affiliates are subject to a number of outside forces that can shut off their revenue streams in a heartbeat. In short, you should probably be aware of the fact that the word, “guaranteed,” isn’t used a lot in the affiliate marketing world – and you should plan your finances accordingly.
Finally
Casino affiliate marketing is a great business to get into, if you know what you’re really getting into. If you’re willing to wordk hard, and slug it out through months and months of disappointment and slow revenues, casino affiliate marketing isn’t such a bad deal.