The online casino industry is worth billions of dollars and is becoming more and more popular. You’ve probably already heard about affiliate marketing and how lucrative it can be. If you’re ready to make serious money marketing online casinos and other gambling sites, this guide is for you. If you’re up for a little hard work and facing some competition, you can make a decent living on marketing gambling sites and casinos.
How Casino Affiliate Programs Work
An affiliate program is basically referring people to the casino. This isn’t unique to casinos. Many massive online companies use affiliate programs to attract new customers. When you start an affiliate program, you can sign up for free and, once you’re approved, you’ll get a tracking link. Whenever someone uses your tracking link and completes a transaction, you’ll receive a commission.
Understanding Casino Affiliate Commissions
There are three different ways that casinos pay commission in their affiliate programs. They’ll pay you on a Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) basis, according to revenue share or a combination of the two.
- CPA rates are usually a fixed commission, and the casino pays for each new player that makes a deposit. Depending on the type of traffic, and the market, you can expect to earn between $125-$400/month.
- Revenue shares are percentages of what the player loses when they play at the casino. This amount will exclude bonuses and other fees. If the casino offers this option, you can receive a share between 25% and 50%.
- The casino can offer a combination of the previous two options, where they could provide a flat rate per new player, along with a share in the revenue, for example, $50 for a new signup plus 15% on any money they spend.
How Much Do Casino Affiliates Make?
Many affiliate marketers will advertise specific amounts that they make per month. The truth is, you’re only going to make money depending on how hard you work. You can set goals for yourself, and once you achieve them, you can aim higher with your next goals.
Considering the Pareto principle, 20% of the consequences are due to 80% of the work. That means:
- 80% of affiliate marketers will make $0 up to a certain amount
- 20% of affiliate marketers will make more than the 80% do
The same is true for the top casinos.
Realistically, your profit will depend on which investment you have, along with various other decisions.
- The niche you choose: you can build your website around the bonuses the casinos offer. If you select no deposit bonuses, you’re likely to have less traffic than if you choose big bonuses.
- Revenue share vs CPA: While CPA will make more money in the short-term, it’ll probably lower your long-term income.
- Your investment in the website design and contents will make a massive difference.
Your website could take six to 12 months to rank, and depending on how well clicks translate to deposits to the casino, you could start making a generous income within 24 months.
How to Get New Players to Sign Up Using Your Link
Since many social media sites have been coming down on gambling content, it has become a little more challenging to prove to online casinos that you have a way to market their site to players.
The best way to market casinos to new players is to build a high-value content website and rank high on search engines. If Google drives traffic to your site, it’s the most cost-effective way to market.
Some methods you can use to improve traffic to your site:
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): using the correct keywords to help Google index your website correctly.
- Email marketing: build a list of potential customers and send special offers.
- Pay Per Click (PPC): use Google ads to rank at the top of search results. You pay a fee whenever someone clicks on your link.
Keep in mind that each method has its pros and cons. As your affiliate marketing business grows, you can start to combine the approaches for the best results.
How to Become an Affiliate Marketer— A Step-By-Step Guide
There are a few steps in becoming an affiliate marketer:
- Choose your niche
- Plan and build your website
- Find and sign up for affiliate programs
- Rank your site and bank your money
1. Choose Your Niche
There are a few niches in the casino industry from which you could choose.
- Type of gambling: slots, blackjack, poker, bingo, sports betting, etc.
- Location: U.S., Canada, Europe, etc.
- Keyword: no deposit bonuses, live dealer bonuses, online casino reviews, etc.
- Combinations: U.S. live dealer bonuses on poker
Your niche will determine your success. It may be tempting to build a website to cover an entire market, but there’s a reason why you should choose a smaller niche:
- A smaller niche website is easier to start, build and maintain.
- It’s easier to test your website in the short term, as you can channel traffic to your site.
- Allows you to learn how SEO, casino affiliates and other aspects of the business works with minimal investment.
2. Plan and Build Your Website
Many areas in the U.S. require licensing and compliance from any online casino website. This can be extremely costly. You should find out what your state requires before starting work on your site. You can also focus on offshore casinos that accept players from the U.S.
3. Find and Sign Up for Affiliate Programs
Another factor you should consider is the affiliate program for which you want to sign up. You should look for the establishment’s integrity, the marketing team should be responsive, and you want quick payments. Trustworthiness and transparency are also important factors to consider.
4. Rank Your Site and Bank Your Money
You need to decide who will do the work on your site. If you can make a larger investment, you should work with an agency knowledgeable about SEO. If your initial investment is smaller, you can use tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to help you make the most of your site.
Tips For New Affiliates
Here are some top tips if you’re new to affiliate marketing:
- There’s no such thing as easy money. You have to put in a lot of work.
- Networking is key. You need to convert clicks to sign-ups.
- When you write content for your site, keep your target audience in mind.
- Be patient. Growth can be slow when you start, and you could only begin making an income after two years.
- Join web forums for casino affiliate programs.
Online Casino Affiliate FAQs
What is a casino affiliate program?
It’s a program where you’re paid a form of commission or fee for referring players to an online casino and getting them to sign up.
How much does it cost to join an affiliate program?
It doesn’t cost anything to join an affiliate marketing program. The only cost involved is building your website.
Can I be part of multiple affiliate programs?
Yes, most affiliate marketers partner with a variety of programs.
