The membership market in Asia’s online gambling industry is expanding, with Covid giving it an extra boost, but any site without in-depth and local content will struggle to survive.
As the pandemic forced people to stay at home, various aspects of daily life shifted online, but it was a mixed blessing for Asia's affiliate industry. Yes, players moved online, but consumer purchasing power also took a major hit as companies laid off workers.
"Operators and affiliates have had to restructure the way they work with everyone working from home, which has had an impact on acquisitions and payments," said Marketing Cross Media CEO Dov Allin. "As players have more time on their hands Playing at home, acquisitions and player values are up at the start, but if your business grows by more than 25% in 2021, be thankful for that. Brands and affiliates suffered losses during the financial crisis."
“Agencies have the biggest losses and have had to convert to affiliates, which is why I believe we are seeing an increase in new affiliates and brands, especially in Vietnam,” he said.
How is the ancillary business changing in Asia?
The membership market in Asia is still in its infancy compared to Europe, and many operators prefer to work through an agency system. Allin estimates that about 90% of online traffic in 2015 came from agents, with few branches in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia or South Korea.
