In this interview, Jamie Wall, a casino analyst at Gamblizard, reviewed the company's journey from its launch during the pandemic to becoming a leader in the online casino affiliate industry. "We are never satisfied with just achieving goals; we continuously set new ones and improve our services," Wall explained to SiGMA.
Our story began in 2020, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. It was an unprecedented time, as everyone was forced to stay at home, leading to a rise in demand for various forms of home entertainment and a growing interest in online casino games. Therefore, despite knowing the competitive nature of the UK market, we chose to launch our site at that moment. In fact, we also realized that there was much room for improvement in iGaming information websites. For example, other sources lacked information on bonuses and promotions for existing players. That's why we decided to enter this field and give it a try: we realized we could offer better content to our readers.
As we mentioned, our initial goal was to provide users with all the key elements to make informed choices about casino bonuses and have a wider selection. Many sites focus only on welcome bonuses, which are only useful for new players. We wanted Gamblizard to be a useful resource for all players, whether they are novices or experts. That's why we focus on various bonuses, not just welcome ones. Another difference is our team, which consists of members with backgrounds in the casino industry, either through work or gaming.
We adopt all classic security and privacy measures to protect user information. One main method we use is SSL encryption, which protects the data transmitted between our website and our readers. Additionally, we implement firewalls to protect our servers from malicious attacks. Of course, we also regularly conduct security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify and address potential threats.
We take player protection very seriously. Gambling addiction can lead to consequences more severe than just losing money—this obsession can bring about serious psychological and even physical risks: stress and insomnia are minor symptoms, but they can quickly develop into more serious issues. We do not want this to happen to anyone, let alone our readers. We want to make it clear that gambling can be a fun way to pass the time, and winning money should not be the main goal, but a pleasant surprise. Therefore, we only promote casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and those that have responsible gambling seals on their websites (such as gambleaware.org and gamstop.co.uk). This means that these brands adopt safe gambling practices and advocate a cautious attitude towards this pastime. In this way, our audience knows that our affiliate partners share our views on this issue.
All the information about brands and bonuses on our website is verified by our experts. Our team regularly checks to ensure all content is up-to-date (thus, we always keep in touch with casino representatives). We only promote content that we have tested ourselves, so we can ensure that every piece of information we share with our readers is 100% accurate and verified. Only after the articles are approved by our editors and experts do we publish them.
This process involves multiple steps. For example, we thoroughly analyze all bonuses, website licenses, deposit and withdrawal methods, game selection, efficiency of customer support services, and all terms and conditions to ensure they are clear and transparent to players.
We also pay close attention to protecting children from being influenced by gambling-related content. For example, in the UK, it is prohibited to use cartoon characters that might attract children's attention and encourage them to try playing casino games—we monitor our visual content to ensure that such images do not appear on our website.
If we talk about our partners' expectations of us, they definitely hope we bring in first-time depositors and high-quality traffic. Of course, they also expect us to publish honest and accurate reviews and keep information up-to-date, especially regarding the bonuses they offer.
When it comes to our expectations of casino brands as partners, we also have our own rules. Our main expectation is that the casino offers are attractive to users. For example, bonuses that are friendly to all types of players, common payment methods, user-oriented websites, local language and currency support—all these can add points for potential partners. For us, other key elements include conversion rates and player value, which depend on the casino's geographical expansion. For instance, Japanese players are very loyal to established and mature brands, but at the same time, they are very resistant to new brands. These are factors we need to consider.
In short, brands should have good conversion rates, competitive welcome offers, an efficient support team, and most importantly, a truly effective retention department.
Sometimes, partners' response times are long, making it more difficult to keep content updated, so faster communication might be an area for further improvement. We also hope to reach agreements on exclusive bonuses more quickly.
First, we plan to introduce additional brand filtering options, filtered according to our standards. This will make it easier for our readers to find the specific brands they are looking for, improving user experience and casino brand positioning.
Second, we are redesigning our bonus ranking system, adding new criteria, including user ratings, and positioning bonuses in our newly developed statistical charts. This will make evaluating casino proposals easier.
Finally, we also plan to launch new content: we will host our own Gamblizard awards to further highlight the best casino bonuses. We are developing a brand-new news section to keep users up-to-date with the latest developments in the iGaming industry. At the same time, we also plan to develop our WhatsApp channel to communicate directly with our readers. In short, all our current efforts are focused on taking our website and social media services to a new level.
Yes, competition is crucial in the agency—after all, it is in any market—mainly because it drives innovation and quality. When affiliate marketers compete, they strive to provide better content, offers, and services to attract more customers. This in turn benefits consumers, who receive higher quality services and more relevant bonus options. Moreover, competition encourages agents to improve business strategies and keep up with market trends. Overall, competition in the agency promotes excellence, thereby contributing to the industry's growth.
When we expand into new markets, we usually first consult our SEO manager. After they conduct an analysis, they pass the request to our affiliate manager to establish partnerships with casino brands in specific markets. However, casino representatives might also contact us first.
When we select new partners, we test the business from multiple angles. As we mentioned before, we do not want to promote content that we have not tested ourselves. Therefore, we first check the casino license, then proceed with the KYC procedures, and overall test the casino. This is another distinction in our field—we do not overlook the process of simulating the entire player path ourselves.
If everything goes well, we contact the casino representative, agree on promotional terms, register an affiliate partner account, and issue affiliate links.
Sometimes, our representatives meet future casino partners at conferences. In such cases, we first exchange general information, trying to determine how we can cooperate. Then, we agree on cooperation terms, traffic expectations, and exclusive offers. After all this is completed, our SEO, content, and expert teams start working to implement reviews for the casino brand on our website.
As we mentioned before, we strive to provide the most comprehensive source of information for casino players. Our reviews thoroughly examine every aspect of the casino brand. Not just about bonuses, we also commit to reporting all useful information that players might find in both online and physical casinos.
This is particularly useful for those new to gambling, as they will have a reliable guide to help them take their first steps. More experienced players will also find a wealth of useful information: the iGaming market is constantly evolving, so there is always something new to keep an eye on.
In short, our passion for users makes Gamblizard one of the most competitive affiliate programs in the industry. We are never satisfied with just achieving goals; we continuously set new ones and improve our services.
