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For a company that has begun to blur the lines between affiliate and operator, social responsibility remains the ultimate watchword for Slots Temple, says CEO Fraser Linkleter.
How important is social responsibility to the affiliate side of Slots Temple’s business?
We began life as an affiliate business that offered free demo games and slots tournaments (and we still do!). This allowed us to build a highly engaged base of players that genuinely loved playing slots. From day one, we always put social responsibility at the heart of everything we did.
We always believed that an entertainment-driven socially responsible gaming experience created a sticky player-base that trusted us and created better quality traffic for our partners.
Has tightened regulation of the gambling industry over the past few years impacted affiliates’ responsibilities towards its users?
Definitely. Affiliates deliver an estimated 30% to 50% of acquisition to operators in the UK, and while the sector is not directly regulated by the UK Gambling Commission, these numbers demonstrate that the responsibility to protect players from harm should be shared.
Increased regulation over the past few years means that operators, rightly, must be more cautious about choosing their affiliate partners. Ultimately, as affiliates, we must accept the responsibilities we share as part of the gambling supply chain.
The reality is, while affiliates are not directly regulated, the standards to which operators are held by regulators are passed on to us through our partner contracts. Affiliates that do not comply with these standards will struggle in this climate because operators will only work with the partners they can trust to behave responsibly. So social responsibility has become not just an ethical consideration but a strategic business decision too.
In 2022 Slots Temple received a license from the UKGC which allowed you to offer paid tournaments and real-money slots. Has this changed the way you think about social responsibility?
Social responsibility was always a big part of our business model, and our UKGC license was a recognition of that. Of course, offering real money games means that we are held to the same high standards as all licensed operators.
That means KYC, deposit limits, timed reality checks, affordability checks, self-exclusion options, and so on. But for us, it’s about more than mere compliance. Our model has always been about being a safe destination for fun play and prizes. As I say, we’ve fostered this community of slots fans who trust us and it’s important that we maintain that trust through the way we operate.
Ultimately, the license allowed us to offer our player-base more choice. First, that was free-to-play tournaments with cash prizes, and then low-stakes paid-for tournaments with bigger prizes, plus real-money slots.
So, your experiences as an affiliate have made you a more socially responsible operator?
Yes, because it has helped us understand what our players want. For example, we believe safer gambling is about smaller deposits. Where we offer cash play, it’s always small buy-ins and small bet sizes. There are tournaments for 1p, or you can play for free in UK tournaments, all with real cash prizes.
We also think it’s important to educate players about the games we have on site. For example, we clearly display the return-to-player (RTP) and volatility of the game customers are about to play before they are able to access the game.
It’s about being on the side of the player – whether you’re an affiliate or an operator. Ultimately, we believe that an entertainment-driven, socially responsible gaming experience will foster a loyal, trusting player-base.
