NBA and FDJ Announce Multi-year Extension to Their Existing Collaboration

Reading Time: 3 minutes

We sit down with Adam Rowley, Managing Director at RavenTrack, to understand why data, tracking and optimisation are key to a successful affiliate program

Your tagline is “win at performance marketing”. Tell us more about how you help operators maximise their partnerships with affiliates.

It is indeed. RavenTrack is a powerful affiliate tracking solution that allows operators to track, optimise and grow through their affiliate programs. Our proprietary solution offers an advanced affiliate tracking platform built by iGaming experts – this ensures it meets the unique demands of the industry, including the need to withstand the pace and complexity of affiliate marketing in the online sports betting and casino space. RavenTrack has also been designed to be flexible and customisable so that it can be adapted to individual client requirements. This combination of qualities has seen us become the go-to affiliate software tracking provider for more than 150 brands across the world, brands that are winning at performance marketing with the support of RavenTrack.

Why is tracking so important to the ultimate success of an affiliate program?

Tracking is the glue that holds marketing and sales together in the online arena. But effective tracking requires a platform that delivers reliability, accuracy and a seamless UX so that users can easily dig into the data and generate valuable insights. Speed and reliability are crucial so that operators don’t miss a single click or conversion. To track data effectively, operators (and their affiliate partners) need tools such as pixel and postback capabilities and geo-targeting. The former allows affiliates to track customer activity in real time which helps them maximise the revenue of the brands they work with. When it comes to intelligent geo-tracking, it allows users to identify and aim to funnel traffic through specific locations.

But tracking is just one part of the process and success of an affiliate program– online sportsbook and casino operators must be able to take the data they have tracked and use it to optimise campaigns, both internally and those being run by their affiliate partners.

What does optimisation look like? How does RavenTrack help its customers do this?

Traffic source provides a lot of spoke for optimisation, especially when it comes to things like which affiliate is performing best, changes to traffic, ROI and conversion rate optimisation. With RavenTrack, operators have the insight they need to do this. They can also give their affiliates access to data via their own internal reporting systems – this is done via our two-way API – to help determine which campaigns and creatives are delivering the best results. Operators also need to optimise the commercial agreements they have in place with their affiliate partners, and this means being able to offer them a range of options including CPA, revenue share, CPL, CPM and hybrid.

As operators – and their affiliates – get more experienced at using data and tracking, they will want to customise reports to a pretty granular level so that they can optimise to a much deeper and greater extent. Customisable reports (we have more than 20  reports available), marketplace and dashboards are just a few of the tools we provide to help operators and affiliates optimise campaigns and work to the commercials that deliver for both parties.

And how does all of this come together to help both operators and affiliates scale at pace?

Our fixed-cost model means operators can create as many campaigns for their brands as they like without the worry of additional costs. This in turn makes growing their program pretty straightforward. With a long list of commission structures available (which can be customised by the client) for their affiliate partners, operators can ensure the growth of the program is reflected in the growth of the wider business, ultimately allowing them to maximise profitability from affiliate marketing activity while at the same time ensuring their partners are fairly compensated for the quality traffic they send.

Migrating to a new affiliate tracking platform can cause major upheaval. How do you help operators through the process?

We know that moving to a new platform can be a big decision and a significant undertaking, but we have plenty of options to make it a seamless process from start to finish. This includes working with the affiliate program team to run their old and new program side by side to ensure there is absolutely no drop-off in traffic or lost data.  Our UK-based account and customer support team is always on hand to assist during the migration process, and once operators are up and running with RavenTrack – this includes helping them get the most out of our platform and tools.

RavenTrack has only been around for a handful of years but has already achieved great things. What can we expect in the months ahead?

We hit the market in 2018 and haven’t looked back. Today, we work with 150 brands, processing more than one billion clicks per month and £2billion in deposits to date. The operators using RavenTrack to run their affiliate programs have generated more than £500 million in revenue and counting. Our numbers speak for themselves and no matter the size of brand or affiliate program, our solution is the key to unlocking the true potential of affiliate marketing. As for the months ahead, expect more platform updates, new tools and some big-name partnership announcements.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

GAN Limited reported its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

Seamus McGill, GAN’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress our team members have made to deliver revenue growth while concurrently lowering our cost structure. Our top-line growth of 24% compared to the prior year was driven by B2B revenue growth of more than 60% while operating costs fell by nearly 10%. We remain focused on delivering a leading product offering for our US B2B clients and our international B2C business.”

Mr. McGill added: “In September, we recently received approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission for our planned merger with SEGASAMMY. We continue to work through the remaining regulatory requirements and anticipate a successful closing in early 2025.”

Third Quarter 2024 Compared to Third Quarter 2023

• Total revenue of $37.1 million increased 24% driven by an increase in the B2B segment.

• B2B segment revenue was $16.4 million versus $10.2 million. The increase was primarily due to an expansion of our B2B offerings in the state of Nevada and the recognition of revenue related to a partner exit in Michigan.

• B2C segment revenue was $20.7 million versus $19.6 million. Growth in Europe was driven by increased player activity, which was offset by reduced player activity and unfavorable exchange rates in Latin America.

• Operating expenses were $25.1 million versus $27.8 million. The decrease was primarily attributable to the Company’s overall reduction of compensation costs and reduced headcount realized as part of ongoing cost saving initiatives, as well as lower depreciation and amortization expenses as a result of intangible assets fully amortizing in the prior year.

• Net income of $2.1 million versus a net loss of $8.2 million improved primarily due to increased revenues and decreased operating expenses.

• Total segment contribution was $27.2 million versus $20.6 million, which was driven primarily by increased revenue in the B2B segment.

• Adjusted EBITDA was $5.4 million versus a loss of $2.5 million. The increase was driven by increased revenues and lower operating expenses resulting from the aforementioned factors.

• Cash was $36.5 million as of September 30, 2024, versus $36.9 million as of June 30, 2024.

• B2C Active Customers declined primarily driven by limited customer acquisition in Latin America.

• B2B Gross Operator Revenue totaled $610.4 million versus $424.1 million in the prior year quarter, a 44% increase. The increase was driven primarily by organic growth in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ontario, and Connecticut.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

SunBet Extends Online Betting Platform Contract with Bede Gaming Amid Record-Breaking Performance

Bede Gaming has secured a further contract extension with South African online sports betting brand SunBet, the digital arm of Sun International and one of the fastest growing operators in the SA online market.

The new contract renewal comes as SunBet reports record-breaking digital growth in its H1-24 performance report, including a 72% year-over-year (YoY) growth in revenue and 72% increase in active players, driving an 89% improvement in EBITDA.

As a leading supplier of software to the igaming industry, Bede has supported the ambitions of this customer with tailored features and services to achieve SunBet’s business objectives while delivering the highest cost efficiencies.

Since the launch of the SunBet Slots offering in 2022, Bede has provided various additional optimisations, including integrating 7 new game providers to SunBet.co.za, releasing enhancements to the existing Kambi Sportsbook integration functionality, and delivering bespoke training on product features such as Bede’s powerful rules engine and bonusing suite.

This year alone, Bede has partnered with SunBet’s operations to –

• Optimise environmental infrastructure, aiming to deliver run cost efficiencies that will reduce the total cost of ownership by 30% by the end of the year.
• Develop a bespoke aggregator tool to achieve cost-effective game content customisation via a streamlined South Africa-specific solution.
• Enter into the new regulated markets of Namibia and Botswana (due to launch in 2024).

Colin Cole-Johnson, Bede Chief Executive Officer.“It’s been fantastic to see SunBet grow throughout the course of our partnership, and I’m delighted by their commitment to Bede at this crucial point in their journey. Securing another extension on this contract is testament to our dedication to our customers.”

SunBet’s partnership with Bede dates back to 2017, when digital offerings to this market were restricted to sports betting and live casino. With the change to slot content regulation in the South African market in August 2022, SunBet has expanded its online offering through Bede’s platform environment and has seen substantial growth in revenue and performance as a result.

Simon Gregory, SunBet Chief Executive Officer Bede has been a strong long-term partner for us, supporting and delivering on SunBet’s growth ambitions with quality and expertise. I’m very much looking forward to these next steps, especially now as we approach new African expansions.”