EGR Power Affiliates 2022

Welcome to this year’s Power Affiliates 2022 rankings for EGR Marketing.

Following the enormous disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 represented somewhat of a return to normal.

While casino affiliates were not overly affected by the pandemic, sports betting firms will have been glad to see the reappearance of a relatively regular sporting schedule in 2021, which saw the return of major sporting events including the delayed Euro 2020 tournament and the Olympics as well as many others.

The affiliate space has continued to look across the Atlantic as more states legalise sports betting at a rapid pace. Louisiana and New York most specifically joined the party just after the reporting period for these rankings, with Ontario north of the border an incredibly exciting proposition having launched in April.

North American M&A activity not surprisingly made the headlines over the past year, with Better Collective (BC) leading the pack by snapping up US sports betting media platform Action Network in its largest ever deal, forking out a cool $240m.

BC was not, however, the only firm making waves in North America with plenty of affiliates included in this list investing seven and eight-figure sums in multiple deals across Canada and the US. Catena Media bolstered its US position with the $40m purchase of Lineups and a $45m deal for i15 Media in May and September 2021 respectively, while XLMedia spent $26m on Sports Betting Dime in March 2021 and $23m on the acquisition of Saturday Football in September 2021.

The US gold rush shows no sign of abating with new states readying to legalise online sports betting throughout the rest of the year.

The North American free-for-all was offset somewhat, however, with continued strict regulation in Europe.

Headwinds in the Netherlands and Germany, specifically, have had an effect on affiliate operations in those countries. An eye-watering 5.3% turnover tax was introduced on slots and poker in Germany, as well as a €1,000 per month deposit limit across the board, while in the Netherlands only 10 companies were provided with a licence when the re-regulated market launched in October 2021.

Sweden has also seen continued regulation on and off throughout the year on the back of Covid-19 restrictions and will certainly have affected a number of affiliates that work alongside the big operators in the Nordic market.

Once again, EGR has joined forces with accountancy and business advisory firm BDO to crunch the numbers for a second year running. Having worked on numerous editions of the Power 50 rankings, BDO works impartially to sift through the financials of each company, where available, to most accurately place those that have made the grade.

BDO uses this information to create a growth score which is then cross-referenced against last year’s performance using EGR’s affiliate expertise to provide a position.

EGR would like to thank BDO for its collaboration in compiling our rankings and bet365 Partners for its continued support in sponsoring this year’s list.

Proudly sponsored by

Bet365 Partners added: “Bet365 Partners is delighted to sponsor the EGR Power Affiliates list for 2022 and we look forward to continuing to develop our long-standing partnerships with all that appear.”

The Power Affiliates rankings are compiled in partnership with BDO, one of the world’s leading accountancy firms and is a leading service provider to the online gaming sector.

1. Better Collective (1)
HQ: Denmark
Key executive: Jesper Søgaard
Access to financials: Yes

It is a fifth year in the top spot for Better Collective after the Stockholm-listed firm enjoyed another stellar 12 months, which included growing its revenue by 62% year-on-year (YoY) during 2021 to €177.1m. EBITDA, before special items, amounted to €55.8m. The company announced significant M&A activity during the past year, with the US a particular area of focus. Affiliate and content provider Action Network was picked up in May 2021 for a whopping $240m, while the remaining 40% stake in DFS resource RotoGrinders was acquired in November for €33m (the other 60% slice had been snapped up in 2019). The affiliate powerhouse entered 2022 with a bang by signing a content deal with the New York Post in January and acquiring Canada Sports Betting in March, signalling its intention for Ontario. The Copenhagen-based firm also branched out beyond igaming in April by purchasing EA Sport’s FIFA gaming database Futbin for a price that could reach upwards of €105m. The first quarter of 2022 continued in much the same vein for the affiliate as revenue increased 74% YoY to an all-time high of €67m, fuelled by 360,000 NDCs. These new customers were mostly attributed to the firm’s rapid growth in North America, prompted by launches in the first quarter in New York and Louisiana.

2. Catena Media (2)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Michael Daly
Access to financials: Yes

Catena Media continues to solidify its spot as silver medallist in the rankings after having finished runner-up every year since 2018. European regulatory headwinds hit the company hard during 2021, but despite a €49.4m impairment payment relating to German and French sports betting assets, revenue rose 28% YoY (36% excluding Germany) to €136.1m from the €106m achieved in 2020. Catena announced a couple of eye-opening purchases during 2021 with the acquisitions of US sports betting affiliate Lineups for almost $40m in May and a $45m deal for i15 Media in September, further strengthening its position in the North American market where its existing brands include Legal Sports Report, Online Poker Report and the Play-related sites. US expansion was a key part of Catena’s progression during 2021, with CEO Michael Daly also noting that a strong start to Q1 2022 had been attributable to the launches of legal online betting in New York and Louisiana. Groupwide NDCs jumped 32% YoY to 586,522 in 2021. More recently, the company revealed it is conducting a strategic review into the possible sale of AskGamblers and some of its other “global brands”.

3. Gambling.com Group (4)
HQ: Ireland
Key executive: Charles Gillespie
Access to financials: Yes

Last year was a big 12 months for the Ireland-based affiliate, a highlight being its listing on the Nasdaq Global Market in New York in July, although its shares have returned to IPO levels after an initial surge. The firm saw record revenue in the month of September thanks to its ability to launch BetArizona just in time for the start of the NFL season. In total, Gambling.com now has partners operational in five states, plus Ontario, and since launching in the US in 2018, over 100 domains have been added to its portfolio. For its full-year results, the group announced a 51% YoY increase in full-year revenue to $42.3m thanks in part to a 13% rise in NDCs to 117,000. The group made an initial €12.5m cash-plus-shares deal to acquire BonusFinder (23rd in last year’s rankings) which could ultimately total €60m depending on performance. The company also completed the acquisition of Roto Sports this year, the company behind fantasy sports resource site RotoWire, for an aggregate purchase price of $27.5m, to complement its core brands Gambling.com and Bookies.com. Finally, another highlight was winning the affiliate of the year accolade at the EGR Operator Awards 2021.

4. GiG Media (3)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Jonas Warrer
Access to financials: Yes

GiG Media slips one place this year despite the affiliate arm of GiG being a key driver in the firm’s revenue for the last 12 months. Priding itself on operating multiple content websites that target the online casino and sports betting sphere, GiG Media posted full-year revenue of €45m in 2021, up 31% on 2020, while EBITDA hit an all-time high of €20.7m. Referrals also broke records for the company as FTDs reached 198,000, up 57% from 126,000 the year before. At the end of Q1 2022, the business was present in 19 US states, while deals have been signed or extended of late with the likes of Betsson, Rainmaker Network and Betway for GiG’s automated marketing and compliance tracking tool, GiG Comply. GiG Media publishes one million words and attracts more than 500,000 users every month across its portfolio of websites including World Sports Network in the US and its flagship casino portal, Casinotopsonline, which operates globally with 10 dedicated language casino sites covering casino reviews, industry news, the latest promotions and more.

5. Raketech (5)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Oskar Mühlbach
Access to financials: Yes

Raketech, which started life in 2010 as a poker affiliate, retains its fifth place after posting record full-year revenue of €38.5m, a 17.5% YoY organic growth on the previous year. EBITDA was also up 37% YoY to €16.5m. Casino remains the affiliate’s primary vertical, accounting for 82% of all revenue by contributing €31.5m in 2021. In April of last year, industry veteran and William Hill CEO Ulrik Bengtsson was appointed chair of the advisory board, while in July 2021 Raketech secured an increased credit facility of €15m to allow it to further explore M&A opportunities. The facility was promptly actioned, with the Stockholm-listed firm announcing a €4.5m deal to purchase Spanish affiliate Infinileads just seven days later. A €16m deal for QM Media and its subsidiary P&P Vegas Group, with the sole purpose of expanding its footprint in the US and India, completed in July 2021, while a $15.5m deal for multi-brand tipster ATS Consultants followed. The good news continued for the firm with Q1 revenue 2022 jumping 53.3% YoY to €12.7m. Raketech also announced the launch of a new API called the Affiliation Cloud which includes commercial services, data analytics and marketing information.

6. XLMedia (7)
HQ: UK
Key executive: Stuart Simms
Access to financials: Yes

Having slipped from fourth in 2020 to seventh last year, XLMedia has climbed up to sixth. The company is one of many on this list praising significant North American progress and highlighting it as a factor in increased revenue for the year. The affiliate made two major American acquisitions in 2021 – namely Saturday Football for $23m and Sports Betting Dime for $35.6m – which helped XLMedia increase its number of real-money sports players by 125% during the year. Leeds-based marketing agency Blueclaw was also snapped up in September for £1.8m. Like most, XLMedia struggled with a tightening of online casino regulations throughout large parts of Europe, however, its sports vertical was up 178% on 2020. Full-year revenue of $66.5m was a rise of 21% from 2020’s $54.8m. Hot off the press at the time of writing is the appointment of former Time Out CEO David King, who will replace Stuart Simms from 1 July 2022. Other hires include media veteran Nigel Leigh who was brought in to be CIO in June 2021, while former Sky Betting & Gaming finance director Caroline Ackroyd joined as CFO last November.

7. KaFe Rocks (6)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Simon Pilkington
Access to financials: Yes

Since last year’s rankings, igaming operator Glitnor Group has acquired KaFe Rocks for an undisclosed sum. In March of last year, former Blexr content exec Justin Tonna made the switch to KaFe Rocks as its first ever chief operating officer, bringing its executive team to five, including new hires chief financial officer Vivren Aurestila and chief technology officer Mex Emini. KaFe Rocks has always had a primary focus on its staff’s wellbeing and work/life balance, including its fully remote-working policy which was in place long before Covid-19 forced most companies to go remote. In January 2022, the Malta-based affiliate announced it was to offer its entire workforce unlimited paid annual leave after increasing its team of “Rocketeers” from 110 to 180 over the course of 2021. Across the pond, USCasinos and Time2play were launched in the US, while in terms of M&A, the affiliate made one small unstated acquisition in the crypto space.

8. Clever Advertising (15)
HQ: Portugal
Key executive: José Pedro Panzina
Access to financials: Yes

Clever Advertising leaps up the rankings this year into the top 10 following 12 months of incredible growth. In last year’s edition, the affiliate could have scored higher but did not provide any information on its financials. However, this year was different and we were able to note that NDCs increased 79% YoY from January to December. Last year saw Clever Advertising increase traffic in key markets across Europe and Latam while also achieving growth in Africa through expanding partnerships. Financials shown to BDO revealed a 51% increase in full-year revenue. On the personnel front, José Pedro Panzina was promoted to COO in April of last year before becoming CEO in January 2022. Since its inception, the business has amassed over 3,000 websites and more than 200 social communities, helping it to generate over nine billion impressions during 2021. Clever Advertising secured 79% YoY increase in FTDs for its partners. The affiliate’s social media audience is in excess of 10 million and counts clients such as bet365, Betano, Parimatch and PokerStars among its ranks.

9. Oddschecker Global Media (9)
HQ: UK
Key executive: Nick Barnett
Access to financials: No

The last 12 months have seen significant change for Oddschecker with the sports betting-led affiliate being offloaded by Flutter Entertainment to US investment firm Bruin Capital for £155m. The intention of the sale is partly about the company’s expansion into the burgeoning US market, with a new office to be built in New Jersey or New York. Oddschecker also welcomed Entain brands Ladbrokes and Coral back to the fold to end their 18-month-long exile from the odds comparison grid. The Hammersmith-based affiliate also added a new tab in November to further assist responsible gambling by highlighting the tools available at all its operator partners. This year appears to be going the right way so far, with Oddschecker announcing that March recorded the site’s highest ever number of partner-customer registrations. March also saw the news, exclusively revealed by EGR, that CEO Toby Bentall was to step down after more than three years in the top job.

10. Spotlight Sports Group (11)
HQ: UK
Key executive: Alan Byrne
Access to financials: Yes

During 2021, Spotlight Sports Group, like so many others on this list, eyed considerable growth in the US. Last year saw the acquisition of US sports betting and fantasy sports tech company FA Media LLC (Alarm Sports Network) in September in an all-cash deal before Spotlight signed a joint venture Spanish-language content deal with sports publisher Diario AS in December. Two key hires in the US, Justin Geiger as VP sales and Dan Pozner as VP of content, highlighted the company’s progress in North America. In September 2021, in time for the NFL season, Pickswise grew its product offering with its iOS and Android apps, providing key stats, predictions and trends using detailed statistical analysis which saw website users grow by 150% YoY and NDCs swell by 700%. Earlier this year, it announced a significant new partnership with US media company Advance Local, while, in May, Better Collective poured cold water on media speculation that it was looking to acquire Spotlight, which also owns Racing Post, MyRacing and Free Super Tips.

11. Natural Intelligence (8)
HQ: Israel
Key executive: Nir Greenberg
Access to financials: No

Natural Intelligence is a permanent fixture in the Power Affiliates rankings having featured in our rundown since it began back in 2017, although without access to financials, it is hard to compare the gaming arm of its affiliate business to its competitors in this list. In terms of verticals, its online gambling division delivers online casino, sports betting, bingo, rummy and poker comparison sites. In October of last year, CEO and founder Nir Greenberg announced the first ever funding round that the firm hoped could top $100m with the intent to examine different growth opportunities including a SPAC merger. Meanwhile, Sidelines, the US sports betting comparison and analysis site acquired in 2019, secured $25m in funding in February 2022. The company employs 400 people.

12. Livesport Media (10)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Richard Hájek
Access to financials: No

Prague-based Livesport Media is one of Europe’s biggest sports betting affiliation sites. It provides live scores, statistics and other instant updates. As of June 2021, Livesport announced that each of its apps had been downloaded over 85 million times worldwide. FlashScore, the company’s most prominent brand, features score updates from more than 35 different sports. Operating over 70 websites, the company’s portfolio also includes Livescore.in, Livesport, Soccerstand and Diretta. Monthly, the affiliate reaches over 100 million users with the firm claiming that during top sporting events, page views can reach up to 18 billion.

13. LiveScore (12)
HQ: Gibraltar
Key executive: Sam Sadi
Access to financials: No

Returning to the Power Affiliates rankings for a third successive year, global sports media business LiveScore has certainly benefitted from the world getting back to a state of post-lockdown normality. As a provider of real-time sports updates and results, LiveScore made the best out of a bad situation when competitions were disrupted in 2020 due to the pandemic by extending its product capabilities to launch a new live streaming platform. Having broadcast thousands of matches from over 15 different leagues to UK and Ireland users, it’s fair to say the brand has been reaping the rewards of that decision ever since. Indeed, with LiveScore now being used by a global audience spanning 200 territories, in recent months the company has been named the official results partner of Spain’s La Liga and also landed an historic three-year rights deal to livestream 137 UEFA Champions League matches in the Republic of Ireland. LiveScore has also launched an apprenticeship programme to ensure the future of the company is in safe hands.

14. Blexr (13)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Nick Walker
Access to financials: Yes

A year of consolidation for Blexr saw the Malta-based affiliate look to expand its offering by localising into both Canada and the UK. The slots affiliate site’s strategy for the year was to continue its growth with its current offering, and the firm saw record numbers of users. Seemingly as part of that plan, Blexr has restructured its top management team to prepare for its next strategy cycle by hiring Nick Walker as chief operating officer, Andrew Isidoro as chief marketing officer, Kate Walker as editor-in-chief, and has open positions for a new chief financial officer and head of commercial and VP of engineering. It also acquired an undisclosed casino portal in the New Zealand market for a seven-figure sum. The casino portal acquisition provided increases in monthly FTDs and revenue, however the firm states that the main reason for the acquisition was the ability to position itself for entry into new markets.

15. Game Lounge (14)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Jonas Cederholm
Access to financials: No

Founded more than a decade ago, Game Lounge offers casino marketing and SEO services, although the firm did not provide any information, financial or otherwise, for this year’s list. Game Lounge snapped up the domain betting.com in 2020 ahead of the group moving into the US through a partnership deal with The Denver Post in November of last year. Starting out as an affiliate in the Nordics, Game Lounge now operates Ceske Casino, Japanese Casino, Polskie Kasyno and American Casino Guide. A couple of acquisitions swelled the group’s portfolio, namely Domainify and We Digitize.

16. Web International Services (*NEW ENTRY*)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Paul Scheuschner
Access to financials: Yes

In 2012, founder and owner Paul Scheuschner moved from Germany to Malta, setting up WIS as a one-man band. Fast-forward 10 years and the company has stormed into the Power Affiliates rankings as this year’s highest new entry. The Malta-based sports, esports and finance affiliate boasted a near 100% increase in yearly revenue during the 12-month period of 2021. The 10-year-old company cited major launches of top10-casinosites.com and thepunterspage.com as primary factors in its rapid growth. WIS has long been partnered with major players within the gambling industry and counts bet365, William Hill, Interwetten and Betway among its 400-plus partnerships. The company attracts 230,000 monthly visitors and 420,000 monthly page views. The company prides itself on recurring traffic through providing up-to-date and thorough reviews and previews as well as serving up sports and betting stats. The acquisition of megawaysslots.com was completed during 2021.

17. Acroud (18)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Robert Andersson
Access to financials: Yes

Despite making its first appearance in the Power Affiliates rankings last year, Acroud’s final position (18th) on the 2021 list was hampered by poor 2020 performances in revenue, EBITDA and profit as a result of increased regulatory constraints and the direction of the previous leadership. At the time, CEO Robert Andersson was hopeful the company’s new-look acquisition strategy would move Acroud into less troubled waters – and if last year’s financials are anything to go by, the green shoots of recovery are now starting to show. In 2021, the gaming-led affiliate recorded revenue of €24.8m (a 113% increase YoY) and 133,195 NDCs (up 267% YoY), however these positive developments were tempered by EBITDA and profit after tax once again being down on 2020 figures.
Nevertheless, increasing EBITDA remains a key focus area for the business, with Acroud launching an extensive efficiency programme last November. Focused on productivity, synergies and software tools, the initiative aims to create cost savings of about €1.2m while accelerating future revenue growth.
With Roderick Attard also stepping up to the position of CFO in November 2021, Acroud – which currently operates 30-plus comparison and news sites – noted revenue of €7m for the first quarter of 2022, along with EBITDA of €2.2m.

18. Traffic Lab (16)
HQ: Denmark
Key executive: Sebastian Agerskov
Access to financials: No

Last year saw Traffic Lab focus on reconnecting with partners following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions while also expanding into further markets. In June 2021, the affiliate announced the opening of a new office in the basement of the building in which it inhabits in Copenhagen, bringing the team back together for the first time since lockdown. The focus on increasing market coverage continues into 2022 and is an effort to diversify revenue streams and reduce dependence on a few key markets. The affiliate aims be present in around 25 markets by the end of the year, up from 12 last year. Traffic Lab has also doubled down on SEO and initiated Project Sitegun, a tool to smoothen the process of launching new websites, making them almost plug and play. Meanwhile, several SEO sites are being launched each month and the business is targeting additional markets across Europe, Latam, Asia and more.

19. OLGB (17)
HQ: UK
Key executive: Richard Moffat
Access to financials: No

Having started out as the pet project of Antony Portno in 2002, Bristol-based OLBG has swiftly established itself one of the most successful sports betting and casino affiliate businesses on the web. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the site currently boasts 500,000 active members and has seen the OLBG app installed over 1.1 million times. In recent years, the affiliate has overcome the challenges of a global sports shutdown by expanding into online casino reviews, while also acquiring licences to operate in 10 regulated states throughout the US. In the past 12 months, OLBG has doubled down on its North American expansion plans by launching in Canada, with this growth being propelled further by the ever-improving search engine rankings the business is now recording across its key English-speaking markets in the UK, Ireland and Australia. The effect of these recent developments is that OLBG has maintained steady revenue growth and FTDs over the past couple of years, while strengthening its portfolio.

20. Skores (21)
HQ: France
Key executive: Christian de Cailleux
Access to financials: Yes

A new entry in last year’s rankings at number 21 despite having to weather the storm of Covid-19 – which saw the business lose 98% of its online traffic between March and May 2020 – Skores has showcased its powers of resilience by returning to the list once again. The Paris-headquartered sports affiliate group, which offers tips, odds comparison, live scores, statistics, bookmaker reviews and promotions, now claims around 70 million monthly visitors, over 150 ads network partners and a growing social media presence that boasts over four million followers. During the ranking period, the group has made a concerted effort to increase its reach on Instagram, with Skores crossing the milestone of 250,000 followers in March 2022. On top of that, the Skores app has been downloaded over 500,000 times on Android alone, while the affiliate’s flagship SportyTrader brand is rapidly gaining traction in the Netherlands and Brazil after having only launched in both countries in 2020. With current target markets including France, Italy, Spain and the UK, Skores’ dedicated M&A division is now actively seeking sports betting acquisitions as it looks to further expand before the year is out. The affiliate was also crowned winner of the sports affiliate accolade at the EGR Operator Awards 2021.

21. Vita Media Group (20)
HQ: Denmark
Key executive: Jimmi Meilstrup
Access to financials: Yes

Having made its Power Affiliates rankings debut last year, Vita Media Group appears on our list for the second time after another strong performance in the past year. During the ranking period, the company bolstered its loyalty platform and retention engine, EkstraPoint.com, by partnering with SmartSoft Gaming and also strengthened its position in the European and Latam markets with the acquisition of former Codere online casino Greenplay.com. This full-throttle expansion was supplemented by a number of important enhancements to the business infrastructure, including the opening a new 400 sq m office on the bank of the river Vardar in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. The group also recruited extensively over the past 12 months, with Martin Manaskov (head of PR), Davor Karafiloski (head of SEO) and Michael Asselta (US GM) all joining its ranks. Rounding out what has been a hugely successful year for the business, Vita Media Group’s most recent product launch, Gurucasinobonus.com, recorded non-branded traffic growth of 941% in January 2022 compared to January 2021, indicating the group’s content and SEO strategy remains bang on track.

22. Latest Casino Bonuses (19)
HQ: Serbia
Key executive: Nikola Zugic
Access to financials: No

One of the more elusive entries on this year’s list, notoriously media-shy affiliate Latest Casino Bonuses (LCB) returns once again to the Power Affiliates rankings. Seen by many as the go-to resource for UK online casino players, the LCB forum now boasts over 160,000 active users and offers reviews on more than 2,400 online casinos. This year, the affiliate has been particularly focused on its US-facing business, where it now hosts upwards of 200 reviews for licensed casino brands that operate in legal igaming states across the US. With a portfolio of partner sites covering bingo, poker and sports betting, the affiliate currently provides access to more than 6,800 casino bonuses – more than 1,000 of which are LCB exclusives – making it one of the farthest-reaching comparison portals on the internet. Despite its vast coverage, LCB has been tight-lipped over its future plans, while there is little in the way of M&A to report for this year’s rankings.

23. Checkd Group (22)
HQ: UK
Key executive: Jamie Knowlson
Access to financials: Yes

Football-focused affiliate Checkd Group moves down one spot this year having successfully navigated a Covid-19-affected 2020 schedule to make the rankings last year. Boosted by a couple of joint ventures with Sky – including a full rebuild of its popular Sky Sports Fantasy Football platform and the launch of data-led betting tool AccaAssist on Sky Bet – Checkd Group has cemented its status among football fans while building on the two million-strong social media following amassed across Footy Accumulators, The Winners Enclosure and Oddschanger brands. During the ranking period, the firm went some way to delivering on its promise to take America by storm by debuting FlashPicks across the pond. The new site, launched earlier this year, offers free picks, betting offers and sign-up deals with tier-one partners and recorded 28,000 unique users during its first month of operation. Checkd Group’s ongoing success has been further aided by two important hires in the past year, with Michael Scott joining as the company’s new head of organic media and former Rank and Sky Bet advisor Ben Warn stepping up to become Checkd’s non-executive chair to oversee UK operations.

24. TAG Media (*NEW ENTRY*)
HQ: UK
Key executive: Tom Galanis
Access to financials: Yes

2021 was a year of change for TAG Media as it shifted its focus from an igaming marketing company to an affiliate. After having previously overseen the management of Punters Lounge, the acquisition of the affiliate was completed in early 2022. A team of experienced racing pundits and content writers was also appointed, with Elaine Gardiner recently taking over the role of head of client services at TAG Media. The company increased its revenue nearly 10% YoY during the reporting period. Tag Media was another affiliate that has eyed US growth, through its relationship with US-Odds.com which launched in 2019 and generated significant sports betting and DFS FTDs during the NFL season alone.

25. Bojoko (25)
HQ: Malta
Key executive: Joonas Karhu
Access to financials: No

Debuting in last year’s Power Affiliates rankings in the 25th spot off the back of a financially solid year, Bojoko has made further progress in its ongoing mission to elevate the online casino comparison site to a globally recognised brand. To achieve these ambitions, a management reshuffle was initiated with former chief business officer Joonas Karhu stepping up to take the reins at the affiliate and with CEO and co-founder Toni Halonen moving into the newly created role of chief product officer. Having made its first major move into the US by launching in New Jersey in January 2021, Bojoko has expanded its North American footprint this year by acquiring licences in Michigan and West Virginia. Karhu, Bojoko CEO, said: “Both states are showing fast growth with plenty of untapped potential, and we look forward to helping players in each state find the best licensed betting brands from them.”

Ones to Watch:

iGamingNuts
HQ: UK
Key executive: Adam Bielinski

Founded in 2015, iGamingNuts has enjoyed a highly successful year in which with new players registering accounts through its various websites skyrocketed. That success, however, only scratches the surface of how far the affiliate has come in the past 12 months, with revenue of up 47% on last year, EBITDA increased 33% while profit was also at 33%. Now operating a portfolio of brands in 10 countries worldwide – including the market-leading Apostas Legais in Brazil and Poland’s first and only customer review hub, TrustBet – iGamingNuts boasts a five-figure-strong social media following and the backing of top tier bookmakers like Unibet and bet365. With future plans to solidify its position in current markets, expand into new ones and develop artificial intelligence to further streamline its products, the team behind iGamingNuts clearly won’t be resting on their laurels for the rest of 2022 and may well prove to be one of the companies to look out for when we compile next year’s rankings.

iBet Digital
HQ: UK
Key executive: Lloyd Richman

As a “One to Watch” entry, iBet Digital takes a deserved bow on the big stage having already picked up the gong for affiliate rising star at the EGR Operator Awards 2021. In truth, it’s been a fairly meteoric rise for the socially responsible affiliate site, which already works with over 500 online casinos and sportsbooks worldwide despite only being founded in September 2019. Indeed, the demand for new brands to be added to iBet Digital has been so much greater than the company anticipated that it now has a waiting list of over 100 firms seeking to join the ride. Far from just being a leading affiliate site, iBet Digital has also developed a unique user interface that allows customers to search for brands by licence and location. This pioneering piece of innovation proved to be so successful that it’s already been adopted by the likes of Catena Media-owned AskGamblers.com. With iBet Digital drawing traffic from well over 100 geographies and tens of thousands of users every month, the company has been able to invest more revenue in building its team and expanding its global reach, meaning there’s certainly plenty more to come from the group in 2022 and beyond.