The Next Affiliate Model: From Traffic Brokers to Player Experience Platforms

Sebastian Jarosch is a German entrepreneur and iGaming professional. His professional involvement in the industry has mostly been focused on the affiliate side of the sector. It is why we have asked him to answer some questions about what the next affiliate model is going to be.

You don’t have to take our word for it. Sebastian Jarosch is the founder of Mithrillium Media Ltd and has won several awards during his iGaming career. Among the most prestigious ones were Programme of the Year Awards awarded by SBC, Affpapa, Casinomeister and EGR.

Sebastian Jarosch is also a judge at SBC, iGB and Sigma. His opinions on the industry carry more weight than your average gambler.

Affiliate platforms are often described as traffic brokers, why is that model no longer sufficient?

Traditionally, affiliate models were focused on generating traffic volume, but operators are increasingly interested in traffic quality, lifetime value, and retention. With rising acquisition costs and tighter regulation, operators seek affiliates that can deliver high-intent players who drive sustainable growth through stronger conversion and consistent long-term engagement.

What does it mean for an affiliate to become a “player experience platform” instead of just an acquisition channel?

To become a player experience platform, affiliates need to deliver more than just traffic by optimizing the player journey through first-party data, content, and personalization. Apart from focusing on acquisition, player experience platforms help drive engagement, retention, and long-term player value.

How are UX, personalization, and interactive tools reshaping the affiliate value proposition?

UX, personalization, and interactive tools enable affiliates to guide their audience toward better decisions. By providing players with a better experience through personalized recommendations and optimized user journeys, affiliates can attract high-quality traffic, achieve higher conversion rates, improve player value, and strengthen retention.

Do you believe affiliates will start competing with operators on product experience rather than just marketing reach?

Affiliates are already competing with operators on product experience to a certain extent by building stronger UX, personalization, and community-driven platforms. Enhanced product experiences enable affiliates to shape perception, manage expectations, and influence how players discover operators.

What role does first-party data play in building richer, more player-centric affiliate platforms?

First party data is crucial for affiliates to understand the user intent, behavior, and preferences in order to optimize the player journey. It enables platforms like Casino Groups to improve relevance and deliver more tailored recommendations, while staying compliant.

How can affiliates innovate without crossing into areas that regulators consider operator territory?

Affiliates can innovate by enhancing comparison tools, education, personalization, and discovery. Focus should be on casino reviews, recommendations and guidance without stepping into operator territory by accepting player deposits and offering casino games.

Are players expecting more advisory-style guidance from affiliates rather than simple rankings and bonus lists?

Players seek help in making better decisions with personalization, comparison tables, and expert recommendations. Advisory-style content builds trust with your audience by positioning affiliates as neutral guides instead of advertisers.

How does technology (AI, predictive modeling, recommendation engines) accelerate this transformation?

AI and recommendation engines enable affiliates to understand player intent, enhance personalization, analyze vast amounts of data, and optimize the user journey. As a result, affiliates can attract higher-quality players, improve conversion and retention, and transition to become true player experience platforms.

Technology turns experience design into a competitive advantage rather than a manual process.

What operational changes must affiliate companies make to support a product-driven model?

To support a product driven model affiliates have to move away from purely media focused acquisition to product and technology led organizations. This change requires directing resources to UX, data, personalization and product teams as well as working closer with operators to optimize player quality and engagement.

Looking ahead, how will the affiliate ecosystem look if player experience becomes the primary competitive advantage?

The affiliate ecosystem will become stronger with higher quality standards and player expectations. Affiliates that invest in experience, personalization, trust, and product will outperform publishers that focus solely on seo and traffic volumes.

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