Ethical Marketing in iGaming: A Guide for Affiliates

## Ethical Marketing in the Gaming Sector

“Corporate citizenship shouldn’t be exclusive to wagering platforms,” states Darren Hall from bet72.com. He alludes to the Senet Group, an autonomous organization established in 2014 by four prominent UK gaming giants – William Hill, Ladbrokes, Coral, and Paddy Power. Their core message? “Cease when the enjoyment ends.” This project emerged as a direct response to public apprehensions regarding gaming, especially its promotional activities.

The message is straightforward yet impactful. It underscores that fundamentally, gaming should be a pleasurable pastime for willing participants. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to recognize that for a segment of individuals, gaming can escalate into a significant problem, affecting not only the person but also their loved ones. Therefore, while all stakeholders in the gaming industry aim for expansion and a greater market share, everyone – including affiliate partners – bears the responsibility to establish and uphold a structure of ethical conduct with user safeguards as its foundation.

Sector-wide regulations and benchmarks are vital for safeguarding all parties involved. Yet, for any market to flourish, a certain level of autonomy is necessary for its development and evolution. However, with autonomy comes the obligation of self-governance.

The entire sector is under scrutiny currently, with everybody from governing bodies to citizens observing their each action. Maintaining prudence regarding product and service promotion is more critical than ever for affiliate marketers. Prioritizing social responsibility is paramount for enduring triumph.

The simplicity of reaching individuals today is astonishing. We possess a vast array of advertising avenues, and nearly everyone owns a smartphone. The allure of prioritizing immediate gains—prompting clicks and conversions—is strong. However, a long-term perspective is essential. Quality supersedes quantity in importance now more than ever.

The industry lacks clearly defined ethical marketing guidelines, leaving it to us to discern the right course of action. Establishing and adhering to personal standards is crucial. This entails considering ethical behavior, responsible advertising practices, and compliance with all applicable laws.

These principles center around maintaining moral and impactful advertising practices. Legal compliance is a given, but it also boils down to ethical conduct: safeguarding susceptible individuals and ensuring your promotional efforts target the appropriate demographic – those genuinely engaged by your offerings.

Honesty lies at the core. All content you disseminate – be it on your webpage, electronic communications, applications, social platforms, or elsewhere – should empower your viewership to make well-informed choices. A saying I encountered emphasized that the cardinal rule of affiliate marketing is to “enlighten, not exploit.” Embrace this principle. While it’s tempting to indiscriminately broadcast every offer and product, hoping for swift profits, such an approach lacks foresight.

Consider a company like Bet72 (that’s us!). We could easily just promote every gambling opportunity available. However, that’s not our approach. We prioritize quality over quantity. We meticulously choose partners we deem trustworthy and reliable, cultivating robust relationships that enable us to discuss their offerings with genuine credibility. This way, our users receive the necessary information to make optimal choices for themselves.

For a considerable period, we’ve been lucky to cultivate a dedicated clientele that places confidence in us and the data we deliver. This has allowed us to establish a solid standing over time. Naturally, we remain committed to promoting ourselves through advertising and marketing endeavors, both directly and indirectly. However, these communications now resonate with greater impact, primarily due to the ethical principles we’ve upheld and continue to uphold as an organization.

Presently, everyone, including our collaborators, has a limited sphere of control. Regrettably, there are still actors in the field who are quick to criticize us while disregarding their own dubious practices. Consider the unfavorable news stories that have plagued the sector in recent months and even years – controversies involving fixed-odds betting terminals, challenges related to problem gambling, and some genuinely appalling customer service encounters, to cite a few examples. This negativity casts a pall over the entire industry.

For instance, recall the events involving TGP Holdings and their operators following the Cheltenham Festival. Patrons had their accounts suspended and funds withheld without prior notice, and the online platforms fell completely silent while they purportedly investigated allegations of bonus misuse and multiple account operation. It was a debacle, particularly for their associates.

This entire predicament even garnered national media attention, with headlines such as:

At the Cheltenham Races, numerous accounts surfaced of oddsmakers refusing to pay out thousands of pounds in earnings and freezing accounts. Understandably, this ignited anger among gamblers, who felt deceived and swindled.

This circumstance underscores the value for affiliate marketers of cultivating a robust community and nurturing brand allegiance. When you possess a trusting bond with your viewership, they are more inclined to perceive you as a dependable provider of knowledge and assistance, even amidst industry disputes. You can utilize this trust to alleviate apprehensions, present resolutions, and uphold openness during difficult circumstances.

It’s also vital for affiliate marketers to remain abreast of industry shifts and engage with entities like the Senet Group. By cooperating and collaborating with philanthropic groups and socially responsible businesses, we can advocate for ethical gambling habits and guarantee a more equitable, more open betting landscape for all.

In the future, it’s crucial to remember that each client has options. Whether they were with us in the past, are with us currently, or could be with us down the line – grasping their motivations for choosing is paramount. Undoubtedly, some individuals will consistently pursue the most budget-friendly option, but those people are unpredictable. They aren’t cultivating loyalty, so honestly, they aren’t as important to any company over time. The clients who hold significance, the ones who can transform into genuine collaborators, seek something additional. They desire to engage with enterprises they can rely on, enterprises that provide top-notch goods and services, and enterprises that represent something impactful.

This is precisely why positioning social responsibility as the core of all our actions isn’t merely the ethical course of action, it’s the strategic one. It’s the method by which we establish an enterprise designed for enduring success.