Traffic Cardinal
wrote June 08, 2026
Traffic Cardinal
wrote June 08, 2026
Most iGaming affiliates know the frustration: identical lobbies, interchangeable bonuses, and operators who vanish the moment a payment issue arises. In the first part of our exclusive interview, Brendon Spiteri, Head of Commercial at Routy, cuts through the noise to redefine what a “strong brand” actually means in 2026.
Brendon reveals why silence from an operator is your biggest enemy, which retention mechanics are now so powerful no one talks about them publicly, and whether safe exits from grey markets are a myth or a reality. This one’s surely for you.
Brendon is a seasoned iGaming and affiliate marketing professional with over eight years of experience in digital marketing, traffic acquisition, and business development within the online gaming ecosystem.
Currently Head of Commercial at Routy, a BI-driven software platform that helps iGaming affiliates better understand and monetize their traffic. In his role, Brendon leads commercial strategy, sales pipeline development, partnerships and marketing initiatives to support affiliate growth and industry adoption.
iGaming Branding
What does a "strong brand" actually mean for an iGaming affiliate, when most operators' products look and feel mechanically identical?
For an affiliate, a strong brand is one that consistently maintains payments to its affiliate partners and communicates proactively about any issues that may impact performance. This includes raising concerns about disabled payment methods, operator-related issues, or other factors that could negatively affect traffic conversions.
A strong brand should also provide transparency regarding fluctuations in performance, such as removing First Time Depositors (FTDs), and clearly explain the reasons behind reduced monthly numbers.
Open communication and data transparency are key to building a strong, long-term relationship between both parties, fostering trust and enabling more effective collaboration.
Which retention mechanics have completely stopped working in 2026, and which on the contrary have become so effective that people don't share them in public case studies?
One retention mechanic that is no longer viewed as particularly unique is the VIP program. In the past, only a select number of operators offered dedicated VIP schemes, which gave them a strong competitive advantage. Today, however, almost every brand has a VIP program, removing much of the exclusivity and differentiation they once provided.
On the other hand, the retention strategies that are delivering the strongest results today are rarely discussed publicly. The focus has shifted away from traditional methods such as reload bonuses or simple "log in X times to receive a reward" campaigns. Instead, operators are becoming increasingly data-driven, analysing player behaviour patterns such as login frequency and timing, withdrawal behaviour, deposit habits, game preferences, session duration, and other account-level data points.
The introduction of AI has significantly enhanced these capabilities, allowing operators to build sophisticated customer journeys based on multiple behavioural indicators. This enables brands to better identify retention opportunities, predict churn before it happens, and even detect potential high-value players early in their lifecycle. As a result, modern retention strategies are becoming far more personalised, proactive, and effective than the traditional bonus-led approaches that dominated the industry in previous years.
What is more valuable for an iGaming brand in 2026: a broad, recognizable name among the mass audience, or a narrow, almost cult-like community built around a specific type of game?
With so many brands entering and exiting the industry, building a strong player community has become more important than ever. Establishing trust and loyalty with players should be a key focus for any operator, as long-term relationships are often more valuable than short-term acquisition gains.
This involves actively engaging with players, listening to their feedback, and demonstrating that their opinions are valued. Equally important is delivering a reliable user experience, particularly when it comes to payments. Fast, efficient deposits and withdrawals help build trust and confidence in the brand, reinforcing player loyalty over time.
Operators that combine strong community engagement with a tailored customer experience are far more likely to retain players and differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market.
Regulation
Does a real, non-hypothetical safe exit from the grey position exist for an affiliate who gets 80% of their income from grey hat regions?
Based on the way many white-market jurisdictions are regulated, I do not believe an affiliate can operate exclusively within regulated markets while maintaining the same revenue levels they achieve today. Regulation is necessary and plays an important role in protecting consumers and ensuring industry standards are met.
However, I believe some regulatory measures can have unintended consequences. When restrictions become too severe, they can negatively impact both operators and affiliates without necessarily improving player protection. In some cases, excessive regulation may push players toward grey-market or even black-market operators that offer fewer restrictions, ultimately reducing the effectiveness of the regulatory framework.
The challenge is finding the right balance between consumer protection and maintaining a competitive, sustainable market that keeps players within regulated environments rather than encouraging them to seek alternatives elsewhere.
Everyone says to go to regulated markets. But in some legal jurisdictions, the effective tax rate reaches 50%, and bonus bans kill classic affiliate funnels. Which regulated market right now is objectively more affiliate-friendly than any grey zone, and why is no one talking about it?
Historically, one of the main reasons affiliates focused on white markets was the stability they provided in an industry that can fluctuate significantly from week to week, or even day to day. Regulated markets offered a more predictable operating environment, stronger payment security, and greater long-term business sustainability.
However, as regulation continues to evolve, there are now jurisdictions where it has become increasingly difficult for affiliates to remain commercially viable while operating exclusively within the white market. In some cases, the restrictions imposed have reduced profitability to a level that makes growth challenging without exposure to grey-market traffic as well.
From my perspective, the direction of certain regulatory changes appears less focused on maintaining a healthy and competitive industry and more focused on consolidating market share among a small number of large operators. As a result, the pool of viable white-market operators continues to shrink, with market concentration increasingly centred around a handful of major brands.
Even these larger operators appear to be facing greater challenges than they did prior to the latest waves of regulatory implementation. Rising compliance costs, stricter marketing restrictions, and reduced operational flexibility have created a more difficult environment for both operators and affiliates, raising questions about the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of some regulated markets.
What will happen to the niche in 5-7 years? Is it realistic for operators to move at least half of unlicensed players into the legal field and collect full taxes from them, or are we just watching a redistribution of flows between grey jurisdictions?
I believe that 5–7 years is a very long timeframe to make accurate predictions, especially in an industry where market conditions, regulations, and business models can change significantly within six months or even less.
That said, one trend I can foresee is white-market operators being forced to reduce operational costs by downsizing departments and streamlining resources in order to maintain profitability under increasing regulatory and compliance pressures.
At the same time, grey-market operators may continue to benefit from lower regulatory burdens, allowing them to allocate larger budgets towards customer acquisition. This can result in more competitive CPA deals and higher acquisition budgets for affiliates and publishers, making it increasingly difficult for regulated operators to compete effectively for new player acquisition.
Even if white-market brands shift more of their focus towards internal media buying and in-house acquisition strategies, grey-market operators may still have a significant advantage due to their greater marketing flexibility and larger acquisition budgets. As a result, they could continue to outbid regulated brands across key traffic sources, creating an increasingly challenging environment for white-market operators to attract new customers at scale.
