We catch up with the general manager of this ambitious startup programme to find out more about the entrepreneurial spirit behind the business, where affiliation fits into the founding team’s wider designs on igaming and the cultural touchpoints he turns to for inspiration.
How did you come to be working as an affiliate manager in igaming?
Having worked with several private equity funds in the last few years, I had the chance to see the most promising markets through their eyes. Igaming is one of them and, in my opinion, the most exciting one! It is an interdisciplinary space that combines tech business with entertainment and creativity. That's the main reason we got inspired and created the project of Pal Gaming and Pal Affiliates.
Explain what you do on an average day in 15 words or less...
Setting up goals, creating the roadmap to achieve them, monitoring the process, evaluating their outcome.
Which aspects of your job make you want to jump out of bed in the morning?
Constant learning and problem solving in creative ways keep me engaged. Also my colleagues motivate me and provide me with the energy to go a step further. In our field, there is no routine, every day is a new challenge with high rewards.
In our field, there is no routine, every day is a new challenge with high rewards
Where are you based for work?
We are based in the vibrant city of Athens, in the heart of its lively downtown.
Which one thing do you wish you had known before embarking on a career as an affiliate manager that would have allowed you to have reached your goals more quickly?
As I am coming from an engineering background, I wish I had a deeper understanding of the technical aspect of the digital marketing ecosystem, such as SEO architecture and tracking technology.
Is it becoming easier or harder to find strong affiliates to work with, and what do you see as the main factors or reasons behind this?
It really depends on the people that you work with. There are people in the industry that havebuilt strong networks of reliable affiliates whereas there are several syndicates that aim for short-term profit. The industry is vast and there are many opportunities as a result to attract all types of people.
What one thing would you change about the industry that would instantly improve your work life?
I would advocate for greater regulatory clarity and consistency in the online gambling industry. Clear and consistent regulations would provide a stable operating environment, reducing uncertainty and would enable us to focus more on innovation and product development. It would also foster trust among stakeholders, including players, operators, and regulators, ultimately benefiting the entire ecosystem. Specifically, it concerns me that the EU countries have not yet managed to design and implement an efficient framework that would be applicable across all the markets.
There is no shortage of options for high quality affiliates when it comes to choosing where they send their traffic. Why should they start working with Pal?
Pal Affiliates is a part of our igaming project, where we do almost everything in-house. That said, our costs are lower than the wider market, which means that we have the space to offer higher margins to our partner affiliates. Moreover, according to our five-year strategy plan, we are planning to grow our investments exponentially in the next few years and launch and acquire additional brands across the world. Pal Affiliates was created for this reason, it is the network and the acquisition marketing arm which enables us to help us build strong and lost-lasting partnerships. Lastly, we are open to our partners’ feedback and able to adapt our product accordingly when needed.
Mobile gaming and social media have changed the acquisition landscape over the last 10 years. What do you think the next big shift/opportunity will be
Crypto casinos have already made a strong statement in the last few years, and I expect them to grow even further in the future.
We are planning to grow our investments exponentially in the next few years
Tell us something most people don’t know about you or would be surprised to learn.
In addition to my role in Pal Gaming, I am involved with many other startup endeavours and businesses that are progressing at the moment.
What makes you happy?
Watching our vision flourish and become a reality together with my partners and colleagues.
What book, move or TV show do you find yourself coming back to time and time again, and why?
There are many books and films that have inspired me from time to time; novels, documentaries, biographies, history, politics, comedies and much more. I love to get back to reading or watching those that are related to my mood in order to conceive new ideas or just relax. Some of my favourite movies are The Godfather, Kingdom of Heaven and I read tonnes of history books.
Where can affiliates find you online?
They can find us on our website palaffiliates.com, on our company’s and personal social media, including LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X. Also on Skype.