In the final part of our past winner interview series, Šimon Vincze reflects on Casino Guru’s journey in developing responsible gambling initiatives, the impact of winning at the iGB Affiliate Awards and why it’s time for the wider industry to step up and get involved.
Safer Gambling Initiative winner Casino Guru’s (below) Šimon Vincze used to work in the events industry as a conference producer, until COVID lockdowns brought the sector to a standstill. On the hunt for a new job, he came across a mysterious listing for a “project manager for exciting global opportunities”.
Out of curiosity, Vincze sent his CV and landed an interview with the affiliate, who gave him a crash course on igaming and player protection. Intrigued by the chance to improve the industry’s approach to social responsibility, he accepted the job as Casino Guru’s responsible gambling projects manager, later becoming head of sustainable and safer gambling in 2022.
Sisyphus’ uphill battle
Founded by online casino game developers Jan Kovac and Lukas Balaz, Casino Guru joined the igaming affiliate space in 2016, a time when “misinformation and lack of knowledge about online gambling were widespread”, as Vincze describes. Since the beginning, the affiliate’s core mission has been “bringing more fairness and transparency” to players.
When we started, a lot of companies looked at us with suspicion
As the company grew, Kovac and Balaz realised they had an even bigger ambition: to influence the wider industry’s consumer protection practices beyond simply providing honest reviews on the site. Vincze currently oversees two long-term projects – the Global Self-Exclusion Initiative to safeguard vulnerable players, and the Casino Guru Academy to guide igaming professionals in building sustainable gambling products.
Reflecting on his five-year journey with the affiliate, Vincze compares his work to “Sisyphus pushing the rock uphill”. Though his team has achieved impressive results, including partnerships with organisations like BetBlocker, he believes the initiatives still need “more technology progress” and “a change in mindset from others in the industry”.
“When we started, a lot of companies looked at us with suspicion. Even now, responsible gambling isn’t high on the priority list for many affiliates,” he says. “But things are slowly changing. Regulations and trends now push operators to focus on safer gambling, so they might start to prefer affiliates who are more aligned with those values.”
Players feel like if they engage with responsible gambling campaigns, something’s wrong with them, and that “normal” players don’t need to bother
It’s tricky to convince players, too. According to Vincze, traditional responsible gambling messages can feel stigmatising, as they imply “something’s wrong with them, and that ‘normal’ players don’t need to bother”. The goal of Casino Guru is to make safer gambling a natural part of the fun.
“For example, we built a widget that nudges players to take part in a risk assessment game, which calculates how risky their behaviour is based on their decisions and gives them feedback. Responsible gambling needs to feel like part of the experience, not the opposite of it,” Vincze explains.
Back then, it was the only award category focused on safer gambling and harm reduction
The one and only award
Casino Guru entered the Safer Gambling Initiatives award for the first time in 2023, the same year the category was introduced. As the only award recognising this area back then, Vincze says it “naturally aligns” with the affiliate’s focus.
“I think it’s a great motivation for affiliate companies to have their efforts recognised. Because honestly, you might not get much direct feedback from players or commercial benefit from your responsible gambling work,” he says.
“So for us, it was a chance to get the work we’re doing recognised. But more importantly, the award offers a way to influence others to push the player protection agenda further among affiliates.”
The award offers a way to influence others to push the player protection agenda further among affiliates
Vincze and his team have claimed the award two years in a row. The wins, he says, have helped boost the number of collaborations they’re involved in and eased the initial suspicion they faced from others in the industry. Since the last award, they’ve managed to involve five times more players in the Safer Gambling Week campaign and are on track to publish a research paper for the Global Self-Exclusion Initiative this May.
“Over time, and thanks to the recognition from the awards, I think we’ve proven ourselves. It opened doors and helped us have a bigger impact with our projects. It’s a source of motivation for the team as well.”
The more shortlisted companies we have, the stronger the positive influence
Invest for the future
Vincze’s big plan for this year is to expand how Casino Guru evaluates casinos, specifically by looking at their responsible gambling features. While their safety index already covers fairness, terms and conditions and overall reputation, the new layer will evaluate how well each casino supports player protection.
“For example, we will look at things like what limits are offered and whether the casino allows self-exclusion via the account or only by email. These are important details for players who want to protect themselves,” he explains.
Attending this year’s iGB Affiliate Awards is also on his agenda. The Casino Guru team has submitted two entries: one for Safer Gambling Initiatives of the Year and the other for Best Casino Affiliate. Seeing responsible gambling as essential to the industry’s future, Vincze doesn’t view the award as a cut-throat competition, but as an opportunity to share ideas and evolve together. He encourages other affiliates to join the contest.
The expectations around safer gambling are only going forward, not backward
“The more shortlisted companies we have, the stronger the positive influence. The best thing that could happen for player protection is for more affiliates to see it as something important to focus on,” he says.
“I’d also like to encourage those who aren’t currently involved in safer gambling to reconsider. Even if it doesn’t seem like something that brings revenue right now, I can assure them it’s a great investment for the future. The expectations around safer gambling are only going forward, not backward.”
For more information on the judging process and submission advice, please visit the official awards page, and don’t forget to check out tips from Simon Pilkington, Katty Stafford, Sarafina Wolde Gabriel and internal judging lead Stephen Carter on creating a standout entry.