Affiliate Interview Series - Travis G.

[GPWA Daniel]

(This interview was originally published in the July 2025 issue of the GPWA Times Magazine.)

You’ve been a GPWA member since 2008, and you have been in the affiliate marketing business for nearly 20 years. How have you managed to survive and prosper in an industry that has experienced so many ups and downs over the last two decades?
I was lucky to have success in the beginning and was able to attract a few good players right from the start. In doing so, I was able to receive enough revenue to survive giving me time to dig into SEO and other best practices, which allowed me to further build my player base. As far as surviving for 20 years, it's a matter of due diligence and taking the time to keep up with the changes in Google and other SEO best practices.

Is your iGaming affiliate business still your main source of income? How has your business model changed over the years?
Yes, this is my main source of income. I don't know that my overall business model has changed because it’s always changing, due to legislation, competition, and changes with Google algorithm, to name a few. What worked 20 years ago doesn't work today.

When we last interviewed you in 2011, you were primarily focused on poker and casino games. How has the legalization and regulation of online casinos in the U.S. since then changed your perspective and business strategy?
Since the last interview, I quickly realized how lucrative the casino business is. I started to promote online casinos, which is now my main focus. As far as legalization and regulation of online casinos in the U.S., personally I do not feel like it has hurt my business and may have even helped. State regulated brands have advertised so heavily that it's generated more awareness to the ability to play online.

If a potential player lives in a state where it is not regulated, they may look for an offshore casino. In the states where it is regulated, some players still like the tax benefits of offshore.

You now run several U.S.-focused portals like US Casino Report and USA Legal Casinos. Was that a direct response to regulatory shifts, or were those always part of the long game?
No, it was not a response to regulatory shifts. My target market was always the U.S. I have owned both of these mentioned portals since the beginning, as well as several other U.S.-focused domains.

How do you keep up with the changing patchwork of state-by-state legislation in the U.S.? Do you localize your content?
I do not concern myself with state-by-state legislation because I do not promote any of the state regulated gaming sites. When states first started to regulate gaming, I did look into promoting some of the regulated brands however they would not partner with affiliates who also promoted non-regulated brands. As a result, I just continued to focus on offshore brands.

With the explosion of sports betting, have you considered expanding your portfolio beyond poker, casino, and bingo to include sports betting-focused sites?
No, at this point I am satisfied with the number of portals I currently have. Also, with sports betting, I feel like you must have a lot of information on your website relating to current sporting events. Being a "one-man show," I would rather continue to focus on casino and poker as that alone keeps me pretty busy.

In your 2011 interview, you said you were just learning SEO. Now, more than a decade later, how has your SEO philosophy evolved?
My SEO philosophy has evolved into being pretty simple. For the most part, I try to build a website which I myself would find informative and would visit. I have been a gambler just about my entire life so fortunately I understand (hopefully) what other players are looking for.

One change from 20 years ago is social media. I believe you have to have a presence in the big social media platforms to be successful.

How do you approach social media as a gaming affiliate — are there specific platforms or strategies you’ve found most effective for driving traffic or building trust with your audience?
I am not as active on social media as I wish I could be. Without having someone dedicated to it anymore, I manage it myself so mainly just stick to the big ones, FB, X, Pinterest. I just continue to try to build a legitimate following as it is such a big part of daily life for so many people, the search engines have to value it. I focus on content, but social is the next biggest part of my time spend.

Google’s algorithm has become more sophisticated, and affiliate sites have faced increasing scrutiny. How do you make sure your sites stay compliant and competitive today?
To stay compliant you need to research Google guidelines. As far as staying competitive, I can't give away all my secrets (Laughs).

Are you still writing your own content, or do you work with freelancers or AI tools now?
Quality content has always been a very important aspect. I have built every website in my network myself top to bottom, with only a few graphics outsourced. Through the years I have from time-to-time employed freelancers to write blog posts and/or news articles but have never outsourced main content.

What have you found to be the most effective content formats for conversion — reviews, guides, bonus pages, comparison tables, videos, or something else?
It is a combination of reviews and bonus pages.

What makes a good affiliate manager in 2025? How do you choose which affiliate programs to work with?
A good affiliate manager is someone who truly wants to partner with you and understands they are only as good as you are. Throughout the years, I've worked with good and bad affiliate managers.

With that said, I have always had affiliate managers review the information on my websites pertaining to their brand. The good ones, of course, provide constructive feedback, are responsive, and most importantly, pay on-time.

What’s one thing you believed back in 2011 about the affiliate business that turned out to be totally wrong?
Initially I thought building a website and putting some banners up was enough to gain new players. We all now know how much work goes into keeping your website relevant and the need to continually update information and implementing new SEO strategies as they arise.

For someone launching their first US-focused affiliate site in today's hyper-competitive and highly regulated environment, what invaluable advice would you offer to help them navigate the challenges and seize opportunities?
If you don't live in the U.S., I believe it would be very difficult to launch a U.S.-facing website. If you do live in the U.S., I would give much thought into promoting the state regulated brands because at some point, if not all states regulate it, the majority will.

How do you recharge and find balance outside of your demanding professional life? Are there any personal hobbies or interests you'd like to share with our readers?
With any successful career, the work life balance is always a struggle. Personally, I take blocks of time throughout the week where I step away from work (email/websites) completely.

If a fellow iGaming aficionado had just 24 hours to experience your city, where would you take them to capture the essence of your local culture and hotspots?
I live in a small town of roughly 30,000 people. With that said, there is not much to do in my hometown, however, Washington, D.C. and New York City are within driving distance.

List three things that people reading this magazine don't know about you.

1. Horse racing is one of my favorite pastimes (No, I have no plans of starting a thoroughbred website as it would be a huge amount of work to keep the website updated with daily races from many tracks).
2. While I promote online casinos and online slots, I rarely play slots either online or at brick and mortar casinos.
3. I can't think of anything else. I am pretty much an open book, sometimes too open.

[eenzoo]

I hope those payment problems could be fixed before showcasing him?

https://www.gpwa.org/forum/does-anyo...uy-257773.html

[NoDepositCasinos]

I enjoy these interviews. There are a several things I liked about this one: acknowledging the value of hard work while also recognizing the role of a bit of luck; offering at least one positive take on regulation (which I, personally, usually associate with headaches); and stressing the importance of not biting off more than we can chew, but instead focusing on what’s already working.

It’s fantastic to hear from someone with that much experience in the industry; I wish him many more years of success.

Edit: Pending payments from 2021? It would be good to address what happened, especially considering that there are people involved who participate in this forum.

[Juan Roman]

I hope those payment problems could be fixed before showcasing him?

https://www.gpwa.org/forum/does-anyo...uy-257773.html

I am still owed money by this guy. He never reached out to settle his debt.