Direct vs. Agency: Which Affiliate Program Should I Choose?

[CASINO GOD]

Hi. After setting up my website, I received direct affiliate program offers from several casino companies. I had been considering joining an affiliate program through an agency, but now I'm torn between the two options.
Are there pros and cons to accepting a direct offer versus going through an agency? I'd appreciate insights from those with experience on which option you would choose. Thank you in advance.

[universal4]

Dealing with an "agency" makes them a third party between you and the affiliate program.

There are hundreds of examples scattered throughout the GPWA over the years where "agencies" canceled or reduced deals because a small number of affiliates did not follow the rules or terms of the affiliate program. This then jeopardizes or cancels the deal that the "agency" has with the affiliate program.

You and other affiliates might follow the terms of the "agency" to the letter of the law, but what if a few others do not.

If you deal directly with the affiliate program, and follow their terms, no other affiliate breaking terms can affect you.

If the "agency" ever experiences a payment issue from the affiliate program, they may decide not to pay you, since they did not get paid from said program. At that point you can not go to the affiliate program and request payment, since their agreement is not with you, it is with the "agency".

Yes, there are times that the affiliate programs may go rogue, and may withhold payments etc etc, and in those cases difficulties arise, but the fact that there is a third party "agency" between you and the affiliate programs complicates such times even more.

IMO, going direct is almost always the answer, with few exceptions.

Rick
Universal4

[dannyx]

Rick has practically exhausted the topic

I'll just add an example from myself

You are in 5 affiliate programs, 1 turns out to be a scam, you are always left with 4 honest ones and you can quietly look for a new casino to promote

You have one agency account with multiple casinos.
The problem can cause you to lose your player base from all casinos/brokers and cause already serious damage.

[PaulEchere]

Same as the guys already said - go with direct brand cooperation vs agencies for sure.

[CASINO GOD]

Hello everyone,

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for the invaluable advice regarding the agency agreements. Your professional opinions and insights have been extremely enlightening for me. Your kindness and willingness to share your expertise have not gone unnoticed. I'm genuinely grateful to be a part of such a knowledgeable and supportive community.

[Wannas]

in my opinion choosing a direct affiliate program over an agency can offer more control, transparency, and potentially higher rewards for your efforts. When you work directly with the company or brand as an affiliate, you establish a direct relationship

[Mattbar]

Agencies can seem attractive as it saves the hassle of having lots of accounts but the risks far outweigh the rewards. As others have said they are a middle man and the more people you have between you and the program the more points of failure there are.

It is worth spending the extra time setting up accounts directly and monitoring them individually.

[JazzLyn]

My opinion is going with direct brand cooperation, like igaming provider, you will have more authority, own your platform revenue. And your player base belong to you, and will not be taken away by any provider.
you can prefer some igaming provider like: ug, bgaming, evolution, ect.

[NoDepositCasinos]

I prefer 100% direct work with the affiliate programs. In my opinion, the more people involved, the more chances something might go wrong. Working directly with each program, although it can be more time-consuming at times, allows you to build a kind of safety net. If something goes wrong with one program (they close, engage in fraudulent activities, delay payments, or anything else – take a look at the unethical behaviours subforum to see how common this is), you can continue working with the others without your business being too affected.

Furthermore, direct brand cooperation helps you to learn more and build relationships that can be very valuable in the future.