When did you first become involved in operating a gambling portal site?

**MichaelCorfman** · 25 April 2007, 9:53 am

Some of us have been operating gambling portal sites for a long time, and some of us started in the fairly recent past. I thought it would be interesting to find out how long ago different members first got involved with gaming portal sites.

Michael

**SportsBookie** · 25 April 2007, 10:23 am

I started early 2000 with a gambling oriented forum, concentrating on soccer betting. After about 3 years managing it I lost interest and passed the management to a friend of mine. I restarted my interest with my current portal beginning of 2006

**MichaelCorfman** · 25 April 2007, 12:37 pm

I think our CasinoCity.com site might be the oldest gaming portal site on the web – it was launched in 1995. At the time it just covered land-based gaming since online gaming didn't exist yet. Initially it was just a demonstration site for our web development consulting business, and there was no associated revenue. It was more of a labor of love that got some attention when it could be afforded.

Back in the 1995 to 1998 timeframe there was not really any way to make money doing this, since neither online advertising nor online casinos even existed at the beginning, and then grew only gradually at first. Casino City did become very popular however, and once advertising and online gaming emerged on the Internet we actually began to generate some revenue for our efforts. Things were very different in the early days - The first online advertisement we ran was for Casino Forture, and it generated over a 25% click rate, and campaigns at a $50 CPM rate were common.

I think it would be interesting if folks who respond to this poll also add some related background information.

Michael

**Doolally** · 25 April 2007, 5:09 pm

My first site was registered and put online in 2001. In some respects it seems ages ago, in others just a blink.

So much has changed since then but it's been a helluva ride!

**Nandakishore** · 25 April 2007, 6:29 pm

Having started last year only, I feel very fortunate to be in communication with you guys having so many years of experience.

Nandakishore
Online Casino Newsroom

**matted** · 25 April 2007, 9:30 pm

I guess I'm one of the older-hats when it comes to this biz... I created my first site starting sometime in 1999... Although I think it was 2000 before I got the domain name and started promoting the few aff programs that were out there (casino coins and Gameday affiliates).

**Paolino** · 26 April 2007, 4:46 am

I started to promote online casinos in 2000 placing some banners in my emulators website, then in 2001 i bought my first domain and started in 2002 with my own portal.

**aksana** · 26 April 2007, 5:51 am

My friend told me about online gambling in 2005 and I seriously started to work. It was one year of hard work and without revenue but I liked my business and worked with a great pleasure, now I'm very glad with my site (thanks to my friend).

**helpyou** · 26 April 2007, 2:31 pm

Micheal Corfman : I don't know but it is very nice to publicate on website all the different layouts that the website have had http://casinocity.com/ .

it is very nice to add on hompage the link ( History of Casinocity ).

What do you think Micheal Corfman ?

[this is nice suugesst not only for CorfMan but for all people that are old in this field with your portals ]

**Don** · 26 April 2007, 3:54 pm

One thing leads to another. I started looking for info on slots in about 2002 and soon found a sight that had info about something called casino affiliate marketing, and also generously offered info on how to get started as an affiliate. Well, since the idea appealed to me of making money with a website, and with something like gambling which I enjoyed doing, I followed the trail.

My first domain and website were launched in 2002. At some point in my research I found this forum.

**bb1web** · 26 April 2007, 5:02 pm

I guess I'm one of the older-hats when it comes to this biz... I created my first site starting sometime in 1999... Although I think it was 2000 before I got the domain name and started promoting the few aff programs that were out there (casino coins and Gameday affiliates).

very closely related. I bought a domain that was to cover my family business and it soon became apparent it was too early for that industry to be online.

that domain without traffic ..... and i began to look into what DID make money. of course . ...... porn was the thing.

I did a few free porn sites and made some money. did it a while longer .... and then my son got old enough to get online and I didn't want him finding out so I foolishly let the domains expire instead of selling them ... and by then had the savvy to do homework online as to what else actually made money.

there were two real choices. what i'd just left . and gambling.

I changed the family business domain to being a gambling banner farm and began PPC campaigns. didn't make squat for a long time .. then had the idea to sign up at a few casinos I was promoting .... and got credit. then got smarter and paid someone else to sign up .... and didn't get credit. they were all thieves.

most were boss casinos ..... sands ( would never recommend them) ... a few others that all were basically thieves.... finally landed my first big player which earned me 5 figures in the first month ..... with quicksilver casino. never saw a dime but was relentless .... even took out PPC campaigns warning people away from it.

I saw that casino die and hope i was a big part of it.

It was then I learned the importance of sending testers ... that majority of programs are cheats, liars .... even though they make so much money..... apparently its never enough.

there are IMO very few worthy programs. I warn everyone to consider this the next time you check your stats and aren't making money when the casinos next to it are.

better to offer 2 casinos that make money. ....... than 200 that don't. take that to the bank!

anyway ..... after learning this ....... I bought my first real gambling related domain .... not knowing at the time my orginal domain was probably best for PPC campaigns same as godaddy is excellent for domain names. if you're not doing SEO .... branding is everything. whoever came up with godaddy was a genius. theres little chance of it being mis-spelled ..... mistaken for any other domain name.

in the beginning i didn't bother to track very well and still can't tell you which site(s) made the money in the begining. I was all about marketing and have blown away people with fancy websites ... that know all the scripts, techno bs .... with my simple marketing and writing approach. I know this because I read about them complaining about bad income while i do very well.

its much tougher now. Thank God I learned earlier on to dump non-producing sponsors ..... that is what has kept me going these times when its very hard to advertise PPC ..... because I still get residual income from players signed early on.....

my very best advice is cut back to quality sponsors that will support you thru hard times.

good luck all.

**villa10** · 26 April 2007, 6:09 pm

I started my site on december 2005, but I am online since 2000 in the health related industry.
In some way I see this biz as an investment (not a living).
My guess is that there's still some room to turn a site profitable.

**kenonut** · 28 April 2007, 2:11 am

When I first learned of online gambling, I started playing at some of the first casinos like The Sands and Planet Luck. That was around 1996-1997. Then after learning you could make money being an affiliate promoting these sites, I signed up for a couple of programs. I think Planet Luck might have been my 1st. During that time before all of the credit card rejections and bans, I was doing very well with the just the few programs and I only had a free site. I started seriously promoting online casinos I believe around 2000 when I registered my first domain and started promoting several different programs and have expanded from there.

**Webzcas** · 28 April 2007, 9:25 am

My first gambling portal was registered and started in August 2004 and is still going strong today.

**WinYourWayKyle** · 28 April 2007, 10:51 pm

I actually started my online gaming affiliate marketing when I was back in College, and I found it to be a great way to pay for my college, which it indeed did. I am glad to be part of the online gaming industry, and love the work that I do. I also have my own production company which specializes in video production, which is what I went to school for, so I get the best of both worlds.

**casinoranking** · 29 April 2007, 3:36 pm

That is great that you are in the indy film industry. Does Liquid Silver Productions have a website? I could not find it.

**ck8795** · 1 May 2007, 10:38 am

LOL It's actually ironic for me. I have been members of different leagues and forums...active member and I decided to create one myself exactly 7 days to the US handing down the bill for the UIGEA. Talk about wrong timing

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