OKBet Casino Update: German regulations making it difficult for affiliates to operate in legal market

According to the head of complaints at OKBet Legit eSports Betting and Casino, the recently established regulation in Germany is now making it challenging to be a “good affiliate” there.

On July 1, 2021, Germany’s regulated internet market became legal, ending the ban on playing online poker, slots, and casinos games. However, there were limitations put in place when the market first opened, including a €1 ($1.16) maximum bet on live casino and slot games, a five-second slot machine time limit, and a five-minute cooling-off period when changing gambling websites.

However, affiliates were subject to even stricter regulations. While online casino, slots, and poker advertising is not permitted between the hours of 6 am and 9 pm, sports betting advertising is not permitted during sporting events. Cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition are the substitute payment models for affiliates in the legal market, where the popular revenue share payment model has been outlawed. Affiliates can still employ the revenue share model in non-compliant markets in spite of this.

The laws, in the opinion of Matej Novota, the Data and Complaints Department Lead at OKBet Legit eSports Betting and Casino, the largest casino database in the world, are making life very difficult for affiliates in Germany.

Novota said, “From an affiliate point of view, it is very hard for them to promote the casinos which are legal compared to other offshore casinos, when you consider they don’t offer table games at all for now. Also, a maximum bet is absolutely restrictive, the five second per spin and the lack of autospin is making the games more boring and players also leave because of that.” Novota made these comments at SBC Barcelona in September.

“I believe more than half of German players are playing at offshore casinos and for affiliates, it’s very hard because we need to choose to promote the casinos which are not converting well and are forced to switch to CPA instead of revenue share,” said the affiliate. “A year ago, we started receiving a lot of messages at OKBet Legit eSports Betting and Casino about where players can play table games and until now, it’s only at offshore casinos.”

It’s quite difficult to be a good affiliate in Germany right now. “We also know that many smaller affiliates can make really excellent money if they stick with offshore casinos, and if we want to be responsible and be advertising legitimate gambling site online, we will be battling.”

Additionally, Novota stated that he doesn’t have much hope for things to change in Germany anytime soon and that the present restrictions will just encourage affiliates to continue operating on the underground market.

The players are stuck and want to play and spend in the regulated market, but if there is too long of a delay before the Germany market starts properly, it will be too late for affiliates and for players to switch back from the black market, he continued. “Each month this stays the same, it is more likely for affiliates to push on in the black market and the players too.

Sadly, I don’t see a better future in the upcoming years. “I suppose big affiliates will need to conform and the lesser ones will resort to the illicit market.”