Affiliate Traffic in Gambling Is Shifting Fast

Dmitriy Belianin, co-founder of Blask, has outlined a sharper view of gambling traffic economics. His core point is simple: many acquisition channels look less like owned growth engines and more like rented access. That matters because platform rules, search changes and account controls can alter performance overnight.

SEO Still Matters, but the Mix Has Changed

Belianin rejects the idea that SEO has disappeared. Search intent still exists, but user journeys are changing direction. He points to visible gains in traffic coming from AI tools such as ChatGPT, alongside referral patterns seen on analytics platforms.

For operators, this changes how SEO value should be measured. Payback can stretch to 10 to 12 months on listing fee and hybrid deals, even on strong sites. Yet this traffic can produce higher-value players and can also support retention when existing users return through relevant review content.

PPC Splits Between Regulated and Offshore Markets

Belianin describes black-hat PPC as effectively finished. In regulated white markets, he sees the opposite. PPC remains one of the strongest acquisition channels, especially in Tier 1 regions and US sweepstakes campaigns, where compliant brands can still drive notable returns at scale.

This split is significant for suppliers and operators. The same channel now behaves very differently depending on market structure, compliance standards and payment tolerance. Performance teams can no longer treat PPC as one global playbook.

Facebook Now Leads Offshore Performance Scale

According to Belianin, Facebook has become the leading scalable performance channel in grey territories. That is not because it expanded dramatically, but because SEO and black-hat PPC lost ground in offshore segments. Volume and predictability now give Facebook a stronger role in the media mix.

He adds that in-house buying can become highly effective when operators secure access to whitelists. Some are targeting 60 per cent first-month payback. That traffic exists, but access is scarce and execution standards are high.

Streamer and In-App Traffic Need Tighter Scrutiny

Belianin is blunt on streamer traffic. He sees it as volatile and too often detached from real commercial performance. For operators, audience size alone is not enough. Payback, player quality and fraud exposure should decide whether the channel deserves budget.

He places in-app traffic at the lower end of the current ranking. It is complex, specialist-led and often works better as part of a broader acquisition mix than as a standalone engine. That makes it useful in selected cases, but difficult to scale cleanly without deep channel expertise.

Why Brand Is Returning to the Centre

Belianin’s wider argument goes beyond channel rankings. He says performance marketing has often been treated as a business model when it is really rented distribution. A platform owner can change rules, restrict access or alter economics with no warning, leaving operators exposed.

That is why his conclusion lands on brand. Brand creates direct audience connection, community and word of mouth. It is slower to build and less visible in weekly reporting, but it is harder for external platforms to switch off. For gambling businesses facing rising acquisition volatility, that balance is becoming commercially essential.

Source: Highroller Telegram

🌐 Source: Highroller Telegram