KiwiGambler’s Business Model Explained

Online casinos continue to be part of one of the most thriving entertainment industries as the global online gambling market is expected to grow from $73.42 billion in 2021 to $81.08 billion this year at a yearly growth rate of 10.4%, according to the “Online Gambling Global Market Report 2022, By Game Type, Device, Component”. 

This growth is partially thanks to operators resuming their activities and adapting to the new normal while still trying to recover from the corona pandemic, which has led to measures including social distancing, remote working, and the closure of live dealer studios, game studios, and other activities that significantly affected operational challenges. The market is now expected to reach a total of $115.13 billion in 2026. 

The casino industry has been booming ever since the first online casino was launched in 1994 with different stakeholders trying to get the most out of the branch, including a large number of affiliates that operate from all corners of the world. Online casino advertising has turned out to be an extremely profitable way to do business, giving affiliates large revenues if they score well in their markets. As a lot of markets in Europe have been legalised, the surge of new markets has made sure that both affiliates and casinos have shifted their attention to countries like the US, Canada, India, Australia, and New Zealand. 

One of the most sought after online affiliates in New Zealand is KiwiGambler which specialises in finding and promoting offshore casinos for New Zealanders, colloquially known as Kiwis. Known as one of the most experienced websites in New Zealand that promotes safe and secure online operators, KiwiGambler has managed to become a bridge between Europe and Oceania with Malta being one of the most sought after markets as most of their recommended partners reside and hold a licence in Malta. 

New Zealand’s remarkable online casino industry 

Interestingly, online gambling has not yet been legalised in New Zealand, although its government does not prohibit its residents from playing online. While operating online casinos from New Zealand soil is not allowed with the Gambling Act 2003, players are allowed to make their online wager as long as the operating country is located offshore. 

Like in other parts of the world, players from New Zealand and neighbouring Australia have found their way to online casino websites, explaining why affiliates like KiwiGambler are eager to join the ride and cater for the needs of their target audience in their nation. All sorts of entertainment have turned to digital platforms, including the casino industry with a growing number of players preferring live dealer game shows, online slot games, and RNG table table games offered on online platforms than in brick and mortar venues. 

Webmaster affiliates who participate in affiliate programs get between 40 to 60% of the source profit, depending on the exact terms of the affiliate program they are signed up to. This largely explains why affiliates are so eager in helping players find the best casinos via casino reviews, game reviews, top lists, guides, and advertising. Some affiliate programs work with both bonuses for first customer registrations and future deposits as modern tracking tools make it possible to retrieve which affiliate brought in which customer. 

Bridge between Malta and New Zealand

The latter situation is becoming more and more common as online casinos also thank a significant portion of their future income to the affiliate who led the customer to their site. This is why customer retention is increasingly important for both the operating and the affiliate. One of the most effective way of doing so according to KiwiGambler.co.nz is by promoting websites that have a solid reputation and hold strong licences, largely favouring casinos that hold a licence by the UK Gambling Commission, Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association, and especially Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). 

As the MGA-licence is widely used as a global reference to operate in international markets, casinos from Malta have increasingly benefited from all the attention that affiliates, and thus new registering users give them. One of KiwiGambler’s key is therefore to recommend operators that are considered top of the industry with a large percentage of the recommendations holding a MGA-licence, approximately 6 out of 10 selected casinos work with (at least) a licence by the Malta Gaming Authority. 

Some hold additional licences, usually from other European countries. All casino websites that make it to KiwiGambler’s platform have been manually selected after a team of experienced casino professionals agrees that the website can be included. Only after this unanimous agreement between the different team members, the details of an affiliate deal are analysed, either via an intermediary program or directly with the operating company. 

According to KiwiGambler, the basic idea of finding a solid operator may seem like an easy task, but it’s often quite a challenge to find casino partners that manage to deliver a high quality service and open their website up to users in New Zealand. Not all websites accept registrations from New Zealand as the market is not yet officially legalised, which also means that if it does, it will need to enable play in New Zealand Dollars and adapt its promos, game catalogue, and banking solutions to the local market.

How casinos get selected

Tracking online casinos that meet the preferences of players based in New Zealand is therefore a big responsibility as casino affiliates like KiwiGambler try to lookout for the right balance between new casinos that do their best to bring in new business, and experienced veterans that have earned themselves a solid reputation. One of the main challenges is to find a way to combine responsible play, strong licences, trustworthy operators, appealing bonuses and feasible terms and conditions into one fair affiliate deal. 

In order to get to this point, target audiences from New Zealand need to be detected, attracted and maintained. Apart from promoting high quality websites, KiwiGambler continuously works on its own website to make it as clear and straightforward as possible. In order to achieve this, the web designers of KiwiGambler.co.nz have chosen to stick to an easy to navigate website that avoids all the bells and whistles and keeps things simple. 

To effectively promote casinos and fill the website with quality content that meets today’s industry standards, KiwiGambler works with a range of, what they refer to as “performance metrics”, that help to detect the best options available and give players in New Zealand what they are looking for. This involves a few steps:

1. Understand: players are always looking for useful info to help them during their online journey, ranging from casino reviews to game guides and virtually anything related to online gambling. KiwiGambler: “If you’re into this business, you have to understand the needs and preferences of players, speak their language, and provide content that is actually valuable to them, not just because your online marketers say so.” 
2. Analyse: this still means you will need to take into account online behavioural patterns, which pretty much means you’ll need to analyse every keyword, click, visitor, and affiliate deal to see whether the perfect match can be found. Minor details make a major difference when it comes to getting the most out of online data. 
3. Adapt: KiwiGambler’s home country New Zealand is one of the world’s most remarkable casino markets as it does not allow operators, but doesn’t prevent its citizens from making online wagers. While it is technically not illegal to bet online in New Zealand, online casinos are not yet allowed to launch their own websites, which is something land based operators in the country do strive for. For Auckland based SkyCity Casino this has been the major reason to relocate its online operations to Malta and offer its services from Europe. As the gambling situation in New Zealand is not very common it involves a lot of market analysis as well as affiliates like KiwiGambler continuously need to adapt to changing markets. 

About KiwiGambler

KiwiGambler is a New Zealand based website that was founded by a dedicated team of casino experts that have over 20 years of combined experience in the industry, initiating with a global interest in land based games of chance, and moving its attention to online platforms in the last 15 years. KiwiGambler’s website was launched in 2019 and has since turned out to be one of the most popular sources of information for gambling enthusiasts located in New Zealand. KiwiGambler team of online casino professionals understand the risks of gambling and only work with reputable casinos that have valid licences. 

In addition to recommending casinos, visitors are also encouraged to check out the range of bonus offers available as this lowers their financial risk and increases their return on investment. All the content available at KiwiGambler is written for New Zealanders of 18 years of age or older. KiwiGambler stands for responsible play and urges its users to only make online wagers if they feel comfortable with their gambling behaviour. It also recommends setting account limits as soon as players sign up at a recommended website. KiwiGambler is happy to help players find the ultimate and safe online casino experience.