Gaining a strategic advantage in Canada remains a key challenge for operators. We spoke to Andrew Garven, Head of Affiliate Marketing at BET99, who laid out why authenticity remains a critical asset for affiliates when it comes to player engagement.
iGaming Expert: Can you tell us about how much you believe that affiliate marketing has evolved in the Canadian market as it has matured?
Andrew Garven: If you’re still playing the old SEO volume game in Canada, you’re already behind. The model has shifted from CPA and rankings to trust, quality, and accountability. Regulation didn’t reduce the opportunity, it refined it. The winners now are affiliates who build real relationships with users, not just traffic funnels.
How crucial is the role of affiliates in ensuring that players are aware of the regulated market and don’t inadvertently end up on the unregulated market?
Having worked on both sides of the affiliate–operator relationship, I’d argue that affiliates are more important than most regulators or operators publicly admit.
They’re the key gatekeepers at the top of the funnel, shaping discovery and trust. Done right, they guide players toward the regulated market; done poorly, they can just as easily funnel them to unlicensed options.
In markets like Canada, where both ecosystems coexist, their role in educating users and reinforcing trust is critical, but only if they operate with quality and compliance at the core.
Why do you believe authenticity is a crucial tool for affiliates in terms of engaging more players and acting as a strong avenue for growth of the regulated markets?
Authenticity is critical because affiliates sit at the point of discovery and trust. In regulated markets, users are more informed and have higher expectations; they can quickly detect generic or transactional content. Authentic affiliates stand out by offering real opinions, transparent comparisons, and evidence-based recommendations, which build long-term credibility.
This is especially important in toplists: if weaker or unknown brands are ranked above established, industry-leading operators, it undermines trust in the channel. Once credibility is lost, users won’t return. In regulated markets, authenticity isn’t just a differentiator; it directly impacts retention, engagement, and the sustainability of the affiliate ecosystem.
How big a platform will the World Cup be when it comes to ensuring the affiliates can engage the market and gain market share?
Soccer is already the dominant sport globally for betting engagement, so what changes during the 2026 World Cup is not demand creation, but attention concentration. You get casuals re-entering, lapsed bettors returning, and experienced users becoming significantly more active… and all at once.
For Canada specifically, and this is where it gets interesting, the fact that it’s co-hosted by Canada elevates the event beyond a global tournament into a domestic cultural moment. That matters. It pulls betting content into mainstream conversation in a way we haven’t really seen before in this market, outside of maybe Canada vs USA Hockey at the 4 Nations and Olympics.
So for Canadian affiliates, it’s a uniquely favourable environment to gain share quickly but I’d stress the same point that it’s a spike, not a structural shift. The winners will be the ones who convert that temporary surge in attention into long-term user value before everything normalises again.
What types of iGaming affiliates do you believe have been the most successful in engaging with the Canadian market?
I’d say the affiliates that have really won in Canada are the ones who’ve evolved into multi-channel, personality-led media brands.
The strongest brands have real people behind them: creators, analysts, voices that audiences actually trust and come back to.
SEO and comparison still matter as they drive discovery but that’s just the starting point now. The reality is, the user journey isn’t linear anymore. I might land on a site first, but then go check their social, watch a clip, read comments, get a feel for who’s behind the brand. That’s what builds trust and ultimately drives conversion.
So it’s not about one channel anymore. The winners are the ones who combine channels and build relationships because in this market, attention is fragmented, but trust is personal.
In a newly regulated market, like Alberta, should affiliates that have previously worked with the grey market be embraced by the new regulated market?
Yes, if they meet regulatory and compliance standards. In Alberta, grey-market affiliates will bring established audiences, local insight, and proven acquisition channels. That’s valuable in a newly regulated environment. However we’ll need to see a clear shift toward transparency, responsible gambling, and compliant practices. Those who adapt quickly can become strong, trusted partners in the regulated ecosystem. Those who don’t create risk for operators and the market shouldn’t be embraced.
As Alberta opens up, what role do affiliates play in gaining new operators their market share?
As Alberta opens, affiliates will be critical to market share and the playbook should mirror Ontario but unlike early Ontario, category awareness is already high, driven by big-budget marketing programs from Tier 1 operators across Ontario and the U.S. That makes the affiliate role more competitive, not less. SEO alone won’t cut it. The winners will be those who build trusted brands across content, social, and community helping users decide where to play, not just where to click.
Garven will be speaking at the SBC Summit Canada, which will take place from 19–21 May at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, bringing together operators, suppliers, regulators and affiliates at a pivotal moment for the Canadian gaming industry, as Alberta moves towards launching a regulated market expected to follow Ontario’s model.
