Ahead of SBC Summit and the Affiliate Leaders Summit, taking place September 16-18 in Lisbon, iGaming Expert caught up with Matt Schwachofer, Co-founder of The Casino Wizard, who will be attending the event.
During the conversation, Schwachofer shared insights into how genuine player experience shapes The Casino Wizard’s content strategy, balancing AI automation with human expertise in affiliate marketing, and building trust through transparent rating systems.
At launch, what did you feel was missing from existing affiliate sites, and how did you position The Casino Wizard to offer something different? Has that original differentiator stayed central, or has it shifted with the market?
Matt Schwachofer: At launch, many affiliate sites featured vague reviews, unclear bonus terms, and content aimed more at search engines than real players.
We created The Casino Wizard to change that. From the beginning, our aim was to offer honest, data-driven reviews written by people with real gambling experience. Our small team of passionate experts set out to build a site that players could trust, where they could find clear information, reliable bonuses, and strong guidance on responsible gambling.
That original focus on trust, expertise, and putting the user first is still central to what we do today. While the industry has evolved, our core values haven’t shifted. If anything, our commitment to transparency and quality has only grown stronger.
Given your 20+ years as a casino player and your experience testing over 900 games, how has that hands-on knowledge shaped the way you approach content and reviews on The Casino Wizard? Do you think being a long-time player gives you an edge that most affiliates lack?
MS: Being a long-time player absolutely gives me an edge that most affiliates lack. I’ve experienced both the highs and the lows of online gambling, and I bring that knowledge into every review and guide. It’s not just about listing features, it’s about understanding what actually creates a good experience for the user. That’s been central to The Casino Wizard from day one, and it continues to drive how we approach content today.
In addition to my experience as a casino player, I’ve been active in performance-driven online marketing since 2006. The same goes for my business partner and co-founder of The Casino Wizard, Klaas Knook. We were actually colleagues at a search agency in the Netherlands years ago. This shared background allows us to make well-informed decisions around UX, marketing strategy, and product development.
What internal framework or rubric do you use to assign weight to categories like bonus fairness or KYC speed? Can you walk us through how the Wizard Rating score is built?
MS: The Wizard Rating is built around eight core categories: safety, games, bonuses, software, payments, support, accessibility, and transparency. Each factor is weighted based on its relevance to players. For example, bonus fairness and KYC speed influence the bonuses, safety and payments scores.
Our framework is structured yet adaptable, allowing us to adjust when a casino deviates from industry norms. This ensures the score reflects genuine player experience rather than a rigid checklist.
Many players may trust the Critic Score because it reflects a wider view. How do you educate users about the difference between the two?
MS: Our goal is to provide the most trustworthy and transparent information possible, which is exactly why we introduced the Critic Score alongside our own Wizard Rating. We understand that not every player may immediately trust a single source, so we give users the option to see how other casino review sites rate a casino as well.
To ensure full clarity, we include a link to our casino rating guidelines on every casino-related page. Whether it’s the homepage, a category overview, or an individual casino or bonus review.
This page clearly explains the difference:
The Wizard Rating is our in-house expert score, based on direct testing and hands-on experience.
The Critic Score is an aggregated average from other trusted affiliate reviewers.
By showing both, and being open about how each score is calculated, we help players make better-informed decisions and build trust in our approach.
Everyone is talking AI. In your mind, which parts of the affiliate funnel are most ripe for AI automation today, and which still require human nuance?
MS: AI is already transforming parts of the affiliate funnel, and we’re actively exploring where it adds real value. In my view, the best areas for AI automation today are content structuring, data extraction, and initial drafting of templated content briefs. AI is also useful for analysing and developing content at scale.
But while AI is great at speeding up production and research, the parts that still require human nuance are content strategy, editorial judgment, and building genuine user trust. For example, crafting a compelling brand voice, evaluating the actual player experience, and making decisions around what to promote, those can’t be automated.
At The Casino Wizard, we use AI to enhance human expertise, not replace it. It’s a tool in the process, not the driver.
Staying on the AI subject, how do you combat the SEO saturation caused by AI-generated content across iGaming niches?
MS: We focus on producing content that AI struggles to replicate, such as original research studies. Alongside this, we are committed to building a strong brand and community where genuine player insights and expert commentary deliver value beyond automated content.
We are also exploring tools like live chat to engage directly with real users and showcase our expertise in real time.
Beyond operator deals, the Affiliate Leaders Summit is a space for peer-to-peer connection and learning. What kinds of conversations are you hoping to have in Lisbon, and which markets or GEOs are you most focused on right now?
MS: At the SBC Summit in Lisbon, I look forward to reconnecting with casino partners and strengthening collaborations. I’m also always eager to learn from other affiliates presenting on new ways to diversify traffic.
After recent updates, we’ve decided to focus primarily on English-speaking markets. In the past, we also worked in Dutch, Spanish, and German markets, but since we’re not the biggest player in the space, we want to concentrate our efforts on the geographies where we have the strongest presence.
Want in on the Affiliate Leaders Summit at SBC Summit 2025? Apply for a complimentary pass for full access to the expo floor, all sessions, evening networking, and free catering! SBC’s Affiliate Leaders community brings together a vital segment of the iGaming industry, empowering affiliates to connect, share insights, and explore challenges and opportunities within the sector.
Built around information exchange, Affiliate Leaders offers exclusive benefits, including speaking opportunities at SBC events, interview features, VIP dinners, and complimentary access to all SBC events globally, amplifying affiliate voices in the iGaming discussion. Apply for membership.
Source: https://igamingexpert.com/features/casino-wizard-affiliate-edge/