And The 1st Regulated U.S. Poker Site to Use Affiliates Will Be…

WSOP.com in Nevada is set to become the first regulated American online poker site to make use of affiliates as a marketing channel.

That’s the word from PokerAffiliateListing’s Jeremy Enke in the latest edition of his Inside Scoop column for online poker affiliates.

I can confirm Enke’s report through independent sources.

Details of the types of deals WSOP.com will be offering remain unknown, although I think it’s safe to assume we’ll be looking at flat-fee payments (CPA) as opposed to any sort of revenue-sharing arrangement.

Revenue-sharing arrangements can trigger additional regulatory scrutiny.

The launch date for the WSOP.com affiliate program – and how accessible the program will be – also remain unknowns at this point.

NJ operators likely to make heavy use of affiliates

If early indications pan out, once New Jersey launches online gambling the state will be a far more active market for affiliates than Nevada has been to date.

OPR can confirm that numerous operators – including most of the marquee brands in the state – have reached out to a number of affiliates about promotional plans for New Jersey.

Why didn’t Ultimate Poker use affiliates in Nevada?

I put this question to Ultimate Poker’s Joe Versaci at G2E 2013. His response:

Q: Why didn't @UltimatePoker embrace traditional affiliates in NV? A: @JoeV149 We felt we had the reach on our own w/ Station & UFC.

— Chris Grove (@OPReport) September 24, 2013

Versaci didn’t rule out the use of affiliates going forward. But it was clear from the tone and tenor of his remarks – and Ultimate’s marketing strategy to date – that he certainly didn’t see a primary role for affiliates at Ultimate Poker.

It seems safe to assume that a successful deployment of affiliates in Nevada by WSOP.com will exert some pressure on Ultimate’s strategy. And 888 – a reasonably affiliate-friendly operation in ROW markets – seems a likely candidate to employ affiliates when their All-American Poker Network (AAPN) opens for business in Nevada (presumably later this year).