By Damian Martinez, journalist at G&M News.
Can you start by telling us about your journey in the iGaming industry? What led you to co-found Winlandia?
My journey into the iGaming industry began with a deep passion for marketing and sales. I grew up in Sweden and became fascinated with digital entertainment, including the rise of online casino brands which created a buzz across the country. I had some good friends who started working at Betsson’s affiliate program at the time, Affiliate Lounge, and one thing led to another with me joining the business with responsibility for the Nordic market. It was here that I met Matti Pekkanen, Winlandia’s Co-Founder and CEO, who at the time was one of the first casino affiliates in Finland. My collaboration with Matti continued when I moved to ComeOn in 2010, where I was part of the original crew focusing on marketing and affiliation. Then, in 2012, Matti asked me if I’d like to join him on his next project, FinlandiaCasino.com, as a Co-Founder. The rest, as they say, is history. In 2023, we rebranded Finlandia to Winlandia to ensure the brand aligns with our international ambitions.
The company has made a name for itself in a competitive market. What do you believe sets the platform apart from other online casinos?
We’ve focused on a few key areas that have set us apart from other brands. The most impactful has been our efforts to bring the essence of the Nordics into the casino experience and the wider business. This means creating a culture and brand values around being straight up and honest with fairness and integrity at the heart of everything we do. We always put our players first and pull out all the stops to deliver a deeply personalized experience for each customer. In addition, we have curated one of the largest game libraries in the industry, with more than 10,000 titles, but with an innovative personalization platform that pushes content to players based on their preferences, similar to how Netflix recommends content. We’ve also become known for our creative promotions and loyalty programs, tailoring bonuses to meet player preferences.
As a leader in the affiliate sector, what trends are you currently observing in the affiliate marketing landscape within the online casino industry?
The affiliate space is fast moving with trends coming and going all the time. I’d say one of the biggest things right now is compliance and regulation with operators and their affiliate partners having to meet increasingly stringent standards. The SEO game has also changed, with the sites producing quality, expert content coming out on top in the SERPs. We are always happy to work with our affiliates to create engaging reviews, features and news items. We’ve also seen a lot of SEO volatility lately, with savvy affiliates now adopting a multi-channel strategy for customer acquisition. This is something we encourage, and our partners have gone on to achieve great things across channels like PPC, paid media and even influencer campaigns. Other trends include data-driven personalization and Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO).
What tasks have you faced in building and maintaining strong affiliate partnerships, and how have you overcome them?
Fostering strong partnerships with affiliates is hugely rewarding, but, at times, not without its challenges. Navigating regulations is probably one of the toughest aspects and ensuring that our partners are meeting the standards set in each market we are active. To overcome this, we have established a robust framework and offer clear guidance on how to market Winlandia in a compliant way. Striking the balance between expectations, performance and commercials can be tricky, but again we have developed a solution for this. We have a flexible, tiered commission structure that ensures all affiliates, regardless of their size, are rewarded fairly. Moreover, we have worked hard to stay on top of technological advancements so that we can provide our partners with the best tracking solutions and cutting-edge marketing tools.
What is your long-term vision for Winlandia?
We are on a mission to become a recognized online casino brand in markets across the world, allowing more players than ever before to experience our Nordic twist. In terms of market expansion, we are getting ready to go live in several key European jurisdictions and are starting to explore North America. Of course, we will take a deeply localized approach to each market so we can continue to provide our players with a truly personalized online casino experience. We will remain at the forefront of the latest technologies and game launches. Being powered by SkillOnNet is a real help in this regard. In addition, we will continue to strengthen the relationships we have with our affiliate partners and will be focusing more on CRO both for Winlandia and the affiliates we work with.
What are the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the iGaming industry today, and how is Winlandia positioned to navigate them?
This is an industry of opportunity for sure. But where there are opportunities, there are challenges, and these are some of the biggest right now: regulatory complexity and compliance, data privacy and cybersecurity, market saturation and increased competition, and responsible gambling and a negative public perception. When it comes to opportunities, these are the most significant: emerging market expansion, advancements in tech and growth in mobile gaming. As to how we will overcome these challenges and maximize the opportunities, you’ll just have to wait and see.
