The affiliate marketing industry in iGaming is entering a new era — one defined by globalisation, regulation, trust, and the growing role of technology. At the forefront of this shift is Alex Riddick, founder of Riddick’s Partners, who is leveraging more than 13 years of industry experience to tackle some of the sector’s biggest challenges and opportunities.

Globalisation in Affiliate Marketing

While global politics in 2025 point toward deglobalisation, the iGaming industry tells a different story. From global operators to multi-market affiliates, expansion across regulated jurisdictions remains the primary growth engine.

Riddick has embraced this international outlook, building Riddick’s Partners on the foundation of global experience, transparency, and advanced tools. Having previously co-founded PIN-UP Partners in 2016, his new venture is designed to take affiliate marketing to the next stage of development.

“Affiliate marketing is not about tools, but about an ecosystem of growth and trust,” Riddick explains. “Riddick’s Partners was built on real-world experience. Small teams often hit a ceiling — but we’ve created a structure where affiliates and advertisers both win.”

The Challenges Facing Affiliates

1. Regulation

The rise of local regulations across jurisdictions has disrupted traditional affiliate models. Riddick stresses the importance of adapting quickly:

“Success depends on how fast teams can adjust. You need to know the rules, the traffic types, and player behaviour in each region. Without this, scaling turns into chaos.”

2. Trust and Transparency

A lack of trust between operators and affiliates continues to slow the industry down. Some operators fail to pay, while certain affiliates push poor-quality traffic.

Riddick insists that mutual respect and transparency must become the standard:

1. Riddick’s Partners provides real-time statistics
2. Works only with trusted partners
3. Protects anonymity of teams while ensuring quality control

Where the Growth Is: GEOs to Watch

According to Riddick, affiliates looking to scale in 2026 should focus on:

1. CIS markets – strong traffic and retention
2. Latin America (LatAm) – stable growth and high potential
3. Africa – transitioning from “promising” to “active monetisation”
4. Tier-One regions (US, Canada, Europe, Australia) – solvent audiences and mature partner ecosystems

“The market is becoming multicultural and only agile teams can maintain leadership,” Riddick notes. “In the long term, LatAm and Africa will grow fastest, but Tier-One markets remain essential for retention and reliable revenues.”

AI and the Future of Affiliate Marketing

No conversation about the future of affiliate marketing is complete without AI. Riddick highlights how artificial intelligence is already reshaping affiliate workflows:

1. Generating and adapting creatives for different GEOs
2. Automated A/B testing
3. Predictive analytics on traffic and player behaviour
4. Faster bundle evaluation

Affiliates that implement AI at every stage — from research to scaling — reduce manual work, make faster decisions, and gain a real competitive advantage.

Building the Next Generation of Partnerships

For Riddick, the future of affiliates lies in creating “partnerships as a service.” By combining product expertise, traffic coverage, and a deep understanding of conversion funnels, Riddick’s Partners aims to redefine how affiliates and operators collaborate.

“We know how to work with any source — from influencer marketing to complex flooding bundles. We understand what traffic a funnel needs, how it will behave, and how to build the right communication. It’s not just a platform — it’s a partnership.”

Conclusion

As the affiliate marketing industry in iGaming evolves under pressure from regulation, competition, and new technologies, leaders like Alex Riddick are charting a path forward. With a focus on trust, transparency, AI, and global scale, Riddick’s Partners is positioning itself as a model for how affiliates can thrive in a rapidly changing marketplace.