How affiliate tracking, trust and payment models work, with Routy co-founder Michael Filletti

Michael Filletti is co-founder of Routy, which helps affiliates make sense of their data. In this iGaming Accent episode, host Vakho Mdivani asks him to explain the affiliate model, why tracking and trust are hard, how deals are paid and what has changed since he joined eight years ago.

In this episode

• He describes an affiliate as the middleman who puts a product in front of a consumer. The operator gives a tracking link and portal; big affiliates still create many accounts and links by hand (7:31, 11:01, 13:01).

• The bigger problem is data: every operator and platform provider has its own portal and shows different numbers, so affiliates cannot easily compare results, such as average deposit, across partners (13:30, 14:00, 36:00).

• On trust, he says affiliates worry about shaving, where reported players disappear overnight. Tools can flag it, but operators hold the data. Programmes shutting down while owing affiliates money also damage trust (15:30, 16:30, 28:01).

• He says established brands such as DraftKings and FanDuel offer low conversion because most players already have accounts. New brands offer more potential but carry payment risk (17:30, 18:01, 18:30).

• He compares models: revenue share on NGR, rarely above 50%, can turn negative and carry over; CPA pays upfront and suits paid-media affiliates; flat fees pay for placement (20:30, 22:00, 24:30, 25:01).

• He sees affiliates diversifying beyond SEO into email and PPC as AI and Google updates shake search, and big affiliates launching networks. He advises chasing every 1% gain from data (36:30, 39:31, 40:31, 41:31).

Interview from iGaming Accent by SBC Eurasia, published on YouTube.