Smart moves: How AI is reshaping the affiliate playbook

In the third part of this iGB L!VE 2025 speaker interview series, Gentoo Media head of SEO Emilio Takas looks back on his journey from dial-up internet to leading the affiliate’s sports strategy. He reflects on how YouTube shaped his digital instincts, why team building matters more than keywords and what it takes to thrive in the new era of AI search.

In the fourth part of this year’s winner interview series, Owen Watters traces his journey from Sportingbet to Gambling.com Group, outlines the affiliate’s disciplined M&A strategy behind its double win and shares ongoing campaigns that continue to define its future success.

With operators flooding every new market opening or opportunity, quickly establishing player trust in your brand has become increasingly pivotal to achieving cut-through and sustainable growth in emerging geos. Using Kenya and Ethiopia as case studies, MelBet Partners & Affiliates CMO Anastasiia Shcherbyna explains why trust-building has become a core pillar of its market entry strategy and for delivering consistent, affiliate-driven growth.

In the latest of our Meet the Manager series, we speak to Nataliia Lavruk, Head of Affiliates at MelBet, on her journey into iGaming and the programme, her perfect day off and what advice she’d give her 15-year-old self.

From 1 September to 31 October, participants will compete for a pass to the Golden Boomerang Awards and other prizes.