Blurring the line: Golden Camel on merging tracking & affiliation

Brought together in Las Vegas more than a decade ago, Golden Camel’s co-founders Artie Baxter (left) and Ryan Magrum (right) were united by their appetite for the gambling thrill and a shared experience of losing big. Having started betting on sports in the pre-regulation dark age via offshore bookies, the pair had already spent over two decades in the space.

Like many gamblers, they enjoyed big wins and having fun, but not without a phase of irresponsible wagering. It was from that experience that the initial idea for the platform emerged.

“Ryan and I went on a guys’ trip. We lost a lot of money and were using three or four offshore books, all with different lines and games. We were at a game we weren’t even watching, just glued to our phones,” Baxter recalls. “That night we thought, what if there was a platform or app that took all your bets and put them into one dashboard? Something easy to read so you know your lines, whether you’re winning, how much you have at risk and what you could lose. It was just a thought.”

A few years later, when PASPA was repealed, Magrum phoned Baxter to ask if he still remembered the aggregator idea. In the depths of a midlife crisis and keen to try something new, Baxter immediately said, “let’s do it”.

From aggregator to affiliate

With the help of the business’ third co-founder, tech product designer Ben Ramirez (middle), the team developed the platform’s prototype in 2021. The epiphany behind the unusual brand name came during a day of IPA beers and microdosing shrooms. “We have another gambling story involving camels. A lot of successful companies have names that don’t obviously describe what they do, like Uber or Google. We didn’t want something with ‘bet’ or ‘action’ in it. So we landed on Golden Camel,” Magrum says.

Getting onto the App Store marked the start-up’s first major milestone. Facing Apple’s rigorous gatekeeping around gambling-related products, the trio went through “what felt like a legal battle”, hiring attorneys and spending almost half a year securing approval.

But today’s Golden Camel has become a lot more than just a bet tracker. Having just acquired an Arizona affiliate licence, the business is expanding its revenue streams beyond app subscriptions, integrating operator offers and adding player-centred features like calculators and a news hub. In terms of commission model, the team is hellbent on adapting revenue share deals for sustainable income, even though the process feels like another battle.

“In Arizona, to get a revenue share contract, you need an operator agreement with one of the platforms. We cold called, pitched our product, secured that agreement and then went through the Arizona process. It’s a strong state in terms of regulation and handle, so we now have a licence there,” Baxter explains. “As we grow, we’ll decide which states to target next. Eventually, we want to be able to do revenue share across every legal state in the US. It’ll take time, but we’re very optimistic about the opportunity.”

Building a grassroots community

Beyond product and licensing, Golden Camel is leaning into community as its long-term differentiator. Baxter and Magrum’s latest venture is The Desert Donkeys podcast, where they share “their wild ride through life, sports betting and hopeless golf games”.

“Artie and I are very self-deprecating,” Magrum says. “We talk about wins and losses, mostly losses. We share our predictions and a lot of personal stories to be relatable.” This year, the duo plans to broaden the show’s scope, bringing in athletes and actors to boost its entertainment appeal. They are also investing in local creators and have opened a content hub in Tempe to support their work, giving them visibility through the platform while strengthening Golden Camel’s grassroots presence.

Prediction markets are another area on the company’s radar, albeit approached with caution. Magrum views them as a powerful acquisition channel in states where sports betting remains illegal, but acknowledges the regulatory and ethical grey areas. “When financial gain is involved, they’re going to have to tighten things up,” he says, pointing to the rumoured insider trading case around Maduro’s capture.  

Baxter is equally pragmatic. “We have to be a bit like Switzerland,” he explains, noting that regulators such as Arizona’s Department of Gaming take a firm stance against prediction markets. While Golden Camel sees them as part of the future, any integration must remain aligned with operator partners and local rules.

Looking ahead, refinement rather than rapid expansion is the priority. “We’d love to say everything is perfect and we’re exactly on track, but in the last couple of weeks we realised we drifted a bit,” Baxter admits. The team is now re-centring on simplicity, analysing user behaviour and rolling out updates to both the app and its newly launched website in the coming months.

“We’re humbled to be part of this community,” Baxter says. “We don’t have big egos. Any help, guidance or opinions, we take them on board because this is a big learning curve for us. We’re excited to be part of the community.”