By
John
Gasior
It’s no secret that AI is now shaking things up when it comes to user-based search and how much this is going to impact iGaming affiliates remains unclear. Game Lounge head of SEO John Gasior writes for iGBA on how its brand CasinoHawks has adapted and what the significance of AI search could mean.
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping how users find and interact with information online. For affiliates in online gambling, the implications are enormous.
At CasinoHawks, we’ve witnessed first-hand how AI is changing traffic patterns and rankings, and crucially, what that means for building trust in search.
The AI shift in search
AI is reshaping search on multiple fronts. First, AI previews in SERPs are condensing information that traditionally drove clicks, meaning brands are competing not just with competitors, but with Google’s own summarised answers. Secondly, results generated by LLMs such as ChatGPT have created an entirely new layer of “search behaviour” – users are seeking conversational, context-rich answers rather than just lists of links.
Finally, Google’s own AI search mode is prioritising entities, trust, and topical authority more than ever before.
In practice, this means brands need to think less about ranking for isolated keywords and more about being referenced and recognised as authoritative sources that AI trusts to pull from.
Why does gambling feel the impact?
Gambling is a high-stakes, high-regulation vertical where trust and authority are essential. AI-driven search disproportionately impacts gambling because user intent is highly transactional and subject to stricter standards. If an AI snapshot or assistant chooses to highlight one operator or affiliate over another, that’s effectively controlling market share in a way far beyond traditional rankings. Visibility here is about SEO survival. Those who cannot demonstrate compliance, transparency, and expertise risk being filtered out entirely.
Building visibility in the age of AI
So how do affiliates adapt?
The first step is strengthening EEAT (expertise, experience, authoritativeness, trustworthiness). Google and AI models reward strong signals of legitimacy, such as clear authorship, compliance, real experts, and transparency. Reviews written by identifiable experts with disclaimers, social proof, and data-driven content are a winning combination. In a world of AI summaries, the click comes when the brand is trusted more than the automated answer.
If an AI snapshot or assistant chooses to highlight one operator or affiliate over another, that’s effectively controlling market share in a way far beyond traditional rankings
Entity recognition is another key factor. Brands must ensure that Google and AI models understand them as authoritative sources.
Beyond SEO mechanics, brand-building is critical. If organic clicks are reduced because answers are resolved in the SERP, users must already know your brand and actively seek it out. Meanwhile, with fewer clicks overall, every visit counts even more these days. That means higher conversion rates, streamlined UX, trust signals, and tailored or personalised offers.
The role of PR and mentions
Traditional link-building for rankings is no longer enough. The new objective is building authority signals that train AI models. Digital PR has shifted from chasing raw link volume to securing mentions on authoritative, high-trust publications, because entity association and even unlinked brand mentions are increasingly weighted in how AI decides which sources to trust.
For gambling affiliates, this requires a shift in campaign design. It’s now more about premium PR placements, strategic partnerships, and data-led campaigns that create genuine coverage. What matters is not just backlinks, but building brand “narratives”, such as topical authority, compliance credibility, and positive sentiment.
How CasinoHawks has adapted
Over the past year, we’ve seen volatility in keyword rankings but, more importantly, a shift in traffic flows. Informational content – the “what is” or “how to” type queries – is increasingly being satisfied directly within SERPs or AI answers, meaning they don’t drive traffic like they used to.
Traditional link-building for rankings is no longer enough. The new objective is building authority signals that train AI models
Commercial intent queries, where users are ready to compare casinos or bonuses, are still strong but demand higher levels of EEAT to convert. At CasinoHawks, we’ve responded by developing dedicated compliance and trust modules (“How we rate casinos”, “Our review process”, expert authorship) and scaling digital PR to strengthen brand credibility. The objective now is to train AI to recognise us as the most trustworthy authority.
Not just any old update
How significant is this? I would compare it to the shift to mobile-first indexing, which redefined how websites were designed, ranked, and interacted with. AI is transforming what it means to search. The traditional model is changing into conversational experiences and zero-click answers.
At CasinoHawks, we’ve responded by developing dedicated compliance and trust modules and scaling digital PR to strengthen brand credibility
For gambling, it has become harder to optimise content because you must build brand authority at scale. In that sense, it’s also reminiscent of Google’s Panda and Penguin updates over a decade ago, which redefined SEO standards overnight.
The difference this time is that AI is not just an update. It’s a paradigm shift and a technology that has the power to change everything, and affiliates must continue to evolve with it.
John
Gasior
John Gasior is Head of SEO at Game Lounge with more than 15 years of experience delivering growth across competitive digital industries. He is recognised for pioneering strategies that combine technical SEO, digital PR, and AI-driven optimisation to keep brands ahead in an evolving search landscape