AffPapa‘s series of interviews with Betsson Group Affiliates continues with Lehel Makra, who discusses how he got into iGaming, what it’s like working at Betsson, and gives advice for effective relationships with affiliate partners.
Yeva: To begin, could you kindly introduce us to Betsson and provide us with a more detailed description of your role within the company?
I’ve been working for Betsson as Consultant for Online Affiliate Marketing Services for just over 4.5 years. I manage a portfolio of affiliates, ensure that campaigns are kept within budget and that they achieve the maximum ROI possible and I am also responsible to further grow our affiliate network by attracting new partners to join the award winning affiliation program of Betsson Group Affiliates (BGA).
Yeva: How do you adapt your online casinos to different countries’ rules and regulations? What are the things you take into account?
Betsson has almost 60 years of history and we’ve witnessed first-hand the introduction of online gaming as well as the beginnings of markets that regulated online gambling activity – starting with Malta in 2004, Italy in 2011 and a large number of other jurisdictions since then – in Europe, in Latin America and also in North America. We have different departments at Betsson that closely monitor for any changes in regulation and communicate such changes internally as quickly as possible. As an affiliate team, we analyse these changes and then communicate the relevant areas to our affiliate partners and ask them to implement them as soon as possible. We then check these implementations and adjust if or where necessary.
Yeva: As a key account manager, what advice would you provide to those who are striving to enhance the performance of their affiliate program?
My number one tip is to always consider your affiliates’ concerns and interests on par as you consider the interests of the brands. An affiliate program can only work well if it works on an equal footing with advertising partners.
Yeva: We have a lot of back-to-back events happening in the industry now. How influential do you believe they are in developing our industry? Talk us through your experience a little.
I think that such events that bring brands and advertising partners together in one place are very important. For my work it has always been and will always be important to personally meet the advertising partners that I work with every day. This creates trust and gives both partners the opportunity to understand each other better which is the basis of building fruitful long-term cooperations.
Yeva: Lehel, what drew you to iGaming in the first place? Could you give us a behind-the-scenes peek at what it’s like working at Betsson?
I like working with people and I am also a very results-oriented person so being in the industry allows be to do both – I communicate and work with people from multiple countries and I also structure my work and support our affiliate partners in order to reach the goals we wish to achieve. What I really like about Betsson is that we always work together as a team to achieve our goals.
Yeva: How important would you say it is to establish long-term connections with your affiliate partners. What actions do you take to ensure a long-lasting and positive partnership?
It is very important to build long-term partnerships with our affiliates. In this way, confidence can be established between the parties, which makes working together much easier and more fun. I am the face that some of our partners know – I am their link to the company and they fully rely on me. Staying longer with a company is very important for building long term relations as it gives the affiliate partner the feeling of working with a professional and reliable company.
Yeva: We constantly try to get to know our interviewees outside of the realm of iGaming. Do you have any hobbies or pastimes you’d like to share with us?
I have a few hobbies that I try to relax with after work so that I can go back to work the next day with a fresh head and thoughts. My most important hobby is of course my little family, but I’m also very interested in baseball, basketball and soccer. But what I practice every day is running, especially with my dog.
Company: Betsson Group Affiliates
Interviewee: Lehel Makra
Date: 04.10.2022
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