Monetizing a craps related site

manipogo

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Hi All,

Sorry this is a bit long. Been reading through this site for a few hours. Great resource! I have some questions I am hoping you can answer. I have been developing and marketing online for a number of years, but I have never dealt with anything gambling related. Last year I started working on an online craps strategy simulator and it's now getting some consistent traffic. Not high traffic, but consistent and relevant traffic. Normally I start a project with a specific monetization strategy in mind, but this one developed out personal interest and not much of a plan. I know nothing about the gaming industry other than as an enthusiastic Vegas fan.

My questions:
Is it worth pursuing the casino affiliate path? You would think on a site like this that the answer would be yes, but reading some of the discussions, it looks like there is a fair bit frustration from casino affiliates due to ever tightening terms and margins. Also craps I think is more dominant in American casinos and it sounds like there are fewer options for american web traffic. It also looks like there are fewer online gaming options for craps. My other concern with gaming affiliate programs is that they limit my ability to buy traffic and promote through many mainstream channels. So... is it worth it?

If do pursue this route, is it better to wait until traffic reaches some critical level before rolling out an affiliate promo? What level is that? What are typical conversions? I don't want to risk a false start or screw around with programs that have incredibly low conversion rates.

My other options might include the promotion of casino hotels/travel, gambling supplies, Adsense, partnerships or even outright sale of the site. I'm exploring all options and would welcome some advice from experienced affiliates.

Thanks!
 

Vladi

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The only way you will know for sure is to give it a go and see what happens. It sounds like you have highly targeted and relevant traffic so you may be surprised at how well it converts. I have sites with targeted traffic that convert better than 1 depositor for every 10 clicks. Other sites with a general traffic and higher volume can be more like 1 in 150 or less.

I can foresee a couple of challenges though:

1. Online casinos are totally reliant on bonuses for customer acquisition. However most casinos exclude craps play or set it to a prohibitive wagering percentage when someone claims a bonus. So you're going to have to highlight the service and quality of the games over the regular bonus and possibly advise people not to take the bonus if they want to play a lot of craps.

2. The choice for Americans is pretty slim and there is not a lot of variety in terms of the software offered to the players. Solid programs that treat playing customers well include Affiliate Edge, Bodog/Bovada, Mainstreet, Deckmedia and Intertops. Be careful as there are several programs that will treat affiliates well but outright rip off players.

3. IMHO online craps is a solitary and thoroughly boring game that is nowhere near as exciting as a crowded casino floor. I can't think of any online casino that has a multiplayer craps table. I've no idea why not though as it would be a much better experience.
 

edgarf76

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Casino review sites are still worth it. It takes a while to build up a good player base. As far as hotels are concerns I have tried that on my sites and got rejected for A.C. hotels, prior to The improvements in NJ.


Vladi gave you some good program recomendations and there are plenty others on this website. You really gotta try it out for yourself and see if it works for you. Good luck!
 

manipogo

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Thanks for the feedback. I agree that craps is a social game and not meant to be played alone. I'll keep digging...
 

Guard Dog

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I think that a lot of the craps players can be converted to play other casino games as well. There are Craps players that play nothing but Craps (rare) and those that play Blackjack and other table games when they are done with Craps. I would try monetizing off of that and see how it goes.

I would also monetize with Vegas Hotels and VIP Craps. The Venetian gives good comps for craps players as long as they spend a certain amount of time on the tables. It does take time to be approved by those places (i.e., the Vegas Hotels and their affiliate programs), but it is something you can do while you are trying out monetization with online casinos.
 

NDG

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If it is getting some good traffic, then it wouldn't hurt to monetize it. Sign-up with one good
affiliate program, and give it a test run to see how much traffic filters in, if it converts, etc.

Craps is not as easy sell over the Internet, but if you have a site that is already receiving
traffic, then it doesn't hurt to give it a try. When promoting casino games, craps and keno
are usually the two at the bottom of our list, due to the lack of interest from online players.
 

manipogo

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Thanks, I'll take a look at the Venetian and maybe the idea of promoting some other games. Personally, craps was the last table game I stepped up to (pretty intimidating at first) and I would be surprised if other players didn't also play black jack and other tables games.
 

manipogo

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Hi All,

I know this is an older thread but hope you'll forgive my resurrecting it. I've finally taken the plunge and added a few affiliate links to my craps site. We'll see how it goes. Guard Dog, you suggested that I try to monetize through the Vegas Hotels and VIP Craps. Can you clarify? Are you suggesting that I promote the hotel stay affiliate programs and use the comps or loyalty programs as a selling point? Or are their specific affiliate programs for players? I haven't found anything like that, but would love to know more.

Thanks.
 

RyanWeb

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I am also a bit interested in some mixed in revenue from the land casinos or hotels if they have affiliate programs as well. Never really thought of that route, but it may complement my site well as it sounds as it would yours.

Would love to hear how you do with the programs you have signed up with manipogo, sounds like you should do well if you already have the traffic!
 
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