A complete view of Agent Networks and Agent Management Systems in casino

In the past years, almost all the major casinos and operators have launched their agent networks. But why did the interest in agent networks experience so much growth recently? It’s all connected to the dynamic growth of the iGaming industry, which saw over $44 billion in revenues in 2021 worldwide, anticipating the previous year’s forecasts.

Moreover, in a world of digital restrictions for gambling and sports betting platforms, affiliates and agents have proven their efficiency in bringing quality traffic and creating sustainable user flow. In this article, we will learn the basics about agent networks, how agents and land-based solutions can interest casinos, and how to launch an agent network for your own casino or gaming portal.

What is an agent network in casinos?

Agent management resembles affiliate logic: agents bring players to casinos and get rewarded with commissions or fixed amounts. The main difference is that agents make bets on behalf of players. This model is popular in bet shops, hard-to-reach Internet regions, and land-based casinos, spreading all over the world and being more popular in Asian, African, and LatAm countries.

Casinos and sportsbook operators worldwide assign agents to promote their games and offers while having complete transparency and control over all the processes and money transfers. Depending on their ranking, agents have different levels of control over the operator system they promote. Some agents can only recruit new players, whereas higher tier agents can recruit both new players and agents.

[Agents have full control over the players’ actions. They can place bets on behalf of a player, connect players to certain games, suspend them for certain actions, encourage them with promotions and bonuses, and make money transfers.]

How do agents engage players?

From the players’ point of view, the gaming process can be considered easier thanks to the agent, who takes care of all the technical aspects, leaving the player only the joy of the game. Moreover, agent networks are comparably easy to manage and maintain. Considering that agent networks mostly touch the land-based sector, agents can use general marketing approaches – both digital and land-based – for engaging new players.

To establish a transparent and effective partnership with agents, casinos use agent management software specially designed to maintain all agent-related processes. For example, the PartnerMatrix software provides a unique opportunity for agents to create branded banners, generate special links, and use other marketing approaches to reach the needed clients. In order to engage new players, agents also actively use the promotions and bonuses provided by the given casino.

Agents’ Structure, Reporting, and Payments

Casinos can set different preferences for their agent program depending on different market characteristics. In order to create a transparent and effective agent channel, casinos use different tools and techniques.

Follow these steps to create a modern and effective agent network for your casino:

• Use a multi-level structure of sub-agents: encourage your agents to bring sub-agents and receive commissions from their revenue.
• Access agents to keep their players: regardless of their tier level, allow agents to keep their players and motivate them to get more traffic for you.
• Transfer credit and money to players and sub-agents: take total control of your agent operations, commission payments, and cash flow.
• Use real-time reporting: with the real-time feed update, you can instantly see and evaluate your performance, detailed bets reporting, money flow, etc.
• Choose a system with customer support: an agent market may contain pitfalls related to finances, legalisation, and possible technical problems. A dedicated account manager can solve some issues within a minute, while you would have spent a few days.

(!) Money transfers between casinos and agents are being regulated almost the same as payments in affiliate marketing. The most popular payment systems in agent marketing are Skrill, Neteller, CryptoPay, Ecopayz, and Paypal, among many more.

Agent Network Features in Casino

As mentioned above, agent networks are popular in locations with low Internet reach and also where online casinos are not very popular or somehow restricted. This can apply to many CIS countries, but mostly to Asian and LatAm regions.

As in affiliate marketing, financial transactions in agent networks are made online, and very rarely does it come to cash operations. The agent system resembles a pyramid, where a company is situated on the top. A company works with Super Agents, who manage low-tier agents.

This formula allows Agents to engage and manage other agents, which has a beneficial effect on traffic flow. Super Agents or Master Agents can engage other agents with lower percentages/commissions. Depending on the market, commission percentages may vary. But in some markets, like China, where agents are making their first steps, the market is not so saturated, and commissions here can reach up to 60%.
Important steps to take before entering a certain agent market/region:

• Find out the most common deal types used in agent networks
• Create a list of the most relevant agents for your business
• Prepare an offer including all your deal types and promotions
• Try reaching out to every agent or agent network individually
• Be open to making changes to your program according to the game rules

(!) When working with agents, another important thing is agent segmentation – by grouping your agents, you can use different marketing techniques and use an individual approach to agent groups. Agent segmentation logic resembles affiliate segmentation, and for more information, you can look here.

Choosing the PartnerMatrix Agent Management System

The PartnerMatrix Agent Management System gives casino and sportsbook operators the ability to expand their customer base by using agent networks to acquire offline players.

• 100+ Operators using agent system
• 10,000+ Agents connected
• 1,000,000+ Players registered via agent networks
• The agent management system allows multi-level structures of agents and can be tweaked according to the operators’ needs:
• Multi-level structure of sub-agents
• The ability for all agents to keep their own players
• Bet on behalf of players
• Transfer credit and money to players and sub-agents
• Customizable set of permissions for each agent tier
• Real-time risk data and transparent betting data
• Sportsbook iframe integration
• Multiple products and merchants support
• Print betting slip
• Web API integration for 3rd parties

If you are looking to improve your current affiliate program or agent network, or boost your player acquisition and revenue, don’t hesitate to reach out.