Vahe Vardanyan, Chief Product Officer at Affigates, sits down with SBC News to discuss one year of the affiliate management software company, how to foster greater trust between affiliates and operators and how AI is helping scale up the industry.
It’s been around a year since Affigates first launched. What progress have you made in that year, and how have you become a sort of strong competitor in the affiliate management space?
Vahe Vardanyan: I could tell you all about the numbers which we gained in this one year, between operators and affiliates, but the real progress is the proof that the model works.
We have made a totally new model where we are combining software, an affiliate network, and an affiliate management service into one end-to-end ecosystem. What we proved is that operators don’t just need software; they need the software, the people who run it, and the traffic in one place. That’s what we do and that’s why we compete.
What are the sort of fundamental challenges that operators face when it comes to their work with affiliates, and how does Affigates help to overcome those challenges?
Vahe Vardanyan: The main problem is resourcing. Operators take affiliates seriously, but running it well is a full-time job. Recruitment, tracking, payments, fraud are completely different things. Most operators don’t have the people for it, so the program gets set up and then left to run on its own.
We fix that by running it for them. It’s a simple model, but it works. Of course, it’s complicated and needs real knowledge and real experience that we provide.
Affigates has built up a network of more than 7,000 verified affiliates now. How does Affigates use its scale to offer an advantage to your clients that others can’t match?
Vahe Vardanyan: Scale only helps if it’s matched. The advantage isn’t the numbers, it’s that the affiliates are vetted, and we match operators to the ones that actually fit their market. A big list is an easy thing; a vetted list matched to your market is the hardest part. We are doing that for every operator who gives us that opportunity and trust.
How is Affigates designed to foster greater trust between operators and affiliates?
Vahe Vardanyan: Trust usually breaks down over two things: payment and transparency.
Affiliates leave when payments are slow or even if there are fraudulent cases. Operators step back when they can’t see what they are paying for. So, we fixed both for them. We are taking care of reliable payments so that both sides can be assured that the process is fair
Affiliate marketing is evolving, but at the same time, so does fraud. What fraud analytics and traffic quality controls does Affigates deploy to protect operator’s marketing spend?
Vahe Vardanyan: Performance marketing only works if the performance is real. We watch traffic quality and screen for bot traffic and CPA abuse, so operators never pay for a fake acquisition.
We are monitoring that every day with our AI tools as well as human control. We’re combining them both.
What are the most popular and most successful traffic sources in 2026, and how does this shape affiliate strategies?
Vahe Vardanyan: I think there is no exact answer for that because it depends on which market you are working in, it depends on how you are working, what CRM team is behind your operation, what’s your strategy vision.
I think there is no bad traffic but there are many approaches which never work with that traffic. So if traffic exists in this world, it means it will definitely work for someone.
You need to have that knowledge. You need that understanding of what will fit you 100% and how you can scale with that. So the final answer is that every traffic can work with you; it depends on your current situation.
How do you see AI fundamentally changing the way affiliate programs are managed across the iGaming sector?
Vahe Vardanyan: AI is best at two things: matching the right affiliate to the right operator and spotting fraud in real-time, but it won’t replace the relationship. Affiliates stay because of trust and reliable payments, and that’s the human element. AI runs the mechanism. Good people keep the relationship.
Finally, what can our readers expect from Affigates through the remainder of 2026?
Vahe Vardanyan: I think more and more initiatives, more and more new things which we will bring to make our ecosystem much stronger. In any case where you are talking about affiliates, or in your sentence there is the word “affiliate” or “acquisition,” we are involved.
