Betfair Cost-Cutting for UK and Ireland Means No More Affiliates

In an email shared with affected partners, Betfair, one of the foremost sports betting and gaming companies, informed that it is planning to discontinue affiliate marketing efforts in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Betfair Set to Pull the Plug on Marketing Affiliates

While the move is attributed to cost-cutting, Betfair must have concluded that it is more effective to use its traditional marketing channels and its brand visibility in order to secure forward positions in the two markets. Affiliate partnerships will no longer be valid from July 1, 2025 forward.

Betfair has affirmed its commitment to cutting operational costs in home markets, as there are more regulations to address locally, compounding the affiliate marketing side of the business. In most cases, companies that order the affiliate services are held liable for any mistakes that affiliates make, potentially exposing the company to penalties and reputation-battering.

A new regulator is also going to be responsible for oversight of the gambling industry in Ireland, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, which will further challenge the company’s operations.

By removing affiliate marketing from the equation, Betfair is certainly reducing at least part of its reach in the two markets, but also addressing the mounting costs of doing business in markets that are increasingly strict about how rules are applied.

The cancellation of affiliate marketing has raised questions as to whether other companies may follow suit, making the United Kingdom, a once thriving ground for such operators, an increasingly difficult place to run the business.

Operational Costs a Priority, But In-House Nous Emboldening

Betfair has been committed to maintaining a high level of accountability for its marketing decisions, and sometimes even arguing back against regulators.

A gambling ad that was criticized for possible and unintended reach to underage audiences by some critics was finally approved by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in December, demonstrating that the company is capable of producing strong marketing messages while complying with existing regulations.