The Profession of an Affiliate Manager in iGaming

Publication date: 29 January 2026

An Affiliate Manager in the iGaming industry is one of the most underestimated professions on the market. It may seem that this person simply “chats with webmasters,” replies to messages in Telegram, occasionally increases bids, enjoys conferences, and has a wide network of connections. However, if you look deeper, it becomes clear that an affiliate manager is a key figure between the product and revenue. This is why strong operators and CPA networks hunt for candidates who can become or are already established AMs just as actively as they seek top media buyers.

Affiliate Manager: Peculiarities of the Profession

An Affiliate Manager is the person who connects advertisers with affiliates (webmasters, media buying teams, bloggers) so that both can earn from user traffic and actions.

The affiliate manager is responsible for developing the affiliate program. They find and onboard affiliates, explain the terms, help launch traffic, and ensure all parties fulfill their agreements. Their goal is to build win‑win relationships: the advertiser gets quality leads and sales, while the partners receive stable income and comfortable working conditions.

Who Is an Affiliate Manager in Reality?

An Affiliate Manager is the person responsible for the affiliate revenue channel. Their goal is not merely to onboard an affiliate, but to ensure that the traffic:

flows consistently;
is of clear quality;
can be scaled;
and remains within the project.

An Affiliate Manager works with people but thinks in numbers. They can spend hours discussing traffic sources, creatives and GEOs, but there’s always one question on their mind: how much money will this bring in, and can we do more?

Key Responsibilities of an Affiliate Manager in iGaming

Identifying and attracting affiliates: webmasters, influencers, media buyers, media buying teams.
Onboarding: explaining offers, payouts, caps, limits, traffic rules; assisting with tracker and postback setup.
Operational Support: responding via messengers, assisting with creatives and promotional materials, analyzing statistics, optimizing campaigns.
Quality Control: monitoring for fraud, investigating disputed leads, resolving conflicts between advertisers and partners, participating in tests of new offers.
Retention of Top Affiliates: providing improved rates, bumps, exclusive promotions, involving them in events, maintaining informal communication.

Where Does an Affiliate Manager Work in iGaming?

An Affiliate Manager in iGaming can work in almost any niche: payment services, affiliate programs, CPA networks, platforms, etc. On 3S.INFO, we’ll examine working as an affiliate manager for an operator (casino, bookmaker, hybrid project) or within a CPA network. And these are fundamentally different models of work.

For an operator, an affiliate manager is deeply integrated into the business. They understand the product, bonus mechanics, payments, KYC and player retention. Their area of responsibility is long-term profitability, LTV, partner stability and brand growth.
Within a CPA network, an affiliate manager operates within a performance-based logic. What matters here are volumes, launch speed, approvals, terms, offer competitiveness. It’s a more dynamic environment where decisions are made quickly, while results are visible almost immediately.

Both are fully-fledged professions, each uniquely interesting and requiring total commitment.

What Does an Affiliate Manager Do Every Day?

The working day of an affiliate manager is a constant balancing act between communication and analytics.

On one hand, there are dozens of conversations with affiliates: negotiating terms, discussing tests, upgrades, or issues with approvals or payments. On the other, there’s the constant work with statistics: monitoring who’s driving traffic, who’s idle, identifying dips, and spotting growth.

A good AM doesn’t wait for the partner to reach out first. They proactively identify growth opportunities and propose solutions: a new GEO, a different offer format, exclusive terms, or simply a well-timed CPA boost.

There’s one aspect that is often overlooked, especially in job descriptions: an affiliate manager in iGaming is, first and foremost, a salesperson. Not in the classic “sell a pen” sense, but in a more complex and nuanced form — they sell the partnership.

Every time you invite a webmaster to test an offer, suggest a new GEO, ask them not to cut off traffic after the first dip, explain why the current terms are set as they are, you are engaging in sales. The only difference is that the object of sale here isn’t a product, but the idea of earning money together.

What Exactly Does an Affiliate Manager Sell?

This is a crucial point for understanding the profession.

An Affiliate Manager sells:

trust in the brand;
confidence in the numbers;
long-term benefit;
the assurance that the affiliate won’t be left on their own.

Even if an offer is objectively average, a strong AM can make it so that affiliates will test it again and again. And conversely, a weak manager can easily kill even a good product.

You can’t survive in this profession without a sales mindset. iGaming is a market where an affiliate always has a choice. Today they’re running traffic for you, tomorrow — for a competitor. The difference between these decisions often lies not in the CPA rate, but in who works with them and how.

If you can’t justify the terms, handle objections, push for a test, or win back a partner after a failed start… you simply won’t be able to retain volume. Affiliates will go “silent,” “try later,” and eventually disappear. The AM who can calmly and consistently sell ends up earning the most.

If an affiliate manager doesn’t think like a salesperson, the job devolves into mere support: replying, forwarding, clarifying, escalating to another department. The 3SNET CPA network calls such people “transceivers.” In the short term, with “sales” like that, the affiliate channel stops growing. Without sales, there is no scaling, and without scaling, an affiliate manager quickly becomes redundant to the business.

An affiliate manager is a seller of partnership, growth and trust.

You might not call it sales, you might avoid the word “sales,” but the essence remains unchanged. And that is precisely why those who remain in the profession are the ones who:

are not afraid of rejection;
know how to work long-distance;
are ready to consistently push for results.

What Is the Actual Responsibility of an Affiliate Manager in Gambling and Betting?

It’s crucial to understand: an affiliate manager doesn’t “just chat.”

The KPIs for an affiliate manager, depending on the company, include:

number of active partners;
traffic volume;
FTDs or approved leads;
GGR / NGR;
margin of the affiliate channel;
retention of key affiliates.

If affiliates aren’t growing, scaling, or are leaving, that’s a signal the AM is failing, even if they’re a nice person. Nowadays, it’s not enough to just be sociable; you need to perform!

Affiliate Manager Position: Duties & KPIs

An affiliate manager in gambling and betting has broader responsibilities than just “talking to webmasters”: it’s the full-fledged management of a sales affiliate channel.

Who Usually Becomes an Affiliate Manager?

They are rarely people “off the street.” More often, those who enter the profession are already familiar with iGaming or media buying, or their acquaintances, impressed by stories of high-profile conferences, a free-spirited lifestyle, and the ability to work at any time “convenient” for them.

The most common scenarios from the former crowd are:

former affiliate managers and media buyers;
account managers or support staff from affiliate networks;
sales or business development professionals with an understanding of performance marketing;
marketers who have worked with affiliate channels.

They all share one thing: they understand how money is made from traffic. Without that, you don’t last long in affiliate management.

What Skills Are Truly Important in This Profession?

An affiliate manager is a blend of several roles.

Firstly, communication. You need to be able to negotiate, sell terms, explain limitations and do all this without damaging relationships.
Secondly, analytics. Understanding the numbers is mandatory. RTP, EV, CPA, ROI, LTV are working tools, not abstract concepts.
Thirdly, a deep understanding of the iGaming product. Without knowledge of bonuses, wagering requirements, payments and fraud, it’s impossible to speak with affiliates as an equal.

And, of course, the skills of a top salesperson: sales mindset, the ability to ask the right questions, the skill of translating numbers into benefits, handling objections, disciplined communication, emotional resilience, as well as a focus on results, not just the process.

How Is an Affiliate Manager’s Work Evaluated?

Not by the number of messages or calls. Evaluation always comes down to results:

Is the affiliate channel growing?
Are the top affiliates being retained?
Are the volumes scaling?
Are the metrics showing stable growth or at least holding steady?

If partners are satisfied and the numbers are growing, you are a strong AM. Everything else is secondary.

How Much Does an Affiliate Manager Earn in iGaming?

The range is wide and heavily depends on the candidate’s level, the company, and the terms.

On average in the market:

Junior: $700–2,000;
Middle: $2,500–4,000;
Senior / Head: $5,000+.

It’s important to understand that these figures are not pure base salary. The total package is largely comprised of a significant bonus component tied to hitting targets or a percentage of personal profit. When changing companies, affiliate managers often have to start from scratch, as processes and key performance indicators can differ drastically. A common scenario is a Senior affiliate manager struggling to find a new role because their income expectations exceed what a business is willing to offer at the outset. For a business, it’s often more advantageous to hire a Junior or Middle-level manager. At the start, they tend to be more adaptable and can integrate into the company’s processes more quickly, whereas extensive experience can sometimes hinder this adjustment. This observation isn’t about the qualities of specific individuals; it’s about the natural workings of our minds.

Do Affiliate Managers Experience Burnout?

Absolutely, it is one of those professions with a high risk of quick burnout, and one from which people often leave the iGaming industry altogether.

Burnout most often affects newcomers: they haven’t yet learned to filter affiliates, they lack a clear sense of their responsibility boundaries, and they quickly become emotionally depleted.
Affiliate managers without a sales mindset also burn out quickly: their day becomes Groundhog Day, and the lack of sales skills constantly torments their brain with the thought that the outcome doesn’t depend on them, that there are certain circumstances preventing them from earning.
Burnout can also hit quickly in a company with vague or delayed performance metrics, when you’re constantly told, “For now it’s just a base salary, but bonuses will come soon,” or when you don’t understand what determines your income. The absence of a clear area under your influence is highly demotivating.
Those working 24/7 inevitably face burnout. In the short term, it may look like high engagement, and the affiliate manager often genuinely feels that way, but over the long haul, exhaustion is guaranteed.

CPA Network or Operator: What Should an Affiliate Manager Choose?

These are different career paths.

Working for an operator is about depth, product, brand and long-term value. Working for a CPA network is about breadth, dynamics and rapid skill acquisition.

To put it simply: on the operator side, you’re selling a vacuum cleaner from a specific brand and only that brand. You highlight all the benefits of that particular model and help customers get to know the brand. On the CPA network side, you offer a choice of many different vacuum cleaners and help the buyer choose the very best one for them, regardless of brand.

Many strong specialists experience both stages, and it’s precisely this kind of experience that makes an affiliate manager truly valuable in the market and opens the door to climbing higher on the career ladder.

How to Enter the Profession of an Affiliate Manager?

The most realistic path is through understanding the industry: get to know iGaming, gain experience with traffic, start in a junior role, learn from strong managers, and constantly hone your skills with numbers and communication.

Where to Look For an Affiliate Manager Job?

You can search across several “layers” at once: from niche iGaming channels to general job boards and directly with companies.

Niche iGaming & Media Buying Resources

Telegram channels with iGaming / gambling / betting vacancies (often named accordingly: iGaming jobs, Gambling jobs, Affiliate jobs, Arbitrage jobs).
Specialized forums and media on media buying and CPA, blogs, and communities: they usually have a “Jobs” section or dedicated posts with vacancies.
Chats of affiliate networks and operators, where HR and team leads periodically post requests for Affiliate / Account Managers.

Affiliate Networks & iGaming Operators

The Careers / Jobs sections on the websites of CPA networks, offer aggregators and iGaming brands (casinos, bookmakers, holdings).
Reach out directly to affiliate directors and HR at iGaming companies via LinkedIn / Telegram: a short pitch + CV/LinkedIn profile.
Media buying, iGaming, and fintech conferences and meetups (offline and online): they often look for affiliate managers directly “from the audience.”

Classic Job Boards

Major job sites like hh.ru, Rabota.ru, Remote-job, etc. Search for terms like “affiliate manager,” “affiliate account manager,” “partner manager,” “business development (affiliate).”
International job boards with a Remote filter: they often have many positions for Affiliate Manager / Affiliate Partner Manager in gambling, betting, crypto, and fintech.

Remote Work / Digital Platforms & Aggregators

Websites specializing in remote jobs and digital marketing: check sections like Marketing / Sales / Account Management.
Platforms for digital niche specialists (similar to professional communities and career blogs) where curated lists of remote Affiliate Manager vacancies are published.

Personal Brand & Networking

Polish your LinkedIn, Telegram profile, CV, highlighting your experience with media buying, CPA, KPIs, GEOs, and verticals.
Write case studies and posts in relevant professional chats/channels to get noticed by team leads and HR.
Don’t hesitate to apply directly for roles slightly above your current level (Junior→Middle, Middle→Senior) if you have concrete results and numbers to show.

How to Tailor a Resume for an Affiliate Manager Position in Gambling and Betting?

When tailoring a resume for an affiliate manager role in gambling and betting, it’s best to make it as data-driven as possible: include specific GEOs, verticals, KPIs, and tools, rather than using vague phrases.

An affiliate manager in iGaming is not a support role, but one of the key drivers of business growth. It’s a profession for those who know how to work with people but think like entrepreneurs.

FAQ

Who are affiliate managers in iGaming and what do they actually do?

An affiliate manager in iGaming is the person responsible for the affiliate revenue channel, connecting the product (casino, bookmaker, CPA network) with affiliates (webmasters, teams, influencers). Their job is not limited to messaging: they find and onboard partners, launch traffic with them, help optimize campaigns, and ensure the traffic is consistent, scalable, and of acceptable quality. Essentially, this is the key link between the product and the revenue, not a “secondary support role.”

What are the main responsibilities of an affiliate manager in gambling and betting?

Daily tasks include sourcing and recruiting affiliates (webmasters, media buying teams, influencers), onboarding them (explaining offers, payouts, limits, traffic rules, assisting with trackers and postbacks). Following that — operational support: responding in chats, assisting with creatives and promo materials, analyzing statistics, and suggesting growth opportunities. A crucial part is quality control: monitoring for fraud, disputed leads, and conflicts, as well as participating in tests of new offers, as well as retaining top partners through bumps, exclusives, and direct communication.

Where can an affiliate manager work in iGaming, and how does working for an operator differ from working for a CPA network?

An affiliate manager can work for an operator (online casino, bookmaker, hybrid project), a CPA network, payment services, platforms, and other parts of the ecosystem. At an operator, they are deeply integrated into the product: understanding bonuses, payments, KYC, retention, and are responsible for generating long-term revenues, LTV, and brand growth. In a CPA network, they operate within a performance-based logic: speed of launches, traffic volume, approvals, and offer competitiveness. It’s a more dynamic environment with faster results. Both paths are substantial and often complement each other in a career.

Why is an iGaming affiliate manager first and foremost a salesperson, not "just a communicator"?

Every contact with a partner is a sale: the idea to test an offer, a new GEO, different terms, or to continue working after a failed test. An affiliate manager isn’t selling a “pen,” but a partnership: trust in the brand, confidence in the numbers, long-term benefit, and the assurance that the affiliate won’t be abandoned. If they can’t justify terms, handle objections, and drive towards results, partners go “silent,” migrate to competitors, and the affiliate channel stagnates. Therefore, the manager devolves into a mere “transceiver” and quickly becomes redundant to the business.

What KPIs are used to evaluate an affiliate manager, and what skills are critical for growth and avoiding burnout?

The real evaluation is not based on the number of messages, but on results: the number of active partners, traffic volume, FTDs/approved leads, GGR/NGR, channel profitability, and retention of key affiliates. If partners are growing, scaling, and staying, and metrics are stable or increasing — that’s a strong AM; if not, good “soft skills” won’t save them. To maintain the pace and avoid burnout, one needs strong communication, analytical thinking (working with RTP, EV, CPA, ROI, LTV), a deep understanding of the iGaming product (bonuses, wagering, payments, fraud), and a well-developed sales mindset with resilience to rejection and the endurance for the long haul.