Routy Media Spotlight - OnlyiGaming - From Links to Trust: How OnlyiGaming Is Redefining Transparency, Community, and Growth in iGaming Affiliate Marketing

Routy Media Spotlight sat down with Mihail Criclevit, Founder of OnlyiGaming, to discuss how iGaming affiliate marketing is shifting from volume-driven tactics to trust-based ecosystems. The conversation explores the real challenges of changing industry behavior, maintaining accurate data in a fast-moving market, and introducing genuine accountability through open, user-generated reviews. We dive into what separates top-performing affiliates today, community ownership, authenticity, and long-term thinking,while examining how traffic acquisition, digital marketing, and partnerships have evolved over the past decade. Looking ahead, the discussion covers the growing role of AI, automation, and emerging markets, highlighting why transparency, relationships, and being genuinely useful will define sustainable growth for affiliates and brands heading into 2026 and beyond.

B-From your experience building OnlyiGaming, what has been the biggest challenge in connecting affiliates, operators, and service providers—and how did you overcome it?

M-The biggest challenge is just getting people to actually use the platform and change how they do things. In an industry this fast, keeping all the data accurate is a non-stop job. There is also the issue of honesty. Before we launched, most companies only showed the best testimonials on their own sites. On OnlyiGaming, they don’t have that control. Anyone can leave a review, and we won’t remove it just because it’s bad. We want real accountability. OnlyiGaming is growing into much more than a directory too. We recently launched a careers section with 800 jobs and started helping companies with PR and media distribution. We have many more cool things under development for 2026 that we’ll be rolling out later this year

B-Affiliate marketing in iGaming is highly competitive. What strategies do you believe separate top-performing affiliates from the rest today?

M-The best affiliates today have stopped acting like robots and started acting like humans. They don’t just throw links everywhere and hope for the best. They focus on owning their audience. The winners are building real communities on places like Telegram or Discord where they can actually talk to people. They focus on trust and long-term value rather than just a quick click. If you are a trusted voice in a specific niche, you are much harder to replace.

B-What key achievements at OnlyiGaming are you most proud of so far, and how have they shaped your vision for the platform’s future?

M-We had over 22,000 people visit the platform and over 500 companies come in to register their business. Today, we are the only ones in the iGaming industry with over 200 user generated reviews, which is a massive milestone for transparency. There isn't one single key moment, but I love hearing about two companies that met on the site and started working together. That proves the platform has a real purpose. Of course, we are always pushing to get even more reviews in to keep making the ecosystem stronger.

B-How has digital marketing in iGaming evolved over the past few years, particularly with changes in traffic acquisition channels?

M-I’ve been doing customer acquisition in this industry for 10 years, and it has changed a lot. We moved away from just blasting out ads to everyone. Now, you have to be much more specific. People want authenticity, so they are moving toward private groups and influencers they actually trust. It isn’t just about who has the biggest budget anymore, but who can actually get people to engage and stick around.

B-Transparency and trust are recurring issues in affiliate partnerships. How do you see platforms like OnlyiGaming helping improve accountability across the ecosystem?

M-We make it much harder to hide. We are the only platform in iGaming where you can find this many public reviews that the companies themselves don't control. In the past, if someone treated a partner badly, there was no public place to talk about it. By keeping the feedback public and refusing to delete bad reviews, we are forcing everyone to play fair. When your reputation is out there for everyone to see, you tend to take much better care of your partners.

B-Which traffic sources or digital channels (SEO, paid media, social, influencers, etc.) do you currently see delivering the strongest ROI for iGaming affiliates—and why?

M-Right now, it’s a mix of niche SEO and social influencers. SEO is great because it captures people who are already looking for something specific and are ready to sign up. But influencers are the ones who bring in the most loyal players. When a community leader recommends a brand, people trust it much more than a random ad. Combining that human trust with solid search traffic is the best way to get a good return.

B-AI, automation, and data analytics are transforming marketing. How do you see these technologies reshaping affiliate marketing in iGaming over the next 2–3 years?

M-AI is going to take over all the boring, repetitive work. In the next few years, it will make everything much more personal. Instead of everyone seeing the same page, AI will change what people see based on what they actually like. It will also help us understand a player's value much earlier. Basically, it’s going to help everyone work a lot smarter.

B-For new affiliates entering the industry, what are the most common mistakes you see—and what practical advice would you give them to build sustainable businesses?

M-The biggest mistake is trying to be too big too fast. New guys often jump into the biggest markets and get outspent by the giants. My advice is to go deep in one specific niche or one country and become the expert there. Also, don't just chase the quick CPA cash. Focus on Revenue Share. It takes longer to build, but that’s how you create a real business that lasts.

B-Looking back at your entrepreneurial journey, what lessons have had the biggest impact on how you approach partnerships, growth, and product development today?

The biggest lesson is that the plan you make at home is never going to be the same once you actually start. It is not an easy road. We are trying to build real authority around our project while not investing in marketing, which is a huge challenge. I’ve learned that you have to solve a real problem for people. Every new feature on OnlyiGaming comes from seeing a gap in the market and trying to fix it. Most importantly, I've learned to value relationships over anything. Networking and visibility are key because, at the end of the day, people do business with people they trust and like. If you focus on being useful, the growth will follow

B-Finally, what trends or opportunities in iGaming digital marketing excite you most right now, and where should affiliates and brands be focusing their efforts in 2026 and beyond?

M-I’m excited that the industry is becoming more professional. The wild west days are ending. For 2026, I would tell brands and affiliates to focus on being helpful. Don’t just be another advertiser; build a tool or a community that players actually want to use. There is also a lot of room to grow in emerging markets like LATAM if you focus on building trust early.