In Episode 71 of The Real Roadshow and In Part 2 of our conversation with Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of AffPapa, we get into the problems behind affiliate marketing, fake streamer numbers, creative campaigns, team building and what it actually takes to scale an iGaming business.

Levon explains why relying on one marketing channel is risky, why operators need to verify streamer traffic before spending money, and why traditional B2B marketing is becoming harder to stand out with.

What the industry is facing:

• Fake streamer numbers and inflated traffic

• Operators relying too heavily on one marketing channel

• Affiliate fraud and unverified traffic

• B2B gaming marketing becoming repetitive

• Companies playing too safe with creative campaigns

• Teams scaling faster than their internal systems and remote teams struggling without clear KPIs

What this conversation explores:

• Why operators need a multi-channel marketing strategy

• How AffPapa is verifying streamers and their traffic

• Why iGaming brands need to experiment with marketing

• How AffPapa deals with affiliate and operator complaints

• Why responsibility and curiosity matter when building teams

• How clear KPIs make remote work possible

• Why success is a process, not a final number

• What keeps Levon building AffPapa for the long term

Episode 71 of iGaming Real Talk. NOW LIVE on YouTube.

Brought to you by: St8: https://st8.io/

Endorphina: https://endorphina.com/

--------

Hosted by Surya Palli Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suryapalli28/

For podcast sponsorship and collabs: surya@igamingrealtalk.com

Check out igamingrealtalk.com

--------

Chapters

00:00 – Fake Streamers & Inflated Numbers

01:26 – Why One Marketing Channel Isn't Enough

03:03 – How AffPapa Handles Streamers

05:18 – The Philosophy Behind AffPapa's Marketing

06:18 – Why Traditional B2B Marketing Isn't Working

07:25 – Learning From Other Industries

08:18 – When Marketing Trends Become Mainstream

09:32 – Why iGaming Marketing Is Still Old-School

11:36 – Why Brands Need to Experiment

12:29 – Building AffPapa From the Ground Up

13:39 – Fighting Affiliate Fraud & Bad Traffic

15:23 – Building a 40+ Person Team

17:23 – What Makes a Good Leader?

20:00 – Building Teams in Armenia

21:13 – Remote Work vs Office Culture

22:00 – Why KPIs Matter

23:31 – The Problem With Scaling Too Fast

24:08 – What Does Success Mean?

25:56 – Is There a Number That Means "Enough"?

27:22 – Why Small Wins Keep Us Going

28:16 – What Keeps Levon Building?

Part 2 of our conversation with Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of AffPapa.

Are there too many iGaming events and how should companies decide which ones are worth attending?

Flexing an initial milestone of Episode 70 of iGaming Real Talk, we are here with Alex Pratt,

Managing Director at Clarion Gaming, about the changing landscape of iGaming events.

Alex shares his perspective on iGB Live, ICE, event ROI and return on objectives, measuring value

through data, the role of technology and fintech, and why an event should be treated as part of a wider

marketing campaign.

We talked about how the industry is facing:

- Too many events competing for the same budgets

- Rising costs for exhibitors and attendees

- Difficulty proving the real value of events

- Smaller suppliers competing with huge exhibition stands

- Limited time for follow-ups between events

- Growing pressure to measure attendee and buyer behaviour

What this conversation explores:

- Why iGB Live gives smaller suppliers a level playing field

- Why London gives iGB Live a unique advantage

- How ICE is expanding beyond the traditional gaming event

- Why event success should be measured by clear objectives

- How data can help prove the value of events

- Why events need to be part of a wider marketing campaign

Episode 70 of iGaming Real Talk. NOW LIVE on YouTube.

Brought to you by: St8: https://st8.io/ Endorphina: https://endorphina.com/

AI can build an app. But can it understand an iGaming business?

In Part 2 of iGaming Real Talk, David Harris and Vlad Bondarenko from ReferOn go beyond affiliate tracking to talk about AI, product development, legacy systems, migrations, and what it really takes to build B2B software for iGaming.

The industry is moving fast, but some problems are still very familiar:

• Legacy affiliate platforms that are difficult to move away from

• Large operators stuck with old workflows and systems

• Long and complex platform migrations

• Product teams building features users may not actually need

• An iGaming industry that can be slow to adopt ideas from other industries

• The growing pressure to use AI without simply adding it because it's the latest buzzword

• Finding the balance between automation and human relationships

• Building software that feels simple in an industry full of complex systems

This conversation looks at how ReferOn is tackling some of these problems.

• Using AI for real tasks like QA, prototyping and creating tracking links

• Looking outside iGaming to find better product ideas, with examples from crypto, finance and gaming

• Building around real customer problems instead of guessing what users want

• Making migrations easier by understanding how operators actually work day to day

• Showing users how the product fits their workflow, rather than forcing them to learn a completely new way of working

• Keeping the human side of iGaming alive, even as more parts of the business become automated

• Using automation to make work easier, rather than using AI simply for the sake of saying a product has AI

The conversation also gets personal, with Vlad sharing his approach to hiring, why he looks for the “spark in the eyes,” and why David believes relationships and human connection still matter in iGaming.

They also discuss ReferOn's management buyout, the future of affiliate management platforms, and where the space could be heading next.

Whether you're an operator, affiliate manager, product leader, or simply interested in the future of iGaming technology, this conversation offers valuable insights into one of the industry's fastest-evolving infrastructure categories.

--------

Brought to you by:

My Gaming License: https://www.mygaminglicense.com/ 9th Street Games: https://9thstreet.games/

Every game aggregator says they have great content. So what actually makes operators choose one over another?

David Fall, Business Development Manager at St8 addressed our curiosity here.

The game aggregation market is crowded. Almost every company says they have the best platform, the best technology and the best content. But operators today are dealing with much bigger challenges than choosing another API.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why regulated markets are becoming the biggest focus for aggregators

• What operators actually need from a game aggregation partner

• Why personalization still matters in a technology business

• The biggest challenges operators face in regulated markets

• Expanding into Ontario, Alberta, the UK and other licensed jurisdictions

• How St8 plans to compete with larger, established aggregators

• Why trust and transparency matter when working with operators

• The future of casino game aggregation

One thing I found interesting was David's mindset. St8 doesn't try to be the biggest company in the room. They openly call themselves the underdog. Their focus is building long-term relationships with operators and growing market by market.

If you work with casino platforms, game aggregation, regulated markets or operator partnerships, this conversation gives a good look into how one of the newer players is approaching the industry.

Guest

David Fall : https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-fall-5a3875158/ Business Development Manager, St8

About St8

St8 is a fully licensed casino game aggregator and full-service technology provider helping operators launch, manage and scale in regulated markets.

To learn more about St8, please visit https://st8.io/

Brought to you by:

St8: https://st8.io/

Endorphina : https://endorphina.com/

Affiliate Marketing Has a Bigger Problem Than Traffic.

The more people I speak to in this industry, the more I realise that the biggest risk isn't finding affiliates.

Because let’s assume you find 10 good affiliates, are you sure that all their past results are their own and not some fake screenshots, AI-generated reports or maybe edited screenshots?

Presenting you Episode 67 with Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of @affpapa ,where we understand how affiliate marketing is changing, and whether the industry is actually keeping up.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why affiliate fraud is becoming more sophisticated

- How AI is making fake reports look real

- Operators getting scammed repeatedly

- The debate around affiliate listing fees

- Why trust is becoming harder to build

- Where affiliate marketing is heading next

One thing I liked about this conversation is that he didn't pretend there was one perfect solution.

Levon has seen these problems from every angle, as a platform, working with operators, affiliates, and brands. He made this discussion practical instead of theoretical.

If you work with affiliates, manage affiliate partnerships, or run an iGaming business,

this episode will help you think about:

- How operators can better protect themselves

- What affiliates should expect from platforms

- Where AI is helping and where it's creating new risks

- What needs to change if the industry wants stronger partnerships

Follow Levon’s Journey (https://www.linkedin.com/in/levon-nikoghosyan/)

Affpapa (https://affpapa.com/)

Subscribe to iGaming Real Talk for honest conversations with the people building the iGaming industry.

Hosted by Surya Palli.

Sponsored by:

MyGamingLicense and 9th Street Media.

--------

Brought to you by: My Gaming License: https://www.mygaminglicense.com/ 9th Street Games: https://9thstreet.games/

What will the next generation of sports betting actually look like?

Everyone talks about AI, prediction markets, and new products. But what are operators actually preparing for? And where is player behaviour really heading?

We are at episode 66 of iGaming Real Talk. Our host Surya Palli caught up with Chris Nikolopoulos, Chief Commercial Officer at BETBY, to discuss the trends shaping the future of sports betting.

From why sportsbooks are now competing with TikTok and Telegram for attention, to the rise of micro-betting, prediction markets, and retention strategies for major sporting events, this conversation looks beyond today's headlines and into what's coming next.

We also explore how BETBY approaches marketing differently, including its partnership with Magnus Carlsen and why strategic thinking has become part of the company's identity.

• Why attention has become the biggest challenge for sportsbooks

• How operators should prepare for the next World Cup

• The rise of micro-betting and changing player behaviour

• Prediction markets and where they fit into the industry

• Why BETBY partnered with Magnus Carlsen

• What the future of sports betting products looks like

  
  

If you're building products, running a sportsbook, or simply curious about where the industry is heading, this episode is worth watching.

Subscribe for more conversations with the people building the future of iGaming.

—-

Brought to you by:

Kensho Media: https://www.kenshomedia.com/

Quantum Gaming: https://quantumgaming.com/

Affiliate management platforms are becoming a critical part of iGaming infrastructure, but what actually makes a modern platform stand out?

In episode 65 of iGaming Real Talk, Surya Palli is with David Harris and Vlad Bondarenko from ReferOn to discuss the philosophy behind building an affiliate management platform that's designed for today's operators and affiliates.

Instead of simply replacing legacy software, ReferOn is rethinking how affiliate management should work.

From reducing unnecessary clicks to creating flexible reward structures and dynamic reporting tools that scale with growing businesses.

In this conversation, we discuss:

- Why many operators are moving towards third

-party affiliate platforms

- The biggest problems with legacy affiliate management systems

- How ReferOn approaches product development differently

- The importance of simplicity in SaaS products

- Flexible commission structures and dynamic reporting

- Why iGaming can learn from other SaaS industries

- How product ideas evolve from real customer problems

Whether you're an operator, affiliate manager, product leader, or simply interested in the future of iGaming technology, this conversation offers valuable insights into one of the industry's fastest-evolving infrastructure categories.

Connect with David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-harris-405a4576/

Connect with Vlad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bondbvs/

Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping the future of iGaming from business and technology to the ideas that influence them.

--------

Brought to you by:

My Gaming License: https://www.mygaminglicense.com/

9th Street Games: https://9thstreet.games/

This episode contains discussion of psychedelics and related substances in the context of personal perspectives and scientific research.

The content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice or as an endorsement or encouragement of the use of any controlled substances.

Most conversations in iGaming are about products, regulation, or growth.

This one went somewhere completely different.In episode 62 of iGaming Real Talk, Surya Palli caught up with Alexandre Tomic, Founder of Alea, for one of the most unconventional conversations we've ever recorded.

Alexandre shares why he's fascinated by consciousness research, the science behind psychedelics, how studies at Imperial College are changing the way we understand the brain, and why he believes luck is much deeper than most people think.

This isn't a conversation about products or company updates.It's about curiosity, philosophy, science, and asking questions that most people avoid.

In this episode:

• Did psychedelics shape human evolution?

• What brain scans reveal during psychedelic experiences

• What happens during a mushroom journey

• DMT, consciousness and scientific research

• Why Alexandre believes luck deserves deeper exploration

• The intersection of science, philosophy and entrepreneurship