American facing affiliate website Unitedgamblers.com, through its partnership with sportsbook operator Pointsbet, has been granted access to the regulated US states of Iowa and Illinois. The Leadstar Media owned product has been operating since 2019 and already holds affiliate licenses in New Jersey and Indiana.
Iowa legalized online sports betting in August 2019 and recently set the record for the most money wagered in a single month. Illinois is the sixth largest US state by population (12.8 million) and is also home to six major league sports teams. Both are good omens for Unitedgamblers.com who are looking to capitalize on the US’ growing interest in online betting.
According to CEO Eskil Kvarnström, Unitedgamblers.com is a very broad product, providing in-depth information about where each US state stands on online gambling. He said: “There’s still a blurred line between legal and illegal operators in the US so I believe that we, the affiliates, have some responsibility in helping players to understand what authorized options are available to them.
“I’m very pleased that we have been granted access to these two new states and look forward to ramping up activities in the new markets.”
The US market, Kvarnström noted, poses great potential for affiliates. And two years on from the PASPA repeal it has shown great growth and caught the attention of many big players in the affiliate sector.
“However, the minimum requirement to legally enter the market is higher than in Europe and other parts of the world,” he advised. “For example, in Iowa and Illinois affiliates need to partner with a licensed operator because the licensee is liable for any actions performed by a marketing affiliate on their behalf or to their benefit.”
Regarding the partnership with PointsBet, Kvarnström added: “Unlike the other markets we operate in, Illinois and Iowa don’t require specific affiliate licenses. The barriers to enter these states are therefore lower, however the sportsbook operators must report their partnership with affiliates to the proper authorities. PointsBet is our first partner in these two states and we’re continuously looking for new partnerships to expand our offerings.”
