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For Slots Temple’s CEO Fraser Linkleter, despite the blurring of the lines between affiliates and operators, social responsibility is still the company’s top priority.
What is the importance of social responsibility for Slots Temple affiliates?
As an affiliate, we offered slots tournaments and free demo games (and still do). We were able to create a large base of slot players who loved the game. We have always placed social responsibility at our core.
We have always believed in the power of a socially-responsible gaming experience that is entertainment-driven. This creates a loyal player base that trusts us and generates better traffic for our partners.
Has the tightening regulation of the gambling sector over the last few years affected affiliates’ responsibility towards their users?
Definitely. Affiliates provide operators with between 30% and 50% of their acquisition. While the UK Gambling Commission does not regulate the affiliate sector directly, these figures show that it is important to share the responsibility for protecting players.
The increased regulation in the last few years has led operators to be more careful when choosing their affiliates. As affiliates, it is our responsibility to accept our responsibilities as part of the gaming supply chain.
While affiliates aren’t directly regulated by regulators, we are still held to the same standards as operators. This is done through our partner agreements. Affiliates who do not adhere to these standards will have a difficult time in the current climate, as operators will only partner with partners that they trust. Social responsibility is no longer just an ethical issue, but also a business strategy.
Slots Temple was granted a UKGC license in 2022, which enabled you to run paid tournaments as well as real-money slot machines. This has changed your view of social responsibility.
Our business model has always been based on social responsibility, and the UKGC license is a testament to that. We are also held to the highest standards because we offer real money games.
This includes KYC, deposit limitations, timed real checks, affordability checks and self-exclusion. For us, compliance is not enough. We have always aimed to be a destination that is safe for both fun and prizes. We’ve built a community of slot fans who trust us, and it’s vital that we maintain this trust by the way we conduct our business.
The license has allowed us to give our players more choices. The first were free tournaments that offered cash prizes. Next, we had low-stakes tournaments offering bigger prizes and real-money slot machines.
Have your experiences as a partner made you more socially conscious?
We have benefited from it because we now know what our players are looking for. We believe that smaller deposits are safer. We only offer small stakes when we are offering cash play. You can enter tournaments with 1p or play free tournaments in the UK, which all have real cash prizes.
It’s also important that we educate our players on the games available. We display clearly the Return-to-Player (RTP), volatility and other important information about the game before allowing customers to play it.
It is about being on the player’s side, whether you are an operator or affiliate. Ultimately, we believe that an entertainment-driven, socially responsible gaming experience will foster a loyal, trusting player-base.
