Affiliate Programs Are Stealing Affiliates' Results - And the Industry Is Too Quiet About It

I vave worked in iGaming for over 20 years. I have seen networks rise, brands disappear, and regulations change. But one thing has stayed disturbingly consistent: some affiliate programs quietly take affiliates’ results - and get away with it.

It’s time to talk about what’s really happening.

1. They Stop Accepting New Traffic - and Stop Paying

Affiliate programs suddenly “stop accepting new traffic.” No warning. No transition. If you don’t have a lifetime deal, your work instantly becomes unpaid labor. Months of traffic, SEO, and promotion vanish overnight.

2. Referral Links Are Changed Without Informing Affiliates

Programs change referral links without notice. Tracking breaks. Campaigns die. Traffic keeps flowing—but not to your account. This is not a technical mistake; it’s a business decision that affiliates pay for.

3. Affiliate Managers Disappear Without Hand-Over

Affiliate managers are dismissed or leave, and no proper hand-over is done. Outstanding issues vanish with them. Affiliates are left talking to empty inboxes while problems pile up.

4. Referral Links Are Disabled Without Warning

Multi-GEO links get disabled. Tracking links stop working. No email. No dashboard notice. No explanation. Your campaigns are silently shut down while you keep sending traffic.

5. Affiliate Requests Are Ignored

Emails. Skype. Tickets. Follow-ups. Silence. Affiliates are ignored while programs continue benefiting from the traffic that was already sent.

The Uncomfortable Silence

I genuinely do not understand why GPWA, AffPapa, or AffiliateGuardDog are mostly silent about these practices. Maybe they are not fully informed. Maybe these issues don’t reach them clearly enough.

What I do know for sure is this: we do not want to stay silent anymore.

Our Experience - and ChilliPartners

As a new project, we worked with many brands. The result was often the same: “Thank you!” - followed by total disregard. Our traffic, our results, our communication requests were ignored.
ChilliPartners is one of the affiliate programs that put us in exactly this position.

Why Affiliates Now Ask for Listing Fees

So when an affiliate asks for a listing fee in addition to the basic offer, don’t be surprised. We are the ones bringing your future customers. After years of watching what can only be described as “Affiliate Shaving Magic” - where results are downplayed, traffic is labeled “low quality,” and communication stops -we refuse to work for official click numbers and empty explanations.

Break the Silence

Dear affiliates. Dear colleagues.
Share your experience. Name the practices. Demand transparency.

Without affiliates, there is no traffic.
Without traffic, there is no business.
And without respect, there is no future for this industry.

 

Let’s break the silence, together!