We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Vlad Chernov, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners, a company known for shaking up the iGaming affiliate part.
Vlad will go deeper into the iGaming affiliate side, his career, the way he assess the strengths and limitations of traditional CPA (cost per acquisition) and RevShare (revenue share) models in today’s iGaming environment, as well as what market changes are pushing the industry to look beyond CPA and RevShare.
TheGamblest: Vlad, thank you for joining our interview. You’ve been with N1 Partners for several years and now serve as Deputy Head of Affiliates. Could you briefly share your career journey, and what led you into the affiliate side of the iGaming Industry?
Vlad: Thank you for having me. My journey in iGaming started about eight years ago, when I entered the industry as a customer support agent. Over time, I grew into a Head of Customer Support position, which gave me a deeper understanding of operations, product workflows, and everything happening “behind the scenes.” That’s when I became curious about traffic, conversion mechanics, and the affiliate side of the business – the part that truly drives growth. This transition felt natural, and eventually it became the direction I wanted to pursue.
I joined N1 Partners in 2024 as an Affiliate Manager, already with hands-on experience and my own partner base. From day one, I was deeply involved in collaboration with the team, working across multiple traffic sources, and building long-term relationships with partners. As my portfolio expanded, I began sharing my expertise internally, helping improve processes, and taking on more responsibilities. This naturally led me to the Team Lead position, where our team started scaling even faster – growing together with our partners and delivering strong month-to-month performance.
Today, my current role as Deputy Head of Affiliates is a continuation of that journey. Together with the Head of Affiliates, we’ve divided key areas of responsibility, allowing me to take over part of the operational and strategic workload. This helps streamline management, strengthen support for the team, and ensure smooth execution of our goals.
In short, my career path has been a gradual shift from understanding the product from the inside to driving its growth through partnerships – and affiliate marketing turned out to be exactly the place where these skills meet.
TheGamblest: Considering your experience, how do you currently assess the strengths and limitations of traditional CPA (cost per acquisition) and RevShare (revenue share) models in today’s iGaming environment?
Vlad: The CPA model remains the most common and convenient payment model for our partners. Most affiliates prefer it because it allows them to calculate their unit economics more easily and scale campaigns with fewer variables.
Revenue Share, on the other hand, is a long-term game. It offers strong potential but also carries more risk, since everything depends on how well the brand retains the player. At the same time, this model is directly tied to LTV, which makes it highly attractive for partners working with stable, high-quality traffic.
At N1 Partners, we don’t limit partners and combine both approaches by offering a fully personalized and flexible payout system. Affiliates can work with RevShare, CPA, Hybrid, or tailored custom models depending on their traffic type, GEO, and goals. For high-performing partners, we provide premium conditions – CPA rates up to €650–700 and RevShare up to 45%, along with exclusive offers and individual deal structures.
In other words, both models have their strengths, and our role is to help partners choose and fine-tune the format that maximizes their long-term results.
TheGamblest: Player behaviour and operator expectations have definitely been shifting. Vlad, in your view, what market changes are pushing the industry to look beyond CPA and RevShare?
Vlad: I believe the key drivers here are changes in player behavior and increasingly strict regulations. Both factors intensify competition, and that competition pushes the market to look for alternatives to the traditional CPA or Revenue Share models.
Players have become more expensive and more selective. They deposit less impulsively, compare offers more carefully, and leave much faster if they don’t receive a relevant, engaging experience. Operators now evaluate traffic much deeper – the first deposit alone is no longer enough.
At the same time, there is a clear industry-wide trend toward retention. Products are valued not only for high Reg2Dep conversion but for their ability to retain players and generate strong LTV. This is exactly where N1 Partners puts its focus: our portfolio consists of brands that demonstrate not just high conversion but high retention and long-term player value, which ultimately helps affiliates achieve more stable and scalable results.
TheGamblest: Regulation is tightening margins across the industry. Given that N1 Partners focuses primarily on Tier-1 GEOs, which monetization models do you believe can best offset these pressures and drive sustainable growth in these highly regulated and increasingly competitive regions?
Vlad: The industry never stands still, and we must constantly look for new approaches and improve payout models for our partners. In addition to standard CPA, RevShare, and Hybrid models, we offer our top partners flexible options such as EPC-based payments and guarantee models. These formats demonstrate our flexibility and help us secure top-tier positions while building long-term collaborations.
Today, we have more than 10 igaming brands live, and we always provide partners with the best possible conditions – offering the highest-converting deals with the most convenient payout models. These models reduce operator risks in highly regulated markets while still preserving strong earning potential for partners working with quality traffic.
TheGamblest: As we move into 2026, which emerging monetization models do you believe have the strongest potential to complement or even replace the traditional ones?
Vlad: We are already seeing the emergence of hybrid and KPI-driven models across the market. As an operator and direct advertiser, we see strong potential in the Cost per Qualified Player model, where partners are rewarded for player actions that are clearly predefined and agreed upon with the operator. This approach allows us to receive higher-quality traffic and pay only when specific KPI thresholds are met, creating a more balanced and performance-driven partnership for both sides.
TheGamblest: There is a rising cost of compliance for both affiliates and operators, so do you see compliance-related KPIs becoming part of monetization agreements moving forward?
Vlad: I see this model as more beneficial for the operators than for the affiliate. As affiliates generally prefer the most transparent and straightforward conditions that maximize their margins. For this reason, I don’t expect this model will become widely popular in the near future, as partners usually choose offers without KPI requirements.
TheGamblest: Hybrid models have been around for years, but they’re still evolving. Vlad, what new twists within hybrid structures do you think best help balance risk between affiliates and operators?
Vlad: Yes, these models are becoming more “intelligent” and flexible, and the most common one we use is the adaptive hybrid model. In this setup, the fixed component adjusts depending on the conditions of the deal. If the traffic quality is good, the CPA increases.
We also apply this approach to volume-based agreements. For example, if an affiliate reaches a predefined FTD threshold, their CPA increases; if they don’t reach it, the rate remains the same.
TheGamblest: And finally, as the industry evolves beyond CPA and RevShare, what skills or capabilities would you recommend affiliates to develop today to stay competitive and relevant in the upcoming monetization landscape?
Vlad: Without a doubt, strong communication skills are essential – you need to be able to find common ground with partners, build long-term relationships, and stay flexible.
- Analytics and data literacy are also crucial: the ability to forecast LTV, understand audience behavior patterns, and prove traffic quality with numbers.
- Compliance awareness is equally important – knowing the requirements of specific jurisdictions and being able to structure advertising campaigns in a way that does not increase regulatory risks for operators.
Together, these competencies ensure partnerships are not only profitable but sustainable in the long term.
