Connect with us
728x90 banner available here

Latest News

Affiliate Success: Interview with Matt Stephens, founder at Slots-Guide.eu

Published

on

 

You know what the best part of conducting these interview is? Hearing all these inspirational stories of online gambling affiliates that lead the way of entrepreneurship worldwide and the next generation of the industry which makes it a better place and environment for us all. One of them built a humour website back in the 90’s which was on a free host and had 2 million unique visitors before the free host closed it down. Matt has certainly got talent for entrepreneurship and now runs a family business with his brother Dom. These guys have put together Slots-Guide.eu and work hard to become the next super-affiliate. If this interview doesn’t inspire you to venture into this great industry, nothing else will 🙂

  • Name: Matt Stephens
  • Age: 41
  • Hometown: Bradford, England
  • Living in: The Netherlands
  • Favorite Food: Pizza & Indian Curry
  • Must Read Book: Douglas Adams – The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy

EEG: Tell us a bit about yourself, we want to know who Matt really is, the main person behind Slots-Guide.eu. Where were you born? What was the key idea of developing this great review website for top online casino games and reviews?

Matt: Hi there, thanks for the interview and thanks for recognizing Slots Guide and all the hard work we have put in to it!
I was born in England but have spent most of my life in the Netherlands aside from a few years at university studying economics back in England. I am an ICT professional by trade, though at some point in the distant future it would be nice to quit the day job and work on the website full time.
So how did Slots Guide come about? Well I have built a few websites in the past: a fantasy football website which was really successful with the couple of hundred players that joined. I also built a humour website back in the 90’s which was on a free host and had 2 million unique visitors before the free host closed it down as it was taxing their servers too much! I have also done a bit of journalism as a hobby and been published in a few magazines, websites and newspapers.
So with all my experience and with gaming and slot machines being a long time hobby of both myself and my brother, it seemed a natural move to start an online gaming website together. We were pretty disgusted at the amount of poor quality and often downright dangerous review and so called advice sites out there that we knew there was – and still is – room for more honest sites.

EEG: As we understand it is a family business, where your brother Dom is in charge of Social Media, research and development. How are you guys getting along? Must be great to have your main partner your brother.

Matt: It is very good working together for the most part. Obviously there’s brotherly rivalry and annoyances from time to time but that often works in our favour that we can have a good argument and then come up with great ideas and solutions. If you are working by yourself or with a business partner you might not always push yourselves and each other as hard as we do!
We also have a big advantage in that we both have very good full time jobs. We are both international civil servants and so we don’t need Slots Guide to earn any income at all. This means we can be ruthless with gaming sites and providers we disapprove of whilst giving our readers the absolute best advice possible. I think readers really appreciate honesty.

EEG: Since there are thousands of casino game review websites out there, where do you think Slots-Guide.eu stands now?

Matt: Slots Guide is going to grow slower than we would ideally like because of our full time jobs and our other life commitments. And we want to provide quality information rather than writing trash or copying text from other websites. So we can’t churn out a dozen pages per day. But again the feedback we have gotten has shown that the visitors like the way we are working. They can tell the site has been written with love and care. And I think this is the reason we have come so far in such a short time.
We are not one of the big couple of dozen websites yet, but we already have a loyal following and we are growing every single week!

EEG: What are the strong points of Slots-Guide.eu and what makes it stand out from the niche websites?

Matt: It’s definitely our honesty, our research and in particular our stance on problem gambling. We really feel that EVERY affiliate portal should have problem gambling information readily available. We know a lot of gambling addicts and have seen at close quarters the destruction it causes. It is very close to our heart and we don’t feel the industry or even the governments as a whole is doing nearly enough to combat it.
We are working on a major project to help with problem gambling and while it is going to easily take a year or so to complete and require a lot of cooperation from the casinos, it is very important and is going to help a lot of people if we can pull it off.

EEG: What were the bumps on your road when you got started and how did you overcome them?

Matt: There are small bumps every week. Learning about SEO, redesigning and reorganizing the website, learning about wordpress, you name it! The site will never be complete and I’ll never be 100% happy with it. But that’s what it is all about if you want to be a success.
The biggest single bump though is what I like to call “Forumgate” which was where the forum we tried to start got spammed by a couple of thousand bot accounts in a single weekend. Somebody found a flaw in the forum software and used our site as part of a link network. After trying to fix it we decided to remove the entire forum and have been playing clean up ever since!

EEG: You have an interesting Casino Awards and Casino ratings page which is quite spread across the industry, however, yours seems to be on the right track. How does your extreme focus on knowledge sharing on casino come about? Was it something on your mind when you started or was it something you acquired on the go?

Matt: A bit of both. The focus before starting the website was to give the best advice possible and to point readers away from all the dangers. Quite honestly I would be happy if all forms of gambling were completely banned everywhere in the world. But of course things don’t work like that so if people want to play then we have to help them play where they will be safe. So we knew a lot and did a lot of research before starting the website and will continue to seek out all the information we can. This week for instance we have published a lot of return to player statistics for slots. We aim to soon have the biggest RTP database out there so people can give themselves the best possible chance against the casino! If any slot providers are reading this and we haven’t gotten round to you yet, please get in touch!

EEG: We have browsed your website and found some high quality content. Are you writing it by yourself or you have a team of people writing the reviews? How many reviews are there on your website?

Matt: 99% of it is my writing. Dom has written a few things and we have a friend who is a gambling addict who has kindly helped us a bit as well. Having said that we are very open to bringing new writers on board. We are actively seeking partners, writers who share the same philosophy as us and who have the talents to write good, solid and honest content and who want to really be a part of making Slots Guide something truly special.
At the moment there must be well over two hundred reviews on the site and well over a hundred articles.

slots_guild_11

EEG: How do you keep the content fresh and devoid of clutter when a lot of fluff and nonsense appear on the Internet on a daily basis?

Matt: I don’t really know any other way to write. I only write stuff that I would want to read myself. The slot reviews for instance, I’ve seen thousands of generic reviews either copy and pasted from the provider or just describing the slot based on half a dozen spins or from the pay table. That doesn’t help anyone. If I write a slot review I will try to actually tell people how the slots play, if it is a slot for the casual player or for the more dedicated player with a larger bankroll.

EEG: We are sure that you receive daily messages from Affiliate Managers showcasing their products. You of course select them by the brands they work with; but what are your thoughts on how Affiliate Manager-Affiliate relationships should be built?

Matt: Yes this is a very difficult part of the job. We get loads of Affiliate requests, at the moment we have about 20 in the queue waiting to be added. We don’t just add them on the fly, we have to thoroughly check the brands out before they can be accepted.
As for the relationships, well it isn’t that difficult really or at least it shouldn’t be. Be nice, be honest, be friendly. Don’t be pushy or impatient. Skype is a brilliant tool for building up a good relationship.

EEG: How do you see the future of the gaming industry? For instance, will it become a truly global phenomenon in the near future?

Matt: I think it may well explode in the next few years. There is so much money involved and eventually even the strictest governments will cave in to the pressure and the dollar signs. If one ruling party is blocking legislation then a change in government a few years later gives the industry a fresh chance.
Take a look at the USA, there was a major shift from 2006 onwards with the UIGEA but now you have “politicians” like Donald Trump who will turn things on their head in the unlikely event he gets elected as president. At some point the laws will change and in fact things are already changing in a number of states.
But that’s not why it will explode. Technology is the game changer, the slot machines are getting better and better, there are virtual casinos, virtual poker tournaments (using Oculous Rift and the like) and there are gambling and poker programs on television all the time. It is becoming mass entertainment and while it is very exciting it is also quite scary. The times are changing, the video game industry is bigger than Hollywood now, mobile gaming isn’t far behind and on demand television is gunning for network and cable television. Technology is running rampant and online gambling is going to play a big part in the future.

EEG: Can you name one change that you want to see in the casino affiliate ecosystem?

Matt: I would like to see more honesty across the board, both from the operators and from the affiliates themselves. Greater player protection and greater affiliate protection as well. But we do all need to work together for that to happen and there is no one major central regulatory body governing all of it. How do you regulate something as massive and diverse as the global internet gaming industry? I wish I had the answer to that.

EEG: What advise you would like to offer to the new affiliates who are looking to venture into this great industry?

Matt: I think the best single piece of advice I can give is to assume you are not going to earn a penny for the first two years of running your website. If you forget about income and simply aim to provide unique, interesting and useful information then you stand a chance of survival and success. If you are only out to earn a quick few bucks then think twice as that will show. The days when spam sites could attract lots of clicks without offering anything tangible and without much hard work are a thing of the distant past.

EEG: Now, who is your favourite celebrity?

Matt: Now there’s a question. Phil Parkinson is probably too low profile to be considered a celebrity… Right now I’d probably have to say Jamie Vardy as he is flavor of the month in the media. Down to earth lad who worked his way from part time football to top of the Premier league through grit, determination and hard work.
If Vardy isn’t really classed as a celebrity then I’d have to go with Stephen Hawking. Legend!

EEG: If you would just open your Youtube search bar, what would you search for?

Matt: Dragons Den UK or Mock The Week. I get to catch up on these when the Mrs is out!

EEG: Back to work. Do you attend any igaming conferences? If so, which one is your favourite and what is your most fun experience?

Matt: I’ve not attended one yet as Slots Guide is only just about to approach its first birthday. Maybe Amsterdam in 2016 will be my first as its close by.

EEG: How do you rate the chances of Eastern Europe becoming potential gaming hotpot of the future? Where do you think the region must improve upon?

Matt: I am going to pass this section over to Dom to answer.

Dom: Given the number of very good affiliate managers we are seeing from Eastern European countries, and the number of eastern Europeans already employed in the Live Casino platforms of many online casinos, I think the start has already been made. I can see major operators shifting their base from countries like Israel to Eastern Europe in the short to mid-term as the environment is certainly there, good infrastructure, well trained ICT staff, good English speakers, and a great work ethic are a just a few of the many factors the “big boys” will also already be noticing. Add to this the great work companies like eegaming.org are doing to further develop the industry in the region, and the hotspot will certainly be here sooner rather than later.

In terms of improvement, the region as a whole needs to promote itself more, both as a place of well trained individuals and as an area with a very solid Internet platform and infrastructure. India became very well known for its IT professionals, and many companies moved their business there in the 90’s, taking advantage of the infrastructure to set up their call centers and other key assets. Taking a lesson from how India did things would be a good start in getting a chunk of the boom. Also, eegaming.org needs to stick around for a long time as the promotional work you are doing for the region is a great step in the right direction.

EEG: Alright, here comes the fun part….favourite food, where would you like to travel in Eastern Europe, some part of the region maybe that you haven’t visited yet and favourite destination around the world.

Dom: As Matt has mentioned I too am an international civil servant, and I do travel a lot (120+ days per year) for my day job, and have visited a number of countries in Eastern Europe over the last 10-12 years. I have spent many months in Russia, and in Serbia, and a good number of weeks in Czech and Slovakia, with my favourite being Serbia. Belgrade is a great city, but by far the most time I have spent there has been in Krusevac, and this is one of my favourite places in Eastern Europe.
Across Eastern Europe the food is fantastic, with meat and vegetables tasting like they should do, not the mass produced and force bred food stuffs that we are forced to buy in Western Europe. A particular favourite food of mine has to be Kaymak (the Serbian type), which is magnificent but bad for the waist line.
Favourite destination in the world has to be San Diego, a great city with a great year round warm (16-25c) climate, but Reims in France comes a very close second together with Krusevac. Of course I have to mention Las Vegas as well, a stunning place, and one that I would have to say everyone should visit once in their life, gamblers and non-gamblers alike!

EEG: Where you wouldn’t want to travel in Eastern Europe?

Dom: There are very few places I wouldn’t want to visit at least once, but some parts of Moscow and Bratislava are a little bit tricky if you don’t speak the language, but the same has to be said for just about anywhere in the world. I still like the idea of spending a Russian winter in a rural village in a traditional wooden house.

EEG: What is your opinion about EEG (Eastern European Gaming – eegaming.org)?

Matt: I think you are doing a great job. Your website and magazine certainly stands out against the crowd. You are offering unique and interesting insights into the affiliate world and the interviews are inspirational. I would much rather see good researched articles like you are providing rather than just trying the hard sell for whoever offers the best deal. Keep up the good work and I hope that as you grow, you become stronger and maybe as a collective the EEG can do some good!

Latest News

GGPoker Launches WSOP Express: Your Fast Track To Poker’s Biggest Live Events!

Published

on

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

GGPoker, the World’s Biggest Poker Room, today announced the launch of WSOP Express, a revolutionary new series of online qualifier tournaments designed to give every player the chance to win their way into the most prestigious live poker events on the planet. 

WSOP Express utilizes a simple ‘steps’ format, allowing players to embark on their journey to glory from tiny buy-ins:

  • Step 1: All-In or Fold 4-max Sit & Go – $0.50 or Step 1 ticket buy-in – Step 2 ticket prize
  • Step 2: Spin & Gold 6-max Sit & Go – $2 or Step 2 ticket buy-in – Step 2-4 ticket or WSOP Pass prize
  • Step 3: Turbo Tournament – $10 or Step 3 ticket buy-in – Step 4 ticket prize
  • Step 4: Regular Tournament – $150 or Step 4 ticket buy-in – Ring Pass or Bracelet Pass prize

Players can start at Step 1 or buy directly into any step, making the path to live tournament poker accessible to all.

GGPoker will also host special step tournaments, which participants can play to win the bigger WSOP Express passes:

  • Bracelet Step: Regular Tournament – $1,000 buy-in or ticket – Bracelet Pass prize
  • Super Step: Regular Tournament – $2,500 buy-in or ticket – Super Pass prize

Free WSOP Express tickets can be claimed through various exciting promotions, including cash game challenges and more.

The available WSOP Express passes are:

  • $5,000 Ring Pass: Your ticket to WSOP Super Circuit Live Events, this pass includes event buy-in plus expenses
  • $10,000 Bracelet Pass: Grants entry to $10,000 WSOP bracelet events, such as next year’s iconic WSOP 2026 $10K Main Event in Las Vegas
  • $30,000 Super Pass: The ultimate package for the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event, including your $26K entry, discounted accommodation at the exclusive Atlantis Paradise Island resort, and more

A key focus of WSOP Express is to open the doors to the newly announced WSOP Paradise 2025 Super Main Event. Taking place this December at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, this monumental tournament boasts a record-breaking $60,000,000 prize guarantee, making it the largest live poker guarantee in history, shattering last year’s impressive $50,000,000 Super Main Event guarantee.

Sarne Lightman, Managing Director of GGPoker, shared his excitement: “This is a game-changer for the GGPoker community, literally. Imagine starting with a tiny buy-in and winning your way into the biggest live poker events on the planet, including the record-breaking $60,000,000 guaranteed WSOP Paradise Super Main Event in the Bahamas! WSOP Express is designed to turn dreams into reality, making the pinnacle of poker truly accessible for everyone – play WSOP Express and take the fast track to the WSOP!”

The WSOP Express journey is straightforward: complete steps, earn your pass, and enter the WSOP experience. This streamlined process ensures that players can easily track their progress towards their desired live event.

Visit GGPoker today to start your WSOP Express journey and take aim at poker’s biggest prizes: ggpoker.com/tournaments/wsop-express/

The post GGPoker Launches WSOP Express: Your Fast Track To Poker’s Biggest Live Events! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Week 29/2025 slot games releases

Published

on

Reading Time: 4 minutes

 

Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming

Spinomenal has rolled out the latest addition to its iconic Demi Gods Series: Demi Gods VI Hold & Hit. In this new release, players are transported to a mystical realm surrounded by ominous mountains and swirling mists. The adventure unfolds within a 5×3 reel frame, where electric anticipation crackles around each spin. Atlas, Selene, Helios, and Hera are once again the main protagonists on a mission through ancient Greece in the hunt for glory.

Million Games is thrilled to announce the launch of Fortune Fairies, an enchanting new video slot that takes players into a mystical forest filled with magic, rewards, and a jackpot. This 5×3, high volatility slot invites players into a world, where ethereal fairies, shimmering orbs, and hidden treasures await. Designed for players who love immersive storytelling and rewarding gameplay, Fortune Fairies features two captivating bonus rounds.

GAMOMAT, one of the leading independent German software developers for slot games, has released Roman Legion Flaming Link, the latest addition to join the line-up of its hugely successful Flaming Link series. This imperious 5×3 slot marches players straight to the heart of the Roman Empire, where legionnaires must vie for victory.

PG Soft has unveiled its fantasy-fueled video slot, Dragon’s Treasure Quest. The game is presented within a  5-reel, 3-row frame and features expanding reels and multipliers. Players must track down hidden treasures while navigating through legendary lore to find Wilds and Scatters, represented by a dragon eye and treasure chest respectively.

BC.GAME is adding a dark twist to its slot lineup with the launch of Symbiote, a high-volatility crypto slot developed by Croco Gaming. Inspire by the cult comic Venom, the game invites players into a battle for control — where fusing with an alien parasite brings incredible power, but always at a cost. Symbiote draws heavy visual influence from comic book aesthetics, particularly from the Venom universe.

Get ready to don your sombrero and put your piñata smashing arm to the test in Piñateros – the brand-new Premium release from popular software provider, Swintt, where collecting six or more flaming chilis can unlock fiery rewards or one of four red-hot local jackpots. Boasting a colourful collection of symbols that serves up sugar, spice and all things nice, this exciting 5×3 reel, 50-payline slot includes fresh fruits, thirst-quenching beverages and Mexican musical instruments among its unique icons, with expanding wilds helping to create further wins.

 

Saddle up, slot fans! TaDa Gaming’s latest release, Bounty Frenzy, is here to ignite the reels with wild west energy, gold-studded features and nonstop action. Packed with cascading wins, dynamic multipliers and transforming Gold Frame Wilds, this medium-volatility slot delivers thrilling gameplay with a 5000x max win potential.

The chaos-loving Joker returns in Cashin’ Joker, a vibrant 3-reel slot from Play’n GO that doesn’t play by the rules. As numbers tumble onto the reels and transform into powerful multipliers, players are thrust into a fast-paced experience full of surprises and dramatic shifts in momentum. Every time the Joker symbol appears, the game shifts into another gear.

Red Rake Gaming has released Super 60 Stars, the latest addition to its acclaimed Super series, now available to all partner operators. This new release retains the fast-paced gameplay and wide variety of features that have made the series one of the most popular in the iGaming industry, while also introducing an exclusive new addition that adds even more excitement to the game. The new feature in Super 60 Stars is the “Super 60 Stars” symbol, which can appear anywhere on the reels and trigger the brand-new “Super 60 Gold X” minigame.

The post Week 29/2025 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Legends Charity Game in Lisbon to raise millions for charity

Published

on

Reading Time: 3 minutes

 

International stars of the football world are coming together in Lisbon this September for the Legends Charity Game in order to raise funds for communities suffering from the effects of war and local tensions around the world.

Timed to coincide with the SBC Summit in Lisbon, the Legends Charity Game on Monday 15 September is a highly anticipated match between Portugal Legends vs. World Legends, featuring some of the biggest names in the history of football. The Legends will compete in front of 60,000 Fans, and in front of millions of people that will watch the game online / on TV.

With strong support from the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), the match will see Portuguese legends playing against footballing royalty from the Rest of the World in an event that aims to raise over €1,000,000 for selected charities in the support of communities and families experiencing extreme hardship.

Luis Figo, who won trophies across Europe as well as the Ballon d’Or in 2000, will be captaining the Portugal Legends side. He comments: “It’s always a pleasure to come back to my country and play football, especially when wearing the national team colours! Hope to see a full stadium in my hometown Lisbon for this amazing Legends Charity Game and raise funds for important charity causes.”

Joining Figo from the triumphant Euro 2016 winning squad are Ricardo Quaresma, Eliseu and Ricardo Carvalho. Champions League winners Fábio Coentrão, Maniche, Hugo Almeida, Vitor Baia, José Bosingwa and Deco will also play on the night as well as other famous Portuguese legends include Beto, Jorge Andrade, Dani, Tiago Mendes, Hélder Postiga, Nuno Gomes and Simão. They will be managed by another Champions League winner – Costinha.

They will be facing stiff competition from the World Legends squad that includes legends such as: Peter Schmeichel (Denmark), Cafu (Brazil), Javier Zanetti (Argentina), Diego Lugano (Uruguay), Leonardo Bonucci (Italy), Gaizka Mendieta (Spain), Youri Djorkaeff (France), Christian Karambeu (France), Marek Hamsik (Slovakia), Giorgos Karagounis (Greece), Krassimir Balakov (Bulgaria), Gheorghe Hagi (Romania), Edwin van der Sar (Netherlands) Henrik Larsson (Sweden), Shota Arveladze (Georgia), Javier Saviola (Argentina), and Ronaldinho (Brazil).

The match will be played in front of 60,000 fans at either Estádio da Luz (Benfica Stadium) or José Alvalade Stadium (Sporting Lisbon Stadium), which will be part of a big and exciting reveal in August when the Champions League schedule is released.

The Legends Charity Game aims to raise over €1,000,000 for a number of good causes based both abroad and in Portugal as the Football Family aims to give back to the families of the world. Funds will be raised for both international and national charities who help families and communities in need.

One of the international organisations that The Legends Charity Game will be raising funds for is the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS). Every day, the Ukrainian Red Cross teams provide evacuation support, psychosocial and first aid, provide essential humanitarian relief, support temporary shelters, help with housing restoration, and spread awareness about unexploded ordnance risks. Ukrainian Red Cross volunteers and staff work in all regions of the country to support those who need it most.

Maksym Dotsenko, Director General of the Ukrainian Red Cross, comments: “The war in Ukraine continues, and unfortunately, millions of people still need support every day. We have no right to stop. Initiatives like the Legends Charity Game are not just about the funds raised. They are about compassion, and the understanding that the world stands by us. They are about solidarity that transforms into real help for those going through the toughest times. We are grateful to everyone who takes part.”

The Lisbon-based Cáritas Portuguesa, which offers critical support to marginalised communities fighting issues such as poverty and inadequate emergency relief, is also a charitable partner for the Legends Charity Game.

SBC Founder & CEO Rasmus Sojmark explains: “We are taking our charitable endeavours up a notch this year with the spectacular football match in order to raise a lot of money for some very worthy causes. By tying the match in with the SBC Summit in Lisbon the same week, we have found a way for the communities around football and business to help other communities that are facing unimaginable hardships.”

Tickets  are available to purchase via the official website www.legendscharitygame.com. See Tickets will handle ticket management of the event.

Sponsorships and Hospitality are still available in support of the event and the charities. Some of the sponsors already confirmed include iGP, Soft2Bet, Sportingtech, Vegas Legends, Spribe, SmartSoft and Alea.

Sport Global Charitable Foundation is a restricted fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund (UK registered charity with charity number 1099682). All of the profits from the Legends Charity Game will support the Sport Global Charitable Foundation’s beneficiary charities across a range of causes including the Ukrainian Red Cross Society and Caritas Portugal.

The post Legends Charity Game in Lisbon to raise millions for charity appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Continue Reading

Trending

EEGaming.org is part of HIPTHER, parent brand of various prominent news outlets and international conferences. These platforms and events span a wide range of industries, including Entertainment, Technology, Gaming and Gambling, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, Quantum Technology, Legal Cannabis, Health and Lifestyle, VR/AR, eSports, and several others. This indicates that EEGaming.org is part of a larger network that focuses on a diverse array of sectors, particularly those related to cutting-edge technology and modern lifestyle trends.

Contact us: [email protected]

Editorial / PR Submissions: [email protected]

Copyright © 2015 - 2025 HIPTHER. All Rights Reserved. Registered in Romania under Proshirt SRL, Company number: 2134306, EU VAT ID: RO21343605. Office address: Blvd. 1 Decembrie 1918 nr.5, Targu Mures, Romania

We are constantly showing banners about important news regarding events and product launches. Please turn AdBlock off in order to see these areas.