David Arutinyan, 1xSlots: “We have never stopped any payments of our partners”
Shows & conferences - 3 October, 2025
During SBC Summit Lisbon 2025, Focus Gaming News spoke to David Arutinyan, Head of Affiliates at 1xSlots. He provided insight into significant shifts occurring in the affiliate space and the regulatory environment, as well as the current stability of 1xSlots as a partner.
Arutinyan explained that the industry has experienced an "enormous down[fall]" this year regarding Pay-Per-Click (PPC) sources, noting that "pay-per-click is getting hard to get fixed". He commented on the difficulty of this channel, noting that "The only guarantee these days is that it's going to get worse". This decline is largely attributed to "major updates" made by Google in some markets.
In contrast, Facebook (Meta advertisement, including Instagram) traffic is "growing and growing up". Many teams that previously focused on SEO and PPC have been forced to change their business models and are now hiring more Facebook media buyers. This increase is due to media buyers having "found a way" to circumvent usual shutdowns. Crucially, they are generating traffic through user-generated content (UGC), which is effective because "this contact is not being bound on Facebook".
Beyond PPC and Facebook, the type of collaboration used for influencer traffic has also changed. Partnerships previously based on CPA rates are shifting to a hybrid model. Influencers are professionalising, "hiring agencies" and managers through which they now conduct their business.
Arutinyan also noted that 1xSlots' key markets are in Latin America. The biggest compliance challenge in recent years came from Brazil, which implemented market regulations last year, resulting in 1xSlots having to leave the country. Although there have been no equivalent "major changes in regulations" this year, governments and regulators have found ways to block traffic and are now "very strictly banning websites" more than before.
Looking ahead, the plan for 2026 involves continuing marketing campaigns, with a focus on Latin America, where 1xSlots has found efficient cooperation methods beyond traditional SEO or Facebook traffic. Argentina is a primary growth area and has been a "big focus for last like three or four years". Currently, the brand does not have any plans to return to the Brazilian market.
1xSlots has been operating since 2017, and Arutinyan stressed that 1x Partners is a "reliable partner". The company has maintained a policy of stability for its partners, with Arutinyan asserting: "We have never stopped any payments of our partners". Payments are processed weekly, every Tuesday, a schedule which he describes as "very comfortable for new players in the industry".
The casino offers the Revenue Share model, which Arutinyan suggests only stable, older casinos can offer successfully because partners know they will get their long-term return on investment. He advises finding "a reliable and stable casino, such as 1x slots" for long-term deals.
In terms of product, 1xSlots is exclusively a casino; "We don't have any sports book," said Arutinyan. The company offers a vast selection, including slots and live games, totalling "more than 10.000 games" (around 8 to 10.000). 1xSlots prioritises working with new providers and trending games to ensure "a very good experience," which is crucial for the Lifetime Value (LTV) of their players.