Oleksandr Hloza, PIN-UP Partners: “In the affiliate market, we see that, from a perspective of 3 to 5 years, everything changed”

Shows & conferences - 4 March, 2026

During the ICE Barcelona 2026 event, Focus Gaming News had the opportunity to speak with Oleksandr Hloza, Team Lead at PIN-UP Partners. Oleksandr began by highlighting the significant structural changes over the past three to five years, observing a sharp decline in ROI for affiliates. He noted "a lot of bans, a lot of regulatory initiatives" and a complete shift in traffic flow. Where once affiliates could "receive solid results from the start," they now face a constant battle with "a lot of bans of domains, apps, and ad accounts," forcing them to "relaunch their campaigns" continually. He plainly stated, "Previously, it was really easy money."

Discussing how affiliates should reinterpret ROI today, Oleksandr explained that the market has fundamentally changed due to these numerous bans and regulations. He pointed out that historical ROIs of 200-300 per cent are long gone, and currently, if an affiliate manages to receive "40 per cent, it's a really huge result. When you can operate, you can scale your traffic, you can scale your team, it's not a problem because it's a new reality."

 

Oleksandr identified the biggest 'old school' habit hurting performance as affiliates "striving to catch quick results." He believes many still chase the high ROIs of the past, attempting to "squeeze all the processes and get better deals, better payouts" in an attempt to recover former profit levels quickly.

 

When addressing how PIN-UP Partners analyses performance drops, Oleksandr described it as a "complex" process involving various elements within the funnel, from affiliate traffic and ad accounts to apps, domains, offers, countries, and payment processing. He explained they employ a "checklist for every complaint," thoroughly checking their own systems while also consulting affiliates about potential changes to their funnel, apps, or targeting options to gain "the whole picture of which components changed" and affected results.

 

Finally, for affiliates considering new geographical markets, Oleksandr offered two crucial pieces of advice. Firstly, he recommended affiliates "communicate with your affiliate manager and ask about EPC, conversion rates, and other details that could affect campaign running." Secondly, he stressed the importance of rigorous testing, stating that "if you are just thinking about some new geos but you don't test, you will not receive results and real numbers." He concluded that thorough testing allows affiliates to identify which geos yield "more profits" and then strategically "mix and gain those profits and results."