Online gaming has developed into one of the largest and most profitable online industries. The invention of the Internet and its mass popularisation throughout the world has produced incredible results throughout the commercial sector. But the gaming sector has been a particular revelation, with new games and rejuvenated old ones. The online casinos are a particular example of an industry that has taken on much of the fundamentals of the offline original, but with a modern virtual twist.

The success of online casinos has been unprecedented, with it quickly developing into a huge global multi-billion dollar industry. With new games and revitalised Java versions of the traditional casino pursuits, the online casinos have harnessed much of the popularity of the original whilst injecting a new and exciting formula. Unlike the ordinary casinos the online versions are not bound by the same restrictions or boundaries. They are able to remain open 24 hours a day and host as many people from all around the world. This limitless opportunity has led to the huge growth in membership and revenue for all of the sites, and has inevitably created a hugely competitive market.

Having witnesses the huge rise in the casinos revenue and the huge profits being created, a number of new sites have emerged looking to take a share of the market. Sports betting sites and other online gaming programs have introduced casinos to supplement revenue. As a result of this competitive environment advertising and marketing have become an integral part of the new and established casinos armoury. The larger sites must utilise marketing to remain ahead and establish their brand name, whilst the smaller sites must attempt to climb the ladder and generate the membership to become financially competitive.

One of the most popular and successful methods of advertising has been through affiliate marketing programs. Website owners are given advertising banners and other marketing tools to promote the casino. No money is exchanged by either party until the affiliate produces customers, at which point they are rewarded with either a single up front cash payment or a share of the money generated by the player for their duration on the site. With bonuses and incentives in place for the affiliates, the program is an effective method for casinos to reach a vast audience through a hard working network of websites, without having to pay up front advertising fees. The success of the affiliate programs has in turn rubbed off on the industries that they represent, and this is particularly true of the online casinos. It is a situation where success has breed further success, with both the affiliate and the online gaming industries benefiting from positive dual promotion.