Day 2 at SiGMA Rome 2025? Way more than just back-to-back meetings and a crowded show floor. It was about some real talks that got to the heart of what makes iGaming tick.
Over at the Titan stand, Jeremy Castillo chilled with Saowarak Phiram (Nam) from Blexr. They didn’t hold back, chatting about how careers change, what makes affiliate deals work, and what it really takes to kill it on the affiliate side.
It wasn’t a stiff interview. It felt like two people in the business, swapping stories, old pals who just get the whole affiliate thing.
From Hotels to iGaming: A Common Path
Like many, Saowarak didn’t plan to get into iGaming. She studied hospitality at IPS in Malta, dreaming of a hotel career. But Malta being Malta, she saw other options, and iGaming looked good.
She started in customer support, learning how players think and how things run behind the scenes. Then she moved to payments and fraud, getting hands-on with what’s really crucial. That’s where she sharpened her eye for risk and keeping things running smoothly.
Even though she learned a lot, payments wasn’t her thing. Saowarak’s a people person, so she needed roles where she could talk to others. That’s why she went into affiliate management, which was right up her alley.
Hitting Her Stride in Affiliate Management
Turns out, affiliate management was perfect. Saowarak said it’s all about building relationships, trust, and playing the long game. Affiliate deals are about way more than just the money or how many clicks you get.
Trust and being upfront is key, especially when things don’t go as planned. Solid relationships mean you can fix things together instead of fighting. If partners trust each other, they’ll talk straight, solve problems fast, and grow together.
Jeremy agreed, saying that being reliable is what sets the best affiliate managers apart. The industry moves fast and is always changing, so partnerships you can count on are gold.
Lessons from the Operator Side and Back to Affiliates
Saowarak also talked about her time on the operator side, calling it tough but eye-opening. Operators are always trying to get new people in and find new partners, all while keeping up with rules and hitting targets.
It taught her a lot, but it made her like the affiliate side even more. Affiliate marketing lets you work closer with people and focus on getting quality traffic instead of just a ton of it. She joked about going back to the dark side, but it’s clear that’s where she belongs.
Top-Tier Markets and Focusing on What Counts
At Blexr, Saowarak worked with the big leagues which are the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and some places in the Netherlands. You have to be on top of your game, be compliant, and track everything properly. It all comes down to traffic quality.
When asked what affiliates want from operators, Saowarak pointed out three things.
First, flexible deals. Affiliates want partners who will work with them based on where their traffic comes from, how well they perform, and what the future looks like. They don’t want a one-size-fits-all setup.
Second, real-time tracking and honest numbers. If you get data late, you can’t adjust your campaigns in time. Seeing what’s happening as it happens lets you move quick, cut losses, and fix problems fast.
Third, a solid plan to catch fraud. Saowarak said they watch for weird stuff like a ton of clicks but no one signing up or putting down money. If they see something fishy, they work with their partners to figure out if it’s a tech issue or someone trying to cheat the system.
Getting Things Right with Tech
To manage a ton of partners, you need the right systems. Saowarak mentioned Blexr uses platforms like Vix and Tableau. That way, they can see how everyone’s doing in one place without having to log into a million different accounts.
This makes it faster to balance the books each month and make smart calls. By getting rid of the hassle, teams can spend more time on planning and building relationships.
A Reminder That People Matter Most
The chat went way longer than expected, but it drove one important point home: Affiliate marketing is still about people.
Tools, platforms, and tracking keep changing, but trust and working together are what makes you last. In top-tier markets, it’s always better to have quality over quantity, and being upfront is way better than trying to make a quick buck.
SiGMA Rome 2025 proved once again that the best stuff comes from talking to people on the floor.
