The award-winning media platform Gamblers Connect has announced a new media partnership with Blask, a top AI-powered analytics service that caters to the iGaming sector. In this article, we’ll explain how AI-powered analytics is redefining iGaming affiliate strategies.
The margin for error in affiliate strategy has all but disappeared in a global iGaming market that generated over $117.5 billion in revenue in 2025. The days of intuitive content are coming to an end as operator budgets get tighter and regulatory frameworks in North America and Latin America become more fragmented.
The announcement of a media partnership between Gamblers Connect and analytics ecosystem Blask is considered an indicator of where the sector is heading. Now, the accuracy of market intelligence is more important than merely driving traffic.
For the Axionus community, this collaboration provides a model for how contemporary media platforms are applying AI to address two crucial 2025-2026 issues:
- performance benchmarking;
- and regulatory localization.
Why Granularity Matters
According to recent Statista projections, affiliate marketing spending in the U.S. alone was expected to hit $12 billion this year. Because of this massive influx of capital, operators are paying more attention to the caliber of their media partners.
They demand affiliates who understand not just the market but specific markets. For example, those that know the difference between:
- the UK—the largest regulated online gambling market,
- and Asia-Pacific—the fastest-growing region in terms of online revenue.
Why the New Blask Index Is Important
The Gamblers Connect and Blask alliance addresses this by integrating the Blask Index—an AI-driven market intelligence tool—directly into the editorial workflow. This integration provides Gamblers Connect with real-time data tracking across 100+ jurisdictions.
When hyper-localization became a minimum requirement rather than a differentiator, the ability to view granular market dynamics, such as brand performance fluctuations in Brazil versus Sweden, became a competitive asset.
Operationalizing Data
The inability to convert raw metrics into useful content has frequently been the main critique of big data in iGaming. This partnership appears structured to solve that bottleneck.
According to the agreement, Gamblers Connect will be responsible for synthesizing the data, not just “having access” to it. The company has committed to releasing four exclusive case studies throughout 2026. These quarterly reports will utilize Blask’s analytics to:
- Benchmark operator performance. Moving beyond subjective reviews to data-backed rankings.
- Identify emerging trends. Spotting player behavior shifts before they reflect in financial reports.
- Enhance transparency. Providing the facts for why certain operators are featured or ranked highly.
Max Tesla, CEO of Blask, emphasized this alignment of utility and data: “We are building an ecosystem of transparent analytics that empowers the industry, and GC is one of the few media partners that truly values data and knows how to work with it. I’m confident this collaboration will strengthen both sides and deliver more accurate, trustworthy, and insight-driven content to the iGaming community.”
The Data-Driven iGaming Journalism
Why does this shift towards hard data matter now? Media platforms are required to operate to maintain credibility.
Historically, iGaming journalism and affiliate reviews relied heavily on subjective user experience and static reputation scoring. In 2025, that model creates liability. With regulators in jurisdictions like the Netherlands, Ontario, and Brazil enforcing strict advertising codes, the margin for error in promoting operators is non-existent.
Data-driven journalism mitigates the risks by:
- replacing opinion with evidence;
- verifying operator claims regarding payout speeds;
- learning the exact market shares;
- uncovering the real user retention figures.
Furthermore, players demand transparency; they want to know why a brand is ranked #1. An editorial strategy grounded in analytics answers that question objectively, fostering a level of trust that intuition cannot replicate.
As we move into 2026, the trust economy is becoming the dominant operational model. Players and B2B stakeholders are increasingly skeptical of opaque ranking systems.
By anchoring their editorial content in the Blask ecosystem, Gamblers Connect is effectively future-proofing its business model. Gjorgje Ristikj, CEO of Gamblers Connect, notes that the collaboration is designed to deliver “meaningful and measurable results.“
Success in 2026 Will Come From Deeper Accuracy
A larger B2B trend is exemplified by the Gamblers Connect x Blask collaboration: ”Data is now a front-facing product rather than a backend utility.” Those who can verify their claims with third-party intelligence will secure the trust of both the operators they serve and the players they guide.
At Axionus, we gather objective and up-to-date traffic and marketing data to make a partnership with us truly valuable for any casinos and betting sites. Contact us to learn more!