Paul from TopCasino

How would you describe TopCasino to someone who does not know what you are doing?

– It is sometimes hard to explain, it depends on the person. To someone who understands how the internet works a little I would say I am in lead generation to online gaming websites. However to someone who doesn’t know much about our work, I say I am in (online) marketing.

How did you end up in the casino industry?

– As many affiliates I have talked to, I had started as a poker player and got to know some people from the industry. When the poker boom slowed down, a contact asked me if I could drive traffic to their casino website since I was very active on forums where I could easily reach out. I decided to also start my first website and learn about SEO meanwhile. From there it grew. and grew.

What made you want to start TopCasino?

– After I noticed the job was fun and the income not too bad, I realized this would be my job for the near future. So I needed to professionalize. Together with friends who own a website design agency I started the company.

What personality traits make you a skilled professional? What have been your biggest challenges?

– In our business you need a mix of a lot of things to become successful, I think. You can not just be a SEO, networker, employer, gaming enthusiast, analyst, strategist, programmer, deal maker, etc, etc alone. You need to know a bit of all of these things, sometimes at the same time. That’s what makes the job dynamic and fun. I am far from the best at any of these skills, but knowing a bit of all helps. 

– My biggest challenges are ongoing. Regulations in The Netherlands, Germany, and other markets change the landscape considerably. There will be more competition, while the rewards will go down. Databases we built over the years will mostly be lost and everyone has to start from scratch. It will be like starting a new business again, but now with more knowledge and better websites than when I first started.

– Another thing which is important to running an affiliate company is to focus and diversify at the same time. With diversification I mean to keep trying out new stuff and possibilities, also outside of your comfort zone. Not everything will work, but when something seems to be successful, focus on it to improve. This way you keep improving your skill-set and expand your horizon.

How have you changed as a person from running the business?

– Since running a business is what I always thought I would be doing at some point in life, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment and pride. It therefor makes me self-confident and happy. Besides this, it makes me a better decision maker. Every decision needs to be evaluated to be able to take calculated risks.

What are you most proud of?

– My daughter. But I guess you mean work-wise. In that case I am proud of starting a business from scratch with no experience and turn it into what it is today. The business gives a lot of freedom, which I am proud to have realized for myself and my family.

Where do you want to be in 5 years?

– In 5 years I hope the business has stabilized. Regulations will be in place and the market will be more calm. I hope this will give me the opportunity to work a bit less and focus on more important things in life. Because let’s face it; our industry in general is not going to be helping out anyone (or the world) by itself much. Great.com already has realized this and is making a difference and I really respect them for that. I will probably not be able to have such an impact, but I hope I can do my part for someone out there.

Personal and professional where can people find you online?

– My websites do not have contact forms or company details listed (anymore). I feel it takes away the focus from my work.