Casinos have always been associated with glitz and glamour, celebrity and excitement. It has long been a pursuit for the rich and famous, the high rollers staking vast fortunes against the casino. They have also often been used to prop up flagging communities all over the world, due to the huge revenues generated and the businesses and employment that is generated by their sheer presence. However now in the 21st century, the casinos have had a significant electronic facelift. The Internet has been used as a forum for all sorts of makeovers and facelifts. Because of its enormous size and worldwide audience, the Internet has become a playground for new and old ideas to be recreated. Online auctions have become huge, as has the e-commerce industry, but few can rival the huge financial and market gains generated by the online casinos. However much like their real life counterparts, the online version of the casino has been quick to help others profit from their success.

The most prominent subsidiary business stemming from the online casino industry is that of affiliate marketing. The affiliate market is hugely important to businesses of all size because of the need to reach a huge audience. Affiliates allow casinos to reach out to huge audiences from around the world, the more affiliates that a site can utilise the greater their visibility becomes. From the casinos point of view this marketing asset is made all the better by the fact that they do not have to pay a penny up front for the pleasure of this advertising space. Their brand can be spread throughout the largest market place in the world and it is free. Unlike the rather more expensive pursuits of advertising on billboards, magazines or sponsoring events, there is no up front payment necessary. This is because the affiliate program works on a reward basis; the affiliate supplies the customers the casinos supply the rewards.

However this system of marketing does not simply work in the favour of the huge casinos. The affiliates are amply rewarded for their part in the business equation, with casinos offering anywhere up to 35% for the privilege. Unlike in other affiliate programs, most of the casinos will offer the percentage of a player's revenue for their entire lifetime, rather than simply for a one off transaction or a couple of months. Therefore the program works adeptly at providing both parties with what they require. The affiliates earn their money by supplying customers, whilst the casinos profit from the new custom and all the potential income that brings. The onus is placed squarely on each affiliate to attract as many people as is possible, in order to generate more revenue for themselves. But in turn this also favours the casinos, which makes the affiliate program one of the most profitable and advertising systems around.