On the turn of a card, spin of a wheel or a roll of a dice millions of dollars are won and lost each day. The fascination with the excitement and risk of casino gaming has spread from the salubrious surroundings of casino floors worldwide and onto the world's largest forum, the Internet. For casino purists much of the thrill and excitement is lost or at least diluted if you can't sit eye to eye with the croupier and shoulder to shoulder with other gamers. However such disparagement has not deterred millions of people all over the world to join in and gamble on the huge variety of virtual casinos.

The Internet explosion has revolutionised numerous industries, making online shopping, auctions and even searching a profitable market. However few can match the phenomenal growth and resurgence of the online gaming industry. The transition from the real world to the World Wide Web has been far more successful than most pundits would have prophesised. Large companies have invested millions in refining software and buying up the catchiest domain names, in an effort to maximise their individuality and to continue the progression of the business. In return they have been rewarded with an industry that turns over billions of dollars each and every year, attracting more and more to the alluring realm of instant wins and huge profits.

But success usually breeds more success and in the case of the online gaming industry this has come in the form of affiliate marketing. To keep the industry growing and to keep people flocking to sites, many have employed the use of affiliate programs. These special advertising promotions utilise sites all over the Internet, to basically promote a casino or group of casinos. Although the initial transaction may be free, the affiliate is rewarded on receipt of a new customer for the casinos. It may sound rather speculative but the effects and results make extremely good reading for both sides.

Casinos need customers in order to survive and affiliate-marketing businesses need to attract customers to the casinos in order to get paid. Therefore it is in the interest of both parties to not only promote themselves but to promote each other too. The knock on effect of a successful partnership not only sees the casino profit but the affiliate too. Because for each customer attracted to a casino site through an affiliate marketer, the said affiliate earns a percentage of the players total money generated for the duration of their lifetime on the site. Therefore by simply adding a few adverts and promoting not only said advertisements but also themselves, affiliates can earn a piece of the lucrative online gaming industry.