Pictured: Steven Vrolijk, QMRA (and KVA) Founder
QMRA (Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates International) was launched at the beginning of February 2024, where BetterWorldCasinos.com and Game Lounge were launching members. Quickly after launch, Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) came to an agreement with QMRA. They started with adding three websites to the Quality Mark (Sweden, UK and Germany).
After Unilead offered a Swedish website, Leadstar Media (a globally focused iGaming affiliate company, based in Sweden), decided to start compliance procedures for four German websites. Next to that, Leadstar started compliance procedures at KVA for one of their Dutch websites.
The Decision to Launch
XY Legal Solutions, founder of the Dutch ‘Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA)’, decided to launch the Quality Mark Responsible Affiliates (QMRA), for six regulated markets: Spain, Norway, The United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany and Sweden.
In the second week after the launch, QMRA added USA (Michigan) as one of the optional markets. Poland, Estonia and Belgium will be added soon.
The decision to launch this new Quality Mark stems from the tremendous success of KVA. The Dutch situation has demonstrated the need for an affiliate quality mark. No country has a quality mark like KVA. We now aim to change that.
Compliance demands for iGaming are growing for all regulated markets. For affiliates, it is becoming more and more important to show they are able to keep up with compliance standards. A quality mark helps affiliates demonstrate to operators that they are trustworthy. Next to that, the QMRA compliance procedures will help the affiliate to understand relevant legislation.
Q&A with Steven Vrolijk, Managing Partner at XY Legal Solutions
We caught up with Steven Vrolijk, Managing Partner at XY Legal Solutions to discover more, post-launch…
Q. What does QMRA mean for the iGaming industry?
A. Regulatory compliance for affiliates has been important in the past. Nowadays, compliance demands for affiliates are growing for most regulated markets. Various markets even imposed complete advertising bans (Italy, Belgium, where Belgium accepted affiliation as an exemption later on).
QMRA is an evidence-based initiative for affiliate compliance. Evidence in this case meaning that our organisation (XY Legal Solutions B.V.) launched a Quality Mark for the Dutch market before (https://kva.nl/). KVA has been, and still is, a great success. Most of the Dutch affiliates are KVA members, and various operators either recognise us (bet365, Unibet, Jack’s, 777 etc.) and some decided to work closely with us (LeoVegas, 711, Tombola).
Operators, as well as the authorities, appreciate affiliates who indicate that compliance is an important part of their operations. Having a quality mark on the website, which is based upon real compliance checks (based on the relevant legislation for that affiliate), is beneficial to the affiliate. Next to that, as QMRA is a serious and evidence-based project, consumers will place more trust in websites with a QMRA Quality Mark.
Q. Why should affiliates join?
A. QMRA is available for different markets. The choice for these markets is based upon the fact that affiliates are interested in working within those markets. Plus, of course, the fact that these markets are regulated. Affiliates joining QMRA will receive a compliance check of their website (performed by our legal specialists), based on the legislation relevant for that country. Next to that, affiliates will profit from exposure (as they will be listed on the members page: https://qmra.eu/members/affiliates/). They will receive a backlink as well, where we will expect them to only place our logo in the footer (with a no follow link, linking to the members page).
KVA has proven to be successful. QMRA has the same potential. Well known companies like Gaming Innovation Group, Game Lounge and Leadstar Media have already offered multiple websites for our compliance procedures. We aim to become a household seal of approval for the international iGaming Industry. We have more than 10 members at this very moment.
Q Can you summarise QMRA in a single sentence?
A. A much needed, proven concept, compliance quality mark for international iGaming affiliates.
Q. What was the inspiration behind the launch?
A. The highly successful launch of Dutch Quality Mark KVA, and the fact that iGaming is highly regulated. For operators, it is important to work with trustworthy affiliates. Having QMRA is a sign of being trustworthy and compliance focused.
Q. What does this launch mean for affiliates and why should they join?
A. In short, we’ll help the affiliate with a better focus on compliance. Next to this, exposure on a highly potential project will not hurt.
Q. What are the unique benefits of QMRA?
A. QMRA is promising. Right after launch, we already managed to add more than 10 members to our initiative. This has to do with our proven KVA Quality Mark work. Affiliates will benefit from compliance support and exposure.
Q. Can you comment on the success of the launch to date? Any lessons learned/ plans for future change?
A. The launch has been a great success! As said, multiple members already joined. Well known affiliate companies are working with us. The news has been spreading quickly. Plans for the future: Poland, Belgium and Estonia will be added to the list of markets!
