Game Lounge Launches Trust and Data Index To Reshape iGaming Affiliate Transparency

Game Lounge has launched what it claims is the iGaming industry’s first ever Trust and Data Index for affiliate platforms – a move that could push the sector towards more transparency, better standards, and fairer competition.

The new index, announced this week, is designed to score and benchmark affiliate websites across a number of key areas – including data protection, responsible marketing, and trustworthiness. It will initially be used internally by Game Lounge to evaluate its own portfolio of affiliate sites, but the company hopes it will eventually be adopted across the wider industry.

It’s a bold step, and one that comes at a time when regulators and operators are taking a much closer look at how affiliates operate, especially in markets with stricter advertising rules.

Here’s what’s behind the move, how it works, and why it matters for iGaming affiliates heading into 2025.

What is the Trust and Data Index?

In simple terms, the index is a scoring system. Game Lounge has developed a set of metrics that measure how trustworthy, transparent, and user-friendly an affiliate site is — with a particular focus on how it handles user data, advertises offers, and complies with responsible gambling expectations.

Sites are evaluated on:

• Clarity of affiliate disclosures and commercial intent
• Presence and quality of responsible gambling messaging
• Data handling, including cookie consent and privacy policies
• Website design elements that reflect trust (e.g. HTTPS, review transparency, update frequency)
• Brand consistency and how content is presented to users

Each site in Game Lounge’s portfolio will be reviewed and given a score. Those that fall below a certain threshold will be flagged for improvement, with the company promising to increase investment in the highest-performing properties and hold underperformers accountable.

Why Game Lounge is doing this now

The launch of the index comes as the iGaming affiliate space enters a more mature — and more scrutinised — phase.

Regulators in the UK, Netherlands, and across Europe have begun tightening their rules on how gambling offers can be advertised, particularly when it comes to misleading claims or unclear terms. Affiliates, once seen as independent marketers, are increasingly being held responsible for the claims they publish and the customers they deliver.

Game Lounge says it created the index in response to this shift — not just to meet regulatory requirements, but to set a higher bar for how affiliate marketing should be done in the gambling space.

In a statement, the company said it believes affiliates must go “beyond traffic and conversions” and start focusing on user safety, long-term relationships, and sustainable monetisation.

What this means for the affiliate industry

If the Trust and Data Index gains traction, it could start to reshape how affiliates are judged — not just by operators, but by regulators and even users.

This could lead to:

• Greater emphasis on compliance and user trust in affiliate SEO strategy
• More investment in site design, editorial quality, and transparency
• Reduced reliance on outdated or clickbait-style content
• Stronger partnerships between operators and affiliates who can demonstrate high trust scores

In other words, performance alone won’t be enough. Affiliates will need to show that they’re acting responsibly — and that they take data protection and ethical advertising seriously.

For those already doing this well, the index could become a badge of honour. For those cutting corners, it may be a wake-up call.

A shift towards self-regulation

What’s most interesting about this development is that it’s coming from within the affiliate sector itself.

Rather than waiting for regulators to impose new rules, Game Lounge is attempting to set the agenda. That’s a smart move. By leading on transparency and responsibility, they’re positioning themselves as a credible, mature player — and putting pressure on competitors to do the same.

It’s not hard to imagine other affiliate networks or super-affiliates following suit with their own standards or publishing their own trust scores.

Over time, this could lead to a more formal system of self-regulation — something the gambling industry has long needed but never quite achieved.

What should affiliates do now?

Even if you’re not part of the Game Lounge network, this index matters.

Operators may begin asking about trust scores during partner onboarding. Regulators may start referencing similar criteria in future guidelines. And users — particularly in regulated markets — are already becoming more wary of sites that look untrustworthy or lack proper disclosures.

Affiliates should consider:

• Reviewing and updating privacy and cookie policies
• Making affiliate relationships and commercial intent crystal clear
• Checking that all gambling-related content includes up-to-date and prominent responsible gambling information
• Investing in cleaner design and more user-focused content experiences

This isn’t just about compliance — it’s about staying competitive in a market that’s maturing quickly.

Final thoughts

The launch of the Trust and Data Index could mark a turning point for iGaming affiliates. For years, the sector has been driven by volume – more clicks, more deposits, more revenue. But in 2025, the conversation is shifting.

Trust, transparency, and accountability are becoming part of the performance equation. And those who invest in them early are likely to be the ones who stay in the game long term.

If Game Lounge’s move sets a new industry standard, affiliates may soon be judged not just on how much traffic they drive – but on how responsibly they do it.