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In this interview with Gabriel Sita from CasinosBroker.com, he shares his insights in the world of M&A in iGaming.

How did you come across the idea of being a broker and setting up casinosbroker.com?

I always wanted to become a broker when I was in high school. This might sound funny, but I wanted to become a broker, stock broker or a real estate agent. Back then I was more inclined to start a career as a stock broker.

Later down the road, after 10+ years in the adult industry, I came across the brokerage process. I saw entrepreneurs looking to sell their adult websites, and I thought I could help them by introducing them (the sellers) to a prominent broker from the adult industry. 

After sending him 3 - 4 leads, and getting paid a finder’s fee from the broker, I decided to study the brokerage career in more detail. I took 3 online courses from IBBA (International Business Broker Association) through a company located in Brasov, Romania. Afterwards I focused my time and work on the iGaming industry (because I was quite tired of the adult work/jobs).

What is your biggest domain sale to date?

Biggest domain sale was actually a bulk of 10 domains which sold for $61,000. It was at the start of my broker career, after selling smaller websites; it gave me a strong boost of confidence and capital to invest more in marketing.

What are some tips you have for affiliates that want to consider selling their sites? What should they take into consideration that buyers are looking for?

First of all, they should have everything prepared in the business - ready for sale: screenshots or video captures, provide access to Google Analytics or other traffic tracking software, revenues, expenses & profits in a P&L sheet (excel or Google sheet), they also should be ready to answer any question the potential buyer will have. To be able to transfer knowledge and offer support for at least 30 days after the deal is completed. 

The business/website should be in an upward trend: traffic, revenue & profits. That's the best way to make an exit and reap the benefits of a completed deal.

Buyers are looking for businesses or websites which are in a positive trend in terms of profits, and the website's SEO profile should always be clean. If a business has recurring revenue & organic traffic it is a gold mine for buyers.

In my opinion there are 4 types of buyers:

  • Individual buyers (or Affiliate buyers)
  • Strategic buyers
  • Private equity buyers
  • Employee buyers

How many deals are you doing every month?

It depends on the deal size, I always have smaller deals going on, every month. The bigger deals are more complex, they require more time and work. Only 2% out of 100% of buyers will actually buy a business - those are the serious buyers. And as the prices of businesses go higher, it is more difficult to find proper & serious buyers. I’d say I sell about 1 big deal every 3-6 months.

Are you finding many buyers wanting to acquire sites that are not currently in the iGaming space?

Yes, there are buyers outside the iGaming space who are looking to acquire iGaming websites. I have a few buyers who are more business-minded entrepreneurs, looking to buy, invest and grow iGaming businesses, afterwards they sell the same business for a higher price.

Do you think the largest affiliates are becoming too dominant or will there always be a space for new affiliates to build and grow sites? 

The market is becoming more competitive, but I don’t see any reason not to get involved in a more lucrative business than in iGaming. Where you have meet-ups, conferences, a lot of great people & entrepreneurs to talk too, and learn from. The market is always evolving, and it’s always nice to see fresh faces pop-up.

If you think from an SEO perspective, it is a double-edged sword. The best will rank high in Google receiving more traffic.

In my honest opinion, the iGaming industry cannot evolve without competition.

You recently made a LinkedIn post about 6 high income job skills which are SEO, Coding, Web design, Graphic design, Digital marketing, Personal branding. Which of these do you think affiliates should focus on the most in getting started?

In my opinion, SEO is the best choice. It is an important skill to have and use it when it comes to the online world. Ranking websites & keeping up with Google algo changes isn’t an easy task. Nevertheless it’s highly rewarding when you see your traffic graphs spike up (when your hard work pays off) & when you take a look at your bank account.

Google still holds a 80%+ market share (84.08 percent to be more exact), and it isn’t going anywhere soon.

You seem to have good SEO experience and are passionate about it, what excites you about SEO today?

SEO for me, was always my favorite skill of all. I like challenges and SEO gives me plenty. It’s all about ranking high in Google, getting through the technical part of SEO is what I like the most; as building backlinks isn’t that of a big deal if done correctly with diversification and relativity of the link profile.

I’m curious to see the new AI tools created by Google itself, and the evolution of ChatGPT and its role for SEO - I believe if done properly, it can only help people.

For those affiliates wanting to sell their sites, what can they expect in working with you and listing their projects on casinosbroker.com?

For affiliates who want to work with me, they can expect honesty, transparency, and me as a broker being on their side 100% (as I only work with sellers, representing them). And last, but not least: getting their iGaming business sold at a price they like.

Having strong negotiation and organizational skills I like everything to run smoothly during the sale process.

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