After five years since the conception, I’ve decided to put my original idea of Better World Casinos on ice.
The idea was to build an affiliate site that reviews how the companies behind online casinos and bookmakers, aka “the operators”, perform on environmental sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and ethical governance (ESG). I wanted to show players that there are good and bad companies, and that we could motivate companies to do better if we chose to celebrate the ones who are leading. Because consumer behaviour is what makes companies really want to change.
By having a new story and original content, I managed to get media attention and backlinks. I had the proof of concept for how I wanted to compete with other affiliates. But that wasn’t enough to win the trust of investors.
It’s sad and frustrating to admit that I failed to bring BWC from concept to execution. The timing felt right, with the industry talking more about ESG and investigative journalism gaining momentum.
In this article, I’ll shed some light on what happened and what’s next.
What happened
I had created a proof of concept and a minimal viable product. But to build what I envisioned, I needed resources and capacity, because just some content, a couple of links, and a scorecard wasn’t going to cut it. You can’t go out saying which operator is performing better on ESG (a huge umbrella of topics) without reliable data and diligent analysis. There are already too many affiliate websites that fake it. I wanted, and needed, to do things differently.
The brand I was building would need to compare operators and their brands in a way that’s fair and consistent, draw conclusions that are actually useful, and I needed to be able to stand behind those conclusions publicly. That level of integrity requires time and focus.
I needed to be able to stand behind those conclusions publicly
I had built a network of experts, and people asked if they could join and how they could help. But no one works for free, and I didn’t manage to get the funds I needed to pay for the work that had to be done.
I’m absolutely confident that I had gathered the skills and knowledge required to build the next phase. I had partnerships with academic institutions lined up and business intelligence partners ready to help out.
I tried bootstrapping the project while also running other work to make sure I could take care of my family. But somehow life had other plans. My own funding dried up, and my clients reduced budgets, so I had to spend time on acquisition instead of making money. By summer 2025, everything ground to a halt.
It took me two months to admit that I needed to change my plans before I got into real trouble financially and mentally. So BWC went to the back burner and I doubled down on acquisition and job hunting. But it seemed to be the worst time, with several companies doing big layoffs.
I’ve gained even more respect for founders who make it. Building a startup while staying financially responsible and emotionally steady requires serious grit. Where do they get the energy to sustain it?! Building a new business is about taking risk, but staying healthy is about knowing when to fold, to use an industry-appropriate metaphor.
The deeper lesson
Along the way, I learned something that matters even more than the operational challenges: the affiliate business model does not fit the vision and values of the company I want to build.
If the mission is to push for higher standards, transparency, and accountability, and most importantly, making profit a means to an end, then making money by promoting the current landscape creates a constant tension. Even when I try to do it “the ethical way,” I’m still rewarded for sending traffic to companies that don’t align with the values I’m trying to defend.
After many conversations (and attending 10+ industry events), I’ve come to realise that Responsible Gambling, despite all the nice talks and presentations, and participating in Safer Gambling Week, is for most companies still a tick-box exercise. Businesses are run for shareholders; they want profit and are not willing to set limits. And without limits, I don’t think we will see real, sincere responsible gambling strategies and policies.
Not yet, at least. I haven’t seen enough consistent proof that the underlying incentives have changed, or are changing. Maybe they are, but it seems everyone is waiting for someone else to take the first bold step.
So at some point I had to ask myself a blunt question: do I want to profit from promoting operators I don’t believe in, and with it, endorsing a business culture that I don’t identify with?
My answer is very clear: no. Integrity is my most important value.
At first I thought showing who was doing more was enough, but then I learned that even the best is still way below my minimal criteria for being considered worth of the BWC seal of approval.
So it isn’t only about time, skill set, or energy. It’s about alignment. I want BWC to be a platform built on integrity, not a compromise held together by good intentions.
Better World Casinos isn’t ending
This is not the end of BWC’s journey; I’ve just decided on a different route and destination.
The biggest change is that BWC won’t be an affiliate, at least not for the foreseeable future.
But I will keep building the BWC brand and continue pushing the conversation and helping it mature. What I will keep doing is:
- Keep being vocal about the change that’s needed in ESG, CSR, and ethics across iGaming
- Help businesses explore how to shape and integrate ESG/CSR and deal seriously with ethical questions
- Gather and share data on progress, where possible, in a way that’s useful and honest about limitations
- Support and amplify the people bringing transparency and accountability to the industry, and contribute to keeping the conversation going
When I started this journey, I felt I was alone. But the biggest win, besides everything I’ve learned, is the people I’ve met, the many new friendships, and the network I’ve built.
There are people doing very important and meaningful work, and they deserve more attention. I strongly believe in the Hawthorne effect: people who feel observed change their behaviour for the better. And there are a couple of people I want to call out for helping shine light, both on the good we need to celebrate, and the bad that needs attention.
A few voices and communities I respect and want to highlight:
I remain a strong believer in the good of people. Most people don’t wake up wanting to cause harm. But I see what being part of this industry does to people. There is a business culture of accepting things as “business as usual,” looking the other way, and accepting complicity because “we need a job, and the people are so nice.” It leads to ethical fading and moral disengagement. It’s complicity.
If BWC can help people look with more honesty, more context, and more persistence at themselves and the industry, then that is fulfilling a very important role. That is where change starts.
