SiGMA Magazine: How is collaboration reshaping the iGaming landscape?
Levon Nikoghosyan, CEO of AffPapa, is featured in SiGMA Magazine Issue 35, released in conjunction with SiGMA Central Europe in Rome this November. The article explores how AffPapa evolved from a simple directory into one of the iGaming sector’s most influential ecosystems, a global hub connecting affiliates, operators, B2Bs and investors.
The full feature that follows examines how AffPapa has positioned itself at the centre of this shift, championing trust-based collaboration and building the infrastructure for sustainable, long-term growth across the iGaming landscape.
iGaming ecosystem
AffPapa began with a single, practical mission. “We launched AffPapa in 2020 with a simple goal of bridging the gap between iGaming affiliates and operators. At the time, our aim was to create a platform that could help them find reliable partners to work with”, Levon Nikoghosyan explains. “That solved one of the industry’s biggest pain points: wasting resources on searches and unreliable partnerships.”
What started as a directory quickly became much more. As the industry matured, so did AffPapa’s ambitions. New services, curated events and investment opportunities followed. “We went from being just a directory to offering services, events and investment opportunities, always keeping connection at the center,” he says.
Now, five years on, the platform is far more than a meeting point. “AffPapa has grown into a full ecosystem where affiliates, operators and B2Bs can find pretty much everything they need in one place,” Nikoghosyan adds, a network designed for connections and long term sustainable growth.
Foundations of trust
Today AffPapa connects over 300 operators and 1,800 affiliates, but Nikoghosyan insists size has never diluted integrity. “Trust is the backbone of AffPapa,” he says. “Transparency is what we have always opted for, and it’s what makes our community grow each year. We make it a point to keep communication with our core partners as direct as possible, which sets the tone for our own operations as well as the way we expect our community to operate.”
Initiatives such as The Seal of Trust help keep standards high. “We set clear standards for credibility in the industry while encouraging iGaming businesses to operate with full compliance,” he adds. An iGaming Complaints page gives affiliates and operators a place to report issues and work toward fair solutions, reinforcing the idea that growth means more than numbers, it’s about strengthening relationships.
Real-world reach
AffPapa’s network doesn’t stop at the screen. “iGaming Club is the physical extension of AffPapa. You can mainly discover partners online, but when offline, you are more flexible to build real connections,” says Nikoghosyan. Events like the iGaming Club Conference bring affiliates and operators together for speed-dating sessions, panels and awards, with Malaga already hosting two successful editions.
Next up is Cancun with a clear LATAM focus, followed by the company’s largest conference yet in Madrid in 2026. “Our events are focused strongly on affiliates and operators, with them making up 80% of attendees, making sure every connection counts.”
Leading with focus
For Nikoghosyan, leadership begins with clarity of purpose. “Stay focused on the industry and continue to identify real challenges,” he says, describing a philosophy built on trust. “I believe in giving the team ownership, encouraging creativity and building trust. When people feel empowered and accountable, that works its way into culture and shapes a proactive and ambitious vision.”
That vision now guides AffPapa’s next chapter of growth. “My vision has always been clear. To be the place where the entire iGaming ecosystem can come together not just to connect, but to do it quickly and effortlessly,” Nikoghosyan explains. For him, lasting success isn’t about chasing every opportunity at once, but “doing the right things consistently and staying focused on the needs of the community.”
AffPapa stands as proof that in iGaming, lasting growth begins with connection and under Nikoghosyan’s guidance, those bonds will keep defining the industry’s next chapter.
For more expert insights like this, stay tuned for Issue 36 of SiGMA Magazine, which will be released in conjunction with SiGMA South Asia in Sri Lanka from 30- 02 December 2025.
