As iGaming affiliates grow more and more competitive, companies in the segment must walk the extra mile to stand out from the rest. In this unique context, Boomerang Partners has just completed the first season of the Golden Boomerang League (GBL), which ran across September 1st to October 31st, 2025, which featured both new and existing affiliate partners in a major sports traffic tournament.
The competition had the industry participating for the chance to gain direct access to the third season of the Golden Boomerang Awards (GBA) in 2026, as well as two exclusive experiences with AC Milan, of which Boomerang Partners is an Official Regional Partner.
To qualify for the final prize draw, the requirement was generating 20 or more sports FTDs across Boomerang Partners’ client portfolio of brands.
To discuss the thinking behind the Golden Boomerang League, its value for affiliate partners, and the strategic focus on sports traffic, iGaming Expert sat down with Anton Eshtokin, Chief Marketing Officer at Boomerang Partners.
iGaming Expert: In what ways does the GBL help democratize access to high-level affiliate recognition and reward systems?
Anton Eshtokin: As we were developing the Golden Boomerang League, we focused on making direct access to the Golden Boomerang Awards its key benefit for participants. This is our flagship annual traffic tournament, which we launched in 2024. In 2025, it attracted over 400 affiliate teams from around the world.
The GBA has established itself as a premier event in the affiliate marketing industry. The bar is set very high, as it’s a competition among the global top performers in iGaming. We reward the best participants by inviting them to a large-scale event at a unique venue—for instance, in May 2025, it was held at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan. There, they enjoy a VIP-class entertainment experience, network with industry leaders, and make valuable connections.
On top of that, the Golden Boomerang League winner will receive tickets to AC Milan home games. As the football Club’s Official Regional Partner, we provide this experience in our signature premium style—a full, all-inclusive trip.
iGX: How does the GBL reflect the current evolution of performance marketing within the iGaming industry?
AE: The Golden Boomerang League is dedicated exclusively to sports traffic. This is one of the key aspects that differentiates it from the Golden Boomerang Awards.
Why did we make this decision? It’s a natural and logical response to a major industry trend. We are observing a powerful surge of interest in sports traffic within the iGaming sector. Furthermore, we consider ourselves to be trendsetters in this niche. This is rooted in the high-level sports expertise we have cultivated within our company, which enables us to achieve industry-leading LTV in the sports segment.
I’d also like to mention that Boomerang-Bet, a brand from our client portfolio, has won the ‘Rising Star in Sports Betting’ (Operator) award at the SBC Awards for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025.
iGX: Why is the GBL an attractive proposition for both new and experienced iGaming affiliates?
AE: The Golden Boomerang League has another key feature: a fair and just mechanism for determining winners. We aimed to ensure that, unlike projects with traditional leaderboards, both experienced top partners and novice sports affiliates have a chance to win. Therefore, we set the entry threshold for the prize draw at generating 20 sports FTDs within a comfortable timeframe of 2 months. This not only emphasizes our sports focus but also demonstrates our intention to work with affiliate partners of all levels. It is a balance between large companies and small teams, which we are ready to support and develop.
iGX: What kind of affiliates are most likely to benefit from participating in the GBL, and why?
AE: Participation in the Golden Boomerang League is open to all our sports-focused affiliate partners. This includes newcomers who can use the competitive environment to gain experience and showcase their expertise. This can be highly rewarding, as I’ve mentioned before, because we are fully prepared to support high-performing partners.
Furthermore, the League is an excellent opportunity for affiliate teams that, for whatever reason, may not be able to compete in the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026.
iGX: How does the GBL differentiate Boomerang Partners from other affiliate programs in the iGaming industry?
AE: First and foremost, the Golden Boomerang League demonstrates Boomerang Partners’ focus on sports traffic. We believe this vertical is the future and are keen to collaborate with affiliate teams who can deliver the best results.
Secondly, I would like to re-emphasize the unique winner selection mechanism. It doesn’t matter if you’re a top-tier affiliate partner or a promising newcomer—everyone has a chance. This creates a fair system and serves as strong motivation for aspiring affiliates.
Furthermore, it’s crucial to highlight the connection between the GBL and the Golden Boomerang Awards, which have already become a landmark industry event and one of our signature showcases.
Finally, we’ve integrated unique, ‘money-can’t-buy experiences’ into the prize pool, made possible by our strategic partnership with AC Milan.
iGX: How could the competitive and gamified structure of the GBL influence how affiliate programs operate?
AE: The ongoing tournament has confirmed that the Golden Boomerang League successfully incentivizes our affiliate partners to align their priorities with ours. This is driven not just by the traffic commissions but also by the competitive environment and the unique prize fund.
Furthermore, the tournament’s structure is designed to foster greater loyalty towards Boomerang Partners by creating multiple touchpoints and deeper engagement. The data we collect from analyzing the performance of our affiliate partners will serve as the basis for our future tournaments.
iGX: How does the GBL help Boomerang identify high-potential affiliates who might not otherwise be visible during the GBA nomination process?
AE: Results are what truly matter. We closely monitor the performance of every Golden Boomerang League participant and meticulously analyze the quality of their traffic. Even if an affiliate partner has relatively modest traffic volumes, but it is of high quality, they can count on our support in scaling their business.
At Boomerang Partners, we provide a wide range of assistance to encourage promising sports-focused affiliate partners. This includes, for example, flexible payment models, crucial data insights, access to unique, in-depth sports analytics, exclusive content, and even technical infrastructure.
iGX: How does the narrative of “Where legends are made” in the GBL tie into the prestige and exclusivity of being recognized at the GBA?AE: The Golden Boomerang League offers a more accessible path to gaining access to the industry’s elite, exclusive networking opportunities, and global recognition. We are ready to help promising affiliate partners who bring quality sports traffic become legends of affiliate marketing. As I mentioned earlier, we have all the necessary tools to assist in the development of their business. And the GBL is the platform where such affiliate partners can showcase themselves and take their first steps toward achieving success.
