Modern day online poker sites must stand in line with one of their greatest assets, the affiliates. These two very different industries survive by making the other as successful as possible. It is almost the epitome of the perfect business structure, with two successful industries feeding the other not only to create further success in their field but also in it's own. The marketing formula that has been developed by the affiliate program is such that it is not only risk free but hugely effective for the companies that utilises it. Affiliate programs not only allow everyday Internet users to subsidise the investment on their website with extra capital, but also allows big businesses to thrive by being able to spread their zone of influence further.

The affiliate program is a cost effective way for poker sites to advertise purely because they involve no real up front outlay. All the site has to do is to provide advertising materials, such as banners, word links and formatted e-mails and their part in the business is done. Affiliates come to poker sites or poker affiliate programs to ask to host the advertising purely because it is an easy way for to earn a little money from the site. In return for offering their affiliates the chance to earn some money, as well as offering them all the promotional tools for free, the poker sites can broaden the range of people that they can reach out to. With the poker banners proudly displayed on thousands of sites, the site can reach out to whoever ventures onto their affiliates sites, and with more exposure they stand a far greater chance of luring in the all important clients who keep the sites going.

But even though it may seem like a manipulative way for huge multi-billion dollar industries to get ahead, there are bonuses for the everyday Internet user. The affiliate-marketing program allows money to trickle down from the industries big money companies and into the pockets of whoever is willing to take it. The poker sites are by no means stingy with the rewards that they heap, in fact quite the opposite. The sites offer some of the best bonuses and financial packages for affiliates who bring in the all-important customers. If an person follows an affiliates link and becomes a fully signed up member of the poker site in question, the affiliate will be in line to earn anywhere between 20 and 35% of that players money generated for the site. The player does not miss out on the cash, it is simply drained from the profits of the poker site, who incidentally is still happy about receiving the greater share and the associated profits that come with new players. From what can seem a very small percentage can blossom some significant revenue for the affiliates. It is this financial incentive that drives on the affiliates, which in turn maintains the affiliate program and the poker sites.