TheGamblest recently had the chance to talk with Salvatore Martorana, the co-founder of Casino2K iGaming affiliate and comparison company.
Recently, Casino2K won the “Affiliate of the Year” award at the EGR Italy Awards 2025. The Casino2K is also shortlisted for the “Affiliate of the Year” award at the IGA 2026. Martorana talks about, what it took Casino2K to get there.
TheGamblest: The majority of the industry already knows your brand, but for those who may be less familiar can you take us back to the origins of Casino2k, what core services you provide today and what you believe truly sets you apart from other affiliates in such a competitive market?
Salvatore: Casino 2k is, first and foremost, a project born out of the friendship between me, Stefano Franceschetti and Matteo Giannone. We have known each other for around twenty years and have always shared a passion for the gaming world. At first, we became familiar with this sector by visiting land-based casinos, and later we also moved into online gaming, from around 2011, when online casinos were regulated by the Italian state authority AAMS.
Until then, the web was very different from what it is today and, in our field, there were many unreliable websites, often even illegal ones. We ourselves had to deal with unpleasant situations caused by false information and misleading promises, which eventually turned into a business opportunity. That is where the idea for Casino2k came from: a 100% Italian company, made up of serious people who truly understood the industry and wanted to present it in a transparent and clear way to the many users who were approaching online gaming for the first time.
Today, Casino2k is a complete and up-to-date information website focused on legal online gaming in Italy. We offer reviews of ADM-licensed casinos, guides on bonuses, payment methods, registration and games, as well as strategic advice based on our extensive experience. In my opinion, what sets Casino2k apart from other competitors is the direct support we provide to users through our forum. Beyond publishing content, we aim to be a real point of reference for players, who often have questions or problems they need help resolving.
TheGamblest: The affiliate landscape is a constantly evolving industry affected by technological advancements, regulatory changes, and shifting player behavior. In your view, what trends do you see affecting the global affiliate market in 2026?
Salvatore: In general, I believe that in 2026, affiliates that can demonstrate transparency and authority to their audience will continue to be rewarded. That said, I would focus in particular on three trends.
The first is that regulation will play an increasingly important role, so being good at marketing alone will not be enough. Affiliates will need to operate more effectively in an environment where regulations are very strict, especially when it comes to advertising and player protection.
The second point is the growing focus on content quality: expertise and credibility are essential in order to provide users with updated and comprehensive information. Today, players are more informed than they were in the past and, rightly so, they are looking for content that is genuinely accurate.
The third key topic is artificial intelligence. I believe that, if used wisely, it can be a valuable support tool, but it cannot fully replace human experience and judgment, especially when it comes to understanding what users really need.
TheGamblest: Casino2k received “Affiliate of the Year” at the EGR Italy Awards 2025. Can you tell how this award impacted you personally and what it means for the company as a whole?
Salvatore: Certainly for me, Salvatore Martorana, it was a great personal satisfaction. When your work is recognized with such an important award, you can only be pleased, because it means that our project is appreciated.
At the same time, it is an achievement to be shared with the other founders and with the whole team, because Casino2k is the result of collective work. From a business perspective, it is a welcome confirmation that gives us even more credibility within the industry and shows that the path we have chosen is the right one.
TheGamblest: Winning a highly regarded industry award can change the way your brand is perceived within the overall ecosystem. How has receiving this award changed your relationship with operators and your partners?
Salvatore: Clearly, an award of this caliber strengthens our reputation in the eyes of the market. We can feel that there is greater attention towards us and that the dialogue with operators starts from an even stronger foundation of trust.
That said, I believe the Casino2k brand has always stood out for its seriousness and transparency, regardless of the awards it has received. Our main objective remains to build solid relationships with operators, working with professionalism and reliability at all times.
TheGamblest: The Italian affiliate market is one of the most mature and tightly regulated in Europe, shaped by strict advertising rules and a strong focus on player protection. What factors do you believe set Casino2k apart from its competitors in the Italian affiliate market?
Salvatore: That is true: the Italian market is highly competitive and also highly regulated, so SEO skills alone are not enough. It is just as important to build an authority image. I believe Casino2k stands out thanks to the extensive experience of the people who work here, starting with its three founders. We started from scratch, after experiencing the industry’s critical issues firsthand, and we tried to create something genuinely useful for users.
Another important aspect is our relationship with players. As mentioned earlier, the forum we manage is an integral part of the project and allows us to listen to people’s problems and help them find solutions. Very often, through dialogue with operators, we have managed to help players receive winnings they had been unable to withdraw. For us, that is a source of great pride.
TheGamblest: Casino2k has also been shortlisted for “Affiliate of the Year” at the IGA 2026. What key achievements from the past year do you believe led to this shortlisting?
Salvatore: Being included in the IGA 2026 shortlist was very rewarding. I believe this nomination stems from several factors: the quality of the work we have done, the company’s growth, our relationship with our community, and the overall strength of the project.
The award we received at the 2025 EGR Italy Awards probably also gave us an important boost. More broadly, we are pleased that the industry has recognised our professionalism and our daily commitment.
TheGamblest: Internationally expanding outside of your local market is one of the key milestones any affiliate business will achieve to develop long-term. What will recognition at the international level mean to Casino2k’s growth strategy?
Salvatore: We are already expanding into international markets such as Greece and Switzerland, because we believe that moving beyond national borders represents a growth opportunity and can open the door to new collaborations. The idea that a company like ours, with Italian roots and strong ties to the Italian market, could also operate abroad would be an extraordinary milestone.
At the same time, while we remain alert and always keep an eye on new opportunities, we are also aware that there are limitations to international expansion, as many countries are adopting increasingly strict regulations and operating in another country makes everything much more complicated to manage. For this reason, it is a path that must be approached with the utmost care.
Our strength, however, lies in our deep understanding of the dynamics of the Italian market and in the advantage of being able to organise our work directly from Italy.
TheGamblest: If you were to win “Affiliate of the Year” at IGA 2026, how would that influence your next strategic steps?
Salvatore: Winning “Affiliate of the Year” at IGA 2026 would certainly have been a great source of pride for us, just as the recognition we received at the EGR Awards was. At the same time, our approach would remain the same: we stay focused on our work regardless of awards, because our priority is to keep improving our services, strengthening our relationship with users, and growing in a consistent and sustainable way.
Awards are extremely gratifying and confirm that we are moving in the right direction, but they do not change our mindset. They motivate us to do even better, while keeping our feet firmly on the ground.
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