Whether you’re a small or big player in the iGaming industry, it is always smart to consider hiring an agency that knows what they are doing.
In competitive gambling markets, link building is rarely optional. It is one of the clearest ways search engines assess authority, relevance, and trust.
Updated: January 27, 2026
(Originally published November 2, 2023)
• 5 min read
Link building in the gambling industry carries more complexity than in most other verticals. Publisher access is limited, regulation is strict, and mistakes tend to surface months later rather than immediately.
When done properly, however, high-quality backlinks can support search visibility, strengthen brand credibility, drive referral traffic, and help casinos and affiliates compete in saturated SERPs. When done poorly, link building introduces risk that is difficult to unwind.
This article outlines what actually matters when building a sustainable backlink profile for gambling brands, including what to prioritise, what to avoid, and how experienced teams differentiate themselves.
Search engines use links as external signals of trust. In gambling markets, where content quality and technical standards are broadly similar across competitors, backlinks often act as the deciding factor.
When a relevant, trusted publisher links to a gambling site, it signals endorsement and legitimacy. Over time, consistent signals from stable sources help reinforce authority.
Google has repeatedly stated that links are one of several signals used to understand how content is valued across the web, particularly in competitive verticals
(Source: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide).
The challenge in gambling is not whether links matter, it’s how they are acquired and maintained.
Understanding what to pursue and what to avoid is critical when building authority in regulated markets.
Prioritise publisher quality over volume
Backlinks from relevant, editorially controlled sites carry far more value than large volumes of low-quality placements. Stability and relevance matter more than raw metrics.
Use guest content strategically
Guest publishing remains effective when it is selective. The goal is contextual placement on sites that already attract the right audience, not mass distribution across marginal platforms.
Build relationships, not just links
Long-term authority is supported by relationships with publishers, media outlets, and industry platforms. Participation in events, research collaboration, and data-driven content all support this.
Avoid unstable or low-quality sites
Sites that exist solely to sell links, change ownership frequently, or show declining traffic often become liabilities rather than assets.
Don’t treat compliance lightly
Improper disclosures, sponsored markers, or poorly framed content can introduce regulatory and algorithmic risk. In gambling, these mistakes compound quickly.
Gambling link building is affected by regulation in a way most industries are not. Laws differ by jurisdiction, and publishers apply their own standards around gambling content.
This makes vetting essential. A site that appears acceptable today may not remain so in the future. Experienced teams evaluate not just current metrics, but historical performance, ownership patterns, and long-term viability.
This is one reason many operators and affiliates work with specialist partners focused exclusively on casino and gambling link building rather than generalist SEO providers.
Budget alone does not determine success.
The strongest gambling brands tend to:
Internal linking is often overlooked, yet it plays a key role in distributing authority and reinforcing relevance across commercial pages.
Most importantly, disciplined execution matters more than aggressive tactics.
Link building in the gambling industry is difficult by design. Publisher access is restricted, standards are higher, and mistakes are expensive.
Brands that treat backlinks as a long-term investment rather than a transactional exercise tend to outperform competitors over time. Those that chase shortcuts often spend more fixing problems than they would have building authority properly from the outset.
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