Vanishing players (affiliate POV): whoever controls the data, controls the truth

Episode three of MyAffiliate’s Tracking the Truth podcast, titled ‘Vanishing players (the affiliate point of view)’, takes on one of the most uncomfortable questions in affiliate marketing: what actually happens when players don’t churn, don’t fail compliance, don’t obviously disappear… but somehow stop existing in the affiliate view?

Joining the conversation is Joe Hatch, vice-president of product at StatsDrone, in this, the first of a two-part deep dive into ‘vanishing’ players.

The tension is clear from the start and it never really lets up. Affiliates drive the traffic. Operators control the data. When something doesn’t add up, that imbalance decides who gets questioned and who gets believed.

Hatch frames the issue through what he calls “revenue leak”, with “shaving” and “downgrading” sitting right at the centre. Shaving, in simple terms, is when players or revenue are removed from an affiliate account. Downgrading is less obvious but just as painful: the player remains, but the commercial outcome quietly changes. A lower revenue share. A different calculation. Less money at the end of the month.

One line from the episode cuts straight through the noise: “If it’s legitimate, it should be communicated. If it isn’t communicated, then it’s theft,” says Hatch.

That distinction matters. He is clear that there are valid reasons to remove players, namely: fraud, chargebacks, regulatory constraints and suspicious activity. But when changes happen silently, without explanation, trust doesn’t slowly erode. It collapses.

Another point of contention runs through the entire discussion: this problem isn’t just about bad actors. It’s about a system built on vague definitions and non-standard rules. A deal might say 45% revenue share, but 45% of what exactly? Which deductions apply? What sits inside admin fees? How are reactivations treated? Hatch’s argument is simple and uncomfortable: many disputes exist because the industry isn’t speaking the same language, and sometimes the people selling the deal can’t clearly explain how it’s calculated either.

At one point, Hatch sums up the frustration many affiliates feel but rarely say publicly:“Affiliates control the traffic, but they don’t control the data. And that’s what everything comes back to.”

The episode also touches on why this problem rarely gets resolved out in the open. Even when discrepancies are identified and money is recovered, conversations often stay private. Settlements happen quietly. Names aren’t named. Information circulates in closed groups instead of public forums. The result is an industry that knows the problem exists but struggles to stop it repeating.

Despite the friction, ‘Vanishing Players’ isn’t a rant. It’s a call for clarity. Hatch points to transparency as the fastest way to rebuild trust: consistent reporting for all affiliates, real breakdowns of how revenue is calculated and better access to data through platforms and APIs. On the affiliate side, the message is just as direct: ask harder questions, don’t accept vague answers and stop treating partnerships as passive arrangements.

This episode doesn’t offer a neat conclusion. It offers something more useful: language for a problem the industry has been circling for years.

Watch the full episode here.

About MyAffiliates

MyAffiliates is a market-leading affiliate marketing software designed to help operators streamline and consolidate all their gaming brands and products under a single, powerful platform.

Trusted by top operators in igaming, forex, binary and lottery industries, MyAffiliates delivers scalable, data-driven solutions that optimise affiliate management and performance. Our commitment to continuous innovation and client-driven development ensures our platform evolves to meet the industry’s ever-changing demands.