When people talk about the affiliate industry, the conversation usually centers around the U.S., Western Europe, or Asia. According to eMarketer, U.S. affiliate marketing spend alone will surpass $12 billion in 2025, and the global market is projected to reach $31 billion by 2031.
But here’s the paradox: while Western media endlessly discuss the next big thing in TikTok Ads or compliance regulations, many of the real volumes and real case studies are coming from far beyond London and Las Vegas — from the CIS region, Ukraine, Georgia, and neighboring countries.
This region is home to one of the strongest communities of webmasters and media buyers in the world. Teams here build nutraceutical funnels from scratch, generate hundreds of thousands of first-time deposits in gambling, reshape e-commerce for new traffic sources, and are already experimenting with Web3 performance tools.
Walk through an expo like SiGMA Europe and you’ll notice something striking: half the major casinos and products that draw the biggest crowds are built by Russian-speaking founders, product teams, or affiliate departments.
Brands rooted in the CIS ecosystem are everywhere: Alpha Affiliates, 1win Partners, Gambling.pro, Traffic Devils, WeWe Media, Pin-Up Partners, PropellerAds, Zorka.Agency, Gagarin Partners, Leadrock, BYG, Converting Team, and many more.
What these teams consistently deliver is exactly what every brand values:
- a deep, performance-driven mindset
- extremely fast testing cycles
- the ability to scale winning funnels worldwide
- mastery of high-risk verticals and unconventional traffic sources
What Problems CIS Teams Solve for Brands
For CIS affiliates, “traffic on schedule” or “we’ll test a little” simply isn’t part of the vocabulary. These teams are used to large volumes, rapid changes, and unstable sources. As a result, they solve problems that Western brands often spend months struggling with.
1) Fast expansion into new GEOs and traffic sources
CIS teams can validate hypotheses in days, not weeks.
A typical scenario: a team launches a nutraceutical product in a new Tier-2 GEO and hits 500+ confirmed sales per day within two weeks.
2) Building funnels where no playbook exists
Western teams often face heavier restrictions, slow approvals, and more compliance layers.
Meanwhile, buyers in Georgia build a PWA gambling funnel — and three months later European teams are still trying to recreate it.
3) Expertise in high-risk verticals
Gambling, crypto, nutraceuticals, complex e-commerce — these require skills that CIS teams have spent years honing.
Vadim Korepov, founder of MAC, notes:
“When people say ‘CIS,’ many in the West still imagine local traffic. In reality, it’s hardcore performance — mass-traffic expertise that earns respect even from top Western media buyers.”
4) Flexibility and resilience in constant turbulence
Regulations, bans, algorithm shifts, political restrictions — this is the daily environment. CIS specialists are trained to make decisions fast and find unconventional solutions.
Yanina Radchenko,co-founder of Partnerkin’s HR agency, adds:
“Demand for CIS specialists is enormous — product teams, buyers, analysts, C-level. They’re valued for speed, for thriving under constraints, and for their high entry threshold in performance. We now fill roles not only for CIS companies — European and LATAM brands regularly come to us.
Arbitrage in the CIS is a nonstop bootcamp: bans, algorithm changes, stricter moderation. A specialist who survived and grew in this environment naturally develops crisis thinking and solution-driven independence. Western brands aren’t just hiring a buyer — they’re hiring someone battle-tested in conditions where a single mistake can wipe out your entire deposit.”
How to Work Effectively with CIS Teams
Working with CIS affiliates is easier than it seems — as long as you understand their rhythm.
1) Speed above all
If it takes a brand ten days to approve banners, the team will simply switch to an offer where the same process takes 24 hours. Fast-track communication, direct channels, and decision-making within 24–48 hours are huge advantages.
2) Transparency in payouts and quality
CIS teams adapt quickly: they’ll change creatives, test new flows, redo funnels — but they need real KPIs and timely updates.
If a brand updates numbers once in two weeks, ROI becomes unpredictable — and buyers pause traffic to avoid losses. Real-time communication makes partnerships successful.
3) Support fast testing
CIS affiliates are used to launching dozens of hypotheses and killing losers quickly.
For this to work, brands should provide realistic testing limits and full access to tools — landers, creatives, pre-landers.
The faster a team completes the cycle launch → analyze → scale, the higher the chance of finding a long-term winning setup.
4) Personal relationships matter
Strong CIS teams don’t work through faceless website forms. They want to know the people behind the offer — the manager, the lead, the founder.
If you’re attending MAC, SiGMA, or AWE, schedule warm in-person meetings — that’s where key deals are usually made.
5) Be careful with exclusives
Exclusives are powerful motivators — but only if the brand keeps its promises.
Cancel an exclusive unexpectedly, and you almost guarantee a traffic shutdown and a loss of trust.
Common mistakes brands make
- Offering a test but “limits will come later”: CIS teams work in volumes — tests without scaling potential = guaranteed loss.
- Refusing to change creatives or pre-landers: For CIS teams, these are the primary levers for ROI.
- Entering Tier-1 without competitive payouts: This is an ultra-competitive market — underpaying means no traffic, no matter how strong the team is.
Verticals Where CIS Webmasters Dominate
Gambling
A flagship vertical for CIS affiliates: massive scale, intense competition, huge upside. Key sources: in-app, PWA, Tier-1/2 GEOs, aggressive creative testing.
Nutraceuticals (health, wellness, supplements)
CIS teams are exceptionally fast at launching, optimizing, and scaling nutraceutical products. It’s a high-risk, high-margin vertical — perfect for experienced arbitrage teams.
E-commerce
Many classic marketers enter arbitrage through e-com. Today CIS performance teams work with global e-commerce brands, often using affiliate channels as their growth engine.
In the US, around 16% of online purchases happen via affiliate channels.
Crypto & Web3
Despite regulatory risks, CIS affiliates have long mastered presales, TMA traffic, and unconventional sources — skills Western brands are increasingly looking for.
Why Working With CIS Affiliates Is a Strategic Advantage
- Better ROI: Global data shows brands earn $12–$15 for every $1 invested in affiliate marketing.
- Speed & flexibility: CIS teams adapt to new sources, GEOs, and creative formats faster than anyone.
- Worldwide reach: They don’t just run local traffic — they scale globally.
- Synergy with Western brands: Perfect for companies looking to expand into new markets.
As Vadim notes:
“Western brands often underestimate our market. But at MAC we gather professionals who earn $100k+ a month and work with Tier-1 GEOs. It’s a chance to find a partner who can scale you globally.”
What Awaits You at MAC Yerevan 2026
If you’re truly looking for top CIS affiliates, product teams, HR agencies, and partners to scale globally — Yerevan in 2026 is exactly where they’ll be.
At MAC 2026 you’ll find:
- dozens of top-tier webmasters working with worldwide and Tier-1 traffic
- real case-driven sessions from active teams
- closed-door discussions about traffic, funnels, and payouts
- the perfect East-meets-West environment for affiliate marketing
If you’re a brand, agency, or arbitrage team — just come and see the market from the inside. Your next long-term partner might be sitting right beside you in the lounge, looking for exactly your GEO.
