When it comes to casino SEO, few people have been in the trenches longer than Tommy McDonald, founder of SerpLogic — a veteran link builder known for cutting through the fluff and ranking hard-to-rank sites since 2012.
We sat down with Tommy to talk casino link building in 2026: what’s working, what’s dangerous, and how to build links that actually last in one of the most competitive SEO verticals on the planet.
💬 Interview with Tommy McDonald – SerpLogic Founder & Casino Link Whisperer
Q: Tommy, let’s start with this — why is link building for casino sites so different from everything else?
Tommy:
Because Google hates it. Let’s not sugar-coat it. Casino, betting, crypto, supplements — they’re all what we call “hard niches.” YMYL territory. One wrong move and Google swats you off the map.
With casinos, there’s also legal grey areas, affiliate abuse, bonus hunting, and a history of spammy SEO tactics. So when we build links in this space, we have to be 10 steps ahead of every algorithm update.
Q: What’s the biggest mistake people make when trying to build links for casino sites?
Tommy:
Easy. They chase volume over quality. They’ll buy 300 “guest posts” from a dude on Telegram and wonder why their rankings vanish 3 weeks later.
Most of these links are:
- On fake news blogs or PBNs
- Shared with 50+ other casinos
- Over-optimised with dangerous anchors
- And built way too fast
If you’re not building links strategically and gradually, especially in gambling, you’re just setting fire to your money.
Q: So what does a safe casino link building strategy look like?
Tommy:
Three things: Authority, Relevance, and Plausibility.
- Authority — The site should have real traffic, rankings, and clean outbound links.
- Relevance — The content should make sense contextually. If you’re linking from a dog blog to your blackjack bonus page… come on.
- Plausibility — The anchor text and placement should look natural. Think branded, partial match, or URL-based — not “best online casino UK 2026”.
We mix in high-quality guest posts, digital PR, branded mentions, and some spicy niche edits if the site is clean.
Q: Let’s talk about anchor text. What’s the right mix in your opinion?
Tommy:
Anchor text is where people screw themselves every time.
Here’s a simple breakdown we use:
- 50–60% Branded / URL: e.g., “SpinRush Casino”, “www.spinrush.com”
- 20–30% Partial Match: e.g., “new UK betting sites”
- 5–10% Exact Match (MAX): e.g., “best online casino UK”
- The rest is generic stuff like “click here” or image anchors
The more aggressive your anchors, the more risk you carry. But if you’re only using brand and URL anchors, you can scale with confidence.
Q: How do you avoid Google penalties or manual actions in the iGaming niche?
Tommy:
Three golden rules:
- Don’t build like a maniac. Casino SEO is a slow roast, not a deep-fried disaster.
- Audit your link profile monthly. Use Ahrefs, keep a spreadsheet, track anchor trends.
- Stop buying junk. If it’s $15 for a “DR80 guest post,” it’s probably a domain graveyard with AI content and 200 outbound links.
Also, avoid linking only to the homepage or affiliate page. Spread the love. Build content hubs and link to those too.
Q: Can tiered link building still work for casinos? Or is that outdated?
Tommy:
Tiered linking still works brilliantly — when done properly.
We often build strong Tier 1 guest posts on legit blogs, then juice them up with:
- Web 2.0s
- Forum mentions
- Citations
- Indexing tools
That way, your money site gets trust from an authority domain — and the power flows through without you ever touching the risk layer.
Q: What types of content actually attract links in this space?
Tommy:
People think you can’t build natural links in gambling — but that’s not true.
Create content like:
- “How slot machines work”
- “Casino laws in different countries”
- “House edge explained”
- “Crypto casinos vs. fiat – what’s safer?”
We’ve had affiliate clients land .edu and .gov backlinks with the right informational angle.
Q: What’s SerpLogic offering in the casino link building space right now?
Tommy:
We’ve got a fully productized Casino Link Building Service over at SerpLogic.com — built from scratch by our team.
We don’t sell recycled junk. Every link is:
- Vetted for traffic & trust
- Placed via outreach, not a spammy sheet
- Written by humans, not ChatGPT on a Red Bull binge
- Reported cleanly, with anchors, URLs, and DR/traffic data
Plus we advise on strategy — not just drop links and disappear.
Q: Final words for anyone thinking of ranking a casino site in 2026?
Tommy:
You want to win in this space? Act like a brand, not a spammer.
Build slowly. Stay clean. Work with people who know what they’re doing. And remember — casino SEO isn’t about who moves the fastest, it’s about who doesn’t get torched when the next update hits.
👇 Want Safe, Effective Casino Links?
Check out SerpLogic’s full breakdown here:
👉 www.serplogic.com/products/what-is-casino-link-building
Or email Tommy directly:
📧 [email protected] — he doesn’t bite (unless you’re using PBNs 😬)
