Affiliate Landscape Shift: Anyone Else Feeling the Squeeze?

Alright, so I've been thinking a lot lately about how much the affiliate game has shifted, especially in the gambling niche. Yeah, it's definitely changed a ton, particularly with the search engines getting smarter - or at least trying to. What I've seen is a massive push towards ultra-high-quality content and E-E-A-T signals. Backlink building feels way different now too; it's less about volume and more about super relevant, authoritative sources. Tbh, I think the days of spinning up thin sites and flipping them quickly are pretty much over unless you're really investing in proper content and a solid brand from day one. It's almost like you need to treat every affiliate site like a real business now, not just a lead gen machine. That said, I still see some older sites doing well, which is kinda confusing. Imo, the biggest hurdle now is staying ahead of the curve with Google's updates without getting completely burnt out. The barrier to entry for new affiliates seems higher, but for those willing to put in the work, the rewards are still there. What are your thoughts? Anyone else feel like the site flipping market has gotten way tougher because of all this?