iGaming affiliate marketing explained

iGaming affiliate marketing means promoting online casinos, sportsbooks and other gambling operators and getting paid by the operator for the players you refer. You publish content, a player clicks your tracking link and registers, and the operator pays you a share of that player's net revenue, a one-off fee or both. Because gambling is regulated market by market, the job comes with duties: you may only promote operators licensed where your audience is, and advertising rules apply to you as well as to the operator. This guide covers the commission models, the tracking software behind them, licence checks and the compliance work that comes with the money.

How does iGaming affiliate marketing work?

An operator runs an affiliate programme, either under its own brand (for example ComeOn Connect or LeoVegas Affiliates) or through a network. You apply, the operator approves your site, and you get tracking links and banners from the programme's back office. When a visitor clicks your link and opens an account, the tracking platform records the player against your account. You then earn commission according to the deal you agreed.

Three parties matter:

The operator holds the gambling licence, owns the player relationship and sets the commercial terms.
The affiliate (you) produces the marketing: reviews, comparisons, news, paid ads or email, depending on what the programme allows.
The tracking platform is software the operator licenses to record clicks, sign-ups and revenue and to calculate payments.

Which commission models are used?

Most programmes offer revenue share, CPA or a hybrid. The operator's terms decide which you can choose and how each is calculated.

Model	How you are paid	What to check in the terms
Revenue share	A percentage of the net revenue from each referred player, usually for as long as the player stays active	How "net" is defined (bonus costs, fees, taxes and chargebacks are often deducted), the tier table, negative carryover, high-roller clauses
CPA (cost per acquisition)	A one-off fee per new player who meets the qualifying criteria	Minimum deposit and wagering needed for a player to qualify, the time window, rejection reasons
Hybrid	A smaller CPA plus a lower revenue share	Both sets of conditions above; whether the operator can switch you to another model
Sub-affiliate commission	A percentage of what affiliates you recruit earn	Whether the rate is fixed, and whether it can change for new referrals

Published terms show what this looks like in practice. ComeOn Connect's default casino revenue share runs from 25% on the first €10,000 of monthly net casino winnings to 45% above €50,000, and its net figure is calculated after administrative fees, software provider costs, bonus costs, jackpot contributions, chargebacks, bad debt and taxes. A player only counts as a "New Active Customer" for CPA after making the agreed deposit and wagering at least €1 of real money. See our breakdown of the ComeOn Connect terms for the full picture.

What is negative carryover?

If your players win more than they lose in a month, your revenue share balance goes negative. With negative carryover, that deficit is deducted from future months before you earn again. Many programmes reset to zero each month instead, but some keep separate rules for very large winners. ComeOn Connect, for example, does not carry negative months forward in general, but it isolates any player who generates at least €50,000 of negative revenue in a month in which your account is negative, and if that player has not cleared the deficit within six months, they are excluded from your commission permanently.

Can the law limit the model?

Yes. Some regulators restrict revenue share because it ties the affiliate's income to player losses. ComeOn Connect only offers CPA to affiliates approved for Germany. In Denmark, bill L 37, tabled on 7 October 2026, would stop operators paying affiliates on the basis of players' turnover, winnings or losses; it had not been passed on 14 October 2026. If you work in a market under review, check the current rules before you sign a long revenue share deal.

What does an affiliate tracking platform do?

Tracking platforms are business-to-business software that operators license to run their programmes. They handle tracking links, attribution of players to affiliates, reporting, commission plans and payments. Widely used names include NetRefer, MyAffiliates, Cellxpert, Income Access, RavenTrack and Affilka.

You do not join the platform. You join the operator's programme. Each programme gives you a separate login, even when two programmes run on the same software.
The operator sets the deal. The platform can run revenue share, CPA or hybrid plans, but the rates, payment dates and minimum payouts come from the operator's terms.
Reports look similar across programmes on the same platform. That makes it easier to compare traffic quality, but the definitions behind the numbers (for example what counts as "net revenue") still differ from programme to programme.

As examples, FDJ UNITED Affiliates, LeoVegas Affiliates and Betfair Affiliates run on NetRefer, while PartnerRoom, the programme for Videoslots and Mr Vegas, runs on RavenTrack (both checked October 2026).

Which licences should you check before promoting an operator?

Promote an operator only if it is licensed in the market your content is aimed at. A licence in one country does not allow an operator to market to players in another regulated market, and in several countries advertising an unlicensed operator is itself an offence.

Identify your target market. Language, currency, payment methods and the regulators you mention all signal who a page is for.
Check the regulator's own register, not the operator's footer. For Great Britain use the Gambling Commission's public register; for Denmark, Spillemyndigheden's list of licensed operators, which names each licensee's approved domains; for Malta, the Malta Gaming Authority.
Match the domain. A licence covers specific domains. If a brand runs a separate site for your market, that site must be on the register.
Re-check regularly. Licences are surrendered, suspended and transferred. A brand that was licensed when you wrote the review may not be today.

What compliance duties do affiliates have?

Affiliates are not bystanders. Rules reach you directly through advertising law and indirectly through operator contracts.

Label advertising clearly. In the UK, the advertising codes apply to both the operator and the affiliate, and affiliate content must be obviously identifiable as marketing. The ASA treats "Ad" placed before the content as the usual label; "affiliate" alone or a vague note that you "may" earn commission is unlikely to be enough.
Expect operators to police you. Gambling Commission licensees must have contracts that let them end the relationship promptly if a third party, including an affiliate, breaches an advertising code or acts against the licensing objectives.
Never target under-18s, and follow higher local age limits where they apply. ComeOn Connect's Ontario terms require affiliates to be 19+ and to show a 19+ symbol, and its Netherlands terms require an age wall that shows advertising only to visitors who enter an age of 24 or over.
Show bonus terms accurately. Present significant conditions with the offer and never call an offer "risk-free" or "free money".
Respect self-exclusion. Never promote ways around self-exclusion schemes such as GamStop in the UK, ROFUS in Denmark or Spelpaus in Sweden.
Follow the contract's marketing restrictions. Typical clauses ban bidding on the operator's brand names in paid search, unsolicited email or SMS, cookie stuffing and editing supplied creatives.
Handle personal data lawfully. Email and SMS marketing needs consent and an opt-out under data protection rules such as the GDPR.

How do you choose an affiliate programme?

Licence fit: does the programme's portfolio include brands licensed in your market?
Definitions: how are net revenue and a qualifying player defined, and what is deducted?
Risk clauses: negative carryover, high-roller rules, the operator's right to change your deal and the notice period for changes.
Termination and forfeiture: when can unpaid commission be withheld, and how long do you have to dispute a payment?
Activity requirements: some programmes require a minimum number of new players per quarter or regular logins.
Payment practicalities: currency, minimum payout and payment date.

For market-specific options, see our list of affiliate programmes with Danish-licensed brands and our affiliate programme overview.

Responsible gambling

Gambling is for adults only (18+, or older where local law says so) and can lead to losses. Gamble responsibly, and make sure your readers can find help: free support is available at BeGambleAware.org, and anyone who wants to stop can use their national self-exclusion scheme, such as GamStop in the UK. Read more on our responsible gambling page.

Frequently asked questions

How do iGaming affiliates get paid?

Usually through revenue share (a percentage of the net revenue your referred players generate), CPA (a one-off fee per qualifying new player) or a hybrid of the two. The operator sets the deal in its affiliate terms and pays monthly in arrears.

Neither is better in general. Revenue share can pay for years but swings with player results; CPA pays once and is predictable. Some markets restrict the choice: ComeOn Connect, for example, offers only CPA for German traffic, and a Danish bill would ban revenue share for affiliates.

No. Tracking platforms are software that operators license. You join the operator's affiliate programme, which happens to run on that platform, and the operator approves you and pays you.

Which operators am I allowed to promote?

Only operators licensed in the market your content targets. Check the regulator's register yourself, for example the Gambling Commission's public register for Great Britain or Spillemyndigheden's list for Denmark, rather than relying on the operator's footer.

Am I responsible for compliance as an affiliate?

Yes. In the UK the advertising codes apply to both the affiliate and the operator, and operators must be able to end contracts with affiliates who breach them. Operator contracts also add their own rules, such as bans on bidding for brand keywords.