Your Ultimate Guide to Affiliate Commissions

Content:

1. What are Affiliate Commissions?
2. What are the most common affiliate commissions?
3. CPA Commission
4. RevShare Commissions
5. Factors Influencing Affiliate Commissions
6. How to Set Up Affiliate Commissions for Your Products?
7. Instead of Conclusion
8. FAQ

Affiliate commissions are the commercial foundation of every iGaming partnership. Whether you run a casino affiliate programme and want to attract quality partners, or you’re an affiliate choosing between CPA FTD and Lifetime RevShare — understanding how each model works and what rates are realistic is the difference between a profitable deal and one that drains your budget.

This guide covers every commission model actively used in iGaming today: CPL, CPA FTD, RevShare, Tiered RevShare, Lifetime RevShare, Hybrid, and Sub-affiliate commissions. You will also find real industry benchmarks by vertical, formulas for calculating player LTV and break-even, and a practical negotiation guide.

Quick Answer:

• Standard iGaming RevShare: 25–45% (NOT 5–25%)
• CPA FTD: $50–$150 for sports betting / $100–$300 for online casino
• Models like eBook Download or Video Viewing Commissions are NOT used in casino or betting affiliate programmes

What are Affiliate Commissions?

An affiliate commission is the payment a partner earns for delivering a specific result to an advertiser’s programme — a registration, a first deposit, or an ongoing share of player revenue. In iGaming, commissions are the core commercial arrangement between operators (casinos, sportsbooks, poker rooms) and their affiliate partners.

Affiliate commissions in iGaming come in two main families:

• CPA (Cost Per Action): a fixed one-time payment per defined action, most commonly a first deposit (CPA FTD)
• RevShare (Revenue Share): an ongoing percentage of the net revenue generated by your referred players

Unlike general e-commerce affiliate marketing where rates of 5–30% are typical, iGaming operates on different economics: RevShare rates run 25–45%, and CPA FTD payouts range from $50 to $400+ depending on the vertical and geography

What are the most common affiliate commissions?

You can set up your affiliate program with different types of commissions, but the bottom line is whether you pay for predetermined actions or you share a part of the derived revenue. To that end, affiliate commissions can be primarily divided into CPA, or cost per action, and RevShave (Revenue Share). These two core affiliate commission models represent different risk-reward approaches for advertisers and affiliates depending on payment timing and revenue sharing.

CPA Commission

If you google what CPA stands for, you will always find two transcriptions: Cost-Per-Action and Cost-Per-Acquisition. Both of them are actively used in affiliate marketing. However, the baseline is Cost-Per-Action. Under the CPA scheme affiliates agree to a fixed amount or percentage of an action defined in the affiliate program guidelines of a particular advertiser. In practice, CPA affiliate commissions are preferred when advertisers need predictable acquisition costs and clear attribution for specific conversion events.

 Types of CPA commissions:

CPA (Cost Per Action) commissions pay a fixed fee each time a referred user completes a defined action. In iGaming, three CPA variants are used. Everything else — CPM, CPC, video views, eBook downloads — belongs to other industries and is not relevant here.

CPL — Cost Per Lead  |  $3–$20 per registration

You earn a fixed fee for every user who completes a registration on the platform, regardless of whether they go on to make a deposit. CPL is used mainly in email acquisition campaigns and in markets where regulatory restrictions make deposit conversion difficult. It carries lower risk for affiliates but also lower earning potential compared to CPA FTD.

CPA FTD — Cost Per Acquisition, First Time Deposit  |  $50–$400 per FTD

This is the primary commission model across all of iGaming. You receive a one-time payment for every player who registers AND makes their first verified, real-money deposit after completing identity verification (KYC). Rates vary by vertical and geography:

• Online Casino: $100–$300 (up to $500 in Tier-1 markets such as UK, Germany, Australia)
• Sports Betting: $50–$150 (up to $250 in Tier-1 markets)
• Online Poker: $40–$120

CPA FTD works best for paid media channels where you need fast and predictable returns on ad spend.

Hybrid — CPA + RevShare  |  CPA $50–$150 + RevShare 20–30%

A combined structure: you receive a reduced upfront CPA fee plus an ongoing RevShare percentage on the same players. Hybrid deals allow affiliates to recover initial costs quickly while building long-term recurring income. Popular among influencers and content creators with consistent, engaged audiences.

RevShare Commissions

RevShare (Revenue Share) is the preferred long-term commission model in iGaming. Instead of a one-time CPA payment, RevShare pays you an ongoing percentage of the net revenue generated by your referred players — every month, for as long as those players remain active on the platform.

⚠️  Important correction: RevShare rates in iGaming are NOT 5–25%. The real market standard is 25–45%. Top programmes offer 50–55% for high-volume affiliates. Any rate below 25% is below market and should be renegotiated before signing.

Always check whether RevShare is calculated on GGR or NGR:

• GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue) = total player losses before any deductions
• NGR (Net Gaming Revenue) = GGR minus bonuses, chargebacks, payment fees, and taxes

NGR is the industry standard base. Deductions can reduce your payout by 20–40% compared to what a GGR-based rate would suggest. Always verify the exact deduction formula in your contract.

Three RevShare structures you will encounter:

Standard RevShare  |  25–45%

A fixed monthly percentage of your players’ NGR. The baseline model used by most iGaming programmes. The more revenue your players generate, the more you earn.

Tiered RevShare  |  25% → 35% → 45%

Your RevShare percentage increases automatically as you bring more players per month. Example: 25% for 1–20 active players / 35% for 21–50 players / 45% for more than 50 players. Tiers reward volume — the more you grow, the higher your rate.

Lifetime RevShare  |  30–45% with no expiry

You earn your RevShare percentage from a player for their entire active lifetime on the platform — no expiry, no monthly reset. A player you referred years ago through an SEO article may still be generating monthly commission today. The most valuable structure for SEO affiliates and content publishers.

⚠️  Negative Carryover — what you must know before signing:

Some programmes carry a negative NGR balance from one month to the next. If your players had a lucky month and generated −$2,000 NGR in March, that deficit reduces your April earnings. Example: April NGR = $5,000. With Negative Carryover: your commission base = $5,000 − $2,000 = $3,000. Programmes with ‘No Negative Carryover’ reset your balance to zero each month. This is a significant advantage — negotiate for it.

Factors Influencing Commissions

Several variables determine the commission rate you will be offered — or can negotiate — in iGaming. Understanding them gives affiliates leverage and helps operators price their programmes fairly.

GEO Tier — the single biggest rate driver

A verified player from the UK or Germany generates 5–10× the lifetime revenue of a player from a Tier-3 market. Commission rates must reflect this difference.

Tier 1 (UK, DE, AU, CA, SE):   CPA $150–$400  |  RevShare 35–50%

Tier 2 (BR, MX, IN, PL, ZA):   CPA $50–$120   |  RevShare 25–35%

Tier 3 (NG, PH, KE, VN):       CPA $15–$50    |  RevShare 20–30%

Traffic Source — determines which model suits you best

Paid media (PPC, media buy) → CPA FTD. You need fast, predictable ROI on ad spend.

SEO and content sites → RevShare or Lifetime RevShare. Your traffic compounds over time.

Streamers and influencers → Hybrid (CPA + RevShare). Balances upfront income with long-term earnings.

Player LTV — what determines how high the operator can afford to pay

Formula: Player LTV = Average Monthly NGR × Average Active Months × RevShare%

Example: $180 average monthly NGR × 14 months × 35% RevShare = $882 expected lifetime commission per player

Use this formula to evaluate whether a CPA offer is fair. If CPA is below the LTV, RevShare will pay more over time.

Commission Tiers — rewarding volume

Most iGaming programmes use tiered structures: the more players you deliver per month, the higher your percentage. Example: 25% for 1–20 players / 35% for 21–50 players / 45% for 50+ players.

How to Set Up Affiliate Commissions

Setting the right commission structure in iGaming requires balancing what attracts quality affiliates with what your operation can sustain. Here is a practical five-step framework.

Step 1 — Calculate your sustainable commission ceiling

Formula: Optimal Commission Rate = Gross Profit Margin × 20–30%

Example: If your gross margin is 60%, your maximum sustainable RevShare is approximately 25–35% of NGR.

If competitors offer more, close the gap with other incentives: faster payments, No Negative Carryover terms, or a dedicated affiliate manager.

Step 2 — Model player LTV before setting your CPA

Formula: Player LTV = Average Monthly NGR × Average Active Months × RevShare%

Example: $180 average monthly NGR × 14 months × 35% = $882 expected lifetime commission per player.

Set your CPA below this number. If you offer $300 CPA and average LTV is $882, the maths works. If LTV is $250, it does not.

Step 3 — Define GEO tiers with separate rates

Never apply a flat CPA across all geographies. Use at minimum three tiers:

Tier 1 (UK, DE, AU): CPA $150–$400  |  Tier 2 (BR, MX, IN): CPA $50–$120  |  Tier 3 (NG, PH): CPA $15–$50

Step 4 — Match the model to the traffic type

Paid media affiliates → CPA FTD (fast ROI, no long-term variance risk)

SEO and content affiliates → RevShare or Lifetime RevShare (compounds over years)

Influencers and streamers → Hybrid CPA + RevShare (upfront payment plus ongoing earnings)

Step 5 — Add tiers and schedule performance reviews

Start all affiliates at the base rate. Set automatic tier upgrades when they hit volume milestones: 25% → 35% → 45%. Schedule 3-month rate reviews for top performers.

Common mistakes to avoid:

❌ Setting RevShare below 25% — you will not attract experienced iGaming affiliates

❌ Same CPA for all GEOs — burns budget on premium traffic and under-rewards Tier-1 partners

❌ Changing rates without first modelling the impact on your top 10 affiliates

❌ No Clawback protection in the contract — one fraud batch can cost tens of thousands

Instead of Conclusion

Determining your affiliate commissions is one thing, tracking events subjected to commissions is the other thing, worthy of special attention. With several tracking methods available at IREV, your data is in the right hands. By tracking the whole history of your deals, from clicks to conversions, we ensure extra insights about the whole acquisition cycle. You can easily find out which offers work better and which traffic you should send to particular offers. 

As a new advertiser, you need a reliable platform to manage and track your campaigns. If you are looking for one, we will eagerly show you how you can start your affiliate program at IREV. Just book a time.

FAQ