A revenue share (rev-share) deal pays an iGaming affiliate a percentage of the net gaming revenue generated by their referred players, typically 25–45%, for the lifetime of those accounts.
Revenue Share Deal
TL;DR: A revenue share (rev-share) deal pays an iGaming affiliate a percentage of the net gaming revenue generated by their referred players, typically 25–45%, for the lifetime of those accounts.
What it means
Rev-share is the traditional iGaming affiliate model. Instead of a flat fee per FTD (CPA), the affiliate earns an ongoing % of NGR. The percentage can be flat or tiered by NGR brackets (e.g. 25% up to $10K NGR, 35% $10–50K, 45% $50K+). Some deals are "lifetime" (paid as long as the player is active); others have time caps.
The contract MUST define NGR precisely — bonus deductions, chargebacks, jackpot contributions, taxes — because every clause shifts 5–15% of payouts. "Negative carryover" (whether a losing month for the operator is carried forward against future affiliate earnings) is one of the most contested terms.
Formula / How it's measured
Affiliate Payout = NGR (player cohort) × Rev-Share %
Example: an affiliate-referred cohort generates $120K NGR in a month on a 35% rev-share deal. Payout = $42K. Operator keeps $78K plus all retention upside on the same cohort.
Why it matters for operators
Rev-share aligns incentives — affiliates with rev-share send players designed to last, not bonus hunters. It also means no upfront acquisition cost; payouts only happen once revenue arrives. The trade-off is lower control of unit economics on top affiliates: a 45% rev-share deal with negative carryover caps the operator's LTV upside on a meaningful share of NDCs.
Common benchmarks (2026)
- Standard rev-share: 25–35%
- Tier 1 portal rev-share: 40–50%, sometimes tiered to 60% at scale
- Hybrid (CPA + rev-share): $80–$200 CPA + 20–30% rev-share
- Lifetime vs 6/12-month capped: lifetime is industry default, capped deals appear in highly regulated low-LTV markets
Common mistakes
- Loose NGR definitions creating monthly invoice disputes
- No negative carryover clause — operator absorbs all variance
- Paying rev-share on bonus-cost-inflated cohorts where actual margin is negative
See also
- Affiliate Marketing (iGaming)
- CPA — Cost Per Acquisition
- NGR — Net Gaming Revenue