iGaming Affiliation: The Beginner’s Guide

Part 1

Affiliate Marketing Basics in iGaming

Let’s explore why Affiliate Marketing in iGaming is so crucial, why it exists and why it is so popular.

The need for Affiliation

Regulations and advertising restrictions in the iGaming industry make it difficult for brands to promote themselves directly. In many cases, especially in the .com markets where regulations are unclear brands rely on affiliates to reach customers through organic search, social media, or paid ads.

Think of affiliate websites as digital billboards guiding potential players to trustworthy operators.

Understanding the infrastructure

To make affiliate marketing work, you need to understand the full customer journey. From discovery to registration. Here’s how it looks:

Let’s break it down:

Advertise your brand

Affiliates often list casinos and sportsbooks on comparison or review websites. These listings typically feature:

It’s super simple and straightforward:

• Brand logos

• Welcome offers

• A call-to-action button (“Play Now”, “Claim Bonus”, etc.)

When a user clicks this button, the tracking process begins.

Tracking

 Tracking is the foundation of affiliate marketing. It’s how the system proves that a player was referred by a specific affiliate.

• Affiliates receive unique tracking links

• These links use cookies or tokens to store data

• Data includes affiliate IDs and much more data about the customer

• This information ensures that the affiliate gets credited for the referral

Affiliate Commissions

Once referrals are tracked, affiliates are rewarded based on performance-based commissions. The most common models are:

📈 Revenue Share (RS%)

• Affiliate earns a percentage of the Net Gaming Revenue (NGR)

• Ideal for startups! No upfront costs

• Commission is post-paid, meaning it’s settled after the month ends

💸 CPA (Cost Per Action)

• In the iGaming it’s accepted that CPA is rewarded for customer that has become FTD (First time depositor)

• Affiliate receives a fixed fee per every qualified laed

• In some cases the player must meet specific criteria, such as:

  • Minimum deposit amount

  • Wagering requirements

💸💸 Hybrid Deals

• Combine both RevShare and CPA

• Offer flexibility for both the affiliate and the operator

Did you know?

Over 94% of .com iGaming businesses rely on affiliate marketing. Making it the #1 source of player acquisition in the industry by far.

Part 2

iGaming Affiliate Softwares

Now that you understand the workflow, let’s look at the technology behind it.

Affiliate Software Coverage

Affiliate Software acts as the bridge between the operator and affiliates. In its core it manages:

• Tracking of new users

• Commission calculations

• Data reporting and analytics

Each affiliate uses the software to create unique tracking links, and the software ensures that gameplay and deposit data is properly attributed.

Commission Plans

Operators can define commission templates and assign them to different affiliates based on:

• Performance

• Market

• Volume of traffic

This allows you to scale efficiently while keeping control over your budget and ROI.

Why Choosing the Right Software Matters

Since over 90% of iGaming traffic comes through affiliates, your Affiliate Software is one of the most critical tools in your stack. What’s more, the biggest cost in running an iGaming business is also the acquisition budget. 

✅ Choose software built specifically for iGaming.
🚫 Avoid generic solutions trying to combine multiple verticals.

Part 3

What Affiliates Care About Most

Understanding the affiliate mindset is key to building strong, lasting partnerships.

Conversions are the KING

The market is highly competitive, and affiliates pay for every click they generate. That’s why they prioritize conversion rates from click to deposit.

The better your Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), the more attractive your brand becomes to affiliates.

✅ Optimize your registration flow
✅ Test and improve your landing pages
✅ Track each step in the funnel

Insightful

iGsuite is the only platform that offers A/B split testing of traffic between different landing pages—helping you constantly improve your CRO.

Postback and API

Affiliates often work with multiple brands, so they need automated access to real-time performance data in one interface.

Make sure your Affiliate Software supports:

• Postback URLs (most common and easy to use)

• API access (for deeper integrations)

If affiliates can’t access their data easily, they’ll look for partners who offer smoother experiences.

Conclusion

Affiliate marketing is the backbone of iGaming customer acquisition. In this guide, you’ve learned:

• Why affiliate marketing is essential in iGaming

• How tracking and commissions work

• The value of choosing the right Affiliate Software

• What affiliates need to succeed

✅ Stay tuned for more deep-dives and actionable strategies in our next articles.