Affiliate Network
A platform or programme that connects operators with affiliates who refer players in exchange for commission.
Definition
An affiliate network is the intermediary layer through which operators recruit, track, and pay affiliates — the publishers, review sites, and marketers who send traffic. Networks, or an operator's in-house programme, provide tracking links, dashboards, reporting, and payment on deal types such as revenue share, CPA, or hybrid. They can also aggregate many operators so an affiliate manages one relationship instead of dozens. Because affiliates market on the operator's behalf, the operator remains responsible for how they advertise, and regulators increasingly hold operators accountable for affiliate compliance, including age-gating, honest claims, and responsible-gambling standards.
Worked example
An operator's affiliate programme might pay a comparison-site partner 30% revenue share on referred players, tracked via unique links and postbacks and settled monthly through the network's dashboard.
Why it matters
For a learner, it explains the plumbing behind affiliate marketing. For a professional, it is a central acquisition channel where the operator carries compliance liability for partners' conduct.