B2B vs B2C
B2B companies sell products and services to other gambling businesses, while B2C companies run the brands that take bets and deposits directly from players.
Definition
In iGaming, B2B (business-to-business) firms are suppliers — game studios, platform and aggregation providers, payment processors and data feeds — that license technology or content to gambling operators rather than dealing with players. B2C (business-to-consumer) firms are the operators: they hold the player-facing licence, own the consumer brand, take deposits and wagers, and carry the direct obligations for KYC, anti-money-laundering and responsible gambling. The two are linked commercially, usually through revenue-share or fixed-fee contracts, and a single group can be both — running its own brands while also supplying competitors. Which side a company sits on shapes its revenue model, regulatory licences, and risk exposure.
Worked example
A slot studio (B2B) licenses a game to an online casino (B2C) on a 12.5% revenue-share deal. In one month the game generates £100,000 in GGR (player wagers minus player winnings) at that casino. The studio invoices £12,500; the casino keeps £87,500 before its own costs — platform fees, payment charges, bonuses, marketing and gaming duty. The casino holds the player accounts, runs KYC and AML checks, and answers to the regulator for any responsible-gambling failings; the studio never touches a player and is licensed only as a software/B2B supplier.
Why it matters
Knowing whether a company is B2B or B2C tells you most of what matters about how it earns money, what it is licensed for, and what can go wrong. B2C operators depend on player-acquisition cost, bonus spend and gaming taxes, and shoulder the heaviest compliance load; B2B suppliers earn steadier, lower-margin recurring fees but rely on their clients' success and face concentration risk when a few operators dominate revenue. For anyone entering the industry — commercially, in compliance, or as an investor — placing a company on this axis is the first step to understanding its economics and its obligations.
Related
Note: The B2B/B2C concept is stable, but its legal expression varies by jurisdiction. Some regulators issue separate supplier/software (B2B) and operator (B2C) licences — for example the Malta Gaming Authority, and the UK Gambling Commission's distinct licence types — while others regulate only the operator and treat suppliers indirectly. Revenue-share percentages, licence names and the exact allocation of AML and responsible-gambling duties differ by jurisdiction and by contract, and hybrid firms that are both supplier and operator are common. Verify specific licensing requirements against the relevant regulator.