Revenue Share

A commission model in which an affiliate is paid an ongoing percentage of the net revenue generated by the players they refer to an operator.

Definition

Revenue share (often "RevShare") is an affiliate commission structure in which the affiliate receives a fixed percentage — commonly 20-40% — of the net revenue their referred players generate, usually for as long as those players remain active with the operator. "Net revenue" typically means net gaming revenue (stakes lost minus player winnings and bonus costs), though operators frequently deduct further items such as payment-processing fees, gaming duties, chargebacks and administrative charges before the share is calculated. It contrasts with CPA, a one-off fixed payment per qualifying player, and the two are sometimes combined in a hybrid deal. Many agreements also carry a negative-carryover clause, where a month in which referred players win more than they lose is carried forward to offset the affiliate's future earnings.

Worked example

An affiliate signs a 30% revenue-share deal. In a given month, the players they referred produce £4,000 of net gaming revenue (their combined losses after winnings and bonuses). The operator deducts £500 in payment fees and gaming duty, leaving £3,500 as the commissionable base, so the affiliate earns £1,050 for that month. If those same players keep playing, the affiliate continues to receive 30% of their net revenue in later months. However, if a subsequent month runs negative — say the players collectively win, producing -£800 — a negative-carryover clause would deduct that £800 from the next positive month before commission is paid.

Why it matters

Revenue share ties an affiliate's income to the ongoing value of the players they send rather than a single sign-up, which aligns their incentives with retention and shifts acquisition-cost risk away from the operator. For affiliates, the headline percentage says little without understanding what is deducted before it is applied and whether negative carryover resets each month — two deals at the same rate can pay very differently. For operators and compliance teams, revenue share is also a regulatory concern: licensees remain responsible for how affiliates market on their behalf (for example under the UK LCCP), and commission tied to player losses makes responsible-gambling oversight of affiliate conduct especially important.

Related

Note: The concept is stable, but specifics vary widely by operator and network: the percentage band, the exact definition of "net revenue" and which costs are deducted, and whether negative carryover applies (and whether it resets periodically) are all contractual and should be verified per deal. Affiliate marketing of gambling is itself regulated and jurisdiction-dependent — e.g. UK operators are accountable for affiliate compliance under the LCCP, and some markets restrict or ban revenue-share arrangements — so treat the compliance framing as jurisdiction-specific.