Negotiating affiliate deals: what to ask for

Negotiate the definitions, not just the rate. A higher percentage means little if the NGR behind it carries more deductions, negative months carry forward across every vertical, or the operator can change the rate without notice. Ask for each term in writing, bring evidence of what your traffic is worth, and walk away from deals you cannot predict.

This guide covers what to ask for, how to make your case and which terms to read twice. Programme terms quoted were read in October 2026 and change often, so check the current version before you sign.

Know what is negotiable

Most large programmes keep the rate out of their public terms, which tells you it is agreed per affiliate. bet365 confirms the commission type and rate in writing through the account manager. Entain sets commercial terms in an insertion order. 888 shows the commission scheme in your affiliate account. LeoVegas points to its platform for "the rates applicable to You".

Some programmes do publish a starting point. LeoVegas publishes tiers from 25% to 40% of net revenue, with new affiliates starting at 25%. Rank publishes 25% to 35%. William Hill's default is 30% for sports and casino products and 15% for bingo and poker. A published default is where a conversation starts, not where it has to end.

The public terms themselves (NGR, carryover, payment) are usually standard for everyone. Ask whether any can be varied for your deal, and get any variation written into your deal record.

What to ask for

Model

CPA, revenue share or hybrid. Choose based on your cash flow and how long your audience stays. If you pay for traffic up front, a revenue share that takes months to build may not cover your costs. Note that some programmes allow one model per affiliate account (LeoVegas clause 5.1.1), so ask how to run different models on different properties.

Rate and tiers

Ask what the rate is, what moves you up a tier, and over what period. Then ask what moves you down. Super Partners' terms cut its 25% Casino and Sport rate in steps to 0% if fewer than 30, 60, 90 or 120 new active customers arrive over 6, 12, 18 or 24 months. LeoVegas cuts to 20% if you refer fewer than 30 FTDs in six months (clause 5.4.12).

Ask also how long revenue share lasts per player. Entain drops the rate on a customer's third anniversary (clause 9.5); Rank pays until the fifth unless agreed otherwise (clause 7.1); 888 caps poker at 24 months (clause 5.8).

NGR definition

Get the full list of deductions. All eight definitions we read deduct winnings, bonuses and gaming taxes or duties; most also deduct chargebacks and payment fees. The variation is in the rest, especially the admin fee. FDJ United publishes a 35% administration fee. bet365, Entain, 888 and LeoVegas deduct administrative costs or fees with no published figure. Ask for the number.

Carryover

Ask whether negative carryover applies, and how. Five of the eight programmes carry negatives forward by default; three reset monthly with exceptions. Then ask:

• Is netting per brand or across your account? bet365 deducts a negative balance in any vertical from available commission.
• Is there a high-roller rule that isolates one big winner? LeoVegas and Super Partners have one.
• In a hybrid, can negative revenue share reduce your CPA? William Hill's terms say it does (clause 8.4).
• Is a no-carryover plan available? FDJ United offers one with approval from its Head of Affiliates (clause 6.16).

Qualification

For CPA, get the qualifying player definition in numbers: the minimum deposit, any wagering requirement, the windows and the checks. Super Partners' minimum wagering is "agreed upon in writing with your Affiliate Manager", which means it is yours to agree. Ask which reasons allow a CPA to be withheld; FDJ United and LeoVegas list bonus abuse, suspension, fraud closure and self-exclusion.

Payment terms

Ask for the payment date, threshold, methods, currency and invoicing process. Published timing ranges from the tenth working day (Super Partners) to 60 days after month end (Entain). Thresholds range from US$5 for William Hill e-wallets to €700 for Super Partners bank wire. Ask, too, what happens to balances you leave unclaimed: bet365 may reduce idle balances over £200 by 2% a month after three months, and William Hill can reduce balances on accounts inactive for six months.

Tracking window

Ask for the cookie window and the deposit window. bet365 credits registrations within 30 days of the click; FDJ United runs a 45-day last-click cookie; LeoVegas requires registration within 30 days and a first deposit within 60. Ask whether tracking is server-side, because Safari limits cookies set by scripts, and a long advertised window may not survive it.

Notice of changes

Ask how much notice you get before a rate changes and whether changes apply to players you have already referred. Entain gives at least 15 days' notice and applies changes only to customers referred afterwards (clause 9.9). LeoVegas can change rates "at any time and without prior notice" (clause 5.1.2). That difference is worth more than a few points of revenue share.

Disputes

Ask how long you have to query a statement. LeoVegas allows 90 days (clause 5.4.9), FDJ United three months (clause 6.5). Entain's figures are "final and binding" (clause 9.10).

Operator view

We keep public terms standard because every affiliate in the programme signs the same ones. The rate, tiers, qualification and sometimes carryover are where we can move, and we move further for partners who show us evidence.

Making the case with evidence

Operators pay more for traffic they can trust. Bring proof, not adjectives.

• Audience. Where your traffic comes from, by channel and GEO, with analytics access if asked.
• Player quality. Statements or cohort data from other programmes, with identifying details removed, showing what share of your FTDs qualify and stay.
• Compliance record. How you handle age-gating, safer gambling messages and the operator's own marketing rules.
• Volume you can commit to. Only what you can deliver. Missed minimums trigger the step-downs above.

For example, an affiliate who can show that 100 FTDs sent to one operator produced players still depositing six months later has a stronger case than one quoting monthly clicks. The numbers in your pitch should be your own, with dates.

Terms to read twice

Some of these appear in major programmes' terms. That doesn't make a deal unacceptable, but you should know they are there and price them in.

• A rate that can change without notice, applied to players you already referred
• An admin fee with no published figure
• Negative carryover netted across every vertical, with no high-roller rule
• Withholding "for any other reasonable reason" with no promise to explain
• Fraud reviews with no time limit (888 publishes an upper bound of 180 days)
• Figures that are final with no dispute window
• Qualification criteria you can't see in writing
• Unclaimed balances that shrink or are forfeited

Worth knowing

Not every term will move. Ask anyway, then decide on the whole deal: a lower rate on clear terms can pay more than a higher rate on vague ones.

Get it in writing

Whatever you agree, have it confirmed in writing, ideally as a short deal record that sits alongside the public terms: model, rate, tiers, qualification, any carryover variation, payment terms and the date it takes effect. Save a copy of the public terms on the day you sign, with the version or date.

Checklist

• Model chosen for your cash flow and audience
• Rate, tier thresholds and step-downs in writing
• Revenue share duration per player
• Full NGR deduction list, including the admin fee figure
• Carryover: forward or reset, per brand or account, hybrid netting
• Qualification in numbers, plus the withholding reasons
• Payment date, threshold, method, currency and unclaimed-balance rules
• Cookie and deposit windows, and how tracking works
• Notice period for changes, applied to new players only
• Dispute window
• Your evidence pack, dated

For how operators approach the same table, see Structuring affiliate deals.