How to vet an operator before you promote it

Before you promote an operator, check three things: that it holds a licence in every market your audience is in, that its terms pay you on a basis you can live with, and that it pays and reports the way it says it does. The first is not optional. In several markets, promoting an unlicensed operator is an offence for the affiliate, not only for the operator.

Most vetting advice runs one way, with the operator checking the affiliate. This guide runs the other way. Terms quoted are from programmes' published terms, read in October 2026; clauses change, so check the current version before you rely on one.

Start with the licence, market by market

Check the brand you will promote, on the regulator's own published record, for every GEO you reach. A licence badge in a site footer is not a check. Look up the brand and the URL you will link to, not only the group name.

What is at stake

The penalties are real. In Great Britain, s.330 carries up to 51 weeks' imprisonment (six months in Scotland), a level 5 fine, or both, on summary conviction, and an advert left up commits a separate offence for each day. Defences include reasonable belief that the advertising was lawful. In Sweden, promotion of unlicensed gambling carries fines or up to two years, and six months to six years for gross cases. In December 2021 the KSA announced enforcement against 15 affiliate websites advertising illegal gambling.

Ontario adds a commercial cost. If you promote one unregistered brand to Ontario players, every registered operator there is barred from paying you.

Ireland, for now

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024's advertising rules (ss.143 to 151) had not been commenced as at the latest orders we found, up to 30 June 2026. Check for later commencement orders before you rely on that.

For the rules themselves, go to each regulator's own guidance: in Great Britain, the Gambling Commission; in the Netherlands, the KSA's advertising rules. This guide is not legal advice.

Read the terms that decide what you earn

The headline rate is one number. These clauses decide what it is worth.

How net revenue is defined

All eight NGR definitions we read deduct winnings, bonuses and gaming taxes. Most also deduct chargebacks and payment fees, and five deduct platform or game-content fees. Only FDJ United publishes an admin fee percentage (35%). bet365, Entain, 888 and LeoVegas deduct administrative costs or fees without a published figure. Ask for the figure in writing. NGR explained compares the definitions.

Negative carryover

Five of the eight programmes carry negative months forward by default; three reset monthly with exceptions. See negative carryover for the variants.

Payment rules that can cost you

• bet365 may apply a 2% monthly "Balance Reduction" to withdrawable balances over £200 left for three months, and forfeits balances not withdrawn within 12 months.
• William Hill can reduce balances on accounts inactive for six months by 50% after notice.
• Entain can void balances that do not reach £100 within 12 months.
• LeoVegas writes off unclaimed amounts after 24 months.

Changes to terms

Entain changes rates on at least 15 days' written notice, applying only to customers referred after the change (clause 9.9). FDJ United applies changes only to new customers unless its Head of Affiliates agrees otherwise (6.17). LeoVegas may change rates "at any time and without prior notice" (5.1.2). Ask which applies before you build a site around a brand.

How long revenue share lasts

Entain's revenue share drops on the third anniversary of a customer's registration unless agreed otherwise (9.5). Rank pays until the fifth anniversary (7.1). 888 caps poker revenue share at 24 months (5.8).

Disputes and whose figures count

Entain's calculations are "final and binding" (9.10). 888's are "not open to review or appeal" (4.6). bet365's database prevails over its reports. LeoVegas allows disputes within 90 days of month end (5.4.9). FDJ United allows three months and refuses disputes older than six (6.5). Diarise these windows.

Minimum activity and termination

bet365, Entain, FDJ United and William Hill all set minimum referral levels, below which commission can be cut or the account treated as inactive. Read the termination clause too: the notice period, what happens to an unpaid balance, and whether commission on players you already referred continues.

Affiliate view

Put the dispute window, the change-of-terms clause and the forfeiture rules in a note next to every programme you join. They are the clauses people discover only after they have cost money.

Check the payment record without relying on anonymous complaints

Complaint boards collect real grievances, but they are one-sided and rarely show how a dispute ended. Use them as a prompt for questions, not as a verdict.

1. Get the payment terms in writing. Published timing runs from the 10th working day (Super Partners) to up to 60 days after month end (Entain). Know which you are signing up to.
2. Check who you contract with. The terms name the entity, such as Kindred (London) Ltd for FDJ United, or Hillside entities in Gibraltar or Malta for bet365. That entity is who you would pursue. It also matters for VAT: HMRC's general rule for business-to-business services is that the supply is made where the customer belongs (VAT Notice 741A), so take advice from your own tax adviser.
3. Ask affiliates you know directly whether payments arrive on the published date.
4. Start small. Judge the first two or three payments against the stated timing before you commit your best placements.
5. Read the withholding clause. 888 allows fraud reviews of up to 180 days (5.19). Ask what evidence the programme shows when it withholds, and whether it holds only affected amounts.

Judge the reporting

Ask to see a sample statement or dashboard before you sign. You want to know:

• Whether figures are split into pending and confirmed, and when pending becomes final
• How often data refreshes, and whether postbacks are available
• The cookie window and attribution rule. bet365 cookies for 30 days; FDJ United runs a 45-day last-click cookie
• How the programme tracks players when browsers cut client-side cookies. Safari caps cookies set by scripts to seven days (WebKit, ITP 2.1)
• Whether carried negative balances and adjustments are shown line by line

The operator's side of this is in What to report to affiliates.

Operator view

Good reporting is how we earn trust before the first payment. If an affiliate asks for a sample statement, show one. It answers most payment questions before they become disputes.

Communication

Ask who your affiliate manager will be and how to reach them. Most programmes we read confirm rates outside the public terms: bet365 through the account manager in writing, Entain in an insertion order. Make sure your rate, deal type and any special terms are confirmed in writing before you send traffic. Note how long the first reply takes. It is a fair preview.

Checklist

• Brand and URL found on the regulator's record for every market you reach
• Ontario: the operator is registered, and you promote no unregistered brands there
• NGR definition read, admin fee figure obtained in writing
• Carryover rule identified
• Payment timing, threshold and method noted
• Forfeiture and inactivity rules noted
• Change-of-terms and dispute windows diarised
• Revenue share lifetime confirmed
• Termination terms read, including what happens to the balance
• Contracting entity identified
• Sample report reviewed
• Rate and deal type confirmed in writing