Affiliate marketing rules by market: GB, EU, Ontario, US

Checked October 2026. Every rule below was read on the regulator's own site or the official legislation on or before 4 October 2026, unless marked as secondary. Rules change: check the linked source before you rely on any of them.

In most regulated markets the operator answers for what its affiliates publish, and promoting an unlicensed brand is banned. The differences that matter commercially are elsewhere: whether bonuses can be advertised at all, whether the affiliate is liable in its own right, and whether revenue share is allowed. Germany and several US states restrict commission models directly.

Summary table

"None in the rules we read" means we did not find a limit in the provisions listed in this guide. It does not mean no limit exists.

Great Britain

Regulator: Gambling Commission, with the ASA enforcing the CAP Code across the UK.

• Operator responsibility. LCCP Social Responsibility code 1.1.2 makes licensees responsible for third parties they contract with. Contracts must bind them to the same conditions and codes, oblige them to supply information for the licensee's reporting, and allow prompt termination, "including for affiliates where they have breached a relevant advertising code of practice". SR code 5.1.6 requires compliance with the CAP and BCAP codes.
• Piracy sites. Condition 16.1.1 bans digital ads on sites giving unauthorised access to copyrighted content, and requires licensees to stop affiliates placing them there. It is not the general affiliate rule.
• Unlicensed brands. Gambling Act 2005 s.330 makes advertising unlawful gambling an offence, and it can reach an affiliate. Section 333 applies it to remote advertising aimed at or likely to be accessed by people in GB, where the gambling uses remote equipment in GB or can be used there. Since 1 November 2014 an offshore site serving GB without a GB licence is unlawful gambling for this purpose.
• Advertising content. CAP rules 16.3.12 (no strong appeal to under-18s, since 1 October 2022), 16.3.13 (no targeting under-18s by media or context; CAP guidance applies a 25% audience test) and 16.3.14 (no one who is or seems under 25 gambling or in a significant role). The ASA holds both the brand and the affiliate responsible, and expects "Ad" or "#ad" upfront.
• Bonuses. From 19 January 2026, SR code 5.1.1 caps wagering on bonus funds at 10 times and bans incentives combining more than one product type (betting, casino, bingo, lottery).

Read more in your responsibility for affiliates and staying compliant as an affiliate. Regulator guidance: the Commission's LCCP and the ASA's affiliate marketing advice.

Ireland

Regulator: Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI).

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 is coming into force in stages. S.I. No. 31/2026, signed 3 February 2026, commenced licensing and the enforcement and sanctions provisions from 5 February 2026. S.I. No. 304/2026 commenced the rest of Part 2 Chapter 4 on 30 June 2026.

Not yet in force, as of the orders we found (up to 30 June 2026):

• The advertising rules in Part 6 Chapter 1, sections 143 to 151. Only s.142(1) of that Chapter was commenced.
• Section 157 (inducements) and section 159 (sponsorship), both expressly excluded from S.I. 31/2026.

A later commencement order may exist that we did not find. Check the commencement notes on the revised Act before relying on this.

When commenced:

• s.143: licensees must comply with the advertising obligations when advertising themselves and when "causing another person to advertise" for them. That puts affiliate advertising on the operator.
• s.146: social media and video-platform ads only to users who have an account and have subscribed to the licensee's account.
• s.147: prior consent and easy opt-out for electronic direct marketing.
• s.148: bans ads likely to make gambling attractive to children, encourage excessive gambling, or mislead about its social or financial advantages, including ads the licensee causes others to publish.
• s.149: no broadcast or on-demand audiovisual and sound advertising between 5:30am and 9:00pm.
• s.157: no inducements to a person or specific group; inducements to the public subject to ministerial regulations.

Regulator guidance: GRAI.

Ontario

Regulator: Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO); iGaming Ontario conducts and manages the market.

• Operator responsibility (Standard 1.19). Operators are responsible for third parties they contract with for their Ontario gaming business and must require them to act as if bound by the same laws, regulations and standards. The AGCO has said this covers marketing affiliates.
• Grey-market promotion (Standard 1.21). Operators must ensure that no third party they pay for marketing or player referral also promotes sites accepting Ontario players without AGCO registration.
• Registration. Affiliates are generally not required to register as gaming-related suppliers. The AGCO's supplier guide lists "marketing affiliates" among examples that would generally not need to register, with case-by-case decisions. Control runs through operators under 1.19 and 1.21.
• Bonus advertising (Standard 2.05). Inducements, bonuses and credits may be communicated only on the operator's own site and in direct marketing after active consent. That rules out public bonus advertising by affiliates acting for an operator. The offers themselves are not banned. In May 2022 the AGCO fined BetMGM Canada CAD 48,000 and PointsBet Canada CAD 30,000 for publicly advertised inducements.
• Offer wording (Standard 2.06). Where offers may be communicated, material conditions must be disclosed upfront. "Free" only if free; "risk-free" not where the player risks their own money.
• Minors (Standard 2.03). Since 28 February 2024, no active or retired athletes with an arrangement with an operator, except to promote responsible gambling, and no influencers, celebrities or others likely to appeal to minors. No ads in media directed primarily at minors.

Regulator guidance: the AGCO's Registrar's Standards and third-party management page.

Netherlands

Regulator: Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

• Unlicensed brands. Only KSA-licensed operators may be advertised; a pending application does not count. The KSA says an affiliate promoting an unlicensed operator is itself in breach and can be fined. In December 2021 it announced enforcement against 15 affiliate sites out of 22 investigated, and in May 2022 it wrote to more than 50.
• Untargeted advertising. Banned since 1 July 2023: no TV, radio, print or public-place ads. Sponsorship has been fully banned since 1 July 2025.
• Online advertising. Allowed under conditions. At least 95% of people reached must be aged 24 or over, or the advertising must stop. Licensees must monitor reach and show reports to the KSA on request.
• Targeting. No ads aimed at minors, people aged 18 to 24, or self-excluded people, and no ads in games or on game sites.
• Role models. No influencers, athletes or models. On 24 February 2026 the KSA clarified that streamers, bloggers and vloggers count as role models whenever their reach is large enough to be attractive for marketing, and told operators to end such partnerships.
• Affiliate content. Must be recognisable as advertising and make clear which operator it is for.

Regulator guidance: the KSA's main rules for gambling advertising (in Dutch).

Germany

Regulator: Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL). The rules are in the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV), in force since 1 July 2021.

• Commission model (§5(6)). For internet advertising of gambling that self-excluded players may not join (in practice the online products covered by the OASIS exclusion system), "in particular in the form of affiliate links", no variable remuneration may be agreed or paid, in particular none based on turnover, deposits or stakes. Revenue share and deposit- or stake-based CPA are banned for these products. Flat fees remain possible.
• Unlicensed brands (§5(7)). Advertising for unlicensed gambling is prohibited. §5(1) lets licence holders commission third parties to advertise for them.
• Whitelist (§9(8)). The GGL publishes the official list of licensed operators. Check the whitelist before promoting a brand to German users.
• Timing (§5(3)). No broadcast or internet advertising for virtual slots, online poker or online casino between 6am and 9pm.
• Content (§5(2)). Not excessive, not aimed at minors, not misleading. Advertising that gives the impression of being editorial content is not permitted, which matters for review sites.
• Personal ads (§5(5)). Consent required, and the exclusion file must be checked before sending.

Regulator guidance: the GGL.

Sweden

Regulator: Spelinspektionen. The rules are in the Gambling Act (Spellag 2018:1138), in force since 1 January 2019.

• Unlicensed brands (3:7, 19:2). No one may, professionally or for profit, promote gambling offered without a Swedish licence. Intentional or grossly negligent promotion is a crime: fines or up to two years' imprisonment, and six months to six years in gross cases. Commission-earning affiliates are acting for profit.
• Bonuses (14:9). A licensee may offer a bonus only the first time a player plays any of its games. Don't promote reload or VIP bonuses for Swedish-licensed brands.
• Moderation (15:1). Marketing must be moderate and not aimed specifically at under-18s.
• Required content (15:3). Commercial messages must show the minimum age and, except on radio, a problem-gambling support contact.
• Excluded players (15:2). No marketing aimed at self-excluded players.

Regulator guidance: Spelinspektionen.

Spain

Regulator: Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ). The rules are in Royal Decree 958/2020, in force since 5 November 2020.

• Scope. Article 2 applies the decree to anyone disseminating gambling communications, expressly including affiliates, websites and social networks.
• Responsibility (art. 37). Operators are responsible for communications made on their behalf and must ensure affiliates comply. Affiliates are themselves liable for their own obligations under the Gambling Act 13/2011.
• Unlicensed brands (art. 6(2)). No communications aimed at, accessible from or placed in Spain for unlicensed entities. The DGOJ publishes the list of licensed operators and brands.
• Annulled in 2024. Supreme Court rulings published 25 and 31 May 2024 annulled the welcome-bonus restrictions in art. 13(1) and (3), the celebrity ban in art. 15, online placement limits in art. 23(1), and social media restrictions in art. 26(2) and (3), among others.
• Still in force. Ads on audiovisual services only between 01:00 and 05:00 (art. 18). Promotions must not imply something is free when it isn't, and must state minimum deposit, wagering requirement and release deadline (art. 13(4)). Tipsters with advertising deals must publish all their results (art. 27).

Regulator guidance: the DGOJ.

United States: the states we checked

There is no federal affiliate regime. We checked Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois and Connecticut only. Other states are not covered here. Most regulation texts below were read on Cornell LII copies, which reproduce state rules; check the official register before citing them.

The commission rules differ in wording, and the wording decides what is banned:

Massachusetts (256.01(1)), Illinois (1900.340(a)) and Connecticut (12-865-25(a)) also make the operator responsible for all advertising done on its behalf, whether or not the affiliate is licensed.

Licensing of affiliates:

• Pennsylvania (58 Pa. Code §807a.1, effective 28 August 2021): an affiliate paid on player activity must apply to the Gaming Control Board for interactive gaming service provider certification. A flat-fee affiliate applies for registration.
• New Jersey (secondary: reported by law-firm guidance and reflected in Division of Gaming Enforcement lists, but we could not load the statute or a DGE page stating it): revenue-share affiliates are licensed as Ancillary Casino Service Industry Enterprises; fixed-fee affiliates file vendor registration.

Regulator guidance: each state's gaming regulator; start from the linked regulation texts in the sources.

Malta

Regulator: Malta Gaming Authority (MGA). The rules are the Gaming Commercial Communications Regulations (S.L. 583.09), in force since 20 July 2018.

• Scope (reg. 3). The regulations cover anyone providing a service to, for or in collaboration with an authorised operator, which includes affiliates.
• Unlicensed brands (reg. 4). No one may promote a licensable game unless the game and the operator are authorised.
• Responsibility (reg. 33). The operator is held responsible for third-party breaches. The MGA may decline to sanction where the affiliate acted without the operator's knowledge or approval and the operator took sufficient precautions and acted at once. Operators must try to fix non-compliant promotions immediately.
• Social media (reg. 13). Communications through social media accounts of operators, or of third parties acting for them, are covered in full.

Whether affiliates need any MGA authorisation themselves was not verified, so it is not covered here. Regulator guidance: the MGA.

Operator view

The map is simpler than it looks: almost everywhere, our licence answers for the affiliate's page. What changes by market is the paperwork. Commission models, bonus advertising and grey-market clauses need setting per geo in the affiliate contract, not in one global template.

Affiliate view

Several of these rules bind us directly, not through the operator: the GB s.330 offence, Sweden's promotion offence, the Dutch fines and Spain's art. 37(3). And in Germany and some US states, the rule decides how we can be paid at all. Check the market before you agree the deal.

Using this guide

This is a summary, not legal advice. Each section links to the regulator; read its own guidance, and take advice before entering a new market. For how to build these rules into a programme, see governing an affiliate programme.