iGaming payments & affiliate glossary

An extra authentication step for online card payments, such as a code or banking-app approval, which helps prevent fraud and shifts chargeback liability.

A partner who promotes an operator’s brand — through review or comparison sites, content, social media, streaming or email — and earns commission on the players they refer.

A specialist who manages affiliate traffic or relationships and provides strategic guidance and performance analysis to help a partnership grow.

A unique link or code that identifies which affiliate referred a player, so the referral can be tracked and credited.

The laws and procedures that stop criminals using gaming accounts to move or disguise illegal money. Operators set AML policies that payments teams follow.

The share of payment attempts that succeed. A falling approval rate is often the first sign of a provider problem.

The minimum a referred player must deposit or wager before a CPA payment is due. Agreeing the baseline in writing avoids most commission disputes.

A reversal of a card payment that the player disputes through their bank. Chargebacks cost the operator the payment plus fees, and too many can put a payment account at risk.

The share of visitors or registrations that turn into depositing players. Used to compare traffic quality between affiliates, markets and campaigns.

A commission model where the operator pays the affiliate a set amount for each new player who meets an agreed condition — usually a first deposit, sometimes with a minimum deposit or wagering amount.

Money a player pays into their gaming account through a card, e-wallet, bank transfer or another payment method.

A digital wallet that stores funds or payment details and lets players deposit and withdraw without sharing card or bank details with the operator.

Additional checks applied to higher-risk players, such as further documents, source of wealth or ongoing monitoring.

A set payment for an agreed placement or campaign, such as a review, a featured position on a comparison table or a newsletter slot, regardless of how many players it brings.

An operator’s rules for spotting and handling suspicious activity — such as multiple accounts, stolen cards or bonus abuse — and when to hold or decline payments.

A player who makes their first real-money deposit. FTDs are the most common way of measuring how many paying players an affiliate has sent, and often the trigger for a CPA payment.

Short for geography — the country or market a player comes from. Deals, CPA levels and allowed marketing often differ by GEO.

The total amount wagered by players minus their winnings, before bonuses, taxes and other costs.

A deal that combines two commission models — for example a fixed fee with CPA, or CPA with revenue share — to balance certainty and shared upside.

The checks an operator carries out to confirm who a player is: identity, address, age and ownership of the payment method used.

A revenue-share rule where a month with negative revenue (players winning more than they lose) is carried into the next month’s calculation. Many agreements specify whether it applies.

Gross gaming revenue minus deductions such as bonuses, taxes, payment fees and chargebacks, as defined in the agreement. Often the basis for revenue-share commission.

Payments made directly from a player’s bank account with their authorisation, without a card. Often faster to settle and cheaper than card payments.

The payment of an approved withdrawal to the player through a PSP, e-wallet or bank.

A withdrawal that has been requested but not yet approved or paid — for example while documents are reviewed.

Someone who holds, or has held, a prominent public role — or their close family and associates. PEPs require enhanced checks under AML rules.

The total revenue a player is expected to generate over their relationship with the operator. Helps decide how much a new player is worth paying for.

Server-to-server tracking: the operator’s system notifies the affiliate’s system directly when a referred player registers or deposits, instead of relying on browser cookies.

A company that processes payments for the operator — cards, e-wallets, bank transfers or local methods — and settles the money to the operator’s accounts.

Matching the transactions recorded in the gaming platform with what the payment providers and banks actually paid or received.

A commission model where the affiliate earns a percentage of the revenue — usually NGR — generated by the players they referred, for as long as the agreement says.

The policies and tools that help players gamble safely — such as deposit limits, time-outs and self-exclusion — and the process for acting on concerns.

A player’s request to be blocked from gambling for a set period. Operators must stop accepting bets and marketing to self-excluded players.

The transfer of collected funds from the payment provider to the operator’s bank or e-wallet account.

The agreed standard for a service — for example how quickly withdrawals must be processed. Payments teams work to the operator’s SLAs.

Where the money a player is depositing comes from — for example salary or savings. Checked when deposits reach thresholds or risk indicators appear.

How a player built their overall wealth. A deeper check than source of funds, usually reserved for higher-risk or high-value players.

An affiliate referred by another affiliate. The referring affiliate may earn a share of the sub-affiliate’s commission, depending on the programme.

At I-Gaming Admins, the agreement between the operator, the affiliate consultant and IGA that sets out payment terms, tracking and reporting for everyone.

A product category in gaming, such as online casino, live casino, sportsbook, esports betting, poker, bingo or lottery.

A player’s request to take money out of their gaming account. Withdrawals are checked against the operator’s risk and AML policies before they are paid out.