Updated Nov 7, 2026 · 7 min read

Gambling Affiliate Glossary

Affiliate contracts and dashboards are full of abbreviations: FTD, NGR, CPA, RS. This glossary explains each term you will meet as a casino or betting affiliate in plain words, grouped by where you see it. For how they fit together, read how casino affiliate programs work.

Deals and commission

CPA (cost per acquisition): A fixed amount paid once for each new player you refer who meets the qualifying rules.
Revenue share (RS, rev share): A percentage of the net gaming revenue from the players you refer, paid every month they play, usually for the life of the account.
Hybrid deal: A smaller CPA plus a smaller revenue share for the same player.
Baseline (qualifying criteria): What a new player must do before a CPA is paid, such as deposit at least £20 or place bets of a minimum total.
Tiers: Commission rates that rise as you refer more new depositors in a month.
CPA cap: The most CPAs a program will pay you in a month or a market.
Sub-affiliate: An affiliate who works under another affiliate’s deal. Programs often pay the referring affiliate a small share of the sub-affiliate’s commission.
Affiliate manager: Your contact at the program, who approves you, agrees deals and answers questions about payments.

Revenue terms

GGR (gross gaming revenue): Players’ stakes minus their winnings: what the casino or bookmaker keeps before costs.
NGR (net gaming revenue): GGR after the deductions in your contract, such as bonuses, payment fees, gambling taxes and an admin fee. Revenue share is a percentage of NGR.
Admin fee: A flat percentage some programs take off revenue before your share is worked out.
Negative carryover: When your players win more than they lose in a month, the negative balance is carried into later months and taken from future commission. "No negative carryover" resets it to zero each month.
Hold (margin): The share of money staked that a bookmaker keeps. On sport it swings with results, which makes betting revenue share less steady than casino.
Lifetime revenue share: Revenue share paid for as long as the player plays, rather than for a fixed period.

Tracking and reporting

FTD (first-time depositor): A player who has made their first deposit. Most deals and reports are built around FTDs.
NDC (new depositing customer): Another name for an FTD, used by some programs.
Conversion rate: The share of clicks or registrations that become FTDs.
Tracking link: Your link to the operator, carrying your affiliate ID so sign-ups are credited to you.
Sub-ID: An extra tag you add to a tracking link (for example the page and button), so reports show which pages produce players.
Postback: A message the program’s server sends to yours when a referred player registers or deposits, so your own analytics can record it.
Cookie window: How long after a click a sign-up is still credited to you.
EPC (earnings per click): Commission divided by clicks: a quick way to compare programs on the same page.

Player and game terms

RTP (return to player): The share of all money staked on a game that it pays back over the long run, such as 96%. It says nothing about a single session.
Volatility: How a slot pays: low volatility pays small wins often, high volatility pays bigger wins rarely.
Wagering requirement: How many times a bonus (or bonus plus deposit) must be bet before winnings from it can be withdrawn.
KYC (know your customer): The identity and age checks an operator must make, often before the first withdrawal.
High roller (VIP): A player who stakes large amounts. One high roller can swing your monthly revenue share either way.

Rules and compliance

Brand bidding: Buying search ads on an operator’s brand name. Most programs ban it.
Geo-targeting: Showing each visitor only operators licensed in their country or state.
Significant terms: The key conditions of an offer (wagering, time limits, excluded payment methods) that must be shown next to it in Great Britain.
Self-exclusion: A player’s request to be blocked from gambling, by one operator or across a market (GAMSTOP in Great Britain).
Vendor registration: The approval many US states require from affiliates before they are paid. See do gambling affiliates need a licence?.

Ready to put the terms to work? Read how much casino affiliates make, or see the site templates.

Frequently asked questions

What does FTD mean in affiliate marketing?

FTD stands for first-time depositor: a player you referred who has made their first deposit. CPA deals usually pay per FTD that meets the qualifying rules, and most affiliate reports count FTDs.

What is the difference between GGR and NGR?

GGR (gross gaming revenue) is stakes minus winnings. NGR (net gaming revenue) is GGR after deductions such as bonuses, payment fees, taxes and admin fees. Revenue share is paid on NGR, so the deductions in your contract matter.

What is a CPA baseline?

The baseline is what a referred player must do before you are paid a CPA, such as depositing a minimum amount or betting a minimum total. A high baseline means fewer of your players count.

What does negative carryover mean?

If your players win more than they lose in a month, your revenue share balance is negative. With negative carryover that deficit is taken from future months; without it the balance resets to zero each month.

18+ only. Gambling can be addictive. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice, so check the rules for each market you target. If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, visit BeGambleAware.org.