Betting Affiliate Programs in the USA

Colorado sports betting affiliates are required to apply for one of two types of licenses from the Limited Gaming Control Commission.

Affiliates who provide marketing services for operators on a CPA basis must acquire a vendor minor license, which involves filling out a relatively simple form and paying a $350 registration fee.

Affiliates who wish to provide marketing services on a revenue share basis must acquire a more involved and expensive vendor major license. The vendor major license comes with a $1,200 licensing fee plus a $10,000 background check deposit for an upfront cost of $11,200 in total.

The Division of Gaming bills applicants $77 per hour spent by investigators for conducting background checks, along with all expenses incurred by investigators during the investigation.

Useful links:

• LGCC bulletin on sports betting licenses and fees
• Vendor Minor license application
• Vendor Major license application

Illinois will likely require sports betting affiliates to acquire licenses. State law does not specifically state that affiliates need to be licensed, but regulations outline five different types of licenses needed for operators, suppliers and other key employees.

Among those five types is a Supplier License, which can be applied to “any other purveyor of goods, data, or services to a master sports wagering licensee or management services provider licensee, as deemed necessary by the Board if the Board determines that the goods, data, or services impact the integrity or security of the sports wagering operation.”

Additionally, IL law limits affiliate marketers to providing their services on a CPA basis only. Section 1900.340 (f) states:

No licensee may enter into an agreement with a third party to conduct advertising or marketing on behalf of, or to the benefit of, the licensee when compensation is dependent on, or related to, the volume or outcome of wagers.

Useful links:

• IL sports betting regulations
• IL sports betting law

Indiana licenses sports betting affiliates for CPAs through a simple application, criminal background check, and a $500 application fee.

There is word Indiana may introduce a second licensing tier for affiliates who wish to promote betting sites on a rev share basis, but information on that end is still limited.

Useful links:

• BettingUSA post on IN affiliate licenses
• Indiana affiliate marketing application
• Indiana Gaming Commission sports wagering hub

Iowa legalized retail sportsbooks and mobile betting in 2019, but regulations that require customers to register in person at a land-based casino limit the market potential for affiliates. State law does not address affiliate marketing.

Michigan will likely require online betting and gaming affiliates to be registered with the state, but details are limited at present.

The online gaming and sports betting laws approved in Michigan near the end of 2019 direct the Gaming Control Board to promulgate rules for vendors and for vendor registration sometime before the anticipated “early 2021” launch of online sports betting and casino games.

Under the Michigan sports betting law, a “vendor” is defined as someone who “is not licensed under this act that supplies any goods or services to a sports betting operator or sports betting supplier.” The MI online gaming laws defines “vendor” similarly, but as someone who supplies goods or services to an internet gaming operator or internet gaming supplier.

Useful links:

• Lawful Sports Betting Act
• Lawful Internet Gaming Act

Nevada is not a major affiliate market despite having legal online sports betting and poker.

Mobile sports betting is limited by in-person registration, which hampers the effectiveness of online marketing. Meanwhile, the online poker market is limited to a single operator, WSOP.com.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) at one point stated it would require online poker affiliates to apply for licenses. Documentation drafted by the NGCB indicated “marketing affiliates” would need to undergo basic background checks, supply their fingerprints and pay $3,000 in licensing fees.

However, it seems those requirements never made it into law as Caesars Affiliates allows affiliates to promote WSOP Nevada on a CPA basis after filling out a simple online application.

In New Jersey, prospective affiliates must acquire a vendor registration number in order to promote legal gambling or sports betting sites on a flat advertising or CPA basis.

Acquiring a vendor registration number incurs no cost to the affiliate, but a licensed gaming operator must submit an application on behalf of the affiliate.

For example, an affiliate could approach the Caesars Casino affiliate program and request to join. If accepted, Caesars would apply for a vendor’s license on behalf of the affiliate.

The affiliate would then be given a Vendor Registration Supplemental Disclosure Form to complete and submit to the NJDGE directly. This only needs to be done once. After approval, the affiliate would be added to the Active Vendors List and may work with other operators without re-filing.

If you’re interested in revenue share, you need to get an Ancillary CSIE license which requires significantly more information about the affiliate and incurs a non-refundable $2,000 fee.

To recap:

• Promoting on a flat fee or CPA basis: affiliates need a vendor registration number
• Promoting on a revenue share basis: affiliates need an Ancillary CSIE license

The NJ gambling affiliate licensing process originally confused so many operators and markets alike that the NJDGE released this form to clarify the rules regarding affiliates and sub-affiliates.

Useful NJ affiliate licensing links:

• NJDGE licensing hub page
• iGB Affiliate guide to NJ licensing

Registering as an affiliate in Pennsylvania is similar to NJ, as are the market options, but the application is quite a bit more complex. There are two licensing models in Pennsylvania, one for CPA and one for revenue share agreements.

In both cases, affiliates are required to get fingerprinted and go through an extensive background check.

Affiliates who wish to promote PA sports betting and gambling sites must apply to become a registered gaming services provider using this form. This comes with a $500 application fee, an additional fee of $60 for each direct and indirect owner of 10% or more and a $2,500 registration fee (renewable every 5 years).

Registering to become an approved CPA affiliate in Pennsylvania is a much more in-depth process than doing so in New Jersey – not to mention more expensive.

Affiliates who wish to apply for licenses to promote PA gambling sites on a rev share basis must become a certified gaming services provider. This involves a more in-depth and expensive background investigation than what is required to promote on a CPA basis.

Becoming a certified gaming services provider involves filling out three forms

• Gaming services provider application
• Gaming services provider holding company form
• Personal history disclosure form

Rev share affiliates must also pay larger fees:

• $2,500 application fee
• $500 for each of the applicant’s holding companies
• $1,000 for each key employee or principal
• $5,000 initial licensing fee

Useful PA affiliate licensing links:

• BettingUSA post on PA affiliate licenses
• JD Supra guide to PA licensing

Tennessee sports betting regulations require affiliates to fill out a Vendor Registration Form and pay a $500 fee to cover the cost of the investigation.

The Vendor Registration Form asks applicants for basic information such as name and address, business name, summary of intended services to be supplied to operators, information on any other gaming permits held by the applicant, criminal history, bankruptcy or insolvency history, ongoing litigation and copies of the businesses articles of incorporation or other legal documents related to the formation of the business.

Useful links:

• Tennessee licensing regulations
• TN Vendor Registration Application

West Virginia sports betting affiliates must apply for a supplier license and pay a $1,000 registration fee. The simple registration form asks for the applicant’s name and business name if applicable, address, phone number, website and $1,000 check or money order payable to the West Virginia Lottery.

Applicants must also acquire a WV State Tax Department Business Registration Number and a WV Secretary of State Certificate of Authorization – both of which can be applied for online (links to do so are provided within the supplier license application).

Useful links:

• WV Supplier License application
• WV State Tax Department registration
• WV Secretary of State registration

The earning potential for betting affiliates is limited only by the number of players you can refer to gambling sites and online sportsbooks. Reputable affiliate programs make money when you make money. It’s as simple as that.

That being said, making a fortune as a gambling affiliate is easier said than done. Spamming your referral links won’t produce results and is prohibited by every reputable affiliate program, plus it’s annoying.

Getting your links in front of qualified prospects who trust you to provide recommendations is how you produce results in this industry.

I personally know many skilled affiliates who regularly bring in five figures a month. These are not big, corporate affiliates but rather small operators who know how to build websites, produce compelling content, and connect with their readers.

Some of the most successful affiliates bring in six figures a month. A select few gambling “super affiliates” and large media companies generate seven figures or more in commissions each month – some of whom are publicly traded multi-national companies.

Naturally, you can’t expect to see these types of results overnight. It takes time, dedication and experience to learn the skills and build trust.

Sometimes new affiliates can get off to a quick start and generate conversions fairly quickly. Usually, these are experts who bring unique insight and value to customers.

Most start out just like we did – by earning the occasional commission here and there, working for other affiliates, and then slowly working up from there.

If you work on revenue share commission plans, affiliates can build up a player base at multiple sites and grow your earnings as your player base grows. Eventually, you may have large amounts of players who, as a group, produce a fairly consistent monthly income.

As those old referrals earn money, you spend your time attracting new players who add to that monthly income and replace customers who stop playing (or move on to another brand).

Your personal experience as an affiliate could range from disappointing to absolutely mind-blowing. However, even if you don’t become a “super affiliate”, you can still generate significant revenue.

A few affiliates have even sold their operations to large companies such as Catena Media, Better Collective, and a few other large digital lead generation companies. Some acquisitions have run well into 8 figures for the affiliates who were purchased by competitors.

I would say the easiest way to get started would be to open a website and start publishing articles/blog posts. Starting a website is easy these days. A lot of information is easily found on that subject, so I’ll keep the information provided here to the basics. Essentially all you have to do is buy a domain and purchase a hosting plan.

Free content management systems such as WordPress make publishing content fast and convenient, but complex design, tools, and features for your users will likely require the help of a professional unless you have prior experience as a designer and/or developer.

Next, sign up for accounts at affiliate programs you personally trust and would not hesitate to join yourself as a player.

In the regulated markets of sports, casino and poker, most operators have a manual approval process for onboarding new betting affiliates to ensure your content is compliant and your company holds any required licenses or permits to provide services to operators.

Once your account is approved, you can log in to check stats, get tracking links and stay on top of the latest promotions.

Publish useful and interesting content with the goal of attracting visitors who trust your information enough to click on your referral links. There are an infinite variety of topics you can talk about, but the one thing to keep in mind is that you should attract people who are likely to be interested in online betting.

The type of content you produce will shape the types and amounts of traffic you generate. Even more importantly, the quality of the information you provide will help you drive more traffic and registrations.

A basic example would be reviews of betting apps and websites. If someone is considering signing up at FanDuel or DraftKings, that person may first run a search for “FanDuel reviews” or “DraftKings reviews.”

In this case, you would spend the time to become an expert on the pros and cons of each brand and deliver it honestly to your readers. Write a review based on your experiences and then ask readers to sign up using your referral links and promo codes.

Side note: You can probably see the conflict of interest there. It can be tempting to write overly positive reviews in the hopes of getting signups. Don’t do that. Be honest in your reviews. It’s OK to point out flaws. You only alienate visitors when you insult their intelligence by giving a glowing review and stuffing it full of affiliate links.

Another example would be to write “how-to” articles for placing specific types of bets, making deposits, or collecting payouts on winnings. Some affiliates write betting strategy articles, provide odds comparisons, or offer picks and predictions in the form of event previews.

Many affiliates now hire journalists and focus on publishing betting news. The possibilities are endless, just be aware that it’s a highly competitive environment.

The hardest part of succeeding as a gambling affiliate is separating yourself and offering value. Other affiliates have already written reviews of betting sites. This is not a unique idea or concept.

If you decide to tackle a topic, I recommend that you write the best factual article, with your own take.  Offer value to your readers that they are not finding elsewhere.

This is how you earn trust and attract repeat visitors. It also helps establish your brand as a trusted authority, which in turn makes people more willing to click on your referral links.

And on that note, be transparent about who you are and what you do. Not only is it required by FTC advertising guidelines, but consumers also have a pretty good nose for sniffing out BS.

Research every gambling brand you are considering promoting. Ensure each is a good fit for your market and will provide your referrals with a safe and secure experience.

The “make money online” topic is full of charlatans and so-called gurus who make their money selling you on the next big secret to success. There is no secret. If you want to be a successful betting affiliate, you need to work harder than your competition.