Affiliate

An affiliate is a marketing publisher who promotes a merchant's offers in exchange for commission, earning per lead, sale, deposit or revenue share rather than a fixed fee. The affiliate takes on the traffic cost and risk; the advertiser pays only for measurable results, which is what makes the model dominant in iGaming, dating, nutra and finance verticals.

In day-to-day buying, 'affiliate' describes both solo buyers and entire teams pushing seven-figure monthly spend. The economics live or die on payout terms: CPA versus RevShare versus hybrid, hold length, and quality KPIs like baseline deposit rates. The recurring pitfall is treating the network's word as final — payouts, caps and geo access are almost always negotiable once you show consistent, clean volume.