Revenue share or RevShare, if you are in the know – the name sounds clean, almost corporate. But in affiliate marketing, it's anything but boring. This model promises long-term gains for long-term play, especially in gambling, where one loyal customer can bankroll your month. Or not. Today, we are ripping open the mechanics. We'll show where it shines (and stings) and teach you how to separate profitable offers from dead weight. New to affiliate marketing? Already battle-tested? Wherever you are at, if you are chasing a fair pay, revshare deserves your full attention. Let's get into it!
What Is Revenue Share in Affiliate Marketing?
So what is revshare, exactly? There is no doubt that it's not built for sprinters, on the contrary – it's more of a marathon model. The meaning of revshare is that instead of a one-off payout per click or signup, you earn a slice of what your referred users spend – month after month, bet after bet. This, by itself, suggests that your earnings mirror their behaviour. If they deposit, play and return, you profit. If they ghost the platform, your commission ghosts you right back. Success here doesn’t come fast. You’ll need a good strategy and a stomach for delayed gratification.
How Does RevShare Work in Gambling?
The definition of revshare in gambling is you earn from loss (not yours, the player's). Every time they bet and don’t win, the casino profits. And you get a piece of that pie. The standard cut is somewhere between 30% and 50%.
But don’t get too comfortable – it’s often capped after a few years. Most of the action happens early anyway: players peak in the first six months, then fade.
Source: Scaleo
There is logic behind this time limit – give affiliates enough runway to earn, but not so much they forget who is paying them.
So, that cap protects the casino and your job is to protect your income. How? Vet the program, carefully read the terms and figure out what “lifetime value” really means.
Pros and Cons of RevShare for Affiliates
The revshare model has its perks, sure, but it’s not all upside. Before you commit, make sure you know what you are walking into.
Pros of RevShare
You keep earning as long as your players keep losing, which means income that stretches over months or even years. Especially if they are the stubborn kind who are not afraid of losses – they just reload and repeat. This way, you’ll have these small amounts coming your way on a regular basis. Yes, this kind of income doesn’t spike. But it doesn’t vanish either, wink!
You and the advertiser want the same thing: loyal, active users. When they win, you win. Both of you are rooting for the same behaviour here: stickiness plus habit plus return visits. You need to cultivate the right patterns instead of chasing users who click once and then disappear forever.
Compared to CPA’s one-and-done payout, revshare can stack up to serious money over time. Metaphorically speaking, CPA pays for the entrance and the revenue share model pays for the stay. If your traffic is worth anything long-term, one single user today might still be paying you next month. Or next year. CPA can’t do that.
Cons of RevShare
It's a slow drip, so don't hope for instant returns. That’s far from being a “payday by Friday” case. Even if it took you centuries (no literally) to set things up, you’ll still need to wait while the numbers crawl.
If users bail early, your earnings flatline. It won’t matter how much effort went into getting them through the door – if they bounce, you are done. No second chances here, only building strategy from the ground up again.
Tracking long-term value can be a headache. You’ll need patience and decent analytics. Otherwise, you are just staring at numbers that don’t mean much until months later. Are you in it for the long haul and eager to get your numbers straight? Then it might be worth the aspirin.
Benefits of RevShare for Affiliate Programs (Advertisers)
Now, what is the revshare model for advertisers? From the affiliate’s side, it’s easy to focus on payouts. But for affiliate programs, it's more of a partnership filter.
Advantages
Affiliates have skin in the game. They are more likely to send users who stay, spend and come back. Because if they don’t, they don’t earn. Thanks to that tiny but important fact, affiliates have to think long-term which automatically weeds out the lazy traffic pushers.
Payments are tied to actual profit instead of upfront promises. Advertisers are interested in paying when the numbers prove themselves. And it’s no wonder, who would shell out for some abstract, pie-in-the-sky “potential”?
Partnerships usually last longer when both sides benefit from user retention. Now that everyone’s earnings depend on the same user showing up again, affiliates and advertisers are more motivated to collaborate. Very pragmatic.
Disadvantages
Ongoing payments can't do without a decent tracking system. Otherwise, things get messy fast. If your tools are held together with duct tape, revshare will break it. You’ll need to watch all the nitty-gritty: who came from where, what they did and what they are still doing. Organize that as soon as possible or affiliates will come for you with spreadsheets full of question marks.
Affiliate revshare payouts stretch over time, which can throw off financial planning. The revshare model doesn’t really care about your quarterly goals. It just pays when it pays. So if you are trying to build tidy projections for your CFO off that, bring more coffee.
Quality control depends on the affiliate and that's not always a safe bet. If you are not vetting properly, you’ll end up paying for traffic which looks good on paper and goes nowhere.
How RevShare Percentage Is Calculated
The math is simple, but as with anything in revshare marketing, it's all about the details. You are not exactly earning off the top, but rather off what’s left. That’s net revenue: the casino’s actual profit after bonuses, taxes and other deductions.
If your revshare is 40% and your players bring in $1000 net, you pocket $400. The percentage depends on your deal. As we mentioned earlier, it's usually 30% to 50% for gambling offers. Traffic quality and volume decide how high you go.
RevShare vs. CPA: Which Model to Choose?
To cut a long story short: revshare pays over time, CPA pays once. If you are after fast returns and predictable volume, CPA gets you there. If you are playing the long game and pinning your hopes on user retention, the revshare affiliate model can pay more (just not right away). Some affiliates mix both through hybrid deals – a little now, a little later.
How to Maximize Earnings With RevShare
The revshare model rewards patience, but that's not the only thing you'll need:
Choose Reliable Advertisers and Networks
Partner with revshare programs that know how to retain players and pay on time instead of hiding behind vague reports. You’ve got better things to do than decode spreadsheets and chase down missing payouts, right? Because transparency is a baseline, not a bonus. If they are vague now, imagine what happens when the numbers get big. You are here to earn, so if the payout calendar keeps slipping into “soon”, don’t give them second chances.
Focus on Traffic Quality
You need to attract committed users, not just casual browsers. Do your leads show up only to leave without touching anything? Your revshare will reflect that, you can be sure of that. So if your traffic treats your offer like a pop-up ad they forgot to block – it’s a hard pass. Try hunting the ones who’ll linger and click… and return, of course.
Build Long-Term Partnerships
Good relationships lead to better deals, exclusive offers and support when you need it. And on the contrary, short-term showers bring short-term flowers (with apologies to the original proverb). So the longer you stick with a good partner, the more likely they’ll unlock for you some perks that aren’t even listed on the public page. Just saying.
Track and Optimize Campaigns
Growth doesn't happen by accident – if you are not measuring, you can't improve. Watch your numbers like a hawk and work your way through this tedious loop of testing, adjustments and yet more testing. You’d be surprised how one small tweak you didn’t think mattered can change the whole campaign for the better. Now all you have to do is find this tiny needle in a haystack.
Where to Find RevShare Offers in Gambling
What is a revshare program? How to find one that works? Because in gambling, the gap between promise and payout can be wide. But don't worry – we've got you covered:
Top Affiliate Networks with RevShare Offers
Not all revshare affiliate programs are worth your time, but these three are:
Yellana. 500+ direct advertiser campaigns, flexible payment models, weekly payouts. Verticals: gambling, betting, utilities, software and financial services. Revshare is available alongside CPA, CPL, CPS and CPI. GEO coverage: worldwide. Tracking runs on Affise. Payouts start at $100 via wire, Payoneer or Capitalist. Adult offers aren’t allowed.
3SNET. 1000+ gambling offers, revshare up to 60%, plus CPA and hybrid options. Verticals: betting, poker, esports, dating and loans. GEO coverage: global. No minimum payout. Test traffic accepted. Custom smartlinks and API integrations available.
ClickDealer. 14,000+ offers (1,120 in gambling alone), with multiple payout models. Verticals: dating, finance, eCommerce, health, gambling, etc. They support revshare, CPA, CPL, CPS and hybrid models. GEO coverage: global. Tracking runs on proprietary in-house tech. Payouts start at $100 for smartlink offers and $500 for CPA. Payment via wire, Payoneer, PayPal, Paxum, WebMoney or check.
Conclusion
The revshare model is the antonym of “fast results”. But if you stick around long enough to notice what’s working, your efforts will be rewarded. The promising offer might stall and the one you almost skipped might start performing well. Be ready to second-guess things and change your mind – that’s part of it. Once all the puzzles fall into place (good deals, proper user retention and honest tracking), it’ll keep paying off. Even when you are not looking.