Sports betting is a hobby that many more people are trying their hand at in recent years. In last years it is arguably giving even more opportunities for serious sports bettors to make extra money.
One way that this can happen is by using a sports betting affiliate.
But what is a sports betting affiliate program? How is a betting affiliate impactful for the overall sports betting market growth?
This is your guide to affiliate sports betting.
What Is a Sports Betting Affiliate?
A sports betting affiliate is a third-party website that creates content to try to drive its viewers towards any online sportsbook that they are working with. If those viewers go on to use those sportsbooks, create accounts there, and bet a certain amount of money, then the affiliates will receive payment for getting them there.
It is similar to other third-party websites creating content to get viewers to buy products somewhere such as Amazon. There, content creators receive a small cut of what people buy on that website if the viewers use the affiliate links provided to buy a product from there.
Another example is YouTube creators that create video content on the platform. Once in a while, those vloggers will promote a certain item from a third-party company in one of those videos. Then, they would put the link where you can purchase said item into their video description.
After that, they get a commission from either the amount of traffic that hits their website from that link or the amount of money that is spent on products from some websites.
You can become an affiliate by finding a link on the sportsbook website and then fill the form. Such a link is usually found at the bottom of the website. After they review your request and if they accept you, they will send an email and then you’ll discuss the details. Here is an example of Cloudbet:

Ways to Get Paid
So, now that you are starting to get an understanding of how sports betting affiliate marketing works, the question is what are the options for how you can get paid for it? Well, there are a few different ways that a sports betting affiliate can receive payment.
Revenue Share
The first way that you can get paid as an affiliate is through revenue sharing. What this means is that as an online sportsbook, their revenue is made through the losses of what the bettors on that website bet.
So, where does the affiliate come in? The answer is that their role is focused on the bettors that they bring to that website through their affiliate links.
For example, let’s say that your link brings a guy named Jacob to one of the online sportsbooks. Jacob creates an account and starts betting on sports with that website.
Then, through the first week of betting, Jacob loses about $100. If your revenue-sharing deal had you getting 20% of those losses, then that means you would get a payment of $20 from the online sportsbook for that week.
This can be one of the best options for an affiliate website to use because it can mean that you are getting passive income for years. A decent amount of bettors do use these sportsbooks for a long time, so it can be critical to get people to sign up through this system.
CPA
CPA is the contrast of revenue sharing because this income does not usually last nearly as long term. What this system does is allow the affiliate link to receive payment from an online sportsbook through one direct action with that link.
An example of this is when a bettor clicks on their link, creates an account and then places a deposit with the said sportsbook. Once that bettor from your link places that deposit, then the sportsbook could give the affiliate a cut of that deposit.
So, for example, let’s say Jacob places a $100 deposit on one of these sportsbooks. If that happens, the sportsbook may give the affiliate $20 as a cut from that deposit.
Admittedly, it is possible for this to be passive income too because people can click your link months and years after it is posted to sign up. However, the con to this is that you will not get continuous passive income with one bettor, unlike the revenue sharing plan.
Banner Advertising
Also called a paid tenancy, this is one of the few systems that does not rely on commission for an affiliate. With this system, you as an affiliate are being paid to allow content space on your website for said sportsbook.
An example would be a sportsbook placing a banner with their company image on the top, bottom, or side of pages of your website. It can also be allowing a link to their website on one of those sportsbooks.
Both CPA and Revenue Share
Finally, if you are really fortunate as an affiliate website, you may get presented with the option of having both a CPA and revenue share. This should be the most desired option because of the fact that you are getting passive income for both the short term and the long term.
Let’s go back to Jacob. In this deal, your affiliate website would get the payment if he both places a deposit on the website AND for all of the money that he loses on said website. If you are of the belief that a decent amount of bettors will use the platform for years, that can mean years of passive income with an additional deposit bonus.
The only con to this is that it is still a commission plan. Some websites may not be willing to take the risk of relying on commissions and may be more comfortable using banner advertising because of that.
Refer a friend
While most options usually require a brand or a website, many sites have the option for existing players to invite their friends to join the site and they are automatically rewarded with free money. Here is one example of GGBet, which pays existing players 10 EUR if they can bring another player.

What are the best sports betting affiliate programs:
- Bovada Affiliate Program: Rev share:Scaled: 25%-35% of NGR:Cross Channel (up to 45% Casino)
- BETUS Affiliate Program: 30% Rev share
- MyBookie Affiliate Program: Rev share 25%/27%/30%/35%
- Cloudbet Affiliate Program: 30% Commission
- Thunder Partners Affiliate Program: up to 50% Rev share
Learn More About Sports Betting Resources
These are the most common ways that a sports betting affiliate gets paid. They typically rely on attracting viewers to the website and writing content to ensure that they will actually use the affiliate links.
What way is best for you is up to you. Do you want more information on sports betting? Do you want to make the bets yourself?
Take our free betting course today.