Affiliates · Licensing & registration
Gambling Affiliate Licensing
Most countries don't license affiliates — a handful genuinely do, and the map is moving fast. We classify what each of your markets requires (licence, registration, approval or just a compliance file), then obtain it and keep it renewed.
overview
What you actually need.
Affiliates live in a strange regulatory spot: most gambling laws license operators and suppliers, then make the operator answer for its marketing partners. But a real licensing layer exists — Romania requires a Class 2 licence from every revenue-share affiliate, Greece runs a suitability-licence-plus-registry system, Gibraltar made providing gambling marketing services a licensable activity from 1 October 2025, PAGCOR now accredits marketing providers to Philippine licensees, and regulated US states register or license affiliates state by state. Australia's Northern Territory approves every revenue-share deal individually, and Bulgaria has an affiliate licence in its draft 2026 Budget.
The recurring trigger is how you're paid. Revenue-share compensation pulls you into licensing almost everywhere a regime exists — Romania's definition is built on revenue from directed players, the US two-tier model keys the heavier licence to a percentage of gaming revenue, and the NT approval requirement attaches to profit-sharing arrangements. Flat-fee CPA deals usually mean a lighter registration or nothing at all; Germany goes the other way and bans variable affiliate remuneration for online casino advertising outright.
Getting this wrong is no longer theoretical: Dutch enforcement took the CasinoScout operators for €225,000 apiece and their domain; Italy fined a single affiliate agency €700,000; Ontario fined BetMGM over its affiliates' inducement ads; and Romania filed a criminal complaint against a licensed affiliate that funnelled traffic to unlicensed brands. We keep you on the right side of each regime — classified correctly, filed once, renewed on time.
your options
The routes that work.
Romania ONJN Class 2, Greece HGC suitability licence + registry, Gibraltar GOSS, PAGCOR SSP accreditation — full applications, criminal-record files and regulator dialogue, run end to end.
Vendor registration for CPA deals, supplier/ancillary licences for revenue share — classified and sequenced across every state you earn in, with the rev-share-ban states flagged.
UK, Netherlands, Malta, Ontario, Brazil and most of the world: no licence to get, but a compliance file to build — agreements, audience evidence, ad-rule mapping — so operators can keep paying you.
head to head
Formal affiliate regimes at a glance
| Jurisdiction | What you need | Headline cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | ONJN Class 2 licence | €20,000/yr + €15,000/yr RG fund | Revenue-share-triggered · 10-yr validity · foreign entities eligible |
| Greece | HGC suitability licence + registry | €1,000 registration deposit | Operators may only use registered affiliates |
| Gibraltar | GOSS licence (marketing services) | per fee schedule | In/from Gibraltar, since 1 Oct 2025 |
| Philippines | PAGCOR SSP accreditation | ₱1,000,000 deposit | Marketing providers to PAGCOR licensees |
| US states | Registration (CPA) / licence (rev-share) | free – $150,000 per state | IL & MO ban rev-share compensation |
| Australia (NT) | NTRC approval per rev-share deal | probity file | CPA deals fall outside the trigger |
| Bulgaria | Licence + levy — pending | €6,000/yr + 10% (proposed) | Draft 2026 Budget, not yet adopted |
requirements
Eligibility & docs.
step by step
From product to licence.
- Scope callYour markets, traffic and compensation model — we classify what each market actually requires and give you a filing sequence with an all-in number.Day 1
- Structure & documentsEntity check, deal-structure review, criminal-record and corporate files assembled — translated and legalised where the regulator wants it.Week 1–2
- File & followApplications lodged (ONJN, HGC, Gibraltar, PAGCOR, US state portals) and every regulator query handled to grant.Weeks 2–8, regime-dependent
- MaintainRenewal calendar, contract filings, change notifications and rule-change monitoring — the licence stays alive while you focus on traffic.Ongoing
Want the shortlist for your exact product?
Tell us your product, target markets and payment mix — we'll confirm the route that gets you live fastest at the lowest all-in cost, with the number itemised.
costs
What it costs.
State and regulator fees above are the headline figures from published schedules as of July 2026 — several regimes are brand new (Gibraltar, PAGCOR) or still drafts (Bulgaria), so we confirm the current figure against the regulator's schedule before you budget. Our own fee is fixed per market after the scope call.
go deeper
Jurisdictions & related services.
FAQ
Do gambling affiliates need a licence?
In most countries, no — the licensed operator answers for its affiliates. But a real licensing layer exists: Romania (ONJN Class 2), Greece (HGC suitability licence + registry), Gibraltar (GOSS licence since 1 Oct 2025), the Philippines (PAGCOR accreditation) and regulated US states all require affiliates to hold something. Our Affiliate Licensing Index maps all 35 jurisdictions.
What triggers the licence requirement?
Almost always revenue-share compensation. Romania's Class 2 definition is built on revenue from directed players; US states key the full licence to a percentage of gaming revenue while CPA deals get a lighter registration; Australia's NT approves profit-sharing deals specifically. Germany inverts it — variable affiliate pay for online casino ads is banned there.
How much does the Romanian Class 2 licence cost?
€20,000 per year plus a €15,000 annual responsible-gambling contribution — about €35,000 all-in — plus a one-off issuance fee. The licence runs 10 years subject to annual payment, and foreign (EU or non-EU) entities are eligible without a Romanian company.
Where is affiliate marketing banned?
Finland (new Gambling Act — affiliate and influencer marketing outside the permitted-channel list), New Zealand (2026 regulations prohibit affiliate arrangements even for licensees), Belgium (no compensated third-party advertising) and effectively Italy (the Dignity Decree ad ban, with fines charged to affiliates directly). Illinois and Missouri ban revenue-share compensation, making them CPA-only markets.
What if my markets don't license affiliates at all?
Then the work is a compliance file, not a licence: written operator agreements before cooperation starts, audience evidence (the Netherlands wants operators to demonstrate ≥95% of reached users are 24+), and ad-rule adherence. Operators drop affiliates who can't evidence this — we build the file so the deals keep flowing.
other products
Licensing a different product?
Reviewed by the Vantegris licensing team. This page is general information, not legal advice. Fee schedules and timelines mirror our jurisdiction pages and change when regulators change them.
Free consultation
Start your licence file.
Tell us the product — we'll map the licence, banking and structure that gets it live. Free, confidential, no obligation — most enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.