RevShare — a payment model in affiliate marketing and business in which an affiliate receives a fixed percentage of the revenue generated by a referred user throughout their entire period of activity.
Unlike the traditional CPA model with a one-time payment per action, working with RevShare builds a base of active customers. Payments are credited every time a referred user spends money, renews a subscription, makes repeat purchases, or loses a deposit on the advertiser's platform.
Where the RevShare model is used
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Gambling and betting (iGaming): one of the main verticals for working with RevShare. Casinos and bookmakers pay the affiliate a percentage of the referred player's net losses.
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Finance and trading (Crypto, Forex, binary options): brokers and crypto exchanges share a percentage of trading fees (spread) from each user transaction.
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SaaS services and software: analytics services, trackers, VPNs, antidetect browsers, and AI tools pay a percentage of each recurring subscription renewal (rebill).
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Information products and dating: payment of a percentage from purchases of paid access, VIP statuses, coins, or consultations within the service.
Advantages and risks of the model
Advantages:
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Long-term income: a high-quality user base can generate passive income for months and years without additional advertising expenses.
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High LTV: one active customer or high-stakes player can generate several times more money in the long run than a one-time CPA payment.
Disadvantages and risks:
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Slow return on investment: the advertising budget is recovered gradually rather than immediately after the target action is completed.
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Risk of a negative balance (Negative Carryover): with casino offers, a large win by a referred player pushes the affiliate's balance into negative territory. If the affiliate program carries over negative balances, there will be no payments until the negative balance is covered by new deposits.
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Hidden platform fees: actual profit is calculated based on net gaming revenue (NGR), from which the advertiser may deduct payment processing fees, taxes, and licensing fees. As a result, actual payments may be lower than the nominal percentage.
Important to know
Affiliate networks often offer a hybrid model (Hybrid) — a combination in which the affiliate receives a fixed amount for the first deposit and an additional reduced RevShare percentage for the user's subsequent activity. This option helps recover traffic costs faster while maintaining passive income.
