Casino CPA deals by GEO: what affiliates get paid

Across 3 to 6 partner deals per GEO in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026, contracted casino CPA rates for CA, GB, AT, CH, ES and IE sit close together. That means the headline rate rarely decides whether an offer is good or weak. Your actual payout depends on the contract terms: how an FTD qualifies, the baseline, caps, hold periods, clawbacks and whether the operator can legally take players from that market.

Casino CPA rates by GEO: our network benchmark

The table below shows contracted casino CPA rates across 3 to 6 partner deals per GEO in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026. All figures are in EUR, and the unit is CPA per qualified first-time depositor (FTD).

Across 3 to 6 partner deals per GEO in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026, the lowest and highest rates in each GEO sit close together. The deal terms separate one offer from another more than the headline rate does.

These six GEOs are listed because our network holds active casino CPA terms for them. Being listed does not mean a market is open to every operator or affiliate. Legality has its own section further down.

How to read the benchmark

The sample is small: 3 to 6 partner deals per GEO in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026. Use it to check your own offers against. It is not a market-wide rate or an industry average, so weigh it alongside the other offers you receive.

Median versus max: where the room to negotiate sits

The median is the useful comparison for an offer you already hold. If your rate is clearly below it, ask the programme why. Sometimes a lower rate comes with a softer baseline, no cap or faster payment. Decide whether that trade is worth it to you.

Across 3 to 6 partner deals per GEO in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026, the max sits above the median in some GEOs, which shows that better terms exist there. Bring it up once you can show a history of qualified FTDs. An operator has little reason to move off its standard rate without evidence that your traffic qualifies and retains.

In AT and CH, the min, median and max are identical across 3 to 6 partner deals per GEO in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026. Every deal in our sample for those GEOs carries the same rate, so in practice you negotiate terms there rather than price.

Why a contracted rate is not the same as your payout

The benchmark shows contracted terms, not amounts actually paid. What lands in your account depends on how many of your FTDs qualify and on caps, holds and clawbacks. Rates are also renegotiated over time, so check the current terms of any offer instead of assuming a figure still applies.

What a qualified FTD means

An FTD is any player's first deposit. A qualified FTD is a first deposit that meets every condition in your contract, and only qualified FTDs earn CPA. The gap between the two is where most CPA earnings disappear.

The qualification elements to look for in a contract are:

• Minimum first deposit: the smallest deposit that counts.
• Baseline: the total deposits or activity a player must reach, often over more than one deposit.
• Wagering or activity threshold: a minimum amount of play before the FTD counts.
• KYC completion: the player must pass identity and age checks.
• Qualification window: the time limit for meeting the conditions, counted from registration or from the first deposit.

Operators qualify FTDs because CPA is a one-off fixed fee. Before paying it, they want evidence that the player is real, of age, verified and likely to have some value. Any condition you don't check before signing will be applied after you've sent the traffic.

Tracking matters as much as the terms. A qualification only counts if the operator's system records it against your link, so confirm the postback setup and your reporting access before going live. Our guide on how iGaming affiliates get paid covers qualified FTDs and S2S postbacks in detail.

Baselines: the term that changes your real CPA

A baseline is a minimum deposit or activity level a player must reach before the CPA is paid. It protects the operator from low-value and bonus-only sign-ups. Without one, the operator would pay a fixed fee for players who deposit once and leave.

The trade-off for affiliates is that a high headline CPA with a strict baseline can pay less than a lower CPA with a soft one. Compare offers on effective CPA, which is the total payout divided by all FTDs sent, not on the advertised rate.

Whether you hit a baseline depends on traffic quality and on how well the source matches the GEO. Incentivised or poorly targeted traffic produces FTDs that miss it. See casino traffic sources that actually convert for which channels tend to produce qualifying depositors.

Ask two questions about any baseline. Is it measured per player or across all your players for the period? And over what window? A pooled baseline is more forgiving, because strong players offset weak ones.

Worked example: headline CPA versus effective CPA

All inputs below are illustrative. They are not market data or figures from our network.

Offer A: headline CPA of EUR 150. You send 40 FTDs in a month, and 30 of them meet the baseline and qualification rules.

1. 01Qualified FTDs: 30.
2. 02Payout: 30 × 150 = EUR 4,500.
3. 03Effective CPA per FTD sent: 4,500 ÷ 40 = EUR 112.50.

Offer B: headline CPA of EUR 130 with softer qualification rules. You send the same 40 FTDs, and 36 qualify.

1. 01Qualified FTDs: 36.
2. 02Payout: 36 × 130 = EUR 4,680.
3. 03Effective CPA per FTD sent: 4,680 ÷ 40 = EUR 117.

The lower headline rate pays more because more FTDs qualify. Clawbacks widen the gap further. If one of Offer A's 30 qualified FTDs is later reversed, the payout falls by one headline CPA: 4,500 − 150 = EUR 4,350.

Other terms that decide what you take home

Caps. Many deals limit the number of paid FTDs per month or per GEO. Ask what happens to traffic sent above the cap. It may go unpaid, move to RevShare or roll into next month. Unpaid over-cap traffic is the worst outcome, and you won't find out unless you ask.

Hold or validation periods. This is how long the operator reviews FTDs before approving payment. A long hold widens the gap between paying for traffic and getting paid for it, which matters most for media buyers spending upfront.

Clawback and fraud clauses. Check which events reverse a payment, such as chargebacks, duplicate accounts or self-exclusion. Check who decides, how long the clawback window runs and whether you get evidence.

Payment schedule, threshold and methods. How often you are paid, the minimum balance before a payment is released, and the available payout methods together decide your cash flow. More on this in how iGaming affiliates get paid.

Traffic-source restrictions. Banned channels, brand bidding and incentivised traffic are common exclusions. Breaking one can void FTDs after the fact, so get the permitted sources in writing.

GEO restrictions. Check whether the offer covers the whole country or only some regions or provinces, and what happens to FTDs from excluded locations.

Judge the programme as well as the offer. A strong rate from a network with slow payments or unclear reporting can be worth less than an average rate from a reliable one. Use our checklist on how to choose an iGaming affiliate network.

Negotiation checklist

Market legality comes before rate

A CPA rate means nothing if the operator cannot legally accept players from that GEO, or if your marketing breaks local advertising rules. Each GEO in the table has its own regulator. What follows summarises what those regulators publish. It is not legal advice, so check the current rules yourself.

Canada (Ontario)

The CA row in the table is a country tag, but the regulated model summarised here is Ontario's. Operators that want to join Ontario's regulated market must take steps with both iGaming Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) before offering their products to players in Ontario. Those steps include registering with the AGCO as an internet gaming operator, having games and critical gaming systems certified by an AGCO-registered independent testing laboratory and executing an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. The AGCO's FAQ says internet gaming operators are allowed to advertise their services in Ontario, and it points to operator standards on requesting player consent for direct marketing. Check the rules of each province separately, and confirm that an offer's operator is registered for the province you are promoting in.

Great Britain

The Gambling Commission licenses, regulates and advises the businesses that offer gambling in Great Britain. Its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) set the requirements licensees must meet. The Commission amends them as the industry and the evidence change, so check the current version. On marketing, the CAP Code must be followed by all advertisers, agencies and media, and the ASA enforces it. Its gambling section sets social-responsibility rules on content and targeting, designed to protect under-18s and vulnerable people.

Spain

The Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) is the body responsible for regulating, authorising, supervising, coordinating, controlling and, where necessary, sanctioning state-level gaming activity. It sits within the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030. Check its current requirements before promoting any offer in Spain.

Ireland

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) is Ireland's new gambling regulator. It was formally established in March 2025 and licenses, supervises and controls gambling under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. Licensing is being phased in, and the GRAI's first invitation for applications for remote betting licences came in February 2026. Obligations under the Act apply to licence holders once the GRAI has licensed them. Check which licence types are open now before assuming an Irish casino offer is licensed locally.

Switzerland

The Swiss Federal Gaming Board (ESBK) supervises Swiss casinos, assesses the casino levy and acts against illegal gambling. Confirm that an operator is authorised in Switzerland before you promote it, and check the ESBK's published FAQs, which cover questions about advertising.

Austria

We don't summarise Austria's regime here. Before promoting any Austrian offer, check the current rules with the competent Austrian authority and confirm that the operator's licence covers the market.

In every market you promote, you must check the licensing and advertising rules and confirm that the operator's licence covers the GEO. For background on how licences work, see the studio's guide to online casino licensing.

When CPA fits, and when RevShare or hybrid fits better

CPA is not the default model. Across 21 active deals in our network, active deals as of Oct 2026, 7 are CPA, 7 are hybrid and 7 are RevShare.

CPA fits when you want predictable upfront cash, when you are testing a new source or GEO, or when your traffic's long-term value is uncertain. It moves the risk of player value onto the operator, which is why qualification rules and baselines exist.

RevShare or hybrid fits when your players stay and you can wait for income. Across 14 partner deals in our network, active terms as of Oct 2026, RevShare ranges from 20% to 80%, with a median of 35%.

In a hybrid deal, the RevShare part is usually calculated on net gaming revenue, so the deductions matter as much as the percentage. See what NGR is and how it sets your RevShare. For the full comparison of the three models, read CPA vs RevShare vs hybrid.

FAQ

What is a good CPA for casino traffic?

No single rate is good everywhere. A fair casino CPA depends on the GEO, the qualification terms and the quality of your traffic. Treat any benchmark from a small sample as a reference point, not a market average. Compare offers on effective CPA, which is the total payout divided by all FTDs sent. A lower headline rate with soft qualification rules can earn more than a higher rate with a strict baseline.

What is the difference between an FTD and a qualified FTD?

An FTD is any player's first deposit. A qualified FTD is a first deposit that also meets every condition in your contract. These conditions typically include a minimum deposit, a baseline, an activity or wagering threshold, completed KYC and a qualification window. Only qualified FTDs earn CPA, so the gap between the two numbers in your reports shows what your traffic is actually earning.

What is a baseline in a casino CPA deal?

A baseline is a minimum deposit or activity level that a referred player must reach before the operator pays the CPA. It protects the operator from paying a fixed fee for low-value or bonus-only sign-ups. For the affiliate, every FTD that misses the baseline pays nothing, so a strict baseline lowers your effective CPA if your traffic falls short of it.

Can I negotiate a higher casino CPA?

Often you can, if you have evidence such as a track record of qualified FTDs from a GEO and clean traffic sources. Rate is only one lever, though. A softer baseline, a higher cap, a shorter hold period or a capped clawback window can be worth as much as a higher headline CPA, and operators may find these easier to agree to.

How long does it take to get paid on a CPA deal?

It depends on three contract terms. The hold or validation period is how long the operator reviews FTDs before approving them. The payment schedule sets how often approved commission is paid. The minimum payout threshold is the balance you must reach before a payment is released. Check all three before sending traffic, because together they decide your cash-flow gap.

Is CPA or RevShare better for casino affiliates?

Neither is better in every case. CPA pays a fixed amount per qualified FTD upfront, which suits testing new sources or GEOs and traffic with uncertain long-term value. RevShare pays a percentage of NGR over the player's lifetime, which suits retained players and affiliates who can wait for income. A hybrid deal combines a smaller CPA with a RevShare percentage.