Case Study: How an iGaming Operator Grew Its Affiliate Network Over 2.5× and Nearly Doubled Net Revenue with Trackdesk
See how a Curaçao-licensed iGaming operator unified casino and sportsbook affiliate programs on Trackdesk, replacing separate tracking systems and manual commission calculations.
A Curaçao-licensed operator running casino and sportsbook brands across South-East Asia chose Trackdesk by testing five requirements: NGR and GGR tracking, hybrid commissions, full API access, bulk fiat and crypto payouts, and infrastructure ready for seven-figure monthly traffic. The operator had been using separate tracking systems for its two verticals, with manual work needed to turn player activity into commission calculations. It wrote the requirements before booking a single demo, then used them to evaluate which platform could support its affiliate program.
The five non-negotiables
01. NGR and GGR tracking
02. Hybrid deals — CPA and RevShare running together on one partner
03. Full API access
04. Mass payouts across both fiat and crypto
05. Infrastructure ready for seven-figure monthly traffic
Published under NDA with no casino name or domain. Achieved performance is expressed as movement against the operator’s previous baseline
Why the list existed in the first place
The operator needed one affiliate platform that could support both casino and sportsbook programs and calculate commissions from player revenue. Its existing setup split the two verticals across separate systems: the sportsbook used tracking developed in-house, while the casino brands ran on Post Affiliate Pro. Neither side had visibility into the other.
The underlying problem was how player activity translated into commission. A transaction-based affiliate workflow can calculate a commission from a purchase with a defined value. For this iGaming operator, a registration or deposit was only the beginning. A player’s revenue contribution continued changing over the following months, including periods when winnings reduced it or pushed it below zero.
The operator’s existing workflow did not provide the GGR, NGR, player logs and winnings data needed for those calculations in a usable form. The team manually reconstructed revenue after bonuses, fees and chargebacks, then calculated CPA and revenue-share components in spreadsheets every commission cycle.
That work covered four casino brands and a sportsbook, with two separate partner pools and different commercial economics. The issue was the fit between the operator’s requirements and its existing setup, rather than a blanket assessment of Post Affiliate Pro.
When management decided to make affiliates a core acquisition channel, the manual approach stopped being viable. The team wrote its five requirements, spent two weeks researching platforms and a month testing them hands-on, and treated every requirement as a pass/fail condition.
“We outgrew what we had. Management made the decision to go into affiliates fully, so we knew we had to find a proper tool for that.”
— Head of Affiliates
The five requirements, and how Trackdesk met them
1. NGR and GGR tracking
Why it matters. Revenue-share commissions depend on the revenue definition in the affiliate agreement. Gross gaming revenue, or GGR, is stakes minus player winnings. Net gaming revenue, or NGR, applies further deductions such as bonuses, platform fees, payment costs, duties and chargebacks, according to the operator’s definition. Even a high-value player can produce a negative month, so the commission calculation needs to account for those changes to avoid overpayments and reconciliation disputes.
How it works now. Player-level events feed into Trackdesk from the operator’s own platform. Commissions are calculated on net revenue, including negative revenue periods. The recurring recalculation that the affiliate team previously performed by hand now happens automatically.
2. Hybrid deals — CPA and RevShare on the same partner
Why it matters. A hybrid affiliate deal combines an acquisition payment with an ongoing share of player revenue. The two components serve different commercial needs: a media buyer may use CPA payments to fund the next campaign, while a comparison site may prioritise the longer-term revenue-share return. Supporting both within one agreement allows an operator to negotiate with partners who want a combination.
How it works now. The operator pays a fixed bonus for every first-time depositor alongside revenue share on player spend net of winnings. That hybrid arrangement is configured per offer rather than maintained in a spreadsheet. Chargebacks and refunds are deducted automatically, while three partner tiers — beginners, regulars and VIPs — retain their own terms.
3. Full API access
Why it matters. The operator’s player management system is the source of truth for player activity and revenue. An affiliate integration needs to receive the events required for attribution and commission calculations. The practical question is whether the operator can choose those events and extend them later, or must work within the limits of a predefined connector.
How it works now. The operator uses a fully custom API integration with Trackdesk. It sends the player events it considers relevant and can add further metrics as its requirements change, without waiting for those metrics to become part of a standard connector or product release.
4. Mass payouts across fiat and crypto
Why it matters. The operator’s South-East Asian affiliate program needed to accommodate partners expecting crypto payments as well as those receiving fiat. Managing the two groups through separate payout processes would add recurring work to the affiliate team and create more opportunities for payment delays that could damage partner relationships.
How it works now. Fiat and crypto payments run in bulk through the same payout cycle. The team can support both payment methods without splitting the partner base into separate payment operations.
5. Infrastructure ready for seven-figure monthly traffic
Why it matters. An affiliate platform needs to support the traffic volume a program expects as it grows. A successful demo alone does not establish that fit. The operator therefore made seven-figure monthly traffic a pass/fail requirement before its first platform call.
How it works now. Trackdesk met the operator’s capacity requirement during evaluation, and the program subsequently expanded on the platform. The operator could grow its affiliate channel without replacing the tracking infrastructure selected for that next stage.
All five requirements were met. The team did not have to trade revenue tracking against payout methods, or API flexibility against hybrid commissions. It selected a platform that supported the full set of requirements it had defined before evaluation.
Integration: days for the stack, hours for a new metric
The operator’s initial API integration began passing metrics correctly within the first few days. After go-live, adding a new metric outside the original scope became a matter of hours.
Trackdesk’s implementation team worked with the operator to scope and build the connection to its casino platform. The process included direct implementation support rather than relying on documentation alone.
The ability to extend that connection mattered beyond the launch. When the operator decided to track another event or revenue metric, the team could add it to the existing integration without waiting for a platform release cycle.
“Integration itself was nothing. Credit for that goes to the Trackdesk team — really helpful and knowledgeable, always responsive even with the time difference, and never any issue jumping on a call.”
— Head of Affiliates
Affiliates and offers moved across with relatively little friction. Historical data took longer to process, but it did not become the obstacle the team had anticipated. Learning the new platform was the harder part: the initial adjustment required more effort than the work that followed. According to the operator, adoption stopped being an issue within a couple of months.
What changed
- More than 2.5× affiliate partners — the operator’s network grew to more than two and a half times its previous size.
- Nearly 2× net revenue — net revenue almost doubled after the switch, with affiliate payouts deliberately increasing alongside it.
- Two verticals, one system — casino and sportsbook continued operating as separate affiliate programs with separate terms, but used the same affiliate software.
- New metrics in hours — the operator could extend tracking after go-live without waiting for a release cycle.
- Engineering off tracking duty — developers previously maintaining the in-house sportsbook tracking returned to product development. The operator puts the associated savings in the tens of thousands of dollars per month.
- Partners self-serve — affiliates could retrieve their own performance figures and send postbacks into their own systems. That removed a category of disputes associated with partners depending on the operator to supply and explain their reporting.
Running the same test on your own platform
For an iGaming operator evaluating affiliate software, these five requirements provide a practical test: can the platform handle your NGR and GGR definitions, calculate your hybrid deals, receive your required player events, support your payout methods and accommodate your expected traffic?
Test those requirements against your own agreements and data before migrating. A useful evaluation includes a first-time-depositor payment combined with RevShare, a negative revenue period, deductions for chargebacks or refunds, and different terms for separate partner tiers. It should also establish how new metrics will be added after launch and how fiat and crypto payouts will be managed.
Trackdesk’s iGaming platform overview describes its player tracking, commission configuration, API connectivity and payout capabilities.
Want to run the list against your own setup? Request a demo and we’ll go through it point by point.
Hi! I'm Bohdan, Content Manager at Trackdesk. I write about affiliate marketing, tracking, and partner programs — breaking down complex topics into something you can actually use — and I'm the voice behind Trackdesk's social media, from platform updates to industry news. Wherever you find us, the goal is the same: answers that are easy to find and easy to apply.
