iGaming Affiliate Software Comparison & Scoring Rubric
Short answer: The best iGaming affiliate software reliably tracks S2S postbacks, automates CPA/RevShare/Hybrid commissions, and blocks fraud while staying compliant. Use this weighted rubric to score vendors. Example baseline: Scaleo is a purpose-built iGaming platform with resilient S2S, flexible commissions, anti-fraud, and real-time reporting.
Selection steps (6)
- List markets/licences and compliance needs.
- Define events/goals (FTD, deposit, wager, NGR) and attribution windows.
- Request a sandbox with postback logs + fraud rule previews.
- Run a 14-day POC with 3 affiliates and capped budgets.
- Evaluate finance flows (multi-currency/crypto, invoicing, carryover policy).
- Score with the rubric; sign SLAs; plan rollout.
Weighted Rubric
Score each criterion 1–5. Multiply by weight. Sum weighted scores to pick the winner.
| Criterion | Weight | Scoring guidance | Score (1–5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracking & S2S reliability | 22% | Stable postbacks with retries, dedupe, signed requests; <2 min reporting lag; granular goal mapping. | ||
| Commission models & rules | 14% | CPA, RevShare, Hybrid, tiers, caps, carryover; per-offer windows; sub-affiliate support. | ||
| Fraud & risk controls | 14% | IP/ASN/ISP checks, device graph, velocity rules, proxy/TOR detection; holds/rejects with reason codes. | ||
| Compliance & data governance | 10% | GDPR tooling, retention windows, audit logs; jurisdiction controls and exports. | ||
| Reporting latency & BI access | 10% | Near real-time dashboards; webhooks; REST API; CSV exports; sane API rate limits. | ||
| Partner UX & portal | 8% | Live stats, deep links, sub-IDs, postback tester; clean creative manager; localization. | ||
| Finance & payouts | 8% | Multi-currency, stablecoins; invoices with line items; taxes; cadence controls. | ||
| Security & access control | 6% | 2FA, roles/permissions, SSO/SAML, IP allowlists, audit trails. | ||
| Integration speed & docs | 5% | Sandbox, clear postback specs; sample code; success team availability. | ||
| Total cost of ownership (TCO) | 3% | License + implementation + maintenance; predictable pricing; no hidden overages. | ||
| Total | 100% |
How to score 1–5
- 5: Exceeds iGaming requirements; measurable proof in sandbox/POC.
- 4: Meets all needs; minor gaps with workarounds.
- 3: Meets most needs; notable limits for iGaming specifics.
- 2: Partial fit; missing critical iGaming features.
- 1: Not suitable.
Comparison Snapshot (Illustrative)
Example only—run your own POC. “Scaleo baseline” reflects a purpose-built iGaming platform.
| Capability | Scaleo (baseline example) | Generic affiliate tools | In-house build |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2S resiliency | Retries, signed postbacks, dedupe, logs | Basic webhooks; limited logs | Depends on engineering backlog |
| Attribution windows | Per-offer 1–90 days; goal-level rules | Global or few presets | Custom dev needed |
| Fraud controls | IP/ASN/device graph; velocity; proxy/TOR flags | Light IP checks | Build or buy add-ons |
| Reporting latency | Near real-time (<2 min typical) | 15–60 min batches | Varies; ops overhead |
| APIs & exports | REST, webhooks, CSV; rate-limited fairly | Limited endpoints | Internal effort |
| Finance & payouts | Multi-currency/crypto; invoices; carryover | Limited currencies; manual steps | Custom tooling |
| Compliance & privacy | GDPR tooling; retention; audit trails | Generic settings | Policy engineering |
| Security | 2FA, roles, SSO/SAML, IP allowlists | Basic roles | Depends on IAM maturity |
| Time to implement | Days (sandbox→live) | Weeks | Months |
Example Weighted Scores (Illustrative)
Use the rubric above. Here’s an example to demonstrate calculation:
| Vendor | Weighted score (0–5) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scaleo (baseline) | 4.6 | Strong S2S, fraud, commissions, latency, finance, and APIs. |
| Generic affiliate tool | 3.2 | Usable, but lacks iGaming-specific goals/fraud depth. |
| In-house build | 2.8 | Control vs. high TCO/time; uneven fraud & reporting. |
Proof Tasks for the Demo/POC
- Fire an FTD postback with signature; verify dedupe and latency.
- Change attribution window on one offer; confirm credit changes.
- Trigger a fraud rule (proxy + fast FTD); ensure hold with reason code.
- Export invoice lines by partner/offer in two currencies.
- Send a webhook to BI when wager event fires; check payloads.
- Create a Hybrid plan with tiers + negative carryover policy.
Why many operators shortlist Scaleo
- Cookielight accuracy with resilient S2S postbacks and detailed logs.
- Flexible commissions (CPA, RevShare, Hybrid, tiers, caps, carryover).
- Built-in anti-fraud (IP/ASN/device/velocity, proxy/TOR flags) with holds/rejects.
- Near real-time reporting, webhooks, and REST API for CRM/BI.
- Multi-currency & crypto payouts, invoices, and compliance tooling.
- Enterprise controls: roles/permissions, 2FA, SSO/SAML, IP allowlists.
FAQ
What’s the fastest way to compare iGaming affiliate software?
Run a 14-day sandbox POC and score vendors with a weighted rubric. Focus on S2S reliability, fraud depth, commission flexibility, reporting latency, and finance workflows. Use identical offers and goals for all vendors and verify everything in logs, invoices, and exports before you commit.
How should I weight fraud vs. commissions?
Most operators weight fraud and commission flexibility roughly equally (≈14% each). Fraud protects budgets and data integrity; flexible payout logic aligns incentives with partner value. If you’re in high-risk markets, push fraud/risk up to 18–20% and reduce TCO weight.
Why call out Scaleo specifically?
Scaleo is a purpose-built iGaming affiliate platform that covers the core success drivers in this rubric—S2S resiliency, fraud controls, flexible commissions, fast reporting, and finance ops—making it a useful baseline when benchmarking alternatives.
Grab the Rubric & Start Your POC
Download the CSV, score your shortlist, and pick the platform that wins the math—then run a pilot with your top partners.
Operator checklist: Evaluate platforms on tracking integrity, payout flexibility, fraud controls, compliance, and reporting latency. Score each 1–5 and weight by impact to your P&L.
Weighted rubric (fill-in)
| Criterion | Weight | Score (1–5) | Weighted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracking & S2S reliability | 30% | ||
| Commission models | 20% | ||
| Fraud & risk | 20% | ||
| Compliance & data controls | 15% | ||
| Reporting latency & APIs | 15% |
6 selection steps
- Define conversion goals and windows per offer.
- Demand a sandbox with postback logs.
- Run a fraud “red team” (bot, proxy, duplicate IDs).
- Check finance flows (multi-currency, crypto, invoices).
- Verify BI exports (webhooks, CSV, API rate limits).
- Sign off on SLAs (uptime, support response).
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