Affiliate Disclosure

Last updated: May 2026

This page describes how SlotMap uses affiliate links to casino operators, which networks we participate in, how we mark affiliate links, and the editorial wall that separates affiliate relationships from editorial decisions. The disclosure complies with the United States FTC Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255), the UK CAP Code (specifically rules 16 and 18 governing gambling advertising), the EU Unfair Commercial Practices Directive (Directive 2005/29/EC), and the Italian regulations of ADM/AGCOM on commercial communication for gambling (Decreto Dignità and subsequent guidance).

1. What an affiliate link is

An affiliate link is a hyperlink to a licensed casino operator that includes a tracking identifier. If a reader clicks the link and subsequently signs up and plays at the operator, the operator pays SlotMap a commission — typically a percentage of net player loss (revenue share), a one-time fixed fee per qualifying sign-up (CPA), or a hybrid. The reader pays nothing for following the affiliate link; the operator’s commission to us is a marketing expense for them, not an additional cost to the player.

Affiliate revenue is the primary funding source for the editorial work on this Site. It does not influence editorial verdicts. The wall is described in section 5 below.

2. Networks and programs we participate in

As of the “Last updated” date above, SlotMap participates in casino affiliate programs through:

• Income Access (Paysafe Group) — for operators who use Income Access as their affiliate platform.
• NetRefer — for operators using the NetRefer platform.
• Affilka by SOFTSWISS — for operators on the SOFTSWISS-powered Affilka platform.
• MyAffiliates — for operators using MyAffiliates.
• Direct affiliate programs with individual licensed operators where they manage their own affiliate program in-house.

The specific operators with whom we have active affiliate relationships are disclosed in each operator’s review at the top of the article. The list of networks above is reviewed annually.

3. Operators we will not affiliate with

To remove ambiguity:

• Unlicensed operators — we do not link to, recommend, or affiliate with any unlicensed casino, regardless of commission terms.
• Operators who target self-excluded players — if an operator’s marketing or KYC behavior shows it accepts players from national self-exclusion schemes (GamStop, ROFUS, OASIS, RUA), we do not affiliate with it. This is a hard line.
• Operators who target minors or whose marketing materially appeals to under-age audiences (use of cartoon imagery, social-media targeting that breaches age-verification standards).
• Operators with substantive enforcement history for AML or player-protection failures, where the failures appear to remain unresolved.
• Operators who require us to remove or alter critical editorial coverage as a condition of the affiliate relationship.
• Operators whose bonus terms are, in our editorial judgment, structured to be effectively impossible to clear.

4. How we mark affiliate links

Affiliate links on SlotMap are marked at three levels for clarity:

• Inline marking. Where a link in an article is an affiliate link, it is followed by a brief inline indicator (“affiliate link” or, on context, “(commercial link)”).
• HTML rel attribute. Affiliate links carry the rel="sponsored nofollow" attribute in line with search-engine guidelines. Where the link is to a sponsor of a specific article rather than an affiliate, rel="sponsored" is used.
• Article-level disclosure block. Articles containing affiliate links carry a disclosure block at the top of the article in plain language: “This article contains affiliate links to licensed online casino operators. If you click and sign up, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships do not influence our verdicts. See our Affiliate Disclosure for details.”

5. The editorial wall

Affiliate relationships do not influence editorial verdicts. Specifically:

• Whether an operator is reviewed is decided by the editorial team based on whether it is an operator our readers would benefit from knowing about, not by whether an affiliate program is available.
• Whether a review is favorable is decided by the actual performance of the operator in our testing, not by the commission rate of the affiliate program.
• Whether a link in an article is an affiliate link is decided after the editorial decision to recommend or describe the operator, not before.
• Affiliate networks have no review or approval rights over editorial content.
• We have published “not recommended” verdicts on operators with whom we have active affiliate relationships. We will continue to do so.

6. Bonus T&C transparency commitment

We commit to never — in any affiliate-incentivized context — misrepresent or omit unfavorable bonus terms. Our reviews quote bonus terms in full and translate the small print into plain language. Where we publish “exclusive” bonuses available through our affiliate links, we specifically verify that the offer is genuinely better than the publicly available offer (it usually is not, and where it is not we do not call it “exclusive”).

7. Operator-supplied content (rare)

From time to time, an operator or its affiliate network may supply us with promotional copy, banner creatives, or pre-written “review” content. We do not publish operator-supplied review content. We use operator-supplied banner creatives only when the creative is editorially appropriate to the article (e.g., when the article is the operator’s review). Operator-supplied promotional copy may inform our awareness of a bonus offer, but the description we publish is in our own words, after our own reading of the actual T&Cs.

8. Direct paid placements (declined)

From time to time, operators offer to pay for “guaranteed favorable review” placements, “preferred operator” rankings, or fixed-fee inclusion in lists of recommended operators. We decline these offers. Our editorial coverage is not for sale on these terms. Our affiliate disclosure block at the top of every review allows the reader to know which operators we have a commercial relationship with; the verdict is editorial, not commercial.

9. Sponsored content (rare)

We accept a limited number of sponsored articles per year, under specific conditions detailed on our Operator Partnerships page. Sponsored content is structurally distinct from operator reviews. We do not accept sponsorships that are functionally favorable reviews.

10. UK gambling-advertising specific compliance

For UK-readable content, we comply with the CAP Code rules 16 (gambling) and 18 (alcohol). Specifically:

• Affiliate-linked operators must hold a Great Britain Gambling Commission license for the activities promoted.
• Promotion of bonus offers includes the significant terms (wagering requirement, time limit, max bet, eligible games).
• Content does not portray gambling as a solution to financial problems, a way to enhance personal qualities, or a path to social or financial success.
• Content does not use imagery, references, or framing that is likely to appeal to under-18s.
• Marketing communications include responsible-gambling messaging.

11. Italian gambling-advertising specific compliance

For Italian readers, the regulatory environment is restrictive. The 2018 Decreto Dignità (D.L. 87/2018) and subsequent AGCOM guidelines limit gambling advertising even for ADM-licensed operators. Our content is editorial review rather than advertising, and we comply with the editorial-content carve-outs in the applicable regulations. Where we link to ADM-licensed operators, we link only to operators properly licensed to serve the Italian market and we restrict promotional language accordingly.

12. Updates and review

This disclosure is reviewed at least annually and revised when the affiliate-program landscape changes, when our operator partnerships change materially, or when applicable advertising regulations change. The “Last updated” date reflects the most recent revision.

13. Contact

For questions about a specific affiliate relationship, an article disclosure, or to request information about commissions associated with a particular review, please email info [at] slotmap [punto] space. For partnership inquiries, please use the address on our Operator Partnerships page.

Related pages: Casino Review Policy · Editorial Standards · How We Test · Disclaimer · Operator Partnerships