Fraud & Compliance Terms

The systematic identification of suspicious activity in affiliate, IB, and partner programs across clicks, conversions, identity verification, and ongoing user behavior.

A gaming licence issued by the Malta Gaming Authority, a Tier-1 EU jurisdiction regulator covering B2C operators and B2B service providers across casino, sportsbook, and lottery verticals.

A gambling licence issued by the UK Gambling Commission, the regulator responsible for remote and non-remote gambling in Great Britain, operating under the strict LCCP compliance framework and detailed affiliate accountability rules.

Offshore gambling license issued under Curacao jurisdiction, historically structured around master license holders and sub-licensees, now transitioning to direct B2C and B2B licenses issued by the Curacao Gaming Control Board.

The fraudulent practice of creating multiple customer accounts under different identities or proxies in order to abuse welcome bonuses, exploit affiliate CPA payouts, circumvent limits, or evade self-exclusion controls.

The systematic practice of claiming operator bonuses to extract mathematical edge against the house, including pure arbitrage where wagering requirements yield positive expected value and grey-area advantage play where promotions are exploited beyond intended use.

An offshore gaming license issued by Anjouan (an autonomous island within the Union of Comoros), positioned as a cost-effective tier-3 alternative to Curacao for online casinos and sportsbooks.

An operator-side framework of policies, tools, and processes that identify, prevent, and mitigate gambling-related harm among players, integrating deposit limits, self-exclusion, affordability checks, and third-party services such as GamCare or GAMSTOP.

A fraud-detection technique that combines IP-level signals such as proxy or VPN detection, ASN, geolocation, and ISP with behavioral data to identify suspicious traffic across affiliate channels.

A fraud subtype where one person or coordinated group controls many accounts to abuse promotions, multiply CPA payouts, or bypass limits, with detection relying on device, behavioral, and KYC signals.

The practice of restricting traffic, accounts, or product features based on the geographic location of users or affiliates, typically to enforce licensing terms, regulatory boundaries, or fraud-risk policies.

Affiliate fraud is the deliberate manipulation of affiliate tracking, attribution, or conversion data to earn commissions that were not legitimately generated.

A chargeback is a forced transaction reversal initiated by a customer's bank or payment provider, which can claw back revenue and reverse affiliate commissions already paid.

Qualification rules are the conditions a referred customer must meet before the affiliate earns a commission, such as minimum deposit amounts, wagering requirements, or identity verification.

A regulatory compliance process requiring businesses to verify the identity of their customers before or during the onboarding process, used across iGaming, Forex, and financial services.

Click fraud is the fraudulent practice where fake or manipulated clicks are generated on affiliate tracking links to inflate performance metrics, steal attribution, or trigger unearned commissions.

A traffic quality score is a composite metric that evaluates the quality of traffic an affiliate sends, factoring in conversion rates, fraud signals, user behavior, and downstream value to score partner performance.

Geo-targeting is the practice of restricting, customizing, or segmenting affiliate offers and traffic based on the user's geographic location. It is used to enforce regulatory compliance, manage licensing restrictions, and optimize campaign performance across different markets.

Bonus abuse is the practice of players systematically exploiting promotional offers -- such as welcome bonuses, free spins, or deposit matches -- to extract value with minimal risk or genuine play.

Self-referral fraud occurs when an affiliate creates accounts or makes purchases through their own tracking link to earn commissions on their own activity rather than genuinely referred customers.

Cookie stuffing is the fraudulent practice of placing affiliate tracking cookies on a user's browser without their knowledge or any genuine click, allowing the affiliate to claim unearned commissions when the user later converts organically.

AML (Anti-Money Laundering) refers to the set of laws, regulations, and procedures designed to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income through financial platforms, including those involved in affiliate marketing.

Ad fraud is the umbrella term for fraudulent activities in digital advertising and affiliate marketing designed to extract unearned revenue through fake clicks, fabricated conversions, or stolen attribution.

Bot traffic is automated, non-human traffic generated by software scripts or botnets that interacts with affiliate links and conversion funnels, inflating metrics and distorting attribution data.

Brand bidding is the practice of affiliates bidding on an operator's brand name or trademarked terms in paid search ads to intercept traffic that would otherwise arrive organically or directly.

Traffic source validation is the process of verifying that affiliate traffic originates from legitimate sources and matches declared promotional methods, as part of fraud prevention.

Duplicate account detection is the process of identifying when a single person creates multiple accounts to exploit affiliate program incentives such as signup bonuses or CPA offers.

A structured set of rules, monitoring processes, and enforcement mechanisms that ensure affiliates adhere to brand guidelines, regulatory requirements, and promotional standards.

Casino geo-blocking is the practice of restricting player access to an online casino based on their geographic location or jurisdiction. It is used by operators to comply with licensing conditions, local gambling regulations, and market-specific legal requirements that prohibit or restrict online gambling in certain regions.

Sweepstakes compliance encompasses the legal, regulatory, and operational requirements that sweepstakes casinos must meet to operate lawfully under US sweepstakes promotional law.

An affiliate agreement is the legal contract between an operator and affiliate that defines commission terms, obligations, restrictions, and termination clauses.

Multi-accounting fraud occurs when a single person creates multiple accounts to exploit bonuses, inflate referral counts, or manipulate program rules.

The identification and prevention of fraudulent activity in affiliate programs including click fraud, bot traffic, and fake conversions.

The rules, processes, and controls that ensure affiliate marketing activities meet regulatory requirements and internal program policies.

An affiliate disclosure is a public statement informing users that content contains affiliate links and the publisher may earn commissions from referrals.

Regulatory compliance is the adherence to laws, licensing requirements, and industry standards that govern how affiliate programs and operators conduct business.

A compliance audit is a systematic review of affiliate activities, promotional materials, and traffic sources to ensure partners follow program rules, brand guidelines, and regulatory requirements.

GDPR compliance in affiliate marketing means handling personal data of EU users according to the General Data Protection Regulation's requirements.

Incentivized traffic refers to users who complete an action (signup, deposit, download) because they receive a reward from the affiliate rather than genuine interest in the product.

A gambling jurisdiction is a territory whose regulatory body licenses and oversees online gambling operators, defining legal, technical, and compliance standards that affect operators and their affiliate programs.

Attribution fraud is the manipulation of tracking data to steal credit for conversions the fraudster did not genuinely drive.

KYC verifies customer identity at onboarding, while AML monitors ongoing transactions to detect and prevent money laundering.

An affiliate fraud score is a numerical risk rating assigned to affiliate traffic or conversions, indicating the likelihood of fraudulent activity.

MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) is the EU regulatory framework for crypto-asset service providers, imposing licensing, disclosure, and marketing rules that affect affiliate programs promoting crypto platforms.

Player fraud detection identifies fraudulent behavior by end users — such as multi-accounting, bonus abuse, and payment fraud — protecting both operator revenue and affiliate commission integrity.

Curacao offers faster, cheaper offshore licensing with fewer compliance requirements. MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) provides a premium EU license with strict player protection rules. The choice affects affiliate program credibility, market access, and commission structures.

Geo-spoofing is the practice of disguising a user's true geographic location using VPNs, proxies, or GPS manipulation to bypass location-based restrictions.

Bonus laundering is a fraud pattern where bad actors exploit promotional offers to extract cash from an operator by meeting wagering requirements through low-risk betting strategies.

An affiliate fraud ring is a coordinated group that systematically generates fake conversions, fabricated traffic, or fraudulent accounts to extract unearned commissions from affiliate programs.

Responsible marketing refers to advertising practices that comply with regulatory requirements and protect vulnerable audiences in regulated verticals like iGaming and forex.

Geo-targeting directs users to location-specific content and offers, while geo-blocking restricts access from prohibited jurisdictions entirely.

The set of proactive rules, tools, and processes operators use to prevent affiliate fraud before commissions are paid, rather than detecting it after the fact.

A systematic review of affiliate commission calculations, qualification logic, and payout accuracy to verify that partners are paid correctly and operators are not overpaying.