Glossary
Gross gaming revenue
What players lose to a casino or sportsbook: total bets minus winnings paid out, before bonuses, taxes and fees. It is the industry's headline revenue figure and the starting point for calculating NGR.
Also called: GGR, gross gaming yield, GGY, gross win, gaming win.
If players bet $100,000 in a month and win back $94,000, GGR is $6,000 (hypothetical numbers). Regulators tax it, operators report it, market reports compare countries by it. In US sports betting the total amount bet is called the handle and the share kept is the hold, which has nothing to do with the affiliate hold before a payout.
Affiliates are rarely paid on GGR. Most RevShare deals use NGR, which is GGR after bonuses, taxes and other deductions, and the gap is widest in markets with heavy promotions or high gaming taxes. A percentage of GGR sounds better than the same percentage of NGR, so expect it at a lower rate and compare deals by what they pay on the same player.
GGR can be negative in a month when players win more than they bet. Definitions also vary: some jurisdictions let operators deduct promotional credit before tax, others do not. If a deal mentions GGR, ask which figure exactly your share is calculated on and get it in writing.
Related terms: Net gaming revenue, RevShare, Negative carryover, Gambling, Betting.