Definition
GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue) is the standard industry measure of an operator's revenue from gambling activity before any deductions for bonuses, promotional costs, or payment processing fees. It is calculated as total player deposits or wagers minus total player winnings, representing the raw amount the house retains purely from the mathematical edge built into its games before any marketing or operational costs are subtracted.
GGR is widely used as the primary revenue benchmark across the entire gambling industry, from regulatory reporting to public company earnings statements, because it provides a consistent, comparable figure across operators regardless of how aggressively each one spends on bonuses or affiliate commissions. Regulators in many jurisdictions, including the UK Gambling Commission and various EU licensing bodies, require operators to report GGR figures for taxation purposes, since gambling duties in many markets are levied as a percentage of GGR rather than NGR.
The distinction between GGR and NGR matters enormously in affiliate contracts: while GGR reflects the operator's raw mathematical edge over players (essentially the house edge multiplied by total handle), NGR subtracts the real-world costs of running promotions and processing payments. A casino might report €500,000 in monthly GGR but only €350,000 in NGR after bonus costs, meaning affiliates paid on NGR receive commissions calculated from a smaller base than affiliates paid on GGR - a critical distinction when comparing offers between programs.
GGR is important in iGaming because it isolates the pure statistical profitability of games and betting products, stripped of variable marketing spend, making it useful for comparing the underlying economics of different game types, RTP configurations, and betting markets independent of how much an operator invests in player acquisition. Analysts and investors use GGR trends to evaluate operator health, market share shifts, and the impact of regulatory changes like stake limits or advertising restrictions across different jurisdictions.
A common point of confusion for affiliates and newcomers to the industry is assuming GGR and NGR are interchangeable terms, when in fact commission structures calculated on one versus the other can produce meaningfully different payouts, especially in markets with high bonus intensity or elevated payment processing costs. When evaluating a RevShare offer, affiliates should always clarify explicitly whether the stated percentage applies to GGR or NGR, since this single distinction can shift real earnings by 20% or more depending on the operator's promotional spending patterns.
Worked example
Players deposit €10,000 and win €7,000. GGR = €3,000. NGR (after bonuses) may be lower.
Frequently asked questions
Browse more iGaming terms in our glossary.
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