Definition
A tenancy deal is the purchase of a fixed advertising position on a publisher's site for a set period at a flat fee, independent of performance. An operator pays, say, a monthly sum for the top slot in an affiliate's "best casinos" list, a banner in a specific section, or a permanent link within a particular review, for the duration of the contract.
The publisher delivers the placement; the advertiser carries the performance risk.
Tenancies are attractive to advertisers that expect a placement to outperform what a CPA or revenue-share deal would cost them there, or that want guaranteed visibility and to keep competitors out of a prime position. They are attractive to publishers as predictable, performance-independent income.
The tension is editorial: a paid fixed position in what looks like a ranked recommendation list raises the question of whether the ranking is editorial or sold.
In context
In iGaming affiliation, tenancy deals are common and are one of the main reasons "best casino" lists vary so much between sites. Handled honestly, a tenancy is clearly separated from editorial ranking: the paid position is labelled ("Sponsored", "Partner"), sits apart from or is visually distinct within the ranked list, and the affiliate can still explain how the editorially ranked entries were assessed.
Handled dishonestly, the whole list is effectively for sale while presented as an objective ranking, which misleads readers and, in regulated markets, can breach advertising rules on identifiable advertising and on misleading commercial practices.
For an operator, a tenancy is a bet on a placement: it should be priced from tested performance data (what that slot on that site actually delivers) and reviewed against results, because unlike CPA the operator pays regardless of whether the traffic converts or retains. For an affiliate, tenancies provide income stability and are legitimate, but selling too many editorial positions erodes the trust that makes the site valuable in the first place, and a site known to sell its rankings loses both readers and its standing with search engines that reward genuinely helpful content.
The sustainable model keeps editorial rankings genuinely editorial, sells clearly labelled tenancy placements alongside them, discloses the arrangement, and applies the same licensed-operator and responsible-gambling standards to paid slots as to editorial ones.
Worked example
An affiliate sells one labelled "Partner" tenancy above its editorial casino ranking at a flat monthly fee, on an insertion order that requires a licensed operator, market restrictions, and a responsible-gambling footer. The editorial top five below it are ranked by a published methodology.
Readers can see which is paid; the operator accepts performance risk on the fixed slot.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Browse more iGaming terms in our glossary.
← Back to glossary