How casino content aggregators work

An aggregator is a "marketplace + delivery platform" between studios (B2B game providers) and operators (online casinos/bookmakers). It solves three problems: distribution (one connection - hundreds of operators), compliance (certification, market builds, RG), monetization (billing, reporting, promo). Below is how it works in practice.

1) Role and value of the aggregator

Single integration: the operator connects once to the aggregator API/SDK and accesses the library from hundreds of studios.

Catalog and showcase: game metadata (RTP versions, volatility, tags, locales, age tags), search/filters, recommendations.

Compliance gateway: storage of certificates, management of market builds, control of restrictions by country.

Promotional circuit: freespins, tournaments, missions, jackpots, cross-promos inside the catalog.

Billing & Reporting: Spin Event Rollup → NetWin/GGR, Commissions, Royalties, Invoices.

Support and SLA: monitoring of uptime games/pools, emergency folbacks, alerts to partners.

2) Technical architecture (simplified)

RGS (Remote Game Server): hosts game logic/randomization, gives spin results.

Gateway/Router: routing operator requests to the desired studio/RGS, balancing by region.

Auth & Session Layer: tokens, KYC operator flags, country/currency restrictions.

Wallet API: dual-mode wallet - transfer (deposit into session) and debit/credit (bet/pay on the fly).

Event Bus (telemetry): event stream 'spin _ start/finish', 'bonus _ trigger', 'jackpot _ contribution/win', client/server errors.

Compliance Store: certificates, list of permitted markets, RG configs.

Analytics/Billing: aggregations for reporting and invoicing, DAU/NetWin/volatility dashboards.

DevOps: CDN assets, build versioning, canary rolls, WAF/anti-tamper, 24/7 monitoring.

3) Connecting the studio to the aggregator (onboarding)

1. Contract and technical package: IP rights, marketing responsibilities, payment models (rev-share/per-spin/hybrid).

2. RGS integration: API specification, security, logs, repeatable assemblies (hash).

3. Meta-data of games: RTP-line, volatility, languages, icons, tags, demo.

4. Certification: uploading laboratory reports, mapping to countries, market builds management.

5. QA/server tests: functionality, wallet, RG hooks, emergency scenarios (network/latency).

6. Catalog listing: game card, categories, recommendations, feature.

4) Operator connection

1. API/SDK integration: authorization, wallet, session startup, client iframe/web view.

2. Geo/RG policies: mapping countries to allowed games and RTP profiles, limits, age icons.

3. Promotional tools: setting up freespins, tournaments, missions, jackpots; audience segmentation.

4. Reporting/invoicing: NetWin/GGR uploads, event register, API for BI.

5. SLAs and alerts: incident channels, folbacks, tehocone schedules.

5) How spin and calculations go (event life cycle)

1. The player starts the game → Session Init (checking the region, build version, RG flags).

2. Bet: the operator through the Wallet API debits the bet.

3. RNG/Outcome on RGS → win/bonus calculation.

4. Credit: Result returned to operator; RGS/aggregator write event in Event Bus.

5. Telemetry→Billing: the aggregator aggregates events into reports and invoices (rev-share or per-spin).

6. Compliance: verification of "optional spins," reports for audits.

6) Aggregator promo framework

Frispins: issuance in packages, accounting for "free/cash" spins, individual limits and RTP restrictions on markets.

Tournaments/leaderboards: realtime tables, different metrics (multiplier, winnings, series), anti-bot defense.

Missions/quests: goals within multiple games, rewards, segmentation by risk segment.

Jackpots: local, online, progressive; collection of contributions, payment, odds of winning.

Feature placement: banners, recommendations, A/B card tests, "new/top hits."

7) Compliance and market builds

Markets and versions: one game → many market builds (language, warnings, RTP profiles, limits).

Certificates/registers: storage and validation, expiration date, compliance of the build with the certificate.

RG requirements: timeouts, links to help, age icons, prohibition on entering UI patterns.

Logs: unchangeable events of rates/results, UTC timestamps, export for audit.

8) Economics and payment models

Rev-share by NetWin/GGR: classic - provider share after "waterfall" deductions.

Per-spin fee/turnover-percentage: microfies for each bet; convenient for tournament/bonus modes and low-margin markets.

Hybrid: minimum per-spin + upside from NetWin (or per-spin grids).

Retention waterfall (example):

Bets → Wins (= GGR) → Taxes/Jackpots/Bonus Cost/PSP → NetWin → Aggregator Commission → Provider Share → Brand Royalties (if any).

Indicator for the studio: ETR (Effective Take Rate) - the share that reaches after all levels.

9) Advantages/limitations of aggregators

For the studio

Quick access to hundreds of operators and markets.

Lower integration/certification costs.

Promo and feature from one window.

− Aggregator Commission, competition within the catalog.

− Less control over display cases and placement timing.

For the operator

One integration - thousands of games.

Compliance hub and "ready" market builds.

Convenient promotional tools and unified billing.

− Dependence on SLA aggregator; part of the margin goes to the commission.

− Customization restrictions for own UX.

10) Safety and reliability

Failover: RGS reserve regions, purse retrays, transaction idempotency.

Anti-tamper/client obfuscation: protection against spoofing and cheating tools.

DDoS/WAF/CDN: perimeter and asset protection.

Observability: p95/p99 latency, error-rate, RTP/bonus frequency alerts.

Replay by seed: a quick form of controversial spins.

11) Reporting and Billing

Detail: events at the spin level (stake, win, currency, game_id, build_hash, spin_type).

Code: NetWin/GGR by games/markets/operators, commissions, royalties, FX courses.

Invoicing: monthly/quarterly, true-up (recalculation of exceptions/currencies/late-posting).

API for BI: uploads to DWH, cohort analytics, DAU/ARPDAU, hold.

12) How to get into the "showcase"

Quality and stability: bug rate, FPS, customer drops p95.

Ready promo packages: freespins/tournaments/release missions.

Documents in order: certificates, market builds, references/locales.

Marketing value: IP brands, series/franchise, demo/stream potential.

Joint campaigns: prize pool, buy-ins for feature-sharing, efficiency cases.

13) Practical checklists

Studio → aggregator

RGS is API/SDK compatible.
Logs/UTC/replay, repeatable builds, hash registry.
RTP ruler and market builds are documented.
Lab certificates/reports uploaded.
Promotional launch kit (tournament/missions/freespins).

Operator → aggregator

Geo-mapping markets to games/RTP.
RG and limits settings, age icons.
Integrated Wallet API (idempotency).
Dashboards of incidents/uptime.
Reporting/invoicing, FX/true-up reconciliation.

14) Risks and how to reduce them

SLA/uptime: reserve regions, alerts, contractual penalties.

Version chaos: strict register of builds/hashes, auto-check of market configs.

Regulatory changes: matrix of requirements by country, quick updates of warning texts/icons.

Dependence on one channel: 2-3 aggregators + direct integrations with key operators.

Reporting disputes: mandatory event log, deduplication, quarterly audit.

15) 30-60-90 - a roadmap for the studio

0-30 days

RGS inventory, logs/replays, RTP ruler.

Certification package and market builds by priority markets.

Demo/trailer/promo set.

31-60 days

Integration with 1-2 aggregators, pilot listings.

Tournament/missions for the release of the first titles.

Quality dashboards (FPS, error-rate), RTP alerts/bonus frequencies.

61-90 days

Catalog and feature extension, joint campaign with aggregator.

Debugging reporting/invoices, quarterly true-up.

In parallel - 3-5 direct integrations with key operators.

16) Short FAQ

Does the aggregator affect RTP? No, it isn't. It distributes certified provider profiles and monitors market builds.

Is it possible to exit without an aggregator? Yes, but longer and more expensive: more integrations, certifications, reporting and support.

Why can the same game differ by country? Market builds: language/warnings/limits/RTP - according to the requirements of the local regulator.

Who pays for jackpots and promos? By contract: contributions usually up to NetWin; prize-winning tournaments - according to individual estimates/sponsorship.

Aggregators are iGaming's "circulatory system." They simplify connectivity, standardize compliance and reporting, provide promotional tools and scale of distribution. For studios, it's a route to markets and storefronts; for operators - quick access to the content library with a single billing and SLA. With the right checklists, transparent logs and market builds discipline, the aggregator turns not just into a channel, but into an accelerator of the entire business.