How Flinke earns money
The desk is free to read because a share of the links leaving this site are tracked. When a reader clicks through, opens an account and deposits at a casino, the operator credits Flinke with a referral. In return, we receive either a slice of the operator's net gaming revenue from that player (a revenue-share deal) or a one-off fixed payment (a CPA deal). Both arrangements are paid out of the casino's marketing budget; none of it is added to your deposit, subtracted from your withdrawal, or clipped from your bonus.
That commission funds every hour we spend testing: the deposits we make ourselves, the withdrawals we time with a stopwatch and feed into each casino's rolling payout score, the support tickets we file, and the writers who put it all into English. There is no subscription, no paywall, no sponsored newsletter and no operator-funded ad slot on the site.
Our revenue model, in one table
Three arrangements cover almost everything on the site. Here is what each one is, when the money moves, and the column that actually matters: whether it changes where a casino ends up in a ranking.
| Commission type | When it is triggered | Affects ranking? |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue share | Reader deposits and plays; Flinke gets a monthly percentage of that player's net losses to the casino, for as long as they keep an account. | No. |
| CPA (cost per acquisition) | Reader deposits above a minimum threshold once; Flinke gets a single flat payment; nothing further, whatever the player then does. | No. |
| Hybrid | A smaller CPA up front, plus a smaller revenue share afterwards, a middle-ground deal we sometimes agree with newer operators. | No. |
Why commissions never move a ranking
Commercial rates are agreed once, per operator, and then locked. From that moment on the number sits in a spreadsheet the ranking team never opens. What they open instead are the stopwatch files, the complaint threads, the terms diffs, the support transcripts and the reader reports. Those decide who moves up, who moves down and who gets pulled.
What actually shifts a position
- Complaints. Confiscations, retroactive term changes, KYC loops that do not end. One credible pattern is enough to demote; a repeated one is enough to remove.
- Reader feedback. Emails to the desk, forum posts we can verify, and comparisons across our own testing panel. Slow to move a ranking on its own, quick to move one when it lines up with what we already see.
What does not shift a position
- A higher commission offer from an operator we already rank lower.
- An account manager asking for a featured slot, a badge, a homepage box, or a friendlier verdict.
- Promotional budget, banner spend, or a promise of exclusive assets in exchange for placement.
We turn those down in writing, and we keep the emails. If a rate rise is offered on the condition that a ranking changes, the answer is no; the relationship usually ends soon after.
Casinos we list that pay us nothing
The rankings are not a partner directory. Every table on the site mixes three kinds of operator, and none of them is treated differently by the scoring method:
- Commercial partners. A signed deal, one of the three commission shapes above, and a tracking link. The bulk of the list.
- In-house programmes we have not joined. Some operators run their own affiliate scheme rather than sit on a network. When the testing supports a listing, they get one whether we have signed with them or not; the link simply points to the plain homepage.
- Networks we refuse. A handful of affiliate networks come with clauses we will not accept (mandatory positive-tone edits, negative-carryover balances, kill-clauses on complaints). Operators reachable only through those networks pay us zero and are still listed where their testing puts them.
What we will and will not do
- We will take a disclosed commission on readers who sign up through our links.
- We will negotiate for the best public or exclusive bonus we can, and pass it through untouched.
- We will not sell a ranking spot, a badge, a score, a homepage tile, or a softer conclusion.
- We will not publish sponsored content, native ads, or partner posts dressed up as editorial reviews.
- We will not hide a complaint, a slow payout, or a failing retest because the operator is a partner.
- We will not chase clicks with content that pushes gambling on anyone under 18, in recovery, or asking for help. See our Responsible Gambling page for the lines we hold.
Reader questions
Do I pay more if I sign up through a Flinke link?
No. The commission is paid from the operator's marketing budget. Your deposit, your bonus, your wagering, your withdrawal, all identical to going direct. In many markets the version of the bonus behind our link is the better one, because it is the deal we negotiated for readers.
If commissions do not move rankings, what does?
Payout tests, complaint patterns, terms changes and reader reports, in that order of weight. The method is written up on the About page, and every timed withdrawal feeds the rolling 90-day payout score baked into each casino's ranking.
Are there casinos on the site that pay Flinke nothing?
Yes, the ones on in-house programmes we have not joined and the ones reachable only through networks we refuse. They are listed on the same testing basis as everyone else, and their outbound links are plain, untracked homepage URLs.
Has an operator ever offered to pay for a higher ranking?
Yes, and it is refused in writing every time. The email is kept, the offer never appears on the site, and the relationship usually cools shortly afterwards. No amount of commission money buys a spot.
How do I flag something that looks off?
Write to the desk via the Contact page with "Editorial concern" in the subject. A real editor reads it, and if the point stands the ranking, review or note is changed. Corrections are made openly, not quietly.