# How review sites earn from sportsbooks, and why it matters to you > Review sites typically earn through commissions, fixed fees or advertising. What Canadian rules say about disclosure, and how we keep pay out of our tables. Source: https://reviewstandings.com/how-review-sites-make-money/ Updated: 2026-11-13 Sportsbook review sites typically earn in three ways: a commission for each registered player they refer, a fixed fee for a placement or campaign, and advertising. As of 2026-11-13, Canadian guidance asks that such links be disclosed. This page explains each model and states how Review Standings keeps pay out of the order of its tables. ## Three ways a review site is paid **Income models of review and comparison sites · source: our reading of public guidance · checked 2026-11-13** | Model | What the site receives | Why it matters to a reader | |---|---|---| | Commission per registered player | A payment when a reader registers through a marked link | The site gains when a brand is chosen, so the order of a table needs a stated rule | | Fixed fee | A payment for a placement, a banner or a campaign | The fee can be unrelated to quality, so look for a statement that pay does not set the order | | Advertising | Payment for display space or sponsored content | Sponsored content must be labelled as such | We describe the models as they are generally used. We have not seen the contracts of any review site, and we do not say that any named site uses a given model. **Short answer:** most sites are paid by the brands they list, so check how they say pay affects the order. ## What Canadian rules say The Competition Bureau Canada asks that material connections between a promoter and a business be disclosed. In our reference notes, the guidance names commissions, free products and discounts. It also says a link to a partner page or a promo code does not count as disclosure on its own. The CGA Code, the advertising code that Ad Standards administers, treats an affiliate as an advertiser. Our page on [the edition in force from January 2026](https://reviewstandings.com/cga-code-edition-in-force-january-2026/) records what changed. In Ontario (ON), AGCO standards limit how bonuses can be advertised, and they reach affiliate links and descriptions. Read [what Ontario's advertising standards change for readers of review sites](https://reviewstandings.com/agco-advertising-rules-and-review-sites/). **Definition:** an inducement is a stimulating offer, such as cash or credit, used to attract a new customer. The AGCO uses the term. ## The regulator's record On 2025-03-26 the AGCO issued penalties to BetMGM Canada over inducements offered to new customers through affiliate marketing. The amounts and the number of registrations are recorded once, in [the Ontario advertising rules page](https://reviewstandings.com/agco-advertising-rules-and-review-sites/), and are not repeated here. The decision concerned the operator. It is evidence that the way affiliates are paid is something the regulator looks at. ## How Review Standings earns, and the order rule The funding terms are stated on [the advertising disclosure page](https://reviewstandings.com/advertising-disclosure/). [funding terms: to be supplied by the owner] Three rules apply whatever the terms are: - Pay does not set the order of any table. The order follows published criteria. - Where scores tie, the order is alphabetical. - Operators with no commercial link to us are scored by the same method as those with one. This site does not publish promo codes or bonus offers for Ontario or Alberta readers. ## What you can check on any site 1. Find the disclosure before the first link to an operator. 2. Find the sentence that says whether pay affects the order. 3. See whether a bonus is described for Ontario or Alberta. If so, the page may not follow AGCO standards. 4. Find the brand in the registry of your province. For a ten-point version, use [A ten-point check for any sportsbook review](https://reviewstandings.com/ten-checks-for-a-sportsbook-review/). ## How we checked 1. We read the guidance of the Competition Bureau Canada and the CGA Code as listed in our reference notes, dated 2026-11-06, and will re-read them before publication. 2. We used the AGCO news release on the BetMGM Canada penalty, linked below, as listed in the same notes. 3. We did not review any site's contracts or income. ## Sources - [AGCO: penalties to BetMGM Canada, 2025-03-26](https://www.agco.ca/en/news/agco-issues-110000-penalties-betmgm-canada-offering-cash-induce-new-gambling-customers) - Competition Bureau Canada: guidance on disclosing material connections (read 2026-11-06, to be re-read). - Ad Standards: CGA Code. ## What changed - 2026-11-13: page created; our funding terms await the owner. ## Before you bet 19+ in Ontario and British Columbia; 18+ in Alberta, Manitoba and Québec. Gambling involves risk. Play responsibly. [Need help? See help lines by province](https://reviewstandings.com/responsible-gambling/). ## FAQ **How do sportsbook review sites make money?** Three models are common: a commission for each registered player the site refers, a fixed fee for a placement or a campaign, and advertising. A site can use more than one, and the reader usually cannot tell which from the ranking alone. **Does a commission mean a review is biased?** A commission is a financial link, and the Competition Bureau Canada asks that material connections be disclosed. It does not prove bias. It does mean you should check whether the order of a table follows published criteria or follows pay. **What do Canadian rules say about disclosure?** The Competition Bureau Canada guidance in our reference notes says material connections, such as commissions, should be disclosed, and that a link to an affiliate page or a promo code is not enough on its own. The CGA Code treats affiliates as advertisers. **How does Review Standings earn money?** The funding terms are on the advertising disclosure page. Our rule is that pay does not set the order of any table: the order follows published criteria, and ties are resolved alphabetically. **What happened with BetMGM and affiliate marketing in Ontario?** The AGCO issued a penalty to BetMGM Canada on 2025-03-26 over inducements offered through affiliate marketing. The details are written once, on a separate page, and are not repeated here.