SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Betfair has chosen to wind-down its existing affiliate marketing programme for media partners in UK and Ireland, as a strategic move by Flutter Entertainment to consolidate all affiliate marketing services onto one technology platform to increase efficiencies
From 1 July 2025, Betfair will terminate its heritage UK and Irish affiliate activities, removing related services from its Betfair.com platform.
In a message to partners, the operator said the move was prompted by “a series of changes to the UKI market and an increasingly complex regulatory landscape”.
International traffic and data services will remain unaffected, with the global affiliate programme continuing as normal. Affiliates impacted by the decision have been told to contact their account managers ahead of the July cut-off date.
Flutter Entertainment, confirmed the closure to SBC, stating: “Betfair UK and Ireland is decommissioning its heritage affiliate programme as part of a broader move toward a centralised affiliate platform within Flutter UK and Ireland.
“These changes will enhance compliance standards and operating efficiencies for Flutter, while providing a best-in-class experience for our chosen affiliate partners.”
The decision comes as Flutter Entertainment ramps up its investment in compliance and safer gambling initiatives across the UK and Ireland. Since 2022, leadership maintains that Flutter has spent circa +€100m a year on compliance and responsible gambling measures related to its home market brands of Betfair, Paddy Power, Sky Bet and Tombola.
While Flutter continues to prioritise cost controls, the closure of Betfair’s affiliate programme and broader changes to its marketing strategy in the UK and Ireland align with the objectives of the Flutter Edge programme to optimise group-wide systems, resources and solutions.
Costs were underlined on FY2022 accounts as Flutter detailed that regulatory pressures and safer gambling initiatives had a direct impact of £160m off its Adjusted EBITDA.
Growing compliance costs have been maintained alongside increased tax contributions. In 2024 alone, Flutter paid around £680 million to the UK government across corporate tax, gaming duties, VAT, and employment levies, underlining the scale of its domestic operations.
In 2025, leadership continues to make UKI cost control revisions related to marketing activities, player incentives and the performance of Paddy Power’s retail activity.
