The B2B iGaming glossary: key terms explained

The B2B side of online gambling runs on a dense vocabulary of acronyms and jargon that can be opaque even to people inside the industry. This glossary defines the terms that recur most often across supplier decks, regulatory filings and operator strategy — a plain-English reference for anyone working with, or reporting on, the sector. The companies behind many of these categories are profiled in our supplier directory.

GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue)

The amount an operator keeps after paying out winnings, before costs and taxes — total stakes minus total payouts. GGR is the headline measure of a gambling market’s size and the base on which most gambling taxes are levied. It is distinct from turnover or handle, which count the total amount wagered.

Handle / Turnover

The total value of bets placed, before any winnings are paid out. Handle is a much larger number than GGR — a market can have billions in handle but a fraction of that in GGR, because most of the money staked is recycled back to players as winnings.

PAM (Player Account Management)

The operational core of an online gambling platform: the system that manages player registration, the wallet, bonuses, compliance controls and reporting. The PAM governs every account and is the component operators most often either license from a platform supplier or build in-house.

Turnkey / White-label

Two related models for launching an operator without building technology from scratch. A turnkey solution provides the full platform, which the operator brands and runs. A white-label arrangement goes further — the supplier often holds the licence and handles more of the operation — letting a brand launch with minimal infrastructure. Both trade control and margin for speed.

Aggregator

A supplier that connects an operator to many game studios through a single integration, so the operator can offer thousands of titles without integrating each studio individually. Content aggregation is a core function of platform suppliers.

PSP (Payment Service Provider)

A company that processes deposits and withdrawals for an operator — card acquirers, wallet providers, pay-by-bank specialists and crypto gateways all fall under the term. See our payments directory.

Payment orchestration

A layer that sits above individual PSPs and routes each transaction to the cheapest compliant rail, retries failed payments across alternatives, and gives the operator one integration instead of many. Orchestration has become central as operators diversify their payment methods.

A2A / Pay-by-bank

Account-to-account payments made directly between bank accounts, usually over open-banking APIs. A2A undercuts card fees, settles quickly, and pulls verified bank data useful for compliance — which is why it has become a default deposit method across regulated Europe.

KYC (Know Your Customer)

The identity-verification process operators must run at sign-up to confirm a player is a real, of-age person — increasingly using document and biometric checks. KYC is a licensing requirement in every regulated market.

AML (Anti-Money-Laundering)

The set of controls operators use to detect and prevent money laundering: sanctions and PEP screening, source-of-funds checks, and transaction monitoring. AML obligations run throughout the customer relationship, not just at onboarding.

Geolocation

Technology that confirms in real time that a bet is placed inside a jurisdiction where the operator is licensed. It is essential in markets with state-by-state or region-by-region licensing, such as the United States.

Channelisation

The share of a market’s total gambling activity that flows through licensed operators rather than the black market. A high channelisation rate means regulation is capturing most of the demand; a low one means players are still using unlicensed sites. It is a key measure of whether a regulatory regime is working — explored in our State of European iGaming 2026 report.

RG (Responsible Gambling)

The practices and tools operators use to prevent gambling harm — deposit limits, self-exclusion, reality checks and behavioural monitoring. Responsible-gambling obligations are a growing part of every licence.

RGS / RNG

A Remote Gaming Server hosts and delivers game content to operators. A Random Number Generator produces the certified randomness that determines game outcomes, and must be independently tested to ensure fairness.

Live casino

Real-time casino games streamed from a studio with human dealers, letting online players experience table games as they would in a physical casino. It is one of the fastest-growing online products.

DFS (Daily Fantasy Sports)

Contests in which players build line-ups of real athletes and win based on their statistical performance. In some jurisdictions DFS and “pick’em” products sit in a distinct regulatory category from sports betting.

Prediction market

A platform offering “event contracts” — financial instruments that pay out based on real-world outcomes, including sporting events. In the US these are regulated as derivatives rather than gambling, creating a competitive channel alongside licensed sportsbooks.

Affiliate

A third-party marketer that drives players to operators in exchange for commission, typically under revenue-share, cost-per-acquisition or hybrid deals. See our affiliate and marketing directory.

CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

The technology operators use to segment, message and retain players — increasingly real-time and predictive. As acquisition costs rise and bonusing is restricted, CRM has become a competitive battleground.

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