Betfair to end UK and Ireland affiliate programme

Betfair will end its affiliate marketing programme in the UK and Ireland on 1 July 2025, citing rising costs and tightening regulations.

The company confirmed it will remove all UK and Irish affiliate services from Betfair.com. In a notice to partners, Betfair said the move was driven by "a series of changes to the UKI market and an increasingly complex regulatory landscape."

The shutdown affects only UK and Irish affiliates. Betfair’s global affiliate programme and international traffic services will continue as normal. Affiliates impacted by the change are advised to contact their account managers before the deadline.

The decision reflects a broader strategy by parent company Flutter Entertainment to cut costs in its home markets and to consolidate all affiliate marketing services onto one technology platform to increase efficiencies.

Concurrently, Flutter has been increasing investment in compliance and safer gambling across the UK and Ireland, spending over €100 million ($114 million) annually since 2022 on related measures across Betfair, Paddy Power, Sky Bet, and Tombola.

Regulatory costs have had a direct financial impact. In its FY2022 accounts, Flutter reported a £160 million ($182 million) hit to Adjusted EBITDA due to compliance efforts. In 2024, the company paid around £680 million ($771 million) in UK taxes, including corporate tax, gaming duties, VAT, and employment levies.

Betfair’s exit from affiliate marketing marks a significant shift, with the company concluding that affiliate-driven acquisition no longer justifies the regulatory risks in the UK and Ireland.

Analysts see the move as a sign of growing pressure across the UK gambling sector, as operators face stricter marketing rules, affordability checks, and political uncertainty.

Flutter continues to review costs across all UKI operations, including marketing, customer incentives, and Paddy Power’s retail network.