Negative Carryover Explained: What It Means for Revshare Affiliates

What negative carryover means

With negative carryover, a negative month is carried forward. Next month's positive revenue first fills the hole, and you only earn again once the balance is back above zero.

With no negative carryover, the negative balance is reset to zero at the end of the period. Next month you start fresh.

A worked example

Illustration only, with round numbers and a made-up 30% revshare.

1. 1Month 1: one of your players wins big. Net revenue from your players is −$5,000. You earn nothing.
2. 2Month 2: net revenue is +$3,000. With carryover, the balance becomes −$2,000. You earn nothing. Without carryover, you earn 30% of $3,000 = $900.
3. 3Month 3: net revenue is +$3,000. With carryover, the balance becomes +$1,000 and you earn 30% of $1,000 = $300. Without carryover you earn another $900.

Same players, same results, very different payouts. That is why the clause matters.

Who it hurts most

• Small affiliates with few players, where one high roller's win dominates a month.
• Casino traffic with high-volatility games, where swings are large.
• Sports betting around big events, when favourites win and many bettors cash out.

Larger player bases smooth out the swings. With only a handful of players, one result can wipe out months. That is also why many new affiliates prefer CPA, or a hybrid, while their player base is small. Read FTD explained for how CPA qualification works and affiliate metrics explained for how to track player value over time.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. 1Is there negative carryover, and is it per brand or across all brands?
2. 2Is it reset at any point, for example yearly?
3. 3Which costs are deducted before your share: bonuses, payment fees, taxes?
4. 4Is a hybrid (some CPA plus revshare) available to reduce the risk?
5. 5How often are reports and payments made?

Living with revshare swings

Track net revenue per brand month by month, not just your payout. Keep a cash buffer so one bad month does not stop your campaigns. Grow the number of active players, since a wider base is the best defence against variance. And never try to influence how your players gamble to protect your balance.

Responsible gambling: promote licensed brands only, in countries where they are legal, to adults (18+, or 21+ where the law says so). Never promise wins, never target minors or people who show signs of problem gambling, and always show help resources such as the local gambling helpline.

If you work with AMZA, deal terms are agreed with you individually, and your Wingman can walk you through how they work before you start. Terms vary by program, so nothing here describes a specific deal.