Cutting Ball Affiliate Disclosure

Effective date: August 17, 2026
Last reviewed: August 17, 2026

Cutting Ball is a commercially funded publication. Some links to sportsbooks and other services are affiliate links. If a reader clicks one of these links and completes a qualifying action, Cutting Ball may receive compensation.

This disclosure explains what that relationship can and cannot influence.

Plain-language disclosure

Cutting Ball may earn compensation when readers use certain links or complete qualifying actions. Compensation may affect which operators are featured and where they appear, but it does not purchase a particular editorial rating, remove a supported drawback, or change the price paid by the reader unless the operator expressly states otherwise.

A short version of this disclosure should appear near the first commercial recommendation or call to action on every relevant page. A footer link alone is not enough for reader clarity.

How affiliate links work

An affiliate link can contain:

  • A tracking parameter
  • Campaign code
  • Click identifier
  • Referral cookie
  • Redirect or attribution tag

The operator or affiliate network can use that information to determine that a reader arrived through Cutting Ball.

Depending on the agreement, compensation may be based on:

  • A registration
  • A first deposit
  • A qualified account
  • Revenue share
  • A fixed fee
  • A sponsored placement
  • Advertising impressions
  • Another contracted event

Commercial terms vary by partner.

Does an affiliate link cost the reader more?

Ordinarily, using an affiliate link does not increase the price paid by the reader. The sportsbook controls eligibility, deposit rules, promotions, odds, fees, limits, and withdrawals.

Cutting Ball does not guarantee that a displayed promotion will be available to every reader. Confirm the current offer and eligibility terms directly with the operator before depositing.

What compensation can influence

Compensation may influence:

  • Which operators receive commercial links
  • Which operators appear on a comparison page
  • Placement order
  • Availability of a specific promotion
  • Whether a paid advertisement is displayed
  • Whether Cutting Ball allocates resources to test or update an operator

These influences should be disclosed rather than denied.

What compensation cannot purchase

Under our Editorial Policy, an operator cannot purchase:

  • A guaranteed rating
  • A guaranteed recommendation
  • Removal of a verified drawback
  • Suppression of official regulatory history
  • A fabricated first-person test
  • A false payout claim
  • A statement that an operator is legal everywhere
  • Editorial approval rights over the final conclusion

Editorial contact with operators

An operator may:

  • Provide current terms
  • Respond to factual questions
  • Identify a possible error
  • Supply documentation
  • Comment on a complaint
  • Explain a product change

Cutting Ball decides whether the information is reliable, relevant, and included.

Paid content and sponsorships

Sponsored content must be clearly labeled at the top of the page with wording such as:

Sponsored content: This page was funded by [SPONSOR]. The sponsor was given an opportunity to provide factual information but did not control Cutting Ball’s disclosed factual standards. Any sponsor approval rights must be stated clearly.

Native advertising should be visually distinguishable from independent editorial content.

Free products, test credit, travel, and gifts

If an operator supplies test credit, reimburses a deposit, pays for travel, provides hospitality, or gives another material benefit, the article should disclose it.

A compensated or gifted test must not be described as fully independent without qualification.

Ranking disclosures

A ranked list should explain:

  • Whether every listed operator is an affiliate partner
  • Whether nonpartners were considered
  • What scoring model was used
  • Whether placement differs from numerical score
  • Which facts were independently tested
  • When offers and banking terms were checked

Technical link qualification

Compensated outbound links should use:

rel=”sponsored”

The nofollow value may also be used where appropriate. A visible disclosure remains necessary even when the technical attribute is present.

If user-generated links are enabled, they should generally use:

rel=”ugc”

Tracking and privacy

Affiliate links can involve cookies, click identifiers, or conversion reporting. Our Privacy Policy explains the categories of information that may be collected or disclosed.

Reader-first commitments

Cutting Ball aims to:

  • Place disclosures near recommendations
  • Explain major bonus and withdrawal restrictions
  • Publish material drawbacks
  • Separate operator claims from Cutting Ball tests
  • Correct factual errors regardless of commercial relationship
  • Link to independent responsible-gambling resources
  • Avoid guaranteed-profit language
  • Avoid describing an affiliate partner as risk-free