Broker, Marketplace or Private Sale: Three Ways to Sell an iGaming Business
There are three realistic routes to selling an online casino, sportsbook or affiliate site: sell it yourself, list it on a marketplace, or appoint a broker. Each has a different balance of cost, reach, confidentiality and effort.
1. Private sale (do it yourself)
You approach people you already know – competitors, operators you work with, other affiliates – and negotiate directly.
- Advantages: no commission; fast if the right buyer is already in your network.
- Disadvantages: a small buyer pool, so less price tension; you reveal the sale to people who may be competitors; you handle valuation, documents, negotiation and escrow yourself.
- Best for: owners with a clear, trusted buyer and experience of transactions.
2. Marketplace listing
You list the business on an online marketplace, either a general one for websites or one focused on affiliate sites.
- Advantages: lower fees; wide visibility; good for small, simple assets.
- Disadvantages: listings can expose details that identify the business; many enquiries are not from serious or funded buyers; limited help with licensed operators, where structure and regulator approval are central.
- Best for: smaller affiliate sites with straightforward, verifiable revenue.
3. Specialist broker
A broker values the business, prepares the materials, approaches qualified buyers confidentially and manages the process to completion.
- Advantages: access to buyers who are not browsing marketplaces; confidentiality through blind teasers and NDAs; help with structure, negotiation, due diligence and escrow; more competitive tension on price.
- Disadvantages: commission is higher than marketplace fees; quality varies between brokers.
- Best for: licensed casinos and sportsbooks, larger affiliate portfolios, B2B businesses, and any owner for whom confidentiality matters.
Comparison
| Private sale | Marketplace | Specialist broker | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Lowest | Low to medium | Highest, usually success-based |
| Buyer reach | Narrow | Wide but unqualified | Targeted and qualified |
| Confidentiality | Weak | Variable | Strong |
| Owner effort | High | Medium | Low |
| Handles licensing structure | No | Rarely | Yes, with lawyers |
How to decide
- If the business holds or depends on a gaming licence, use a specialist.
- If your competitors are the most likely buyers, prioritise confidentiality.
- If the asset is small and simple, compare marketplace fees with the likely uplift a broker could achieve.
- Whatever the route, reconcile your numbers before anyone sees them.
CasinosBroker.com is a specialist iGaming broker that has closed 52 transactions since 2021, with a median of 90 days from signed mandate to completion and a network of more than 1,000 qualified buyers. Its commission is payable on completion of a sale.