Game Aggregators for iGaming: API Costs, Latency, and How to Choose in 2026

One aggregator we evaluated quoted 3.5% GGR on paper — but after minimum fees, per-studio charges, and a setup invoice of EUR 25,000, the effective rate for a mid-sized operator was closer to 9%. That gap between headline pricing and real cost is where most new casino operators get burned.

We've reviewed contracts from eight major aggregators over the past two years, and the pattern is consistent: the pitch deck numbers rarely match the 12-month total cost of ownership. In our experience, operators who skip the full cost model before signing leave EUR 50,000-300,000 on the table annually.

This guide breaks down what game aggregators actually cost, where latency kills player experience, and how to evaluate providers based on data rather than sales presentations.

1. What a Game Aggregator Actually Does

A game aggregator sits between casino operators and game studios. Instead of building separate technical integrations with each of the 100+ studios you want to offer, you integrate once with the aggregator's API and gain access to their full catalog.

The integration stack:

The aggregator handles:

• Technical integration and maintenance with each studio
• Game launch and wallet transactions
• RNG certification and compliance documentation
• Game updates and new release deployment
• Reporting consolidation across all studios

You get:

• A single API to integrate and maintain
• Access to thousands of titles from hundreds of studios
• Simplified commercial relationships (one contract vs. 50+)
• Unified reporting across your entire content portfolio

2. Aggregator vs. Direct Integration: The Real Tradeoff

The case for aggregators:

For operators at launch or generating under €1M GGR/month, the aggregator model is almost always correct. The technical overhead of managing 30+ direct studio integrations is significant. Each integration requires separate certification, separate API documentation, separate revenue share reconciliation, and separate account management. An aggregator compresses this to one relationship.

The cost of aggregators:

Aggregators add a revenue share layer on top of the studio's underlying share. Where a direct deal with Pragmatic Play might cost 12–15% GGR, an aggregator might charge 18–22% GGR for access to Pragmatic Play through their platform. The difference is the aggregator's margin.

Over a 12-month period at €500,000 GGR/month, that 5% margin difference is €300,000 — enough to justify significant direct integration investment.

The hybrid approach (what mature operators do):

Aggregator for the long tail (hundreds of smaller studios, specialty content), direct integration for the top 5–10 studios that generate 60–70% of slot GGR. This captures most of the cost efficiency of direct integration while maintaining breadth through the aggregator.

3. How Aggregator Pricing Works

Aggregator pricing is more complex than the headline GGR share number.

GGR share:

The primary fee — typically 3–7% of GGR generated by aggregated content, on top of the studio's underlying share. So if Pragmatic Play takes 14% GGR directly, and your aggregator adds 5%, you pay 19% total on Pragmatic content through the aggregator.

Minimum monthly fees:

Most aggregators charge a minimum monthly fee regardless of GGR. Ranges from €2,000–€15,000/month. This creates cash flow impact during low-revenue months and should be factored into launch budgets.

Setup fees:

One-time integration fees of €5,000–€30,000 are common. Sometimes waived for volume commitments.

Per-studio integration fees:

Some aggregators charge separately for adding specific studios, particularly if those studios require custom work. €500–€3,000 per studio addition.

Bandwidth/API call fees:

Rare but exists with some providers — fees based on API call volume rather than (or in addition to) GGR.

The real cost calculation:

Do not evaluate aggregators on headline GGR share alone. Build a full 12-month cost model including minimum fees, setup fees, and projected GGR share across your expected content mix.

4. The Latency Problem

Latency — the time delay between a player action and the game response — is one of the most underestimated technical factors in iGaming.

Why latency matters:

In live casino, latency above 200–300ms creates visible lag that players notice and that reduces engagement. In crash games (Aviator), latency in the cashout mechanism directly affects player trust — a cashout that appears to execute but is delayed can be perceived as manipulation. In slots, latency affects perceived game quality and smoothness.

The aggregator latency chain:

Each hop adds latency. A direct studio integration eliminates one hop. For most slot games, this difference is imperceptible (20–50ms). For live casino and crash games, it can matter.

Server geography:

Aggregators with servers geographically close to your primary player market have lower latency. An aggregator with European servers serving an Asian player base introduces 150–300ms of unnecessary geographic latency. Always ask about server locations and CDN coverage for your target markets.

What to benchmark:

Ask any aggregator for their average API response time in your target geography, measured at the 95th percentile (not just the average). The 95th percentile tells you what your slowest 5% of requests look like — the outliers that players notice.

5. Major Game Aggregators in 2026

SoftSwiss Game Aggregator

One of the largest in the industry. 200+ studios, 15,000+ games. Strong in Eastern European and CIS markets. Tight integration with SoftSwiss casino platform (advantage if you are on their stack). Competitive GGR share. Crypto-friendly.

EveryMatrix CasinoEngine

Modular aggregation service from EveryMatrix. Deep studio coverage, good European market positioning. Frequently bundled with their casino platform but also available standalone.

2WinPower

Full-cycle iGaming provider combining casino platform infrastructure with game and payment integrations. Its platform connects operators with 80+ game providers through a unified API and supports both turnkey and tailored setups.

Slotegrator

Mid-market aggregator popular with emerging market operators. Competitive pricing, lower minimum fees than tier-1 providers. Good coverage of Asian and LATAM content that some European-focused aggregators lack.

Hub88

Specialist aggregator focused on market-specific content. Good for operators targeting specific regions who need local studio content not available through mainstream aggregators.

Relax Gaming Silver Bullet

Unique model — Relax operates as both a studio (producing their own games) and an aggregator for other studios. The Silver Bullet program gives operators access to third-party studios through Relax's platform. Tier-1 studio relationships and premium product quality.

Pariplay (part of NeoGames/Aristocrat)

Strong in regulated European markets. Good compliance documentation and regulatory certifications across major jurisdictions.

GameArt

Cost-competitive aggregator. Popular with operators who prioritize price over breadth. Lower minimum fees make them attractive for new operators.

BetConstruct / SpringBME

Sportsbook-first provider who also offers strong game aggregation. Good if you are launching sports + casino and want a unified provider.

6. What to Evaluate Before Signing

Studio coverage:

Map your must-have studios (the 10 studios that will generate 70%+ of your slot GGR) against the aggregator's catalog. Non-negotiables typically include: Pragmatic Play, Play'n GO, NetEnt, Nolimit City, Hacksaw Gaming, Push Gaming, Red Tiger. Confirm direct agreements, not sub-aggregation arrangements.

Live casino availability:

Does the aggregator include live casino (Evolution, Pragmatic Play Live)? Live casino is often on separate commercial terms from slots — verify coverage and pricing for both.

Geographic licensing:

The aggregator must hold appropriate B2B licenses for your target markets. An aggregator without an MGA B2B license cannot legally supply you if you are MGA-licensed. Verify license coverage matches your target jurisdictions.

Compliance documentation:

For regulated markets, each game in the catalog must have RNG certification from an approved lab. Request the certification status of your top 100 titles in your target jurisdiction before committing.

Reporting and data:

Can you access player-level game data? Studio-level reporting? Real-time dashboards? Raw data export? The quality of aggregator reporting directly affects your ability to optimize content strategy.

Contract flexibility:

Minimum term, termination notice, exclusivity restrictions. Some aggregators include restrictions on adding competing aggregators or direct studio integrations. These clauses limit your future optionality — negotiate them out or ensure they are time-limited.

Support and SLA:

When a game breaks at 11pm on a Saturday, who do you call? What is the SLA for game-level incidents? For critical issues (wallet errors, game unavailability), your SLA should guarantee sub-1-hour response and 4-hour resolution.

7. Content Strategy: Building Your Game Portfolio

Getting your game catalog right at launch matters more than most operators think. Players form brand impressions in the first session — a thin catalog or poor content mix drives immediate churn.

Launch minimum:

3,000+ slot titles from tier-1 studios. Anything less and you will be visibly behind competitors in player perception.

Live casino from day one:

Do not treat live casino as a phase 2 feature. Live is where VIP players spend, and VIP players explore live casino early. Have Evolution or Pragmatic Play Live operational at launch.

Crash games as a category:

Aviator, JetX, and similar crash titles should have their own category or prominent placement. They over-index in conversion for new players, particularly in emerging markets.

New game release velocity:

How quickly do new titles go live after studio release? Players follow new releases — the casinos that have new Pragmatic Play or Nolimit City games available on day one capture social media and affiliate buzz. Ask your aggregator for their average time from studio release to platform availability.

Game curation over quantity:

1,000 carefully curated, categorized games with good metadata (RTP displayed, volatility, features) convert better than 10,000 games with no navigation structure. Quality of presentation matters as much as catalog size.

8. The Direct Integration Threshold

When should you move from aggregator to direct studio integrations?

The signals that you are ready:

• Monthly GGR above €500,000 consistently for 6+ months
• Top 5 studios by GGR clearly identified from your data
• Technical team capable of maintaining API integrations
• Negotiating leverage (studios are interested in direct conversations)

The negotiation:

Direct studio deals are negotiated on GGR share, minimum guarantees, and exclusivity terms. Typical direct studio GGR share: 12–16% for mid-sized operators, 8–14% for large-scale operators. The difference vs. aggregator rates (18–22%) compounds quickly at volume.

What studios want from direct partners:

Volume commitment, compliant platform, strong player database in key markets, marketing cooperation. Studios are selective about direct deals — they prefer partners who will actively promote their content, not just list it.

Maintaining both:

Running direct integrations for top studios while maintaining aggregator access for the catalog long tail is the standard architecture for mid-to-large operators. Your aggregator contract should allow this — if there are exclusivity clauses preventing direct studio deals, this is a red flag.