What is an FTD, and why do casinos set quality KPIs?

In iGaming affiliation, the FTD (first-time deposit) is the moment a registered player puts money into their account for the first time. It is the event most CPA deals are built on, and the reason casinos look closely at traffic quality.

Registration, FTD, qualified FTD

The path of a player usually looks like this:

1. Click on your link.
2. Registration: the player creates an account. Registrations alone are rarely paid: creating an account costs nothing.
3. FTD: the first deposit. This is the first sign of a real player.
4. Qualified FTD (QFTD): an FTD that meets the deal's conditions, typically a minimum deposit amount, sometimes a minimum activity.

The CPA is released on the event the deal defines: the FTD itself, or the qualified FTD.

Why minimum deposits exist

A deposit of 1 or 2 euros proves very little. Without a threshold, a CPA deal invites abuse: accounts opened only to trigger the CPA, players paid to make a tiny deposit, or fake accounts.

That is why most offers set a minimum deposit: below it, the FTD does not qualify and no CPA is due. The amount varies from one casino to another, so it is set offer by offer.

Deposit KPIs: measuring quality over a period

A minimum deposit checks players one by one. A deposit KPI checks the overall quality of an affiliate's traffic over a period, usually a month.

The idea is simple: the deposits of the players you brought must reach a share of the CPA you earned. If a casino pays 100 per CPA, it expects those players to deposit a meaningful amount.

Example with a 70 % ratio

• You bring 10 qualified players on an offer with a CPA of 100: 1,000 of CPA.
• With a 70 % deposit KPI, your players must deposit at least 700 over the period.
• If they deposit 900, the KPI is met: you are paid 1,000.
• If they deposit only 400, you reach 400 / 700 = 57 % of the target: the CPA is paid pro rata, here 571.43.

The ratio is set per offer (often around 70 %) and can be adapted in a custom deal.

Why casinos ask for it

Because CPA is paid upfront. Without a quality check, a brand would pay the same amount for a genuine player and for an account that will never play again. The KPI aligns everybody's interests: good traffic is paid in full, weak traffic is paid for what it is worth.

How to keep your CPA safe

• Target the right audience. Players who already know casino games and the brand's market deposit more than curious visitors.
• Never incentivise deposits. Paying or rewarding players to register or deposit is prohibited and is exactly what KPIs are designed to catch.
• Respect the offer's countries and traffic sources. Traffic from a restricted country or a forbidden source is not paid.
• Watch your figures during the month. On DRAVIX, your earnings page shows your running deposit ratio per offer while the period is still open, so you can react before it closes.

In short

The FTD shows that a player is real; the minimum deposit and the deposit KPI show that the traffic is worth its price. Knowing these rules before you promote an offer is the best way to be paid in full. All of DRAVIX's rules are listed in our partner terms.