The definition
A pay per head service provides a bookmaker (often called an agent) with everything needed to take bets online: a player-facing betting website, live odds on thousands of events, a casino, a racebook, and an agent back office for managing players and settling accounts. In exchange, the agent pays a fixed price for each active player each week, typically between $5 and $15 depending on volume and provider.
The key is the per-player pricing structure. If 60 of your players place a bet this week, you pay for 60. If only 40 bet next week, you pay for 40. Players with accounts who do not bet cost nothing. Your costs move with your activity rather than being fixed overhead.
Crucially, the PPH provider never touches your money or your players' money. You collect deposits, pay out winnings and keep 100% of what the book holds. The provider is a software and service vendor, not a partner in the wagers.
Why bookmakers use pay per head
Before PPH existed, running a book meant taking bets by phone or in person, grading them by hand and having no casino or live-betting product at all. The alternative, licensing or building your own platform, costs six or seven figures and takes a year. PPH gives an independent agent the same tools as a major operator for the price of a few coffees per player per week.
How pay per head works, step by step
- Sign up with a PPH provider. You choose your odds formats, currencies, languages and default limits. The provider sets up your agent login and player site, usually the same day.
- Set up players. You create accounts for your players with aliases, credit limits and betting profiles. No personal data is required by the platform.
- Players start betting. They log into your branded site from any device and bet on sports, casino and racing. The provider's trading team manages the odds and grades every bet.
- Pay per active player. Each week you receive an invoice for the players who bet. You settle with your players yourself, in whatever way you always have, and keep the hold.
How much does pay per head cost?
Industry pricing ranges from around $5 to $15 per active player per week. The differences come from volume (more players means a lower rate), what is bundled (some providers charge extra for live betting, casino or props) and the quality of the lines and support.
Global PPH charges $9, $7 or $5 per head depending on volume, with sportsbook, live betting, casino, racebook and prop builder all included, and the first week free.
Worked example: an agent with 80 active players at $7 per head pays $560 per week. If those players wager an average of $300 each and the book holds a typical 5%, the agent's gross hold is about $1,200 a week, so the platform costs less than half of the hold.
Pay per head outside the United States
The PPH industry grew up serving American bookies, and many providers still assume every player wants American odds, NFL lines and US dollar balances. That does not work for an agent in Colombia, Spain, Nigeria or India whose players think in decimal odds, follow football and cricket, and settle in pesos, euros or naira.
When you compare providers, check that they offer:
- Decimal and fractional odds, not only American
- Deep markets on the football leagues your players follow, plus cricket, tennis, basketball and esports
- Player sites in your players' languages
- Multi-currency balances and reports
- Support hours that cover your time zone, on the channels you use (WhatsApp, Telegram)
- Payment options that work in your country, including crypto
Global PPH was built around these requirements from day one.
A note on legality
Laws on bookmaking vary enormously by country and even by region. A PPH provider supplies software; it does not license you to take bets. Before you operate, research the rules where you and your players are located, and consult a local professional if you are unsure.