ReferOn Launches Cohort Tool to Track Player Value Over Time

ReferOn rolled out the Evolution Cohort tool on March 4, 2026, through its Dynamic Reports feature. The tool demonstrates to operators and affiliate teams how player value, retention, and revenue fluctuate over time. You may group players by registration or FTD date, and track progress over days, weeks, or months. You thus get statistics not visible in regular reports.

The main point of Evolution Cohort is to show how player value develops after acquisition. It separates players into early drop-off groups, revenue-contributing groups, and those that generate long-term value.

The tool offers basic metrics and filters that allow you to segment performance by:

• Deposits and net cash
• FTD count and CPA count
• Active and depositing users
• Average deposit size
• Filters by brand, affiliate, and CPA period

Visual tools and market impact

Heatmaps and charts show how cohorts change over time. Teams can spot trends without exporting data or building models outside the system. This reduces manual work and speeds up decision-making.

The update reflects a shift in how performance is measured. Operators and affiliates now focus on long-term value, not just first deposits. Rising acquisition costs push teams to track retention and revenue over time.

Vlad Bondarenko, Head of Product at ReferOn, commented that this feature does away with the uncertainty and presents a more transparent picture of performance. He noted that teams that fail to monitor value over time end up making decisions based on assumptions, which sometimes result in poor choices. ReferOn is working on adding more cohort models based on behaviour and performance.

Affiliate managers, operators, and suppliers will feel the effects of such changes directly. Affiliates will have the chance to pinpoint the traffic type that delivers long-term value. Operators, on the other hand, can revisit the structure of CPA deals and come up with retention strategies, all informed by cohort data rather than summary reports.

TGJ Take

Cohort tracking may contribute to changing the way operators assess performance. Essentially, once teams understand that value comes over time, first-deposit metrics will become less important for deal-making. Affiliates that are purely volume-oriented, without considering retention, will be subject to cuts or reduced payouts. In the case of operators, it will at least provide a concrete reason to reallocate budgets to partners that deliver long-term value. If you continue focusing only on short-term reporting risks, you’re backing the wrong ​‍​‌‍​‍‌traffic.