online casino affiliate programs and whether they ever actually pay

Got a friend who's always talking up affiliate programs for online casinos, says it's easy money, blah blah. I started looking into a few out of curiosity, especially after seeing ads pop up everywhere. Honestly, the whole thing looks sketchy to me. Most of these sites have no solid info on how or even if they actually pay. Everything's just marketing fluff and zero transparency about the actual payout rates. Feels a bit like chasing a rainbow.

I know it's not all a scam, there has to be folks out there making at least something, but has anyone here actually seen real payouts? Like, not just "my cousin heard about it" stuff. Actual personal experience - did you get your commissions without endless emails or delays? Would love some real feedback because I keep telling myself to keep expectations super low with these side hustles. Anyone got good or bad stories to share about getting paid, or does it always turn into a runaround?