have skin in the game have a personal investment in an organization or undertaking, and therefore a vested interest in its success. informal

☞ The idiom may be based either on the idea of the skin as representing the whole person (as in expressions such as save someone's skin), or on the US slang use of skin to mean 'dollar'.

1996Observer We want to make a step change in our clients' business-and we're willing to risk our own capital to do it …. We're transforming the business by having skin in the game.