He profits whether or not your board game sells. If the games don't sell, you stand to lose the amount invested in inventory. If, however, you've agreed to share potential profits from game sales with the manufacturer, you may not have any initial investment at risk. Yet, the manufacturer is not risking nearly as much as you would if you acquired manufacturing facilities. Marketing a product involves publicity or advertising or both.
Money spent on advertising is money at risk.
But, there are ways to reduce or eliminate advertising risk. In Low Risk, High Reward Bob Reiss discusses how he effectively eliminated the risk of spending money on advertising. Reiss partnered with TV Guide and gave TV Guide a percentage of the potential revenue the game generated. The structure of your business agreements, contracts, and deals determines your company's financial risk. Seek contracts with other companies which lessen your financial risk.