iGaming operators have long struggled with the ability to utilize mainstream digital advertising and programmatic solutions online to drive traffic (and ultimately transactions / first time deposits) to their platform. With more people globally online than ever before, and with many now operating their day-to-day life (including work-life) online, the ability to serve personalized, meaningful ads is more important than ever.
Mainstream providers of digital traffic in the form of Google, Facebook, Yahoo! and the like are oftentimes unaccessible to iGaming operators. These household names in digital advertising and customer data segmentation impose very tight restrictions on operators, and even those who meet those rules are often faced with very limited (and expensive) advertising options.
iGaming, for the purpose of this article, includes:
- Online casino operator (including live dealer operations)
- Online lottery
- Online sports betting
- eSports
- Social games
The latter two face less restrictions over the more traditional “casino” or “games of chances” operators, however are still limited if financial transactions are part of their platform.
Focused Adult Advertising
The mainstream platforms offering programmatic advertising often limit iGaming in a similar fashion to products in similar adult-focused product lines, including:
- Casino gaming
- Alcohol
- Tobacco / cigars
- Vaping products
Restrictions are placed around these types of products for good reason; it is key to limit advertising and audience segmentation to ensure ads are not served to minors or those not seeking this type of content.
For this reason, solutions have emerged that focus solely on users who have been pre-screened and specifically fit the profile for these types of products.
Benefits of Targeted Programmatic Buys
- Less restrictions on content as the audiences are highly managed to ensure responsible advertising to pre-screened audiences only
- Mass traffic spikes as more people tele-work and stay home, which results in cheaper traffic options
- Cost per click (CPC) and Cost per 1,000 impressions (CPM) models available
- Traceable click-through (tagged links) to track conversions / ROI
- Wide range of ad types (static, animated) and sizes available to serve
- Global audiences – market almost anywhere through a single platform
- Lower financial minimum barriers to entry
Cons / Risks
- Increased market competitiveness as a result of mass-traffic spikes
- Tracking match-ups and cross-platform reconciliation
- Requires an integrated strategy for each target market
- Language-specific landing pages, creatives
- Payment solutions that work locally
- Customer services (another language-related issue)
4. Impressions often take time to serve (can take days or weeks to grow momentum; however CPC / CPM bids mean no lost spend)
In conclusion, pre-screened programmatic platforms offer low cost solutions for iGaming operators looking for high levels of impressions and cost control. They offer the ability to service any market with both CPC and CPM options and can drive conversion traffic if the landing page / platform is ready for the users.
HOGO iGaming Solution
In response to the growing needs of the iGaming community, HOGO has launched an agency solution for pre-screened advertising. This programmatic solution offers all of the above listed benefits, including a low entry minimum-spend barrier, adjustable based on market scope and size. For more information about this solution, contact our Macau sales team via [email protected].
