The term “iGaming vertical” refers to a specific sector within the online gaming industry, which combines traditional gaming elements with digital innovations to offer a wide range of online entertainment. This sector includes sports betting, online casinos, lotteries, festive carnival games, and other games that rely on luck or mastery.

One interesting aspect of this industry is iGaming arbitrage. This involves making money from directing attracted traffic to betting or casino apps and websites through ads as well as promoting various gaming products and services. This niche is not just for large iGaming companies; individual arbitrageurs can also participate. Thus, an arbitrager is a specialist who buys and resells traffic.

Due to high payouts, the iGaming niche is becoming more popular and therefore more competitive every year. Embarking on the journey to promote iGaming applications unveils a complex tapestry of challenges, from navigating stringent legal restrictions and the cautious eyes of giants like Google Ads and Facebook, to outmaneuvering scams and cutting through the dense competition. No worries, we know how to manage them.

Outsmarting competition: iGaming app key promotion strategies

First of all, let’s dissect the crucial steps of ASO (App Store Optimization) for quality promotion of the iGaming app:

  • Optimize textual and visual metadata. Learn how to use these features to turn your application into a true winning ticket by reading more here.
  • Strategically integrate deep linking to guide users not only to your app but to specific content that matches their interests and search goals.
  • Utilize in-app events and promotional content to keep your app in the spotlight and stimulate repeat engagement.
  • Employ in-app notification features to maintain communication with users and encourage regular interaction.
  • Stay flexible and data-driven, using A/B testing results and user feedback to continuously improve your ASO strategy.

Alongside using ASO to improve your apps’ visibility and ranking within app stores, optimizing for search engines (SEO) plays a pivotal role in every app marketing plan. SEO strategies for mobile apps at your service:

  • Kickstart your mobile app SEO with in-depth keyword research, embedding them in titles, descriptions, and metadata for enhanced visibility.
  • Activate app indexing for Google search visibility, facilitating easier discovery and installation from outside the app store.
  • Elevate credibility and search positions via user ratings and reviews, which indicate reliability to Google and prospective users.
  • Secure your app’s trustworthiness in Google’s eyes by acquiring backlinks from authoritative sites.
  • Regularly refresh your app’s content to signal ongoing maintenance to search engines, improving user experience and rankings.
  • Invest in striking, quality visuals to draw in users, showcasing your app’s value and professional dedication.

Social media marketing

Social media serves as an excellent platform for fostering a community and gathering feedback from users less likely to reach out via in-app contact or through your website.

Your social media presence can be enriched with blog posts, contests, and discussion forums. Additionally, by allowing users to share content from your app directly to their social media profiles, you can seamlessly integrate social media within your app.

Email marketing

Building a mailing list is an effective method for consistently updating users and delivering promotional content. The advantage of email marketing lies in its opt-in nature, ensuring your messages reach only those genuinely interested in your offerings. It serves as an excellent platform for providing exclusive benefits to your most devoted users.

You can include the direct APK link in this kind of email.

The call-to-action (CTA) plays a pivotal role in the success of email marketing campaigns. Placing a clear and compelling call-to-action on your website landing page or with a link in the email is decisive for guiding visitors toward a desired action, such as downloading the app or signing up.  A well-designed CTA button that stands out can significantly increase conversion rates by making it easy for users to understand what step to take next.

QR code placement

Put the APK up on a website, then create a QR code with the URL of the file. Utilizing QR codes to streamline the APK download process for your app can enhance user experience by simplifying access by scanning a QR code. You can also add a code to the promotion mailing.

Incorporating a mix of these tactics into your app promotion strategy can drive more downloads and engagement, helping your app to remain competitive and popular in the crowded iGaming app market.

Aggregator apps as a solution

Aggregator apps emerge as a strategic solution for promoting iGaming mobile apps, gathering various gaming experiences in a single, user-friendly platform.

These apps provide access to a carefully selected array of iGaming opportunities, such as sports betting and virtual competitions, thus broadening visibility for individual apps among potential users.

Furthermore, aggregator apps can more adeptly navigate advertising limitations, offering a consolidated venue that meets regulatory requirements while showcasing a range of iGaming content. This method not only makes it easier for users to find what they’re looking for but also presents an effective way for iGaming apps to reach their intended market in the bustling digital arena.

Here’s a curated selection of notable examples: App Solution, ABC Apps and PWA.MARKET, showcasing the diversity and potential within the realm of app platforms. Should you encounter challenges in listing your application on the AppStore or Google Play, consider exploring alternative marketplaces. For Android, options like ApkPure, AuroraOSS and AppGallery offer a viable path, while iOS developers can turn to AltStore, iMazing App, and various web-app solutions to reach their audience.

Top traffic sources for iGaming niche success

iGaming traffic is driven by users looking for entertainment and aiming to potentially earn winnings.

So, where can you find high-value traffic for digital iGaming promotions? The answer is closer than you think: advertising networks. Ad networks provide massive displays (for instance, Adsterra offers billions of impressions), versatile targeting, reduced costs per thousand impressions, and a variety of advertising formats. These attributes could be your hidden advantage in effectively promoting iGaming products.

At Adsterra, we force various traffic sources and сheer on for optimal pairings to maximize profits. Below are the top four options at your disposal.

Popunders

High-impact full-screen ad magnets. Emerging in a separate tab or window, these ads command the highest traffic flow. Ideal for maximum user engagement, their success hinges on compelling design. Strive for eye-catching and persuasive visuals for astonishing outcomes.

Social bar

Social Bar is the most creative and customizable format of the Adsterra network. A catalyst for interactive engagement, it leverages urgency cues to captivate users. The Social Bar expertly generates a sense of immediate need, sparking impulsive buying behavior. Its effectiveness can significantly boost single or repeated sales based on your product or service’s appeal.

In-page push ads

The evolved successors of traditional web push notifications. Their strength lies in versatile templates compatible across various operating systems, coupled with their capacity to generate substantial traffic, averaging around ~1.5B weekly views.

Native ads

Ingrained content pieces and masters of bypassing AdBlock. Targeted at genuine iGaming enthusiasts, these ads promise direct access to a paying-ready audience, offering a seamless blend of content to attract deeply interested users.

Grasping these ad formats will guide you through the thorns to the stars and will raise your iGaming app to the very top.

You can also explore a case study on How to increase iGaming conversions on our blog.

Regulatory limitations

Online gaming, a broad and dynamic field, offers a wide variety of experiences beyond the well-known realms typically restricted in numerous countries. Despite Facebook and Google Ads maintaining a cautious stance on iGaming topics, closely scrutinizing and often restricting related content, they do permit a narrow scope for promotional activities.

Promoting iGaming offers on Facebook

Here’s an overview of Facebook’s stance on advertising iGaming content:

“Apps and sites that promote online gaming where anything of monetary value (including cash or digital/virtual currencies, ex: Bitcoin) is required to play and anything of monetary value forms part of the prize, are only allowed to be advertised with our prior written permission. Games where anything of monetary value is included as part of a method of entry and anything of monetary value is included as part of the prize. This includes games that require purchases to continue gameplay or provide an advantage in winning prizes (in cases where the prize is of monetary value). Additionally, Meta doesn’t allow targeting for online gaming ads to people under the age of 18.”

Here are some exceptions that are not covered by the Facebook iGaming policy: Advertising of physical establishments, social lotteries and ones with state support, handicappers and free entertainment that does not require deposits.

Advertising iGaming services via Google Ads

Google’s approach to iGaming advertising is detailed and requires advertisers to obtain specific certifications. This certification is necessary not only for promoting online platforms or products directly associated with iGaming but also for websites that contain reference links to any iGaming content. Additionally, advertisers looking to market social lotteries and non-casino gaming activities must secure the appropriate certification. To be certified by Google apply here.

It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the restrictions that Google imposes relevant to your specific location in advance.

Despite these challenges and the effort involved in complying with Google’s regulations, Google Ads remains one of the most favored channels for iGaming advertising, underscoring its effectiveness and widespread use in the industry.

Managing fraud risks

The iGaming sector is recognized as both promising and popular. However, its profitability attracts scammers who exploit systems, often taking advantage of referral and reward schemes on gaming platforms.  Given these circumstances, there is a clear need for iGaming companies to ensure that their activities foster mutually beneficial partnerships and achieve top-tier marketing standards. Fortunately, as the industry evolves, it is becoming more secure.

To assist your company in safeguarding against digital threats and reducing losses, we have prepared the following tips:

  • Detect and manage irregular traffic by tracing cookies and conducting Geo-IP checks.
  • Block suspicious IPs, utilize first-party cookies, and implement IP blacklists.
  • Monitor for unusual small deposit patterns and enhance fraud detection with AI and two-step verification.
  • Strengthen account security with robust passwords and behavioral monitoring.
  • Combat ad fraud by analyzing metrics such as viewability and click-to-install times, employing verification services, and setting anti-spam thresholds.
  • Prevent fake account creation and commission dodging with CAPTCHA, improved tracking security, and discrepancy checks.
  • Address software fraud by identifying automation patterns and regularly updating defenses against bots. 

Summary

No fear, just skill!

We’ve diligently compiled essential insights on potential challenges and common apprehensions that you can meet on a thorny but fascinating way of promoting your digital app such as emphasizing the significance of ASO, SEO, and navigating legal challenges. It outlines strategies like leveraging advertising networks, combating fraud, and utilizing direct marketing to enhance visibility, engagement, and competitiveness in the iGaming industry, making it a crucial read for industry professionals.

To target profitable advertising campaigns and become a true champion in the betting world, delve into the  Tips for Advertising at Sporting Events 2024.

If you are passionate about reaching as many sources related to iGaming as possible, join us here.