Online Gambling market overview on trends and results in 2023

In this article we will highlight the positive changes that 2023 has brought to Gambling industry, mark noticeable marketers’ mistakes and overlook the impact of AI tools implementation in the work process.

More to that, we will spill the thoughts and predictions on the Gambling industry in the upcoming year!

Online Gambling in 2023 & 2024: watch webinar by RichAds

Recently RichAds hosted a webinar devoted to discussing very essential topics regarding the Gambling industry in 2023 and the upcoming year. You can check the whole video on RichAds’ YouTube channel, where our team shares educational content for marketers, interviews with experts and reports from attending star events!

As for RichAds, we’ve been working with Gambling and Betting traffic actively on ad formats provided by our advertising network. Also, we hold several awards — 1st place as “iGaming Traffic Source of the year” by SiGMA Europe 2022, as well as 2nd place as “Top Ad Network” by the US portal OfferVault in 2022.

We’re constantly growing and aim to spread specialist knowledge and contribute to the Online Gambling industry not only with quality traffic, but with educational materials!

Meet the experts of the online Gambling market!

Now it’s time to present the experts of the online Gambling field, who shared their expertise as speakers in the webinar!

Online Gambling industry trends and results in 2023

Within the discussion on progress and achievements in Gambling industry in 2023, we asked our experts to share their opinion and observations. Let’s hear what they’ve got on the issue!

“2023 has been a good year for us and the Gambling industry. Some significant regulations were introduced, which opened opportunities to explore new markets.

The USA market is showing promising trends, so we keep a closer look at them.

Also it’s worth mentioning challenges, mostly caused by numerous Google updates affecting affiliates. We anticipate more updates in the upcoming year-end and are getting prepared to adjust.”

“It’s been a good year for Betsson — we’ve experienced consistent growth of 20-30% each quarter, primarily in the Casino and Sportsbook sectors.

While focusing on improving the mobile user experience we’ve done a great job on native apps.

Our key growth drivers were Latin America, Southeast Asia and Western Europe, while Nordic countries still present certain challenges.

Working closely with SEO we didn’t observe severe impacts from Google updates as an operator, though affiliates might’ve been affected by them. As for now we don’t need to worry about at least updates from Google, but it’s unclear what the future might bring.”

“For starters, it needs to be considered how fast Online Gambling is growing — in 2022 it was valued at $63 billion, but by the end of the year it’s expected to be worth $153 billion.

At Alpha Affiliates we’ve witnessed a 20% increase in partners since the start of the year, and have expanded our partners network globally. Operating in 50 countries, we introduced new iGaming brands like Spinch, Rakoo and Casino Infinity.

Our substantial payouts, exceeding €50 million last year, reflect our network of over two million players worldwide. Thus it shows how incredibly fast the Online Gambling market is gaining.”

Best Gambling creatives examples in 2024

Regulations and new online Gambling markets in 2023 and promising markets in 2024

Touching this topic, we decided to put more focus on what regulations and new markets were introduced to the Online Gambling industry in 2023, as well as what markets appear most promising in the upcoming year. Let’s hear what our experts can share on this one!

“For us, the United States is of big interest, as we closely observe state regulations and the licensing developments. It’s safe to say that regarding the US market the growth will only continue.

Also Asia poses interest, as Japan is potentially entering regulations in 2024, which would be a significant step.

As of the rest, we keep a close look at Latin America, in particular at Argentina, Peru and Mexico.”

“Along with the growth of the Online Gambling industry, we face really strong competition. To be able to compete properly, we aim to consistently improve services and attract local customers, for example via our Affiliate Race.

Regarding regulations, it’s worth mentioning that regulators can make new rules and update existing ones. For instance, Curaçao introduced LOK intending to improve the safety of affiliates in the industry.

Another thing to bear in mind is that legalisation, like in Brazil, might cause more competition as local entrepreneurs find it easier to enter. All of that shows that as new markets get introduced to the international field, the new challenges do, too!”

“Betsson is closely following the situations in Brazil, Peru and the US.

The USA seems like an interesting market for affiliates, meanwhile operators face challenges as big brands dominate there.

We closely watch Peru due to the fact that our top three brands are there. Brazil is a very big market and we really hope to see clearer regulations there next year.

The Nordics, particularly Finland, are expected to break the ice as we hope at least due to 2026.

Since Betsson strategies focus mainly on regulated markets, we keep monitoring situations, but Latin America is currently the most interesting for us.”

“We at RichAds also witness the enormous volumes of traffic for Latin America.

As the market is growing there, the more products appear as well as more campaigns are being launched. Thus Latin America remains one of the main focus regions for us.”

How to launch Gambling in Brazil: learn expert insights

AI in Online Gambling industry in 2023: implementation and main impact

It’s impossible to deny the pace of AI tools entering the affiliate marketing field. So we asked the experts to share what they think of AI tools in the Gambling industry, the key points of integrating them and expected impact.
We also have a video on implementing AI into affiliate work on RichAds YouTube channel. As of making landings, creatives or even optimizing ad campaigns!

“Mostly as for SEO and design department AI tools help with making fast templates and presenting ideas across departments.

The design teams use Adobe suits with inbuilt AI tools for efficient work, including experimenting with Adobe Firefly for more AI-generated content. We use AI mostly to edit already existing projects and upscale third-party elements with Gigapixel, rather than making from scratch due to copyright possibilities.

Data teams utilise AI tools like Snowflake for estimating NDC lifetime values, predicting promotion outcomes, identifying responsible gambling issues, data management, and AI fraud detection.

From a marketing perspective, Surfer SEO‘s AI content optimization tool is employed, and there’s interest in text-to-voice AI tools, video AI tools, automated ad creation, and AI for AB testing.

In SEO, we avoid using AI, preferring manual content creation, but consider AI content for Sportsbook event pages. For SEO, AI is mainly about efficiency, using tools like ChatGPT and Anchor AI for tasks like Excel formulas and offsite research.

Meanwhile for smaller non-English markets AI tools efficiency is doubtful, so we wait for improvement in the future.”

“Our company is a big fan of AI. ChatGPT’s Advanced Data Analysis feature is beneficial, especially for analyzing internal links and anchors in large datasets.

The new ‘Browse with Bing’ feature in beta is useful for AB testing and analyzing external websites. We’ve experimented with text-to-video using Synthesia for localizing content, and while it’s not fully polished, we hope for future improvements in 2024.

In terms of SEO tools, AI proves valuable for data analysis, keyword research, and backlink analysis, enhancing efficiency.

I strongly disapprove of using AI for content generation, as it lacks the creativity and value for the users that manual content creation offers. Speaking of creativity, the latest update in DALL.E 3 has significantly improved image generation, reducing issues with artifacts and increasing overall design quality. But I don’t recommend generating images just for the sake of it, the tool is excellent for improving design quality and generating new ideas.”

“We use AI tools to monitor our affiliate networks, investing in top-notch technologies to assist our partners in understanding their markets. AI holds unrevealed potential, improving customer experiences through virtual assistance and helping marketers in predicting industry trends and making campaigns match consumers’ needs.

We appreciate Humble AI for discovering new PPC affiliates and DeepCI for monitoring Google search results, allowing affiliates to stay updated on trends and strategically position themselves.

Additionally, we recommend Google Analytics, Semrush, and HRS for website optimization, as a visually appealing website attracts more interest. The integration of AI and tools fits our approach.”

“I recognize the value of AI in accelerating and streamlining work processes, solving challenges like the blank list. But certain fields require the expertise of human specialists, like copywriters due to their experience and knowledge, especially when dealing with unpublished market information.

It’s essential to be careful about sharing sensitive information with AI. I’m aware of cases when affiliates or marketers shared internal data with ChatGPT, not realizing that such data could be stored and potentially shared with competitors. To prevent this, it’s recommended to use synthetic data or modify real data when conducting analyses to avoid compromising confidential information.”

What is RichAds?
🔝 Push and pop ads,
🔼 Domain redirect traffic,
🔝 CPM for domain ads starts from $ 1.5,
⏫ CPC for push ads starts from $ 0.003,
🔼 CPM for pops — from $0.5 in Tier 3, $1 in Tier 1,
⏫ large volumes of available traffic in more than 200 goes.

Online Gambling market trends, predictions and tendencies for 2024

Within this topic our experts shared predictions and analysis on trends and tendencies that are expected to occur in the Gambling and Betting in 2024. The issues mentioned within this discussion are related not only to the Online Gambling industry in 2024 in general, but also to particular aspects in promotion, niches and slot/mechanics.

“As more regulations in the Online Gambling market kick in, being an early mover provides many advantages in building a long-lasting brand.

Trends observed in 2023, likely continuing in 2024, include the growth of features like bonus buy, drop and win tournaments, TBO spins, high volatility/high win games, bonus rounds, Mega way content, and grid slots in the Casino sector.

In Sportsbook-focused markets like Brazil and Peru, crash games are warmly welcomed, reflecting sports betting mechanics. Live casino game shows are gaining in popularity, particularly with new users, serving as an entry point to explore more live casino games.

While NFT gambling and in-game skin betting have been explored, their future impact remains unclear due to the unstable situation within the NFT market.”

“Crash games have become a massive global trend starting with Aviator, followed by JetX and the Chicken Game. In developing markets like Latin America, these games are becoming more and more popular.

It’s really hard to miss the trend of new bonuses, such as bonus buying, that gains in popularity. Users are more likely to choose platforms that offer these innovative bonuses. And since bonuses are becoming more personalised, then it’s clear that operators providing personalised bonuses will experience improved retention rates.”

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Main mistakes made by affiliates in the online Gambling in 2023 and how to avoid them in future

In this topic we suggested our experts to highlight some parts of affiliate business where mistakes might and were made during 2023. Let’s pay a closer look at this, as avoiding repeating them might be a great improvement!

“On behalf of Betsson we think that avoiding many typical mistakes might be made by providing accurate data to manage operator expectations, avoiding overpromising and underdelivering.

It’s advised to maintain good communication, addressing issues straightforwardly instead of waiting for contract endings.

Select partners carefully, focus on quality connections and higher trust, as it will turn out as beneficial for affiliates as for operators. While my role is in SEO and not affiliate management, this is the key information I’ve gathered.”

“The most common mistake in affiliate marketing, especially when entering a new GEO, is lacking knowledge about the region, including payment methods, popular slots, and regulations. It’s essential to fully comprehend the product and the market, because success requires time and sufficient budgets.

The key point of avoiding losing while entering a new GEO or vertical is to conduct proper research and calculations.”

“In terms of affiliate mistakes, we can highlight some significant issues that can seriously affect user experience. The major one is reusing data without fact-checking, leading to misleading information, especially regarding slots RTP.

Another noticeable mistake involves neglecting to regularly check and update terms and conditions, with many affiliates recycling outdated information from larger players.

A severe concern is working with operators who are not actively promoting responsible gambling, lacking support programs or time-outs for users. In 2024, addressing these issues is very important.”

Gambling and Betting Promotion for Newbies in 2023

Who should be responsible for the retention and engagement of users in the online Gambling industry?

This discussion is dedicated to issues of pointing out what side must be held responsible for the retention and user engagement: affiliates or operators? Let’s see what our experts have to say on that!

“In my opinion, both the affiliate and the operator should share responsibility for retention and engagement.

It’s a collaborative effort where both parties should cooperate, share data, and work together to achieve what we call profit.”

“I’m absolutely sure that both sides should be considered responsible for it.

When operators connect with their affiliates, a profitable partnership can be established for both sides. It’s very important for affiliates and operators to work together on this.”

“Well, operators always aim to maximize engagement and value from potential customers. From the affiliate perspective, the key is to bring in valuable users who aren’t bonus abusers, as operators typically dislike such practices.

It’s essential for both sides to focus on attracting users who contribute positively to the platform.”

“I 100% agree that there should be a partnership where affiliates support operators, and vice versa. It’s all about working together.”

What is RichAds?
🔝 Push and pop ads,
🔼 Domain redirect traffic,
🔝 CPM for domain ads starts from $ 1.5,
⏫ CPC for push ads starts from $ 0.003,
🔼 CPM for pops — from $0.5 in Tier 3, $1 in Tier 1,
⏫ large volumes of available traffic in more than 200 goes.

Q&A Section Answers with Online Gambling market experts!

In this part we will provide answers to the audience’s questions our experts did on our live webinar.

1. What GEOs give the most profit at the moment?

“The most profitable GEOs for us are German speakers (Germany, Switzerland, Austria), as well as English speakers (Canada, Australia) and some Nordic countries.

Also Tier 2 European countries like Hungary, Greece, and Poland are performing well.

We aim to increase our traffic in GEOs such as Brazil, India, and some Tier 3 countries in Latin America, in the upcoming year.”

2. How fast can positive ROI be reached working with SEO channel in Online Gambling?

“The speed of achieving positive ROI through SEO channel in Online Gambling varies depending on whether it’s an affiliate or operator site, and it heavily relies on the market dynamics.

In new markets, it might be easier to get positive results, especially if you prepare in advance for upcoming regulations. But in stable markets with numerous competitors, the competition is tough, requiring heavy investments.

The timeline for positive results can range from 6 to 12 months, likely more than a year.”

“In my experience, achieving positive ROI through SEO channel in Online Gambling typically takes at least six months to one year.

This duration covers both the initial stage of setting up and optimizing the site and the sub stages involving investments and other strategic efforts.”

Gambling industry trends for affiliates in 2024

3. Should we expect high profits from the Asia betting side?

“If we’re talking about the Asian markets — they are very lucrative and can generate a lot of profit. The population is quite big as well, so there is definitely a big interest there. But it really depends on the approach, strategy and the market knowledge.”

4. How different the Finance traffic can be?

“In the Finance vertical, the diversity of traffic is notable. The Finance audience varies — some prioritize anonymity and lean for casinos, while others value media presence.

Targeting Finance casino brands requires specific keywords, focusing less on slots.

Finance brands, especially those related to payment systems, tend to be more user-friendly, offering better bonuses and faster withdrawals, creating a different dynamic within the Finance vertical.”

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5. What’s the optimal budget for Online Gambling ad campaigns in Tier 1 countries?

“For Push ads or Native ads in Tier 1 countries like the US, I recommend a budget of at least $5000, given the already high CR and large traffic volumes.

If someone’s not familiar with it, Push ads are the format that reflects messengers’ notifications and is shown to users as a result of subscribing to it from publishers’ sites.
Native ads are the type that gets integrated to the content of a site as organically as possible and prevents banner blindness and AdBlock restrictions.

Meanwhile, for SEO campaigns in the same tier, success may require a higher budget, as I’ve heard that even $1 million might not be enough.”

“For SEO channel in Online Gambling campaigns in Tier 1 countries like the US, estimating the budget is challenging. From experience, we worked with a brand with a budget between 200 and 300 million per year, and it wasn’t enough.

Entering the US with a smaller budget is possible, but you have to be realistic. Only by choosing states with lower competition and finding a unique angle might bring success. So it’s more about the importance of research time and data, especially when not operating with massive budgets.”

“Especially for affiliates, a big budget is necessary. But for operators, particularly entering the US, where big brands dominate, possibly billions required.

Affiliates can manage with smaller budgets by focusing on specific states or products. The key is to concentrate efforts, possibly targeting multiple regions or creating different websites for various strategies and splitting the budget accordingly. But it is expected to be very expensive anyway.”

Case study: how to advertise online Gambling on Push ads

6. What is better for Online Gambling offers: CPA or RevShare?

“The choice between CPA and RevShare for Online Gambling offers depends on the traffic source. For platforms like Google, PPC, Facebook, or Push and Pop ads, I prefer CPA deals.

Popups or Popunders are quite cheap and effective, due to their ability to avoid platform restrictions, and everything might be shown on pre-landing or landing pages. They provide quick budgets for reinvestment.

On the other hand, for SEO, I believe RevShare is the better option, as if you work long-term — you earn long-term.”

“In the early stages of your affiliate journey, CPA is better as you can reinvest your income into more campaigns.

For long-term cooperation, RevShare is the preferred choice.”

“From the operator’s perspective, RevShare is more preferable because CPA deals can become tricky if regulations change or user value decreases due to deposit limits, for example. RevShare seems more agreeable from the operator’s side.”

“I believe it really depends on the deal, but in my opinion, a combination of CPA and RevShare offers the best solution, covering all types of risks and considering the increasing competitiveness in the markets. For both sides, CPA plus RevShare is probably the best solution this year and the next.”

How to gain Gambling traffic

7. How do I check if the Casino site is properly localized?

“The best approach is to collaborate with local specialists and seek expert checks in the respective language. While there are shortcuts involving a combination of human and AI, currently, working with local experts remains the most effective method.”

“A good approach to ensure proper localization for an Online Gambling site is to engage local experts who can provide guidance on cultural nuances, mindset, and accurate translations.”

“Usually we ask around in the company as we have an international team, especially in the marketing department.

If lacking such resources, one can consider options like hiring a copywriter for content creation and another copywriter for proofreading and checking, which could be a cost-effective solution for accurate localization. Though with Gambling copywriters it can be tricky, as there are not many specialists with in-depth knowledge in the field.”

Pre-landing page examples for leading verticals

Check out more affiliate marketing insights at RichAds’ YouTube channel!

The RichAds YouTube channel is an excellent source of information on all aspects of affiliate marketing. The channel features short videos, webinars, and roundtable discussions with experts. You can also find the other webinars hosted by RichAds.

On the channel, you can find a lot of tips and tricks as well as webinars for the main verticals:

More to that  — recently we attended a couple of iGaming conferences such as SiGMA Europe 2023 in Malta and Scandinavian Gaming Show (SGS) 2023 in Stockholm. So now we share a video on iGaming topics almost daily!

Feel free to Subscribe to our YouTube channel and click the bell icon not to miss new videos! We plan to add up to 10 videos each month. Stay tuned for our next video.

SiGMA Europe 2023: See event photos and videos from RichAds

Conclusion

As we’ve summarized all the main Online Gambling trends and results in 2023, as well as providing you with predictions for the upcoming year, feel free to use it! 2023 has been a good year for iGaming industry, and 2024 seems like a bright continuation. Along with more opportunities open each year, the more profits are to be gathered!

We don’t recommend you to wait for the next year to come, and start your campaign right now! RichAds provides high volumes of quality traffic on Push, Pops, iOS In-page and Native ads for all top verticals including Gambling and Betting. Start your campaign now and wait for the next year only to reinvest for more profits!

What is RichAds?
🔝 Push and pop ads,
🔼 Domain redirect traffic,
🔝 CPM for domain ads starts from $ 1.5,
⏫ CPC for push ads starts from $ 0.003,
🔼 CPM for pops — from $0.5 in Tier 3, $1 in Tier 1,
⏫ large volumes of available traffic in more than 200 goes.

List of 30 iGaming events & conferences in 2024