Optimizing Performance Marketing Channels for High-Value Player Acquisition in Regulated Betting

Some might say operating the grey market is a lot more simple than sustaining an iGaming business in a regulated one.

The complex mix of restrictions and scrutiny, piled on top of never-ending compliance pressure can become stifling for almost anyone. Doing all this while efficiently maintaining operations and scaling becomes more than a challenge.

That’s why you need to optimize what you can.

Reduce the persistent effort and cost of endless, no-loyalty players coming onto your platform. Improve precision in targeting by relying on:

• Data-backed
• Channel-specific
• Hyper-focused 

performance marketing plays.

The channels — from programmatic and paid social to PPC — must need to be checked and streamlined. But you can only do that when you are able to accurately identify who a “high-value player” is when it comes to online gambling.

Here are some common ways to identify which players add most value to your regulated betting operation:

• Lifetime value
• Retention period
• Average revenue per user (ARPU)

Of course, your identification can be based on more than these KPIs. Let’s understand this in more detail, and figure out how the performance marketing mediums can offer better value per acquisition.

Who is a ‘High-value Player’?

In this section we will be looking at some of the ways in which this category can be clearly visualized, how to segment it and how compliance intersects with their acquisition.

The Constituents of ‘High-value’

There are behavioural factors at play which make high-value players stand out. In simple terms, someone who engages:

• More frequently
• For longer durations
• Consistently across a period of time

Is a player that offers up higher value as compared to others to any iGaming business. 

Metrics like these can be captured by deeply gathering and studying the engagement metrics on your betting platform. What should you be making note of?

• Session duration: When a player comes onto your platform, how long do they remain active in one go. 
• Session frequency: How often does this player visit your betting site or app in a given period of time.
• Deposit behaviours: Do they deposit money for in-app bets in large lumpsums or do they make smaller cumulative deposits that come together to create a large sum?
• Cross-channel play: Are they engaging only on your website, without being present on your app? Or are they multi-channel players? (Keeping in mind your gambling site is responsive and can support such transitions.)

Again, here you have the option of diving even deeper to make note of how such users tick.

1. When placing bets, do they wager primarily on niche wagers or do they only stick to the mainstream ones?
2. Are they putting money on cumulative outcomes, like parlays (i.e. showing their understanding of the gaming format and its specifics like betting limits)?
3. Do they engage with your communications and in-app messages?

Asking such questions is relevant in forming a clear division between the higher value players and others, so that marketing strategies can be tailored towards acquiring more of them.

Intent Signals and Segmentation

Potential players can make a lot of moves which look like interest but it makes sense to act on only those signals which bear the most potential to convert into revenue. Let’s understand what they may look like across different platforms:

• Search Terms

“Free sports bets” (low intent, bonus hunting player) versus “best odds for Lakers vs Celtics” (high intent, potentially valuable)

• Social Media

Engagement metrics can show you what user is higher in intent. Someone leaving a post ‘like’ can be seen as lower in intent than someone watching a reel 70% of the way through.

On a basic level, identifying your highest intent bettors depends on your first-party data, i.e. the metrics visible through the presence of individuals on your own website (as stated above).

However, in case this data is not enough to pinpoint players who are going to provide higher-value betting revenue, you can rely on third-party data to supplement the lack. Such data can help you further bridge the information gap. 

Here’s what this includes:

1. Industry reports

You can scope out the total number of interested or already-engaged players in your operational area. For instance, a quick look at the UKGC reports over various quarters will tell you how many sports betting fans exist for tennis or soccer, and how much revenue they contribute to. This will help you assess whether the business has enough room to exist and grow in. Affiliate networks can similarly scope out the potential for earnings based on activity metrics.

2. Google trends or similar websites

Examining the general way in which search trends are present in a given area within a contemporary period of time will tell you how much interest there is. To capture more high-value or better quality of intent, you can search for longer tail keywords or more specific terms.

3. Social listening

Monitor online mentions of the general category of wagering you’re providing to users. This will help you in two-ways:

• Learn whether the medium finds traction (and thus, whether your performance marketing strategy should include it.)
• Find out how much chatter exists for your casino betting offering. In a way the depth and volume of such conversations will tell you how much conversion-ready audience exists for it.

The Role of Compliance

In a broad sense, this entire activity of locating your target audience might make it appear as though you’re seeking out problem gamblers who are likely to blow more money into the system.

But that is not the case. 

A problem gambler isn’t a high-value player. What you need is a long-term sustainable relationship with a player who enjoys high stakes wagering from time to time. This is someone who displays respect for betting limits and practices responsible gaming, whenever they do choose to bet.

In simple terms: the ideal player is a retained one. Whether you’re an operator, brand or affiliate, a high-value player offers long-term returns for all involved — revenue in GGR or NGR terms, and continual payouts for revenue sharing affiliates.

The data backs this up. According to research by Frederick Reichheld of Net Promoter Score, you can see between a 25% and 95% increase in profits when the customer retention goes up by as little as 5%.

Performance Marketing Channels in the Betting Ecosystem

Pay Per Click or Paid Search

A simple strategy that emphasises on AEO or voice-based search can be used even when running paid search campaigns. Here are some basic tenets to seek out:

• Target long-tail keywords: Think “betting on player props in Ohio state” versus “online betting”. It’s clear which one signals intent optimally, giving you access to those players who are more likely to actually complete the conversion journey from registration to placing at least one bet (potentially followed by many more).
• Maintain a negative keyword list: Words like ‘free’ and ‘no overheads’ show a fuss-free, simple user experience — something higher-value customers actually want on their platform. 

In addition, your betting ads can be more dynamic during game seasons to attract avid retail bettors to your platform with strategies catered towards their preferences.

For example, if you’re running a live scoreboard or a stock market-style live odds tracker for parlay and other complex bets, make sure your ad copy mentions the same. Such features can be important in signalling a more premium experience for such players.

Paid Social

There are platform-specific challenges that emerge when you’re trying to run iGaming related ads on social media platforms. The rules for what ad is accepted and what isn’t are very well-defined and stringent — violating them isn’t an option.

What you can do is understand the regulations and work around them, while taking advantage of the in-built features to help your brand or operation become more visible.

Here are some ways in which this can be done:

• Meta, i.e. Facebook and Instagram allow you to create lookalike audiences based on your existing data on high-value players (present on your customer relationship management platform).
• Your content can be more experimental on Tiktok, whether more variety and faster paced material is preferred. However, the regulations are also stricter, since the app is Chinese-run (and iGaming isn’t permitted in the country).
• For real-time promotions of in-play betting, you can turn to X or Twitter — that’s where accessing information in real time can move the needle.

Programmatic Display and Video

There are two use cases for this form of modern advertising when it comes to marketing to high-value players. 

• Top of the funnel

Build awareness about the product or brand by putting your gambling display ads on websites and pages that deal specifically in sports-based content (think: Sports Illustrated or ESPN) if you’re a sportsbook. 

This style of immersion will enable audiences to become familiar with your offerings while they indulge in their interests, creating a psychological bridge in their mind. Over multiple sessions, they’re going to attempt to go deeper, crossing the first stage of the funnel into further stages.

• Bottom of the funnel

At this point, you can capture lost interest through effective retargeting campaigns. Win back those who registered but didn’t go through with actually betting. Understand their drop-off reasons and optimize what you communicate to resolve the reason for their hesitation.

Using varying levels of personalization is essential in wooing high-value players. In fact, beyond simple user acquisition, more often than not, someone who engages fairly frequently is going to expect such attention (as is deserved) — fixable in the short term through a combination of player retention strategies, and in the long-term through loyalty programs.

Influencer and Creator Paid Campaigns

Increasingly, more innovative means of audience engagement is required to capture both interest and conversions. That’s where the influencer economy comes into play.

Influencers become key stakeholders in the promotional process through their involvement in two areas of marketing:

• As content creators for their personal brand, pitching your products to their audience
• As affiliate marketers, who become part of the conversion funnel and run performance-based campaigns

In either case, transparency is imperative. Such promoters must disclose to their audience when a piece of content isn’t organic or natural, but instead a paid promotion. If they’re on Meta platforms, adding hashtags like “#Ad” or “#Partnership” solves the purpose.

Native Advertising

Traction can be built through content placement on websites which already have high trust and wide (but relevant) audiences. If your primary offering is reality show betting, then you should conduct native advertising in:

• US Weekly
• DailyMail
• Buzzfeed

Lead with something that actually offers value to such an audience. Your articles could be predictive or descriptive, focused on the most relevant, recent and highly watched reality television shows of the moment.

End the article with a call-to-action. Place it naturally, and make it seem like a valid part of the argument. 

As with any other medium, the insight is relevant: audiences are heavily invested in such shows, forming para-social relationships with the individuals on such shows. What’s more? Fandoms and other media act to further build divides and create clear in-groups.

Want to really invest in supporting your favs? Bet on their future. 

And that’s precisely how you’ll be pitching to high-value potentials in your target audience.

Betting-related Regulatory Challenges and Compliance Considerations

Geo-specific Ad Restrictions

There are global rules which are common across multiple countries. These are usually broad spectrum and can be applied near universally, without fault. 

• Appealing to only those who are 18+
• Not sharing misleading information or offers
• Adding responsible gambling in promotional content

And so on. Such operative rules are visible across geos.

However, specific geos also have rules imposed by their given regulatory bodies. Let’s take a look at some specific instances:

• UK’s ban on celebs promoting betting

In one of the world’s largest and most regulated betting markets, gambling advertisements featuring social media influencers, sports figures and popular celebrities who appeal to under-18 audiences are now banned.

The reason is simple: due to the parasocial relationships existing between such famous people and their underage audiences, the latter may feel the need to engage in iGaming since the former is the one trying to get more users on the platform.

• Canadian restrictions on sign-up offers

In Ontario, online gambling operators and sportsbooks can still offer bonus matching and no-risk first bets. However, the same cannot be advertised to bring users onto their website or apps. 

Considering that sign-up bonuses are one of the most commonly used pulls for bringing players onto a platform, especially if they’re first-time users, this was a big hit to the promotional apparatus within Canada.

• State-wise rules in the USA

Here’s a unique instance, which ties in deeply with localization and hyper-targeted offers — two golden parachutes for the picking out high-value players. In the USA, both come together due to the fractured legal restrictions, present across state lines.

Such individualized rules make retail betting, for instance, legal in Kansas and North Carolina, but illegal in Texas and Alabama. Such regional variations need to be accounted for when running promotional campaigns, especially through the paid medium.

Depending on what kind of brand or operation you’re running, or the directives within a campaign (as an affiliate), you need to tailor where you spend most of your effort, time and energy. This starts with knowing where the given activity is legal (including the boundaries of such legality).

Consider sports betting. If you know where betting on sports is legal, you’ll be able to run time-sensitive, regionally-sound offers within audience groups who can act on such information.

Advertising Guidelines

As discussed previously, a certain baseline of rules is set when you aggregate all the legal and compliance requirements across channels. Let’s dive into a more detailed understanding.

• Restricted words

Certain words and phrases should be avoided when running trying to acquire users through such channels. Some of the ‘no-no’ phrases include “bonus bet”, “risk-free spins” or “certain wins”. 

They are poor choices for two reasons:

1. They are not going to appeal to most high-value players. Such individuals are likely to enjoy the thrill of risk that comes with real-money gaming. 
2. Such claims are misleading and are to some extent blatantly false. Promoting your business in this manner is likely to be against the norms laid down in most regulated markets.

• Age-gated content

All the copy and messaging from you must have clear disclaimers and language that specifically shares that it isn’t meant for underage audiences. Since the interwebs are a common space for all — in the case of betting and every other industry — it is on you to create a moat and keep out the unwanted visitors.

Again, your performance marketing channels are lacking in such warnings and messagings, you’re going to face the music when any part of your iGaming advertising gets flagged.

• Emphasis on safety

Pushing for multi-plays and emphasising that barrier-free engagement is possible for as long as a user wants is a bad practice. Operating in a regulated market means a clear understanding that the safety of players is a core business responsibility, and all your communications and practices should reflect the same.

Platform-specific Rules

Betting as a game comes under ‘real money gaming’ and when the potential for harm is present, platforms like to have guardrails to ensure none of their users fall victim.

So when you run social media campaigns or PPC campaigns to build an audience, there must be a clear understanding of which platforms allow:

• What kind of content
• What kind of language
• What kind of visuals
• What kind of promotional tactics

There are major platforms you may use, namely, Meta and Google. Since a majority of the world’s internet users (Google Search has a 90%+ share in the global search engine market), you’re going to have to be careful — platforms are strict, and one mistake can lead to an account suspension.

Once you have strategised on how to use the medium, it is crucial to learn what kind of rules Google and Meta have for such ad campaigns. Optimize your strategy accordingly and you’re ready to get started.

Privacy and Data Use

It all started when Meta was fined €1.2 billion for failing to protect consumer data. The fine was collected under an EU regulation called GDPR. It’s a law that provides users more control over their own data in instances where businesses (in the EU or outside) may process their personal data for business purposes.

The penalties are massive — up to 4% of annual revenue. CCPA is another avenue for user protection enforced in California (USA). Together they form the broad set of laws considered progressive where user rights are concerned — equally responsible for the world moving towards a “cookieless future”.

Getting consent for first-party data is a crucial matter, even in betting marketing. If you’re using performance marketing channels like affiliate marketing, then proper attribution may suffer as a result.

The solution? Switching to tools like Affnook that rely on S2S tracking, eliminating the need for clunky old-school tech like cookies, along with additional benefits:

• Real-time, precise tracking of conversions matched with the affiliate responsible.
• Accurate tracking that doesn’t rely on browser permissions or settings.
• Automated payouts for complex multi-tier commission structures.
• Comprehensive affiliate marketing software that covers all needs, from onboarding to payouts.

Such a transformation in the global compliance framework also means operators and brands must work on building more authentic, transparent commercial relationships with multiple stakeholders — players, regulators, government agencies and partner marketers.

Optimization Practices Across Mediums

Now let’s come to the actual campaign and best practices therein. If you’re already running iGaming campaigns for your online betting business, the basics are already in place.

But how can you do better? Let’s find out.

Creative Optimization

There are various types of iGaming players and the methods of convincing them vary accordingly. But two main approaches generally work (and are useful for A/B testing copy):

• The Emotional Charge

If you’ve ever engaged in highly tenuous fandom-driven sports betting, such as cricket, you may be moved by a copy that tells you to “Feel the game like never before”. 

Such appeals come from non-tangible aspects of participating in wagering such as thrill, escapism, team spirit, pride and social relationships. 

High-value players in cricket betting who engage in occasional play may also be affected by such elements, especially if they’re already involved in the sport. You can also use visuals that drive the message further: lifestyle, brand affinity and so on.

• The Rational Ploy

If, however, you’re trying to reach out to those who think with their heads over their hearts, you may choose a rational approach. This simply implies there’s going to be a clear benefit-based appeal: “Best odds on Team West Indies”.

Use visuals to clearly define this too. Statistics, figures, real metrics and outcomes can be used to push such messages. 

• Create a formal creative fatigue strategy that is cohesive in messaging and allows you to rotate various pre-made creatives and copy as per performance.

Here’s an example of what this implies:

Week 1: Show a video ad which demonstrates bet placement and positive outcome

Week 2: Switch to testimonial ads from real users on your betting platform

Week 3: Use static creatives that show platform features for the niche you’re marketing

You can see how this translates into other types of marketing strategies in sports betting that are built on securing optimized conversions. 

Conversion Funnel Optimization

Performance marketing is built on clear strategy lines. Therefore, before the implementation is taken care of, a well-structured plan of action must be laid down.

In this case, a conversion funnel must be set up. 

When it comes to running online gambling ads (even within the betting category), a clear approach and a solid marketing funnel-based strategy can be a perfect first step in the right direction.

You can also try A/B testing on the landing page. If you’re running a campaign to promote political betting, for instance, check what the pre-election polling data says.

• Create two or more sets of landing pages (based on the candidates participating) and run ads on them based on clear favourites.

Additionally, it is crucial to optimize your sign-up process.

Placing a bet is a time sensitive activity. If you’re running a website with a 6-7 step sign-up process, except drop offs. The only way to make sure this doesn’t happen to you is to cut down on the time it takes to actually get started.

Of course, there could be other reasons too. Which is why analyzing the performance of a campaign is just as important as running it.

Dayparting and Bid Strategy

When are high-value players most active? That’s when you should be promoting your brand or product offerings to them. Dayparting is a strategy which allows you to do this.

Bids are most likely to increase during evenings and weekends (prime leisure times). This can go up even further in the lead up to major events (i.e. sports matches or television show finales). Depending on your niche, map events that are relevant and plan your promotional calendar across marketing mediums accordingly.

The other aspect here is optimizing your bids. On Google, bids can be placed based on return on ad spend. Reflecting on metrics used to assign such values will help you improve outcomes and prevent “ad spend waste” here. 

Link outcomes to your predicted LTV, i.e. how much true value a high-value user is likely to bring to your business. This should rely on multiple deposit instances, and not simply be fixed on the first time deposit (FTD). 

Emphasis on the ‘return’ because wherever PPC campaigns are present, spends need to be managed to create revenue, and then profit.

Geo and Device Optimization

We have already discussed a state-wise or country-level approach. But high-value players are few and far between such large geographical units.

So you must go granular.

Think: city or district level sorting of players, and optimizing your ads, landing page and in-app notification content accordingly. If you’re a multi-device operator, supporting both desktop and mobile betting, then this micro-level targeting will engage players further, improving on-site time.

After every campaign or major betting event, breakdown the user participation by medium to get a clear picture of who your most avid bettors are and where they join in from — and who they lean towards. Campaigns in the future can further personalize messaging on these fronts.

Audience Layering and Lookalike Modeling

This is an advanced technique that uses your existing data points on high-value bettors to find more such players through performance marketing campaigns.

Here’s how it works:

1. Create a baseline for who high-value is in your specific case. For instance, is it all players who bet over $1000? This measurement should also consist of the timeframe for this revenue generation since the focus is on LTV.
2. Upload the “seed audience” specifics to a platform like Meta and fetch a “1% Lookalike Audience”. The demographic and other identifiers will be used to seek out and target betting enthusiasts who fit your existing definition of ‘high-value player’.
3. Then, add on layering. This way your campaign will seek out an audience who is high-value and fits within the niche you cater to (say, esports betting). 

You should also look at novel methods that help you stand out in a crowded regulated market, in major geos where several other brands, operators and promoters are already present.

Partnerships and sponsorships for events are one way to do it. You don’t need to pour all your resources into a single medium, or spend big sums of money to make a dent. However, innovative strategies during world cups and other such events are a great way to widen your existing funnel.

Data Infrastructure and Measurement Frameworks

Tracking Setup

In contemporary marketing attribution, server-to-server tracking is the only way to get correct, precise mapping of performance. With Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and Google’s decision to depreciate third-party cookies, S2S remains the only viable way. 

When data is directly shared from the operator or brand server to the ad or affiliate tracking platform, it overcomes the challenges posed by client-side pixels and browser-based cookies (both of which can become inactive or be removed).

The outcome?

• Higher reliability
• Less data loss
• Better protection against ad blockers

With consistent data flow between the two servers, you also get the added advantage of real-time insights. Using it, campaign performance can also be optimized live. 

Attribution Models

As an advertiser, operators and brands can choose a model of attribution that best fits into their needs. The most common types are:

• First touch
• Last touch
• Multi-touch

The first and the second options limit credit to individuals who may or may not be responsible for a betting player coming on board. The third type allows for everyone involved in actually making the conversion to get rewarded for it.

Consider this: a user might initially see a programmatic display ad (awareness). Then they may perform a Google search when they actually wish to participate, at which point, a search ad is visible to them (interest and consideration). Finally, a paid social media ad at the time of an event may lead to a conversion.

Not only does this understanding provide a more accurate and holistic view of the entire conversion process, it also shows which channels drive most value at which stage. A data-driven attribution model for this reason wins out clearly — highlighting where budgets can be optimized and strategies can be improved.

LTV Modelling

When a user is acquired, additional analysis can be conducted on their usage patterns to determine early signs of high-value or advantageous LTV, such as:

• First time deposit size 
• Bet types 
• Session duration

So instead of focusing on just obtaining short-term conversions, your performance marketing can be optimized to:

• Woo high-value players
• Retain such players on your platform

This strategy comes with a decent payout for two reasons:

• Retaining users is cheaper than acquiring new ones.
• A single high-value player or whale offers enough revenue up which could be obtained through several tens or sometimes even thousands of one-time retail bettors.

Go from volume-driven to value-driven techniques to improve ROI and user quality, both.

KPI Frameworks for Betting

Of course, the endpoint of all acquisition activity comes down to a metric most know and refer to: cost per acquisition or action (CPA). However, true understanding of outcomes in performance marketing should rely on multiple metrics. 

In the case of affiliate marketing, this could look something like: cost per first time depositor. (CPFTD). This allows you to build up the complete LTV picture from the very first interaction.

The more comprehensive metric would be LTV:CAC ratio. This way you can answer the most relevant marketing question in iGaming — value provided by customers to the cost of acquiring them.

In most industries, a 3:1 LTV to CAC ratio is seen as sustainable for business. 

You can also refer to retention-adjusted ROAS. This chiefly points out the complete revenue outcome from a given ad spend, as long as the acquired player remains within the system. 

Channel Benchmarking

There is no medium which acts as a ‘silver bullet’. However, alignment between medium and message should be observed too. This layer of sophistication is crucial to your betting marketing strategy. 

Sync all three: target audience, campaign medium and intended message. Let’s understand by looking at TikTok’s strengths as a channel.

On a basic level, channel benchmarking is a process which helps you determine which channels are best for your specific needs. By comparing each channel’s potential outcomes against your desired outcome, you can identify:

• Where to place your betting marketing messages,
• What intensity should be adopted in pushing these messages,
• Ways to best use the decided channels, and
• How to boost outcomes by A/B testing on.

The goal is to create a marketing mix where each channel plays to its strength — in the end, delivering to you the most optimal results.

Practically, this means setting up a performance dashboard which logs the most relevant marketing KPIs for your needs. Measurement will lead to analysis, which filters down to a determination of the ideal approach.

In this manner, you can find answers for the most critical questions for your marketing your betting operation:

•  Which channel delivers the lowest CAC or CPFTD (cost per first time depositor)?
• Which channel delivers players who have the most optimal 180-day LTV?
• Which channel secures you players with the best retention rate over a specified time period (30 days, 90 days or 180 days)?

Analysing at this level should reveal certain truths. Here’s a hypothetical example of what results could come out of such a process:

• Running a “Paid Social” campaign on Meta could have led to low acquisition costs. The players acquired through it, however, had little to no LTV over a 90 day period, and they were small value, casual bettors.
• A highly-targeted lookalike audience-based “PPC Campaign” could have delivered 1.25x CAC compared to the previous campaign. However, the LTV over a 180-day period was 5x of the players from the previous campaign.

One crucial determinant of strategy is the “what”. The type of betting you’re promoting is going to matter a lot in narrowing down the type of medium and message you should pick.

Let’s understand this with an example.

When you promote a betting exchange, it is best to use channels like forums and email newsletters to reach niche, experienced audiences who would be interested in unique formats like this. You can advertise the peer-to-peer nature and control over pricing aspect to find prospects who will become players, in this manner.

When you promote a contrarian betting format, you can use more visible, polarising formats like podcasts and influencer channels. Here, the focus should be on targeting those players who bet with the mindset of ‘beating the crowd’, or have an interest in seeking out new modes to gain an edge over peers.

As discussed before, keep an eye out for compliance across all performance marketing channels. Check the advertising laws for whichever type of iGaming you’re marketing.

This type of clarity can help you align marketing spends in a manner that brings you optimal, and more importantly, visible results, i.e. revenue-based markers. 

Instances from the Real World

DraftsKings and Hyper-Localization in the USA

Legalization of various forms of gambling has been a slow process in the USA, with each state adopting its own rules and timeline. In the country, instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, DraftsKings tailored their strategy to individual state regulations.

The approach went something like this: adjusting messaging, promotions, and media buys based on each region’s regulations and fan base.

In this way, they were able to establish a strong base in each state (favouring different types of iGaming) as and when the activity became legal there.

In addition to this, they also partnered with major leagues of NBA, NFL and MLB to boost the credibility and visibility of their brand.

Bet365 and Product-led Acquisition

Many businesses focus on events and flashy bonuses to bring players to their platform. Bet365 did things a little differently.

Instead, they marketed robust and superior features, which are crucial to the user’s experience when they’re betting. Here’s what their marketing pushed:

• In-play betting markets
• Live streaming capabilities
• A variety of live betting options
• User-friendly interface

Think of it from a user’s perspective when it comes to betting apps. Mobile-first features of this nature are the basis of making iGaming experiences enjoyable.

These are the pulls which high-value players seek out for a fuss-free experience. The value of utility is supreme for such a cohort.

Sky Bet and Retention through Community Building

In a mature and highly regulated market like the UK, running a casino and acquiring users can be expensive. 

Sky Bet, therefore, started focusing on retention to improve the outcomes from every acquisition. They launched a loyalty program called “Sky Bet Club”, where users were incentivized to play.

Players could opt-in and place bets that came up to £30 in value to qualify for rewards like free bets, price boosts, free spins and more. By tying the perks to betting activity directly, such an approach boosted the engagement rate and kept players coming back for more.

Summing Up

The time for casting a wide, indiscriminate net is long over.

Now marketing to high-value players must be organised and strategised. The volume of sign-ups is not enough to measure the effectiveness of your performance marketing efforts. Each sign-up should provide a value over time — since each of them comes with a cost.

The path to profitability is paved with precision, data, and an unwavering commitment to compliance.

The core principles of this process come down to three aspects:

1. Identify with precision

Go beyond simple demographic identifiers to find your high-value players.

2. Target with intelligence

Deploy a multi-channel approach, where each channel is optimized based on its strengths.

3. Operate with integrity

Maintain compliance and follow the advertising laws of all the geos you’re marketing in.

The change in marketing is also a shift in mindset. Performance marketing professionals in the betting industry must think from a long-term perspective when evaluating metrics like CAC, CPA and ROI.

By investing in acquiring the right players and implementing robust retention strategies, operators can ensure sustainable growth, enhance profitability, and build a reputable brand that thrives within the bounds of regulation.

To learn more about how you can boost acquisition of high value players, and retain them through a performance marketing channel like iGaming affiliate marketing, connect with us.

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