iGaming operators are expanding into emerging markets like Asia and Latin America, where regulatory shifts and untapped player bases drive growth. As competition increases, traffic quality is becoming as important as user acquisition, with a stronger focus on vetted sources and fraud prevention to support retention.
Data from SEO Casino, a casino agency with deep expertise in iGaming, highlights the pressure building in the space. Acquisition costs have climbed sharply, rising around 60 per cent from $19 to $29 per user on average, and reaching as high as $250–650 for first-time depositors. This has pushed operators to rethink their approach, with greater reliance on affiliates and signs of consolidation across the market.
Speaking to SiGMA News over the issue, Han Zhang, also known as Megan, VP of Sales at MGSkyAds, said entering a new market isn’t about throwing more money at ads and hoping for results. It’s about being deliberate to build a structured approach to traffic from day one, rather than trying to fix poor-quality acquisition later.
“Before entering a new market, one must first conduct a survey to research the potential of that geo. Then check the resources they already have, such as ad exchanges and databases, to see if the geo is already covered,” she said.
Need for evaluation
This early-stage evaluation, she explained, helps operators understand both demand and feasibility. It is followed by a closer look at the local publisher ecosystem, identifying popular apps and assessing potential partnerships.
“Traffic quality is not just about installs, it’s about what users do after they enter the product”
– Megan, VP Sales, MGSkyAds
“After that, analyse the publisher landscape, what apps are popular and whether publishers are open to collaboration,” she added. “To sum up, it starts with evaluation, followed by finding the right traffic sources.”
Among those sources, paid advertising remains dominant. Platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Google continue to offer scale that is difficult to match through other channels. “From our experience, paid ads come first,” Megan said. “Platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Google provide a wide range of traffic sources.”
Social media, a primary source
Megan’s assessment is backed by industry trends. Social media platforms have become central to user acquisition, with billions of impressions delivered daily across global markets. Internal figures reported in recent years suggest that high-risk advertising, including illegal gambling and scam-related promotions, accounts for a notable share of overall ad revenue.
In 2025 alone, Meta reported quarterly advertising revenues of $58 billion in the final quarter, with strong year-on-year growth. Separate internal estimates have indicated that scam-related advertising, including illegal gambling, has contributed billions of dollars annually, at one stage representing roughly a tenth of total ad revenue.
Despite increased scrutiny, the scale remains vast. Reports indicate that billions of high-risk advertisements continue to circulate daily across platforms, targeting users in multiple jurisdictions. Governments in countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines have attempted crackdowns, though enforcement remains complex and resource-intensive.
Does influencer promotion help?
Alongside paid media, Megan pointed to influencers and affiliates as important secondary channels. While affiliates remain highly varied in their approach, influencers can deliver stronger engagement when their content aligns closely with gaming audiences. “Influencers can deliver high-quality users, especially when they are focused on gaming or iGaming niches,” she said.
Yet attracting users is only part of the equation. A recurring issue for operators is the prevalence of low-quality traffic, users who register, claim bonuses and then leave. “This is a common issue, users install, register, claim bonuses and then disappear,” Megan noted.
Filtering ‘bonus hunters’
Another problem which troubles iGaming platforms is the ‘bonus hunters’, often driven by short-term incentives or product loopholes. “Traffic can also come from one-time campaigns where users join only for bonuses,” Megan explained. “So you must identify if there are any loopholes in the product that attract such users.”
For operators seeking rapid growth, however, scale remains a key priority. Megan said major digital platforms continue to deliver the fastest results due to their global reach. “For fast growth, we still recommend major paid channels like Facebook, Google and TikTok,” she said. “With enough budget, you can scale quickly.”
So, as industry expands further into new regions, advertisers believe a balance between scale and sustainability is becoming harder to manage. Though there are readily available tools to reach vast audiences, ensuring those users translate into long-term value, as Megan believes, is a defining challenge for operators worldwide.
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