Written by Mathew Ratty, CEO & Founder TrafficGuard.

In an era where the stakes are high and the competition fierce, sportsbooks face a daunting challenge: staying ahead in a cutthroat market while battling the relentless onslaught of fraudsters.

With revenue projections soaring to £36.5 billion by 2024 and an estimated 180.8 million users globally expected by 2029, the online sports betting industry is a lucrative playground for both legitimate businesses and nefarious actors alike.

The European market, in particular, stands as a battleground where sportsbooks must not only secure profits but also safeguard audience loyalty to maintain their competitive edge. However, lurking beneath the surface lies a shadowy underworld of fraud, where bad actors exploit vulnerabilities to siphon profits and disrupt marketing efforts.

One of the primary weapons wielded by fraudsters is Invalid Traffic (IVT), a stealthy adversary that wreaks havoc on advertising budgets and undermines the effectiveness of campaigns.

Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, a popular choice for marketers seeking to drive traffic, have become prime targets for fraudsters who capitalize on automated bots to generate fake clicks, draining resources and diluting returns on investment.

Fraudsters Follow the Money

But why does ad fraud thrive in the sports betting industry? The answer lies in the pursuit of profit. Free bonuses serve as bait to lure in new customers, yet they also attract fraudsters who exploit loopholes to abuse these incentives.

From creating fake accounts en masse to deploying sophisticated bots across millions of IPs, fraudsters operate with impunity, leaving sportsbooks grappling with the consequences.

Inefficiency in advertising is another driver of huge losses for sportsbooks. When returning customers are using ads to access betting websites, companies are losing new customer attraction and ad campaign budgets.

Taking Out the Competition

To outmanoeuvre the competition and safeguard their bottom line, sportsbooks must adopt a proactive stance against ad fraud. By implementing robust verification measures and setting custom rules to detect and mitigate IVT, companies can reclaim control over their advertising budgets and drive sustainable growth.

Transparency and visibility are paramount, allowing marketers to identify fraudulent activity and allocate resources effectively.

The battle against ad fraud is not merely a defensive manoeuvre; it’s a strategic imperative for sportsbooks seeking to secure their place in a fiercely contested market. By arming themselves with data-driven insights and tailored solutions, companies can navigate the treacherous waters of online advertising with confidence, ensuring that every campaign is a resounding success.

Game, Set, Match, Win.

In conclusion, staying ahead in the sports betting industry requires more than just luck; it demands vigilance, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to combating ad fraud.

With the right strategies in place, sportsbooks can emerge victorious, delivering winning campaigns that resonate with audiences and safeguarding their budgets from the clutches of fraudsters.

A new study by industry investor Waterhouse VC has uncovered innovative approaches that emerging iGaming startups are using to acquire their first customers. This research involved extensive engagement with a range of companies, both B2C and B2B, in the online gambling sector, revealing a diverse array of tactics employed during the critical initial phase of their business growth.

The study found that high-touch customer engagement was the primary strategy for most startups. Tom Waterhouse, Chief Investment Officer at Waterhouse VC, emphasized that this approach, although not easily scalable, is crucial in establishing a robust customer base in the early stages. “Our findings suggest a shift from traditional methods to more organic, engagement-focused tactics,” said Waterhouse.

In terms of tactics, the report identified a clear dichotomy between B2B and B2C startups. B2B companies, like the B2B free-to-play game provider Low6, typically focus on one or two strategies. On the other hand, B2C startups, such as the online cryptocurrency casino Shuffle, tend to adopt a broader approach, often utilizing three or more diverse strategies for customer acquisition.

Shuffle’s success story was highlighted as particularly noteworthy. Ishan Haque from Shuffle explained their unique approach, “Instead of participating in traditional acquisition channels like streaming or traditional affiliate marketing, we recognized our edge in finding influencers with a small following, but that following consisted of 1000 true fans.”

Another approach that gained attention was leveraging strategic partnerships and networking, as illustrated by Circle Squared, a product and technology consultancy in the iGaming space.

Co-founder Clyde Harris shared how utilizing existing networks and forming strategic alliances helped them in acquiring new customers and raising their profile in the industry.

A surprising insight from the report was the lack of emphasis on paid advertising among these startups. This reflects a broader trend in the industry towards more organic growth methods and the importance of directly understanding and engaging with the target audience.

In addition to engagement and partnerships, incentivizing early adopters also proved to be a popular tactic, especially among startups like Voxbet, a Dublin-based ‘speak-to-bet’ technology company. “Typically, we have used exclusivity as the reward for an early adopter,” said Jonathan Power, founder and CEO of Voxbet.

The findings of this study underscore the significance of creative and high-engagement strategies for customer acquisition in the iGaming sector. As these startups continue to evolve, their innovative approaches to building customer relationships are setting new trends in the industry.

For a detailed exploration of all the tactics used, Waterhouse VC’s full report is available on their website.

Author: Connor Blinman, Head of Games at Gaming Corps

Arcade-style games have long been a firm favourite for casino players, and in 2024, there are very few signs of that changing anytime soon. But what is it that makes them appeal to players?

Well, for Gaming Corps’ Head of Games Connor Blinman, the answer lies in the simplicity, clarity and nostalgia of these types of games; this is what makes arcade games stand the test of time.

Over the years, Gaming Corps has garnered a wealth of experience in the arcade space. But back in January, the games developer set out on a mission to combine that love of arcade-style games with the world of traditional slots. This blend, Blinman believes, will no doubt cement Piggy Smash’ position as a player-favourite.

A twist on a classic

From the outset, it may then seem that adapting a player-favourite would be extremely difficult. As the adage goes, why fix what’s not broken?

Gaming Corps’ Piggy Smash is, however, promising to bring something completely new to the overall gameplay experience with the incorporation of mechanics that “the casino industry has never seen before”.

Blinman said: “Gaming Corps is one of the very few providers within the iGaming industry that is able to offer such a wide variety of products in our portfolio. From classic slots to table games, and from Mine to Crash games, we really do have it all.

“When we were creating Piggy Smash, we have found the perfect balance between all of these products. We wanted to emulate the style and design of the arcade-style games that we all know and love but combine that with the style of mechanic that you would find in a traditional slot game.

“It’s the best of both worlds; Piggy Smash appeals to both slot and arcade fans, and we’re so happy with the results.”

According to Blinman, the secret to combining two classic verticals is ‘simplicity’. This is where the Smash4Cash™ comes in.

Piggy Smash is the first of Gaming Corps’ titles to incorporate the new Smash4Cash™ mechanic. When the player places a bet, a hammer comes smashing down to smash open the different coloured piggy banks in the hope of revealing different cash prizes. As the name suggests, you smash things open … for cash.

“You don’t want to over complicate the experience for players,” Blinman continued. “This is why we wanted to keep the Smash4Cash™ mechanic as simple as possible. This new mechanic is offering something to the online casino space that hasn’t ever been seen before; “the way the game plays, the way the wins and features are awarded, and also the way the player can look forward to see their potential upcoming winnings where if you trigger these features you instantly know you’re going to get a significant win, this makes the game like nothing else on the market.”

“During the development process, finding the balance between simplicity and innovation wasn’t as easy as it sounds. We had to make sure that the game we created appealed to all our players. Slot players know what they like, and more importantly, what they don’t.

“We had to try balance that sense of innovation with something we knew players would enjoy. That’s part of the reason why we went for a nostalgic theme too – there is a reason these classic themes become player-favourites.”

A sense of nostalgia

It’s evident from playing Piggy Smash that the team wanted to create that sense of nostalgia and familiarity – you only have to look at the inclusion of piggy banks as the main symbol to see that.

As Blinman explained, everyone grew up with piggy banks. They would sit proudly on your windowsill until the point when you were able to smash them open to count how much you had saved up.

Blinman continued: “It’s hard to find one symbol that everyone can resonate with. But when the team were brainstorming ideas for Piggy Smash, it soon became apparent that everyone had a piggy bank in one form of another.

“Once we had settled on the idea of piggy banks, we turned our attention to the wider design. We thought it would be quite fun, but also slightly cheeky, to theme the game around a bank vault.

“From an audio-visual perspective, we wanted to give our team the opportunity to express themselves. They managed to come up with something that is very quirky, but highly engaging. The simplicity of the Smash4Cash™ mechanic really helped the design elements shine through to create something truly exciting.”

Keeping players on their toes

Since the base game for Piggy Smash has stuck with a relatively simple concept, Blinman explained that Gaming Corps wanted to find new and innovative ways to make the overall experience engaging for players. This is where the idea to add additional features to the game came about.

The first of the four features, Instant Win, gives players the chance to win a mega-jackpot of up to x1000 the total bet. When activated, the Rampage feature – which Blinman noted was “an equivalent to free spins during a traditional slot” – triggers the hammer to transform and smash up to ten different piggy banks in a row, for free.

As the name suggests, when the multiplier feature is activated, the value of the next piggy bank that is smashed open will be multiplied by up to x10. And the final feature, Multiplier Rampage, is a combination of both the Multiplier and the Rampage feature. When this is activated, consecutive piggy banks that are smashed open will be a Multiplier.

Blinman said: “Since the concept for Piggy Smash is quite simple, we wanted to find a way to keep the game as dynamic for players as possible.

“The RTP of the game is 97% – the reason for this is that it gives players the chance to get a feel for the overall game and the experience it has to offer. Traditionally, arcade games tend to have a high RTP, so we wanted to bring that to Piggy Smash.

“But if you look at the game’s volatility, this is considered to be low-medium – I’d say this sits at a 4/10 on our scale. The maximum payout that we observed in simulations is 1120x total bet but wins of 1000x via the fixed Jackpot feature are more likely – hitting on average 1 in 99000 bets. We are confident that players will thoroughly enjoy Piggy Smash and any new additions to the Smash4Cash™ series.”

A look ahead to the future

Of course, when Blinman mentioned “future games”, we had to ask him about what the industry can expect to see from Gaming Corps in 2024. It would be rude not to.

As expected, the Head of Games wanted to keep his cards relatively close to his chest, as not to give Gaming Corps’ secrets away. However, he did tell us that there is plenty more titles in the pipeline for 2024 – “at least one a month”, to be exact.

“As we edge closer into 2024, I feel like it’s important to highlight that we are always looking for new ways to elevate the player experience and introduce new ways for our players to enjoy our games. With that said, the team has been brainstorming ideas such as “Bonus Buys” which would allow the player to get a short cut to the Rampage or Multiplier Rampage feature,” he concluded.

“There are also new themes and narratives on the horizon too, as you’ll soon see with our upcoming title “Rampage!” so stay tuned for that!”