Casino advertising implies gaming-related content promotion. It is undeniably important for online casinos’ development and overall success. Due to rapid market growth, the number of competitors increases each year, and it gets more and more challenging to stand out. The first step is to get a gaming license to perform business legally. Then operators must manage their business in compliance with responsible gambling advertising regulations (international and local), which are strict. Fines for rules violations can reach decent amounts.
Crucial points
So what exactly should operators be aware of while planning their online gambling advertising campaigns? Let’s summarize the most important features to take into consideration:
- Increased minors’ protection. Age verification got stricter. Regulators keep improving safety measures regarding preventing minors’ involvement in any kind of online gaming activities. So online casinos are obliged to incorporate robust age verification systems to meet requirements. The starting age of those allowed to play is different in various countries.
- Emphasized responsible gambling principles. Jurisdictions tend to require mentioning brief statements about responsible gaming in ads, besides, resources for individuals who may need help due to gaming addiction may be provided.
- Content control. The influence on the customers is monitored with high attention. The content that would be considered harmful can be banned. This may include such statements as thinking of gambling as a source of income, fame, or financial problems resolution. All casino ads must be created in a socially responsible way.
- Promotion frequency control. To prevent vulnerable people from the dangerous effects of advertisements, their exposure is limited to a point that is believed to be safe.
- Restrictions on particular channels and regions. Not all the channels may be used for the promotion of an online gaming platform. Some of them are restricted to a limited time of casino advertisement (night hours only). It is also important to monitor whether the ads are shown in the regions that are allowed for the operator who launches them.
- Disclosed details obligation. The information in the advertisement must be transparent. All details are to be disclosed so that all the players can be fully aware of the conditions of the mentioned benefits, promotions, etc.
These are the main aspects of gambling promotion that are strictly controlled. Every jurisdiction can set its own restrictions and additional safety measures.
How do gambling companies promote their products?
Gambling ads used to pop up before sports events and on TV only (sports betting advertising). Nowadays, there are multiple channels through which players can be attracted to iGaming platforms.
Gambling commercials on TV and radio podcasts
TV and radio are classical channels of gambling advertisements (if it is possible due to local laws). Some countries ban casino promotion on TV completely, some have partial limitations (ad time and frequency).
Out-Of-Home ads
Various kinds of printed advertisements may be used to promote online gambling platforms. Such OOH channels as billboards, newspapers, posters, banners, etc., are often selected as a part of advertising campaigns by operators.
DOOH Ads
The difference between OOH and DOOH ads is that Digital Out-Of-Home casino promotion implies the usage of digital screens. Usually, operators pick business centers, airports, malls, and other overcrowded places to launch ads. Thanks to the possibility of placing a video as an ad, the promotion gets more dynamic, vivid, and fun.
Facebook Feeds
Facebook is a popular network for gambling promotion. The rules are strict and specific, an operator must study them attentively before launching the advertisement to prevent a ban. The target group can be accurately chosen according to the audience’s interests, age, and location. This is some kind of a high engagement guarantee. Nevertheless, the Meta services allow ads in particular regions only.
YouTube and Google
Google Ads is a popular way to promote products. It is the biggest advertising platform in the world. The limitations are very strict, and in some countries, the online casino ads are fully forbidden. If an operator chooses to develop a gambling platform using Google Ads, he must receive the Authorized Buyer Certificate, granted by Google.
Indirect promotion channels
There are other ways of advertising online casinos, which are considered to be more of a long-term action. Let us discuss the main ones.
SEO optimization
The gambling platform is a good source of promotion itself. SEO specialists create a strategy and ensure the articles on the website correspond to the users’ requests in search engines. When organized and written in a smart way, these articles make the website visible to the customers by being in the first lines of the search results. High-quality content with specific keywords and genuine information creates involvement and keeps players interested.
Collaboration with influencers
Celebrities, bloggers, and opinion leaders may be expensive to cooperate with, but it turns out this source is very effective. Well-known personalities have their fans involved in everything they do daily, so your brand may gain recognition and customer growth due to one successful post. It may be more effective than direct sources due to the huge audience involved. Influencers can leave casino advertising reviews with the brand mentioned as well.
Affiliate marketing
Affiliates gained undeniable popularity recently. There is a very clear dynamic of ads regulations becoming more and more strict each year. Due to this fact, affiliate marketing is a source of qualified promotion with an individual approach. Its representatives bring traffic to the websites and get a commission or some percentage of revenue from the customers they attract to the gambling platform. Affiliates get licensed, too. They share links, create content, write reviews, cooperate with different bloggers, etc. Affiliate marketing popular tools:
- Push advertisement. Push ads involve customers in real time due to dynamic bright ads that catch attention immediately, provoking a spontaneous interest and curiosity. As soon as players are mostly hot-tempered, such a betting promotion works very well with them. There are no severe restrictions applied because the users subscribe to push notifications themselves. A private message serves as a good start of an interaction. The ads are 100% visible and do not cost a lot.
- Pops. Pops are also a low-restricted promotion type. The player clicks on the script and gets directly to your landing page with an attractive offer. As well as push ads, pops stimulate impulsive action, are quite cheap and simple to launch.
- Telegram advertisement. Telegram creates a free space for posting ads. Your banners, videos can be posted with no restrictions if they are shown in Telegram mini-apps. Casino promotion post-per-click is affordable and costs from $0,015 for push-looking ads only.
Choose affiliates wisely according to your business needs. Check the channels and the accuracy of their approach.
Laws and Regulations on Gambling Promotion
What laws are applied to iGaming promotion? How is the content in ads regulated? There are clear principles in a world gambling society that are the basis of laws and regulations all over the world.
Minors safety
In every country, there is a different legal age for starting gambling. It could be 18, 21, etc. Protecting minors is a must for each jurisdiction. That is why there are ad limitations in time, content, and regions. Moreover, betting ads themselves should not contain anything that could be attractive to minors – from slogans to specific expressions.
Ad content requirements
The content must be created carefully, with care for those who may be addicted. The message should be fair and clear and contain the risks mentioned.
Timing and geographical restrictions
The content is allowed to be shown at night only in many countries. In some locations, it is completely banned. These limitations help to protect vulnerable internet users and kids.
License acquisition
Unlicensed online casinos and sportsbooks may face severe consequences of the laws violation, and have fewer possibilities for cooperation and growth. Surely, the advertisement of illegal casino business is also prohibited. But even if you have a gambling license but break the online gambling advertising laws, it can be easily revoked.
Prohibition of deceptive or aggressive gambling marketing
One of the main principles in the gambling society all around the world is keeping up to high ethical standards. What is meant by that is ads should not contain aggressive, misleading, manipulative, or deceiving content. Online casino promotion should not create an illusion of gambling being a financial-solving solution or a main income source. Rather than that, customers should perceive gambling simply as an entertaining experience. So ads must be transparent, fair, clear, include understandable messages with definite terms and conditions of promotional offers, benefits, etc.
How gambling advertising is regulated in various countries
Gambling itself is totally prohibited in some countries. The laws and regulations of gaming activities and ads depend on the jurisdictions. Each country has its own online gambling advertising laws and restrictions. Operators should be aware of the legal part of the business activity, the casino marketing plan realisation. Let us compare some countries’ restrictions as examples so you can spot the difference.
| Sanctioned advertising | Partial ban | Total ban |
| 1. Austria. The gaming operators working under the license should create their promotion campaigns, taking into consideration the responsible gambling approach. 2. Spain. In Spain, there is a set of rules for gaming advertising, which is created with care for customers. 3. The USA. There are certain restrictions according to the states (as soon as each state has its own laws and regulations). But generally, gambling business activity and promotion are allowed due to federal law. | 1. Nordic countries. Such countries as those of the Scandinavia subregion (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), together with Iceland and Finland, emphasize the importance of minors’ protection as the main restriction to the casino advertising campaigns. Denmark also forbids the direct invitation to gaming venues. 2. United Kingdom. The UK also bans ads that may harm minors. They follow the liberal law. Operators work in compliance with advertising codes managed by ASA (Advertising Standards Authority). 3. Germany. Generally, Germany bans the gambling-related ads, but there is an exception – horse race betting, lotto, and sports betting promotion (in case operators receive a permit from the government). 4. Ukraine. There is a strict limitation on the time, which is recognized as appropriate for launching gambling ads. 5. Poland. The limitations on gambling ads in Poland apply to some kinds of gaming activities, such as card games, gaming machines, dice games, etc. | 1. Albania. Gambling promotion is totally illegal here, whether it’s media, digital, or printed ads. 2. Kosovo. It is illegal to manage and be involved in any type of gambling activity here. 3. Moldova. You can’t advertise gambling in Moldova. 4. Latvia. The country bans advertising possibilities but allows offering gambling activities to 13 operators working under the gaming license. |
As you may see from the table above, great accuracy must be applied to ads in the particular regions. Pick the countries attentively and check the latest legal changes to manage promotion in the right way. Please keep in mind that the information is given for your general awareness only. You must check the current situation with regulations or simply contact our specialists for professional advice.
Consequences for illegitimate gambling advertising
It goes without saying that the operators must be licensed. Advertisements, on the other hand, must be done very carefully to prevent undesired consequences such as penalties, criminal proceedings, or even a license revocation.
Let’s take the UK as a clear example. There was an incident in 2017, the BGO Entertainment Ltd received a fine from the Commission for advertising failings in the amount of £300,000 for a misleading advertisement.
To make a long story short, keep in mind the importance of legally created and launched promotions, and consult the specialists in case you have any doubts.
Why contact LicensingAid?
Our expert team has been working with gambling companies for many years. We have consulted many operators and made a contribution to the gambling companies’ growth and success.
Our services include company registration, corporate accounts opening, starting a merchant account, obtaining a gaming license, trademark registration, design consultancy, AML policies compliance, and other advice you may require. Do not hesitate to contact our experts in case you have any questions regarding managing a gambling business.
