Gaming

Make way for the in-game advertising revolution

Published

4 years ago

July 14, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Nicola Halpin, Senior Director of Sales at Adverty, on why brands must wake up to the creative possibilities inherent within in-game advertising

In-game advertising remains unchartered territory for the vast majority of brands, yet a large-scale shift towards seamless and non-interruptive in-game advertising which sits alongside the immersive experience of increasingly popular virtual worlds has already begun.

Indeed, with around three billion gamers worldwide, this industry offers unlimited, lucrative opportunities for marketers looking to upgrade from traditional advertising methods.

In the mobile space, 5G is one of the most exciting developments – heralding greater creative freedom and unlimited possibilities. According to a report from games analytics company, Newzoo, there will be some 2.1 billion 5G-ready smartphones globally by 2023, accounting for 42.7% of active smartphones. The mobile market’s transition towards this fifth generation of mobile network technology has already begun, with countries around the world rolling out 5G networks, and many of the leading smartphone manufacturers having launched flagship 5G smartphones.

European Gaming Congress 2024 (Warsaw, Poland)

Meanwhile, Newzoo’s report also notes that the era of hypercasual on mobile is branching out into exciting areas with new ways to play leading to new ways to pay, including bundles, direct purchases and ad-based revenues.

With innovations such Adverty’s unobtrusive In-Play and In-Menu ad formats – designed to make in-game advertising a powerful performance as well as a branding channel – brands are starting to wake up to the possibilities. They will be pleased that they did: Our recent research into the reception of in-game advertising indicated that respondents preferred ads which blended seamlessly into the gameplay experience – compared to 30% favourability for a standard banner ad, for instance.

It is now possible to reach mobile gamers non-intrusively – to add to, rather than to detract from – the immersive experience. And with lockdowns having led to consumers engaging with mobile gaming more than ever, with Adverty’s traffic, for instance, going up 35%, this is a trend that looks set to stay. Post lockdown, rather than diminishing, this traffic plateaued.

Besides, gaming is an increasingly popular pastime for a much broader demographic than many assume, too, with Nick Sperrin, Chief Client Officer, Dentsu UK, pointing out that DGame, its specialist division set up to help brands reach and engage with gaming audiences was developed “in response to a rapidly changing marketplace which has mass, not niche, potential.”

Despite this, there remains a huge disconnect between brand investment that is pouring into social media, by way of example, versus gaming – despite both areas having broadly similar reach. Gamers are both male and female, and many are mature – with significant spending power.

So, with the technology advancing all the time and 5G offering increased sophistication and creative freedom, it’s time that brands made the most of native in-game placements. By way of example, Adverty’s formats can’t be turned off by ad blockers; they offer brand awareness and brand safety – and they can run programmatically. In-Menu represents a clickable ad unit which can lead gamers directly to offers or purchase, with even automotive brands are becoming active in this space – proving that there is increasing awareness that games are not just played by kids, but by decision makers and money makers, too.

Many play games daily, too, while the eSports category is exploding. So it should come as no surprise to learn that brand safe advertising which is well-received in this context, without disturbing game play, delivers results. For instance, for Unilever brand, Knorr, a clickable banner in the mobile casual game, Subway Surfers, delivered over 5.76 million viewable impressions and almost seven seconds in average view time per impression. Besides this, Adverty’s patented BrainImpression technology, which is based on research around the anatomy of the human eye and brain perception, enables us only charge the advertiser when we know the ads have been fully perceived by the consumer. There is no catch: You only get charged for ads that are seen.

What’s more, our recent brand lift study with Dentsu Data Labs highlighted the potential impact of in-game executions – with ad awareness up 84% and brand recall up 78%. Clearly there is minimal risk when it comes to putting your money in this space, with advertising that blends in well. It’s becoming increasingly evident that brands ignore the in-game revolution at their peril.

Gaming

Polemos Announces Partnership With Guinevere Capital to Drive Monetisation and Growth Across Gaming Ecosystems

Published

20 hours ago

June 30, 2025

George Miller

polemos-announces-partnership-with-guinevere-capital-to-drive-monetisation-and-growth-across-gaming-ecosystems

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Polemos, a Web3 gaming infrastructure platform, announces a strategic partnership with Guinevere Capital, a prominent esports and gaming investment firm known for its investments and advisory roles in projects such as GiantX, iTero, Perion, Skybox, and various other projects across the industry. Guinevere Capital has established a strong reputation for its work across global Web2 gaming titles, including League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, and many more. This partnership aims to leverage the combined expertise of Polemos.io and Guinevere Capital to enhance and further monetise audiences across publishers, infrastructure players, gaming companies, studios, and platforms.

The collaboration will focus on integrating advanced asset management and engagement tools from Polemos.io’s Forge platform with Guinevere Capital’s extensive network and experience in both Web2 and esports ecosystems. This will create new monetisation opportunities and improve player experiences by bridging traditional gaming with blockchain-enabled innovations.

Carl Wilgenbus, CEO of Polemos.io, stated, “Partnering with Guinevere Capital marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand access to gaming rewards and unlock new revenue streams for the entire gaming industry. Together, we will empower publishers and studios to better engage their audiences and capitalize on the evolving landscape of gaming and esports.”

“Polemos has built an impressive piece of infrastructure that has plugged a huge gap in the gaming sector. We look forward to working with them to commercialise this.” said Dave Harris, a partner at Guinevere Capital. Dave’s previous experience includes investing in and operating top teams and leagues in the Riot Games and Activision Blizzard ecosystems.

Guinevere Capital’s strategic involvement will accelerate the adoption of blockchain gaming infrastructure while supporting the growth of esports and gaming communities worldwide. This alliance underscores a shared vision to drive innovation, education, and monetisation in the gaming sector by combining Web2’s reach with Web3’s potential.

Today, Polemos also started the official Token Generation Event (TGE) for the $PLMS utility token. The TGE began at 5:00 AM UTC on June 23rd, 2025, marking a step in the platform’s development to integrate blockchain technology within the gaming sector. Now available on MEXC and Uniswap, $PLMS gives users entry into the Polemos GameFi ecosystem.

The $PLMS token is designed to serve as the utility and governance token for the Polemos ecosystem. It is intended to facilitate platform functionalities, including asset management, player incentives, and participation in ecosystem governance. The TGE follows prior development phases and strategic partnerships, contributing to the framework of Polemos’ Web3 gaming offerings.

Details of the $PLMS TGE:

Official TGE Start: June 23rd, 2025, at 5:00 AM UTC.
Exchanges: MEXC & Uniswap.

The post Polemos Announces Partnership With Guinevere Capital to Drive Monetisation and Growth Across Gaming Ecosystems appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Central Europe

German Federal Government Significantly Increases the Budget for Games Funding

Published

4 days ago

June 27, 2025

Niji Narayan

german-federal-government-significantly-increases-the-budget-for-games-funding

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Good news for games companies in Germany: the Federal Government’s budget plans provide for the significant increase in the games funding budget long demanded by game – The German Games Industry Association. The Federal Government’s draft budget provides for a total of 125 million euros annually from 2026. The new funds are in line with the calculations made by the game association for the funds required until the introduction of additional tax incentives for games, as announced in the coalition agreement.

“That’s encouraging! The new federal government, and above all Federal Minister for Research and responsible for games Dorothee Bär, is following up its words with action. Following the clear statements in the coalition agreement, the significant increase in games funding less than 50 days after taking office has already set a key course. The funding will ensure growth again and provide the necessary breathing space to implement the additional tax-based games funding planned in the coalition agreement at the same time. This decision is an important and encouraging sign that Germany is creating internationally comparable conditions and wants to catch up quickly in the competition between games locations,” said Felix Falk, Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association.

The post German Federal Government Significantly Increases the Budget for Games Funding appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Gaming

Optimove US Gaming Pulse Report – May 2025

Published

2 weeks ago

June 18, 2025

GamingAmericas.com

Executive Summary – Optimove US Gaming Pulse Report (May 2025)

The May 2025 report analyzes data from over 3.2 million U.S. players and 21 million global players to benchmark performance across casino and sports betting.

Key Insights:

U.S. Players Spend More: U.S. bettors consistently outperformed the global average in deposit amounts, averaging $604 in May 2025 marking a 10% year-over-year increase for the US compared to just 2% globally.

Casino Activity Remains Strong: U.S. casino bettors averaged $8,259 over the period, 6.2x the global average of $1,329 — ending at $7,928 in May 2025. Despite a slight slowdown since January, the number of U.S. casino bettors grew 30% year-over-year by May, compared to 14% globally.

Sports Betting Surges, Then Slows: U.S. average monthly sports betting peaked at $1,001 in May 2025, versus $380 globally. However, the number of U.S. sports bettors declined, showing only a 14% year-over-year increase in May — while global numbers remained stable, slightly decreasing to 97% compared to the May 2024 baseline.

Global Players More Engaged: Global players showed consistently higher engagement, averaging 8.9 days per month per active customer in May 2025, compared to 7.9 days in the U.S. — a 12% engagement gap.

Retention Higher Globally: While close, global retention remained stronger, reaching 71% in May 2025, compared to 65% in the U.S.

Conclusion:
While the U.S. market continues to lead in player spend and betting volumes, global markets show superior engagement and retention. U.S. growth remains closely linked to seasonal events and regulatory expansion, with future success tied to boosting long-term customer engagement and retention strategies.

Report Metrics:

Source: Betting trends in United States compared to the global benchmark in the trailing 12 months (May 2024-2025)
Database: A 12-month average of over 3.2 million active players per month in the U.S. and over 21.3 million globally.

Category: Average Deposit Amount

Key findings: Average Deposit Amounts Greatest in the US

In terms of monthly average total deposit amounts, the US consistently outpaces the global average, with an average deposit value 2.6 times higher throughout the period.

The U.S. average kept the highest global average in May 2025 with $604 average deposit amount. marking a 10% year-over-year increase, while the 12-month average leading to May 2025 stood at $550.

Global deposit amounts remained relatively stable, reaching $214 in May 2025, representing a 2% increase in May year over year.

Definition of Average Deposit Amount: The average deposit amount is calculated by taking the total sum of all deposits and dividing it by the number of Sports and Casino bettors (players) who have made at least one deposit.

Category: Total Monthly Casino Betting Amount & Number of Casino Bettors Growth

Key findings: The US has been leading in both betting amount and number of casino bettors’ growth

Throughout the period, the US consistently outpaced global averages, with an average of $8,259 per bettor over the period compared to $1,329 globally. US ending at $7,928 in May 2025 while the global average stands on $1344.

The number of casino bettors in the US market showed a slowdown over the past two months following a peak in January. However, the year-over-year growth remains strong, reaching 130% by May 2025 compared to the May 2024 baseline of 100% (a 30% increase). In contrast, global growth was more moderate, rising to 114% over the same period.

Definition of Total Monthly Casino Bet Amount: The average casino bet amount is the total sum of all casino bets and divided by the number of bettors who have placed at least one casino bet.

Definition of Casino Bettors Growth Trend: calculated by dividing the total number of casino bettors each month by the number of casino bettors in May 2024, which serves as the baseline (100%).

Category: Total Monthly Sports Betting Amount & Number of Sport Bettors Growth

Key findings: The US consistently outpaced global averages in monthly average sports bet amounts peaking at $1,150 in March 2025, however with a decrease in number of sport bettors by May 2025.

Throughout the period, the US keeps outpaced global averages in monthly average sports bet amounts. The US average was at $1,001 in May 2025, however with a notable decrease compared to May 2024.

In contrast, the global average remained steady, reaching $380 in May 2025.

In terms of the number of sport bettors, the US market experienced a sharp decrease in May 2025, reaching only 14% increase in May 2025 compared to May 2024.

Global growth remained more stable, changing from 100% to 97% over the same period.

Definition of Total Monthly Sport Bet Amount: The average sport betting amount is the total sum of all sports bets and divided by the number of bettors who have placed in least one sport bet.

The Sport Bettors Growth Trend: calculated by dividing the total number of sport bettors each month by the number of sport bettors in May 2024, which serves as the baseline (100%).

Category: Average Number of Activity Days per Active Customer

Key findings: the global market consistently maintained a higher engagement level than the US.

The global market keeps consistently maintaining a higher engagement level than the US, with 12% more activity days on average per active customer throughout the period. In May 2025 the US average stands at 7.9 days per month per active customer while the global average stands at 8.9.

Definition of Average Activity Days: The average number of activity days is the total number of activity days divided by the number of bettors who have at least one activity day.

Category: Average Active Retention Rate

Key findings: Although retention rates remained relatively close, the global market consistently outperformed the US.

While retention rates between the US and global markets remained close throughout the period, the global rate consistently outperformed the US in most months.
The global average on May 2025 stands at 71% compared to 65% in the US.

Definition of Active Retention Rate: The percentage of bettors who were active in the preceding month and remained active in the current month.

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