Industry News
IronSource: Top advertising mediation platform
WakeApp continues its educational rubric for mobile app marketers “Source of the Month”.
Why are we doing this?
If earlier, in order for an application to become popular among users, it was simply necessary to create a unique program that has no analogues and connects the client and the service, today this is not enough. The number of applications in the app stores has reached unprecedented heights: 2.6 million in Google Play and almost 4.5 million in the Apple App Store (Statista).
The WakeApp team decided to help novice marketers, partners and specialists in the mobile app promotion market to be aware of the latest GEO trends and traffic sources and promotion features in them. This time we would like to introduce readers to an equally well-known source of traffic and a tool that specializes in promoting mobile applications – Iron Source.
IronSource is a top ad mediation platform and one of the largest mobile app monetization platforms operating in the mobile advertising market since 2010. The platform allows developers to monetize their products, and our clients receive large volumes of high-quality traffic from all over the world. Thanks to automatic costing mechanisms, for each ad impression, developers receive the highest possible payout, and advertisers receive a lead.
In November 2022, IronSource partnered with Unity to form the industry’s leading in-app creation and advertising platform.
Facts about IronSource:
- Industries: Gaming, Mobile App Installs
- Payment Models: CPA, CPC, CPCV, CPE, CPI, CPL, CPM, CPS, CPV, Flat Rate, Revshare / ROAS
- Audience:3 billion
- Applications: +80 000
- 87% of the top 100 Google Play and Apple Store apps are connected to IronSource
- In November 2022, IronSource announced the end of its merger with Unity Ads.
- 50% Research and Development
- Year of foundation – 2010
IronSource provides ready-made ad units with several modern ad formats. An advertiser can capture the attention of users through both impressive reward-per-view videos and interstitial ads and banners.
To attract traffic, it is proposed to use the following advertising formats:
- Rewarded videos. The format is most effective in building mutual trusting relationships with the audience through an equal exchange of values.
- Advertising that works on the principle of mini-shops. The user is presented with a list of actions for which he can receive some valuable reward. The tool allows you to increase revenue from traffic monetization, increase audience engagement, and keep it in the application longer.
- Interstitial video ads. A tool for monetizing traffic using creatives that involve the user going to the advertiser’s website within the software. Allows you to earn money without interrupting the user from using the application.
- Rewarded interstitial ads. A format for attracting large amounts of traffic within the application by rewarding users for watching videos. Appears during natural user transitions.
- The format with the simplest integration algorithm in the application and high demand from advertisers.
Each of the available IronSource formats is an effective tool for attracting potential audience within the application.
IronSource is one of the most popular ad mediation platforms to not only increase app revenue, but also increase your effective CPM. Through IronSource, you can work with several ad networks at once and integrate through a single SDK.
You can choose from 15 ad networks available on the platform. IronSource will manage them for you, which will save your time and make the process of attracting traffic as comfortable as possible. The uniqueness of IronSource is that with its help you can track key indicators such as: DAU, ARPDAU and engagement.
Ad networks connected to IronSource and using its traffic:
- AdColony
- AdMob
- Amazon
- AppLovin
- Chartboost
- Fyber
- HyprMX
- InMobi
- Maio
- Mintegral
- myTarget
- Tapjoy
- UnityAds
- Vungle
Today, IronSource is included in the arsenal of all major market players. A wide range of targeting options brings some advertisers more than half of all incoming traffic, which once again proves the effectiveness of the platform. The platform independently filters incoming traffic and filters out fraud and irrelevant users.
Features of IronSource:
- Access to detailed reporting tools to increase traffic monetization revenue.
- IronSource ads are rigorously tested and do not interfere with application performance.
- Access to auction rates in real time.
- A/B testing. The system offers 3 powerful testing tools to optimize the process of attracting traffic.
- Simple dashboard.
- Setting up an advertising stream with adaptation for different audience segments.
- Separate bids for each platform/publisher/app within the advertising campaign
- Separate rates for each geo within RK
- Integration with AppsFlyer: CPI and cost
- Creative Tracking
- Import bids / bids / CPI without waiting for a manager
- Disabling / enabling advertising campaigns on your own
- A/B testing of creatives: endcards, video
- Fast tech. support
- Full staking support by the IronSource team
Disadvantages of IronSource:
- Heavily loaded technical support
- No notifications to re-roll or stop an ad campaign
The funnel in IronSource is practically no different from other sources of in-app advertising. Users see in-app ads, click on the ad and go to the landing page and app card inside the marketplace. A large selection of high-conversion formats allows you to interest users in the advertised product and encourage them to switch.
High-quality optimization tools, a wide range of targeting options and highly efficient IronSource algorithms allow you to find interested target traffic and significantly save your advertising budget.
How can a marketer use IronSource?
In order to start using the advertising network, you need to register here.
Fill in all the required fields: full name, password, company name, city and country.
After filling in the fields, an email will be sent to the specified email address. Confirm your email to complete registration.
Step 1. Create an advertising campaign
In the left menu, select the Promote item, and then in the opened window, click Campaign → +New.
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- Specify the name of the advertising campaign
- Add a link to the application
- Choose a payment model
- Determine your minimum auction bid
Step 2. Filling in basic information
Step 3. Set up attribution
- Add click link (Click URL)
- Add a link to the impression (Impression URL)
Step 4: Targeting
- Advertising format. Choice of Interstitial or Rewarding video.
- Device type. Mobile phone or tablet.
- OS version. Android or IOS.
- Publication planning. By default, the campaign starts immediately after the settings are completed. If you do not plan to launch an advertising campaign right now, select “Set dates”.
Step 5. Setting the budget
- Allows you to set a single daily budget for all advertising campaigns.
- By countries. Allows you to set the daily budget for each country separately.
Interesting! The Iron Source functionality allows you to adjust and change the bid within the campaign by choosing certain publishers with higher CR, thus effectively allocating the budget.
Step 6. Setting up country targeting
With IronSource, you can create up to 15 ad groups depending on the GEO.
Step 7. Working with creatives
We can create our own unique creative or choose from those offered by the platform.
To create a creative you need:
- Specify a name for creative groups
- Choose ad format
- Video and carousel
- Video and full screen
- Video and interactive card
- game format
- Select language
Advertising is ready to go!
How is IronSource used at work in WakeApp?
Many of our clients are already connected to IronSource and are successfully getting positive traffic. I would like to note that IOS applications are especially well promoted in IronSource, the site complies with all Apple requirements regarding the preservation of personal data and respect for their confidentiality
The platform allows us to fine-tune the target audience, so our clients receive only relevant and profitable traffic. Extensive targeting settings allow you to comply with all the wishes of advertisers and attract only those users who are potentially interested in the product.
IronSource is one of the most popular ad mediation platforms that allows advertisers to drive high volumes of quality traffic using modern ad formats. Among marketers, IronSource is considered one of the most effective and popular sources of in-app traffic.
IronSource is one of the 30+ sources our media buyers use to promote their WakeApps.
For more than 5 years at WakeApp, we have been using this traffic source for the convenience of our clients, whose goal is to attract a young and, at the same time, solvent audience.
About the rubric: Every month we will issue instructions for promotion: by traffic source and by GEO traffic, talking about the features of promotion in a particular region, sharing prohibitions and life hacks when promoting in a particular source. Think of it as a mobile marketer’s desktop guide.
About us: WakeApp is an international mobile marketing agency with over 9 years of experience in the market. It is a leader in the development and promotion of gaming and non-gaming mobile applications in e-com, video streaming, food delivery, sport, utilities, finance verticals. Earlier in 2022, WakeApp received The Media Agency of the Year at Sigma Asia Awards, in 2021 the agency placed in 5 categories of the 13th edition of the AppsFlyer Performance Index XIII.
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Raketech Group Holding Plc announced an agreement to sell the Casumba assets due to regulatory developments affecting its markets.
The transaction, valued at a fixed consideration of EUR 12 million, will be paid in monthly instalments through December 2029, with no upfront cash payment. Under IFRS 9 accounting standards, the deferred consideration has been measured at the fair value of approximately EUR 7 million at closing. The EUR 5 million difference between the fixed consideration and the fair value reflects an element of ongoing credit risk and the extended payment schedule. Any further adjustments will be recognised through the profit and loss account over the payment period, in accordance with IFRS 9 requirements.
The consideration carries an 8% interest rate and will be paid in variable monthly instalments through December 2029.
The sale supports Raketech’s platform-first strategy, focusing on core markets and sustainable growth in iGaming affiliation. The decision to divest Casumba stems from recent regulatory shifts in its markets. This move aims to remove regulatory risks, and redirect capital to Raketech’s leading iGaming affiliation platform, AffiliationCloud.
The Casumba assets generated annualised revenues of approximately EUR 4.0 million with an EBITDA of EUR 2.9 million, based on the Q2 2025 run rate.
Raketech will record a non-cash loss on disposal of approximately EUR 10 million in Q3 2025. This loss primarily arises from the difference between the book value of the Casumba assets and the IFRS 9 fair value of the consideration. The loss on disposal is a one-off, non-recurring loss and will not impact Raketech’s cash flow or operational performance.
The transaction has been signed and closed on 24 September 2025.
Johan Svensson, CEO of Raketech, said: “This sale marks another step in refining our portfolio and concentrating on our core goal of creating the top commercial platform for iGaming affiliation. By divesting Casumba, we eliminate regulatory exposure and unlock resources for growth opportunities. This transaction reflects our dedication to sustainable shareholder value and financial discipline.”
The post Raketech Announces Divestment of Casumba Assets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Ten years after its quiet debut as a casino listing site, SlotsUp has reintroduced itself with a complete rebuild. What started in 2015 as a basic catalogue of online casinos has evolved into a structured, data-driven product designed around user needs and practical tools that actually help make smarter choices.
For years, SlotsUp relied on the industry-standard model. That formula worked, until it didn’t. So in 2025, the team behind SlotsUp tore it all down.
“We spent years chasing SEO. At some point, it became clear that the balance was off — too much energy went into ranking, and not enough into what players truly needed. That had to change. We shifted toward building a product where clarity, trust, and the user’s perspective always come first,” said a team lead at SlotsUp.
Not Just a Redesign — A New Product
SlotsUp 2.0 introduces a new brand identity, an updated interface and a new core principle: act like a correspondent, not a catalogue. That shift is reflected in a complete rethink of how casinos are added, rated and shown to users. Entry is no longer automatic — each listing must pass through a rigorous system of over 100 internal rules governing data quality, compliance, layout and trustworthiness.
The platform now filters and presents only what matters. Each casino is reviewed through 12 custom-built metrics, including:
Safety Index: Built on 4 criteria, from licensing transparency to user complaint volume.
SlotsUp Rating: A detailed breakdown of license, bonuses, payments, support and responsible gambling tools
Casino Match: A personalised alignment tool based on the user’s region, currency and language.
Radar: A visual chart comparing a game’s win potential against industry averages.
And now there’s Multi Game Mode — a new way to test and compare slots side by side. Players can launch up to four games in demo mode simultaneously, making it easy to spot differences in features, pace and style. It’s a faster, smarter way to find the game that truly fits your preferences.
The result is a real product, not just a database — with tools that respond to where the player is, what they value, and how they play.
From a List to a Real Product
The company’s team of 28+ experts includes writers, developers, designers and gambling professionals. Every review is written or reviewed by individuals who are well-versed in the industry.
Now, every rating is based on a clear system. Information is sorted by what matters to players: safety, fairness, relevance and quality.
SlotsUp 2.0 is built to guide users, not push them. It focuses on clarity, responsibility and smarter choices — one player at a time.
The post SlotsUp 2.0 Launch: Transformed into a User-Centric Product appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Vyking, the next-generation iGaming platform provider, has announced the appointment of João Soares as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
João, a Portuguese native, is a highly accomplished engineering leader with more than a decade of senior experience in the iGaming sector, having held leadership roles at William Hill, BetVictor and White Hat Gaming. In a previous role, João served as Head of Engineering at White Hat Gaming, where he managed 120+ people and spearheaded the transformation of the company’s engineering function. He introduced scalable team structures, mentored managers and technical leads, and embedded Agile methodologies across the business. His leadership was pivotal in turning a flat engineering setup into a high-performing, resilient and delivery-focused organisation.
Prior to that, João spent over five years at BetVictor, where he held senior engineering roles and led the launch of eight native mobile apps across iOS and Android, supporting 60% of the company’s business in the UK, Germany and Asia. He also worked as Development Manager at William Hill, contributing to product and platform initiatives across multiple teams.
Beyond iGaming, João also gained senior leadership exposure in other technology sectors, including roles as Head of Engineering at Vision-Box and as Director of Engineering at Easyship, where he focused on digital transformation, QA implementation and leadership coaching.
João Soares, incoming CTO of Vyking, said: “I am thrilled to be joining Vyking at such an exciting time. The company’s platform vision, which combines flexibility, scalability and true product ownership for operators, is exactly the type of challenge I’m passionate about. My goal is to help accelerate innovation, build high-performing teams and ensure Vyking continues to set new standards for iGaming technology.”
Franz Gerhart, CEO of Vyking, said: “João brings the perfect blend of technical expertise, leadership capability, and proven industry experience. His track record of scaling engineering teams and driving transformation at leading operators will be invaluable as Vyking enters its next phase of growth. I also want to acknowledge Helmut Kleinhans, who has excelled in leading our technology function and is now stepping into a new senior role as Chief Software Architect. This transition reflects his passion for deep technology and innovation, enabling him to focus on advanced engineering across the wider business. Helmut’s impact has been pivotal in positioning Vyking for success, and we are thrilled he will continue to shape our technology future.”
The post Vyking Appoints João Soares as CTO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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