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Understanding the Impact of Invalid Traffic: How Online Betting Companies Can Protect Their Ads and Drive ROI
We are honored to publish this byline by Richard Metcalf, Director of Business Development EMEA, TrafficGuard. Make sure to let us know your comments below the article.
The global pandemic has undoubtedly caused a massive increase in the number of active users that gamble regularly. A global statistic from Casino.org suggests that almost 26% of the world’s population gamble, and the global gambling market is expected to grow from $76.79 billion to an impressive $127.45 billion by 2025, according to Research and Markets.
Betting companies are having to distinguish themselves in such a highly competitive and evolving market by investing in digital campaigns and using premium ad networks. However, many of these channels may not be properly equipped to deal with invalid traffic and ad fraud, and as a result, could be losing large amounts of money every day to fraudsters.
The level of financial and competitor growth within the industry has created a strong attraction from fraudsters, and gambling companies can fall prey with little to no knowledge this is even occurring. And, with the betting industry only saturating further, companies cannot afford to suffer from low ROI and poor campaign performance.
Understanding the Risk of Ad Fraud
The risks associated with virtual gambling are unfortunately heightened with such lucrative rewards on offer and many betting companies deploy protection to help minimise the risk of fraudulent transactions or unethical behaviour. However, there is a real lack of awareness around ad fraud within gambling, and many companies don’t realise the level of impact it’s having on them.
Ad fraud is any traffic that is maliciously created and used to target companies’ advertising budgets, and is a subset of invalid traffic, meaning any advertising engagement that is outside of the target of an advertising campaign.
Here are just some of the ways ad fraud is threatening your ad campaign:
- Bots – Bots are programmed to emulate human behaviour and vary in levels of sophistication and can do anything from clicking and viewing ads to watching videos. Promo abuse bots that click on paid search ads and then run scripts to claim free bets or free spins are highly prevalent in online gaming. As these bots ‘convert’, delivering misleading marketing metrics, it means you are likely optimising campaigns using the wrong data and towards winning more bot traffic.
- Browser-Related Fraud – For example, location fraud, which involves manipulating users’ location information to match the advertiser’s targeting criterion, and domain spoofing, when bad actors monetise the traffic from low-quality sites by manipulating the domains and making it appear to come from high-quality sources.
- Misattribution Fraud – A large volume of clicks on both affiliate and mobile campaigns are faked from a mobile device, even though the user never clicked the ad. If a user with a similar fingerprint then visits the target website and installs the app, the spammer receives credit for the conversion/install and is paid commission.
In reality, the result of ad fraud is inaccurate advertising results and wasted budget. One globally-renowned online betting company that was running a Google Ads campaign found that 23% of its clicks were invalidated, which equated to 28% of its advertising spend.
Without any prior visibility or protection, 71% of the gambling company’s wasted spend was attributed to just one of its campaigns. If the company had the visibility and awareness it truly needed to be able to address the problem, there was an opportunity to save $115,000, a mixture of media spend and potential losses in bonus deposits.
All gambling companies that run Google Ads campaigns are equally as vulnerable as this online betting company, which makes it crucial for marketers operating within this industry to proactively put themselves ahead of fraudsters with increased visibility, accurate analytics, and real-time protection.
Protecting and Saving Your Budget
With confidence in your data and analytics, the saving potential for gambling companies is around 10%, 7% higher than that of other verticals. The solution to invalid traffic starts with knowing exactly how it is impacting your business, and how you can combat it. With trustworthy data that analyses every bit of traffic quality, you can easily make a business case to combat bots, browser fraud and misattribution.
With visibility into the scale of the problem, betting companies can then properly evaluate the right solutions and the partner needed to help solve it. Once you’ve identified a partner with the right skills, technology and expertise for you, they can make an immediate impact.
Elimination with Prevention
Ad fraud currently dominates many betting companies globally, but a change of hands is within reach. Luckily, stopping invalid traffic doesn’t have to be complex or costly. In fact, the money you save will almost always outweigh your investment into stopping it, ensuring you can focus solely on making new savings.
By combining proactivity with visibility, betting companies can make enormous savings and address invalid traffic with confidence and ease. With many betting companies globally only looking to scale their digital marketing further, now is the time to understand your advertising losses and prevent them to achieve maximum growth and success.
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gross gaming revenue
Groupe Partouche Publishes its Consolidated Turnover for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026
Groupe Partouche has published its consolidated turnover for the 1st quarter of fiscal year 2026 (November 2025 to January 2026).
The Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) totalled €189.0M at 2026 1st quarter compared to €182.9M a year earlier, up by +3.4%.
In France, the 1st quarter 2026 GGR increased by +2.2 % to €166.4M compared to €162.8M a year earlier, driven by all forms of gaming: +0.5 % for slot machines, +3.1 % for non-electronic table games and +11.8 % for electronic forms of gaming.
Abroad, the GGR is up +12.3 % compared to the 2025 1st quarter, at €22.6M, compared to €20.1M in N-1. The GGR of Swiss online games continues to grow reaching €8.1M (+23.6% over one year).
At a constant scope of consolidation, excluding the acquisition of Casino Partouche Cannes 50 Croisette that took place on 28th February 2025 together with the opening of Casino Cotonou (Benin) on 28th January 2025, GGR increased by 1.1 % at €185.0M (compared to €182.9M in 1st quarter 2025).
In total, after levies, Net Gaming Revenue (NGR) increases by +3.2 % to €105.5M in 1st quarter of 2026 (compared to €102.2M in Q1 2025).
The 1st quarter 2026 turnover reached a satisfactory increase of + 3.5 % over the year, reaching €130.8M compared to €126.4M a year earlier. This includes casinos turnover for €122.1M (+3.8 %), hotels for €6.4M (-1.4 %) and other activities for €2.3M (+1.7 %).
Furthermore, the city of Berck-sur-Mer has taken possession of the casino building, in the context of ongoing asset-protection litigation.
At the Annual General Meeting to approve the financial accounts for 2025 fiscal year, to be held on Wednesday 25th March at 10:00 a.m., shareholders will be able to vote on the distribution of a dividend of 12,033,793 € (i.e. €1.25 per share). Said dividend will be paid no later than 31st July 2026.
The post Groupe Partouche Publishes its Consolidated Turnover for the First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Pragmatic Play, a top content provider for the iGaming sector, has launched CULT., allowing players to discover winnings of up to 10,000x via potent multiplier wilds.
Loyal adherents congregate around their wise leader on the 5×4 grid, where aligning five symbols on a payline can yield base game victories of up to 20x, and multiplier wilds reaching 100x can enhance winnings.
Obtaining 3-5 all-seeing eye scatter symbols activates the bonus game, granting an initial 10-20 free spins. In this feature, multiplier wilds that help create winning combinations are accumulated into a total multiplier, enhancing all following wins that involve a multiplier wild.
In certain markets, unique wagers allow players to personalize their gaming experience, with a 5x Ante Bet enhancing the chances of triggering free spins and a 10x Super Spin ensuring a multiplier wild on each spin.
Two bonus purchases offer instant access to either Free Spins or Super Free Spins, with the latter enhancing the probability of landing a multiplier wild on each spin.
CULT. indicates a fresh thematic shift for Pragmatic Play’s premium collection, succeeding the recent launch of the mining-themed slot Rolling in Treasures and the arcade game Spire+.
Sharon McHugh, Director of Public Relations at Pragmatic Play, said: “There is a growing appetite for more unconventional themes in iGaming. CULT. leans into that trend with a bold theme and exciting gameplay, delivering special bets, multiplier wilds, and 10,000x win potential for the initiated.”
The post Pragmatic Play Earns a Spot in Cult’s Inner Circle appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Tier 1 sportsbook supplier BETBY has expanded its proprietary esports feed, Betby.Games, with the launch of three industry-first e-sim titles: eHockey, eMMA and eTeqball. The new releases further strengthen BETBY’s high-frequency betting content portfolio, introducing new sports verticals while continuing to deliver fast-paced, always-on content designed to maximise engagement for operators and players worldwide.
Each of the new titles debuts as a first-of-its-kind esports simulation in the betting industry, reinforcing BETBY’s reputation as a pioneer in developing original betting content.
eHockey launches with four tournaments representing the NHL’s divisions: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific. Each match follows a format of three periods lasting three minutes each, delivering uninterrupted action with no stoppages. Designed to replicate the intensity of real hockey, the title offers 15+ betting markets and is expected to generate over 11,000 matches per month, ensuring a constant flow of high-frequency betting opportunities. Arriving just ahead of the Stanley Cup playoffs next month, the new title allows hockey fans to stay immersed in the sport 24/7, extending engagement beyond real-world fixtures.
eMMA introduces a fast-paced combat sports experience featuring two tournaments: UFC Legends and UFC Women Legends, where some of the sport’s most iconic fighters face off in simulated matchups. By bringing together well-known names from MMA history, the title creates an instantly familiar environment for fans and bettors alike. The format focuses on quick fights, with each matchup consisting of a single round lasting around one to two minutes on average. Events begin every five minutes, ensuring continuous action throughout the day. Betting markets focus on the fight winner, creating a simple yet highly engaging wagering experience. Combined, the two tournaments are expected to deliver around 15,000 events per month.
Completing the trio is eTeqball, which introduces a brand-new sport to the Betby.Games portfolio. Combining elements of football and table tennis, the rapidly growing discipline brings a unique dynamic to esports simulations. The title launches with the TQX Cup Hungary – Double Mixed tournament, generating around 1800 matches per month. Each match consists of two games played up to 12 points, with over 20 betting markets available.
Kirill Nekrasov, Head of Innovation & R&D at BETBY, said: “Creating original content has always been at the core of the Betby.Games vision. With Hockey, MMA, and Teqball, we’re introducing three industry-first titles that further diversify our portfolio and bring new experiences to esports betting. Each of these games offers fast gameplay, clear betting mechanics, and a constant stream of events, helping operators keep players engaged 24/7.”
The post BETBY Expands E-Sim Portfolio with Three Industry-First Titles: eHockey, eMMA and eTeqball appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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