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Understanding the Impact of Invalid Traffic: How Online Betting Companies Can Protect Their Ads and Drive ROI

Published

4 years ago

August 25, 2022

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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.

Buffalo Bonanza Hold & Win

ICONIC21 adds Buffalo Bonanza Hold & Win to its Buffalo slot series

Published

26 minutes ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

iconic21-adds-buffalo-bonanza-hold-&-win-to-its-buffalo-slot-series

New release follows Buffalo Wild Collection and includes Hold & Win jackpots and a Bonus Buy option.

ICONIC21 has launched Buffalo Bonanza Hold & Win, a new online slot and the second title in the supplier’s Buffalo series following Buffalo Wild Collection.

The game is set on a prairie-themed backdrop and features up to 1,024 ways to win. ICONIC21 said the Free Spin round removes lower-value symbols from the reels, leaving only higher-value symbols in play.

The slot also includes a Hold & Win mechanic triggered when gold coins land and lock. ICONIC21 said the feature builds multipliers and coin values toward one of four jackpot tiers: Mini, Minor, Major or Grand.

Buffalo Bonanza Hold & Win has a maximum prize of 10,000x stake and includes a Bonus Buy option to access bonus rounds. The release adds to ICONIC21’s slots line-up alongside its live casino, virtual, instant game and RNG table game portfolios.

Edvardas Sadovskis, Chief Product Officer at ICONIC21, said: “Buffalo Bonanza Hold & Win is built around a clear idea of stripping everything back to what matters most. The game’s Free Spin round does exactly that, putting the focus on the symbols with the highest potential.

“The Hold & Win feature then adds a second layer of engagement, turning the session into something more rhythmic as multipliers accumulate, and the jackpot tiers come into play. It’s a title with real bite, and we’re confident it will perform strongly for operators seeking to add a high-impact slot to their lobby.”

The post ICONIC21 adds Buffalo Bonanza Hold & Win to its Buffalo slot series appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Booming Games

Booming Games Secures Strategic Partnership With Casino Portugal to Accelerate Growth in Southern Europe

Published

26 minutes ago

April 30, 2026

Wladimir P.

booming-games-secures-strategic-partnership-with-casino-portugal-to-accelerate-growth-in-southern-europe

Booming Games, a leading provider of premium gaming content, has announced a strategic partnership with Casino Portugal, one of the country’s most established and trusted online gaming platforms. The collaboration marks a significant step in Booming Games’ continued expansion across regulated European markets.

Through this partnership, Booming Games will integrate its portfolio of certified games into Casino Portugal’s platform, making a selection of its top-performing titles available to Portuguese players. The rollout will include popular releases such as Buffalo Hold and Win Extreme 10,000 and Inferno Fortune Power Hit, alongside newer hits like Greedy for Gold Power Hit, Tasty Bonanza 10,000, Trollfufu Bonanza, and Diamond Hits Trio: InstaStrike.

Casino Portugal, operated by the renowned Estoril Sol Group, was the first licensed online casino to launch in Portugal in 2016 and has since established itself as a leader in the market. Known for its premium user experience, strong regulatory compliance, and entertainment-led approach, the brand continues to innovate through exclusive content and omnichannel engagement strategies.

The partnership reflects Booming Games’ commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant content tailored to local markets, while strengthening its footprint in Europe. As demand for engaging, innovative casino content continues to grow in Portugal, the collaboration positions both companies to capitalise on new opportunities and enhance the player experience.

Lucia Baranda, Head of Partnerships at Booming Games, said: “We are delighted to partner with Casino Portugal, a brand that stands out for its strong reputation, premium positioning, and commitment to innovation. This collaboration represents an important milestone in our European growth strategy and allows us to bring our engaging content to a wider audience in Portugal.”

Tiago Sousa, Casino Manager at Casino Portugal, said: “We are excited to welcome Booming Games to our platform. Their portfolio of high-performing and visually engaging titles aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering premium entertainment experiences to our players. We look forward to a successful partnership that will further enrich our offering.”

The post Booming Games Secures Strategic Partnership With Casino Portugal to Accelerate Growth in Southern Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

BETANO

Betano signs sponsorship deal with Argentina national football team

Published

12 hours ago

April 29, 2026

Wladimir P.

betano-signs-sponsorship-deal-with-argentina-national-football-team

Kaizen Gaming brand becomes an Official Regional Sponsor as World Cup 2026 approaches, with campaigns planned across digital, TV and OOH.

Betano has signed a new sponsorship agreement with the Argentina National Football Team, joining as an Official Regional Sponsor, the company said on April 29, 2026.

The deal was announced from Athens, Greece and Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the Kaizen Gaming-owned sports betting and gaming brand positioning the partnership ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026.

According to the company, the sponsorship will include “local 360° campaigns” featuring Betano’s tagline “Confiá” across digital media, television, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising. Betano also said it plans “high-engagement activations” intended to connect fans with the team.

In the release, Kaizen Gaming framed the agreement as part of a broader strategy to invest in top-tier sports partnerships to support international brand growth and “responsible gaming experiences.” Financial terms, territories covered under the “regional” designation, and contract duration were not disclosed.

More relevant data as follows:

Betano (Kaizen Gaming) official website; https://www.betano.com/ Primary source for brand and market presence details related to Betano.
Kaizen Gaming official website; https://kaizengaming.com/ Company background and corporate announcements for Kaizen Gaming, the owner of Betano.
AFA (Argentine Football Association) official website; https://www.afa.com.ar/ Authoritative reference for Argentina national team commercial partnerships and federation announcements.
FIFA World Cup 2026; https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/tournaments/mens/worldcup/canada-mexico-usa2026 Official tournament page to ground the timing reference to the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The post Betano signs sponsorship deal with Argentina national football team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.