Latest News

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

Published

3 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.

David Nilsen Editor-in-Chief at Kongebonus

Kongebonus Awards 2025 Winners Announced

Published

17 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

kongebonus-awards-2025-winners-announced

Kongebonus, the premier provider of iGaming news and all things casino and betting in Norway, has revealed the winners of the Kongebonus Awards 2025, with this year’s outcomes disclosed alongside ICE Barcelona.

The Kongebonus Awards, the sole iGaming awards from Norway, are determined by a mix of votes from actual players nationwide and editorial assessments, with this year’s edition reflecting a noticeable change in both reach and participation. The awards garnered a total of 1,192 verified votes, reflecting a 25% rise from the previous year, highlighting their increasing significance for players and industry stakeholders.

Among those rejoicing in triumph this year, Print Studios earned the prestigious Best New Slot award for Uncle Profit. Filip Wargeus, Chief Commercial Officer at Print Studios, stated: “This is incredibly meaningful to us. It’s a genuine reflection of the entire team that our efforts are succeeding and are valued by fans, players, and communities.

ELK Studios was acknowledged as the Most Innovative Game Developer, obtaining 24.75% of the votes, with Jacob Nordwall, Head of Marketing at ELK Studios, stating: “Winning the Most Innovative Game Provider award in 2025 from the Kongebonus Awards is significant for us, particularly since it is solely determined by the Norwegian player community. This strongly shows that our efforts are valued and genuinely connect with players in Norway, and that our commitment to remaining innovative and advancing the industry is being acknowledged.”

Other significant winners featured Push Gaming, recognized as Best Game Developer 2025, while Pragmatic Play’s Gates of Olympus earned the Readers’ Hall of Fame accolade. In contrast to the other categories, the Hall of Fame honors games that have established enduring popularity and attained legendary status throughout time.

David Nilsen, Editor-in-Chief at Kongebonus, said: “The purpose of the Kongebonus Awards is to showcase which studios, games and suppliers have genuinely stood out over the past year. We are not only looking at commercial success, but at quality, innovation and how well experiences are delivered to players. Because the results are shaped by open voting from Norwegian players, the awards reflect what truly resonates with the community while still maintaining a strong industry perspective.”

The post Kongebonus Awards 2025 Winners Announced appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

155.io

155.io Breaks the Mold Again, Introducing the CCTV Game Genre via Rush Hour

Published

17 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

155.io-breaks-the-mold-again,-introducing-the-cctv-game-genre-via-rush-hour

155.io, the live content studio transforming real-world games, has launched CCTV.Game, an innovative genre created entirely from live CCTV footage collected worldwide. The category debuts with its inaugural title, Rush Hour. The live game operates around the clock to convert real-life traffic into immediate viewing and wagering entertainment.

The CCTV Game signifies a new path for 155.io, broadening its chaos-oriented philosophy into completely live, real-world settings. Created using numerous live CCTV feeds from around the globe, the game transforms everyday activities into quick, engaging, and immediately bettable entertainment.

Running nonstop, Rush Hour enables players to wager on straightforward, distinct results during rounds lasting under a minute – such as the number of cars that cross a junction or the quantity that turns left or right within a specified timeframe. Each round is dynamic, spontaneous, and influenced by the organic rhythms of the world, instead of standard RNG methods.

Rush Hour’s live recordings feature diverse locations such as Sydney, Swindon, Arizona, and Taipei, as well as landmarks like Patong Beach in Thailand and Abbey Road in London. From everyday crossroads to landmark locations, the entire world transforms into the game board. Crafted for mobile devices, Rush Hour is immediately comprehensible and genuinely engaging, providing a much-needed option to conventional casino formats. CCTV Game embodies 155.io’s fundamental philosophy: chaotic reality, straightforward games, and entertainment designed primarily for mobile.

The launch enhances 155.io’s attraction to the upcoming player generation, merging live-stream culture with instant betting features.

CCTV Game and Rush Hour can now be accessed via Hub88 or through direct integration.

Sam Jones, Founder & CEO of 155.io, commented: “Rush Hour is the first expression of our CCTV Game genre – think Big Brother blended with Polymarket. It’s completely live, and the world is now our studio. CCTV.game takes real-world chaos and turns it into something instantly playable and genuinely entertaining – this is content the next generation will queue up to try.”

He added: “Once you realise the entire world can be a live game feed, there are no boundaries. Live traffic content is just the start – from live wildlife to iconic sporting locations – we’re only just setting off on our journey of what real-world chaos entertainment can be.”

The post 155.io Breaks the Mold Again, Introducing the CCTV Game Genre via Rush Hour appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

MGA Games Launches Poseidon’s Orb Slot Featuring Sticky Wilds and Free Spins

Published

18 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Wladimir P.

mga-games-launches-poseidon’s-orb-slot-featuring-sticky-wilds-and-free-spins

MGA Games, a prominent Spanish firm specializing in content creation for international casino operators, will debut Poseidon’s Orb on January 28, its latest video slot for the .com markets. This title encourages players to join an explorer on an epic quest to find the legendary city of Atlantis.

The game is a Video Slot with 5 reels and 3 rows, offering 10 paylines, and includes Wild and Scatter symbols that activate Free Spins. A remarkable aspect is the Sticky Wilds mechanic in the Free Spins round—an inventive element that boosts thrill and raises winning possibilities. It additionally includes an optional purchase of Free Spins, adjustable for each operator.

The theme of Poseidon’s Orb, drawn from global myths and legends, aims to attract a diverse audience of players. Its stunning visuals and film-inspired score further guarantee an engaging experience brimming with thrills and rewards.

Classified under popular themes like “Adventure,” “Mythology,” “Treasures,” and “Fantasy,” this latest MGA Games Video Slot serves as a valuable enhancement to any operator’s collection, improving player retention and profits, while the Free Spins purchase feature offers an extra revenue opportunity.

The post MGA Games Launches Poseidon’s Orb Slot Featuring Sticky Wilds and Free Spins appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.