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How iGaming businesses can capitalise on event season, and form lasting business relationships
As event season approaches, the iGaming industry gears up for a whirlwind of conferences, expos, and networking opportunities. With countless chances to connect, expand, and make an impact, navigating these events strategically can set businesses up for success long after the season ends. In this op-ed, Boris Pashnev, CEO of Alpha Affiliates, shares insights on how iGaming businesses can maximize their presence during event season and build relationships that drive long-term growth.
For the iGaming industry, events are everything. Networking continues to be the cornerstone of successful marketing and sales, especially within the iGaming sector.
iGB Live Amsterdam took place last month, and in the last year, we’ve seen other notable events such as SiGMA Malta, SiGMA Dubai, and of course, iGB London.
We at Alpha Affiliates understand building connections at these events is crucial – however, converting these connections into long-term relationships is everything, and key to business growth.
So, how can iGaming professionals build on, and maintain relationships post-event?
Here are my top tips on how you can effectively network and convert the conversations started at events into business leads:
Listen, and pay attention
One of the best kept secrets in the art of networking, is not talking – in fact quite the opposite. Sometimes the best way to network and build meaningful connections is to zone in and listen.
By listening, you learn a lot. For instance, you may learn something new about them or their business that you can connect to, or use as a hook for a follow up post-event. For instance, if a prospective client mentions they have an exciting holiday or life event taking place, you could get back in touch and ask how it was as a conversation starter. It can be as simple as that.
By listening, you can get to know a person better, and ask more thoughtful follow up questions at the right moments. Playing close attention to what is being said goes a long way in the business world!
Focus on shared interests
I encourage my colleagues to focus on forming connections based on shared interests, values and goals. When speaking in-person, conversations naturally move away from business to other topics, from politics to the economy and hobbies. You can build genuine connections and relationships with people when you share common interests.
Consistency is also important. Regularly touch base with your network and show that you value these relationships beyond just transactional moments.
Play the long game
Networking is often only considered to be successful if an immediate lead is generated. This is frequently not the case.
Building a network is a long-term tactic that takes dedication. Not every connection will lead to immediate benefits, but consistent effort will yield long-term results. Hard selling rarely delivers, and what really makes for effective networking is authenticity.
Focus on being present. Hand out your business card at the end of the conversation and follow up within 48 hours to nurture the relationship.
Make sure there’s never a firm goodbye
Conferences and events are there to make professional networks that last long after the venue closes. What I have learnt over the years is that even if a particular conversation is not likely to lead to a sale or outcome, it does not mean you should discredit that individual and stop any further conversation.
In the iGaming affiliate marketing sector, we see this all the time. People can quickly move positions, and suddenly have access to new opportunities. And, we should remember that people who enjoyed a conversation can introduce you to their wider network.
This is so important when it comes to networking – be sure to look at their bigger picture and follow-up with everyone you had the chance to speak with at the event. Maintaining these relationships in the long-term could open new doors in the future.
Ultimately, in person networking can deliver significant results if approached correctly. However, no long-lasting relationship can be made without a long-term strategy. Listening, identifying shared interests, as well as remaining authentic and consistent, is key to building meaningful relationships that can convert into business leads in the future.
The post How iGaming businesses can capitalise on event season, and form lasting business relationships appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Major findings from the newly launched report include playable ads having the potential to deliver impression-to-install rates 16 times that of non-playable formats for emerging gaming apps and a 20% increase in spending on interactive ads year over year.
Liftoff, a leading AI-enabled growth platform for the mobile app economy, has published its seventh annual Mobile Ad Creative Index. The report explores top creative trends that are attracting and scaling in ad spend across consumer apps and games. It also highlights the expanding role of AI in creative production, testing, and optimization.
This year’s Mobile Ad Creative Index specifically analyzes creative concepts that have excelled in scale for Liftoff’s highest-spending advertisers over the past 12 to 48 months. It is based on findings from over 4.7 trillion impressions, 263 billion clicks, and 1.1 billion installs between 1 January 2023 and 31 May 2025.
Highlights from the report include:
Top consumer apps are investing in interactive ads to compete for engagement
In 2024, the share of spend on interactive ads for top apps increased by 20% year over year. The share of spend increased by 2% for spenders outside the top tier. Top-spending apps differentiate their campaigns by adding innovations to evergreen concepts such as social scrollers, carousels, and scratch-offs.
Playable ads deliver returns across ad budgets for mobile game advertisers
In 2024, the share of spend on playable ads for top games averaged 35% higher than other games. Across all ad budgets, however, playable ads delivered higher conversion rates. Impression-to-install rates were 8 times that of non-playable formats for top spenders and 16 times that of non-playable formats for other game advertisers.
Tailoring “metaplay” elements to motivations can improve performance
“Metaplay” elements—gameplay that diverges from an app’s core design to appeal to a broader audience—are widespread, but top games gain an edge by tailoring their metaplay ads to the publisher audience. The report found that aligning “metaplay” creative with publisher audiences resulted in a 93% increase in installs-per-mille.
UGC is becoming a key differentiator in driving scale for consumer apps
The share of spend on user-generated content (UGC) increased 11% for top-spending apps, with social and utility apps seeing the most significant jump of nearly 30% between 2023 and 2024.
Widespread adoption of Gen AI leads to more customized ad experiences
Creative teams increasingly leverage AI to enhance top-performing assets with 3D and motion and to create and test variations. Top advertisers also use AI to recombine their assets in customized ad experiences that break away from standard video to playable formats.
Yann Zeller, Chief of Staff, Creative at Liftoff, said: “Today’s creative landscape is shaped by a single, powerful truth: attention is the commodity, and brands, games, and influencers are all vying for it. Great mobile ad experiences can earn attention by aligning context with behavior. As ad formats become richer and AI expands our ability to personalize and adapt creatives at scale, we’re able to unlock new insights into user behavior and motivation. We see users spend meaningful stretches with the right content, sometimes 60 to 90 seconds when the ad feels personal or prompts meaningful participation. This isn’t just a better way to advertise—it’s a better way to tell stories and the most exciting brief we’ve had in years.”
Soren Steelquist, Director of Creative Production, said: “The proof is in the data—more and more consumer apps are incorporating UGC into every stage of their marketing, and programmatic is no different. UGC works because it’s authentic and relatable, and users are more likely to be influenced by ad when it’s coming from a trustworthy source. To see higher impact from UGC creatives, work with a partner that can match the right creator with your brand and develop winning concepts that resonate with audiences.”
The post Liftoff’s 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index Reveals UGC Is a Key Differentiator for Top Apps appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Affilka by SOFTSWISS, an affiliate management software platform, has secured the title of Affiliate Software Supplier at the prestigious EGR B2B Awards for the second consecutive year. The awards ceremony took place on 3 July at London’s iconic The Roundhouse, where the iGaming industry gathered to celebrate the most successful and innovative companies of the past year.
The consecutive win reinforces Affilka’s growing leadership in iGaming affiliate marketing software. Over the past 12 months, the product has consistently evolved, launching a series of powerful new features.
Among the recent updates is the Cross-Brand Player Duplicate Detection tool, which identifies overlapping player accounts across different casino brands within a single affiliate program. The platform also introduced the new Traffic Report, which provides real-time, click-to-registration and click-to-FTD metrics with multi-dimensional filters. Another new feature allows affiliates to access data on their marketing campaigns and tracking links directly via API, enabling automated data extraction and custom integrations.
At the end of last year, Affilka rolled out the Geo-Distributed Redirect feature, which boosts site visits by reducing redirect times from 1.5 seconds to 300–500 milliseconds, and the Cohort Analysis Report, which offers deeper insights into player behaviour.
Anastasia Borovaya, Head of Affilka by SOFTSWISS, commented on the recognition: “Winning this award two years in a row is an incredible achievement for our team. It reflects our hard work, creativity, and deep commitment to the continuing improvement of our platform. What makes this win special is knowing that the tools we build are already helping our partners solve real challenges. Whether refining traffic strategies or making smarter, data-driven decisions, we’re proud Affilka plays a part in their success.”
Thanks to ongoing updates and the introduction of new innovative features, Affilka by SOFTSWISS now supports over 450 brands, 400 thousand affiliate accounts, and 98 million player registrations.
Earlier in June, SOFTSWISS won two prestigious trophies at another EGR Ceremony – Marketing & Innovation Awards 2025. The company’s marketing department received the Marketing Team of the Year Award for its bold creative approach and effective use of new technologies and data analytics. In addition, Valentina Bagniya, CMO at SOFTSWISS, was named B2B Marketer of the Year for transforming the company’s marketing function into a powerful brand engine within the iGaming industry.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 30,000 casino games, the Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. In 2013, SOFTSWISS revolutionised the industry by introducing the world’s first Bitcoin-optimised online casino solution. The expert team counts over 2,000 employees.
The post Affilka by SOFTSWISS Wins at EGR B2B Awards for Second Year Running appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
As summer reaches its peak, so do the opportunities for operators partnering with Spinmatic. The premium Slot developer has launched two new exclusive offers as part of its ongoing Rock the Month campaign – a high-impact promotional series featuring targeted incentives, exclusive discounts and seasonal themes designed to support long-term operator growth.
After a strong debut in July with Fruit Fiesta and Summer Splash, Rock the Month has quickly become a key initiative for many partners, offering unique commercial advantages each month, exclusively to Spinmatic clients.
For August, the provider turns up the heat with two new offers: Summer Crash and Freespin Hype. Both are available to apply for until July 25 and designed to help operators during the summer’s most critical weeks.
This August’s promotions offer Spinmatic’s partners the chance to unlock up to 60% off in Revenue Share, depending on the offer selected. Full activation details – including game selection and placement requirements – are reserved exclusively for Spinmatic’s operator network.
“Our goal with Rock the Month is to bring consistent value to our partners,” said Norbert Mathies, Managing Director at Spinmatic. “We know operators are constantly under pressure to keep players engaged, so with our monthly promotions, we aim to offer something that’s genuinely useful. With two offers available each month, operators can choose the one that best fits their market. At the same time, we’re helping them get more out of their campaigns and explore new games with reduced risk.”
Spinmatic encourages operators and industry stakeholders to stay tuned, as new Rock the Month promotions will continue to be rolled out monthly. For those looking for innovative ways to increase player loyalty and revenue, now is the perfect time to get involved.
The post “Rock the Month”: Spinmatic’s monthly promos to power operator growth appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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