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Rewarded User Acquisition: Transforming Mobile Gaming with James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia
Introduction:
In the rapidly evolving world of mobile gaming, innovation is the key to staying ahead. Rewarded User Acquisition (UA) is emerging as a game-changing strategy, enabling developers to attract and retain players by incentivizing engagement. At the forefront of this movement is James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia, a leader in Rewarded UA through platforms like Freecash. With over a decade of experience in mobile gaming and partnerships with major titles, James provides invaluable insights into the potential and challenges of Rewarded UA, the shifting landscape of the mobile games industry, and trends shaping the future.
Rewarded UA: Transforming Mobile Gaming Engagement – An Interview with James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia
Can you describe Rewarded UA to our readers?
Rewarded User Acquisition is a marketing strategy commonly used in mobile app and game development. It involves incentivizing users with rewards like Amazon or Google Play vouchers for engaging with an app or game. This approach not only increases engagement but also helps developers acquire high-quality users more likely to make in-app purchases or interact with ads. Platforms like Freecash excel at scaling this model without relying on third-party networks, creating a frictionless experience for studios.
“The key to success in Rewarded UA,” James explains, “is continuously testing different rewards and strategies, adding deeper-level events to maintain user engagement and maximize outcomes.”
What is your career background?
With over 13 years in the mobile gaming space, James started his journey at Kabam, working on the successful Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North. He has since held pivotal roles at renowned studios like Outfit7 (My Talking Tom), Huuuge Games (Huuuge Casino), and Wargaming (World of Tanks, World of Warships). Recently, he ventured into the web3 space with MoonGaming (Medieval Empires).
James joined Almedia nine months ago, diving deep into Rewarded UA through the Freecash platform. “We’ve seen tremendous growth as developers realize how scalable our audience is,” he shares.
How do developers benefit from giving away cash?
“The idea that developers are ‘giving away cash’ is a misconception,” James explains. Instead, developers pay a cost per install (CPI) to platforms like Freecash. This investment is structured to drive user engagement with short-, mid-, and long-term activities. As players progress through challenging levels motivated by rewards, developers monetize through in-app purchases and ad engagement.
By carefully designing reward structures, developers ensure they acquire users who remain invested and engaged in their games while generating revenue.
Why is Rewarded UA growing?
Traditional UA channels have become competitive, expensive, and difficult to scale, especially after privacy regulations like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. Rewarded UA, by contrast, bypasses these challenges, offering direct access to users keen to engage with games and earn rewards.
James notes, “Rewarded UA platforms provide an invaluable alternative, especially for studios looking to scale effectively amidst increasing privacy constraints.”
You’re based in Berlin; how is the mobile games industry performing locally?
Berlin continues to thrive as a gaming hub with notable studios like Wooga, Wargaming Mobile, and Ubisoft’s Kolibri Games. It also fosters a vibrant ecosystem of newer studios such as TrailMix, Metacore, and Playflux. “The city’s talent pool spans developers, producers, designers, and marketing specialists, all supporting the local industry,” James says.
What are some common misconceptions about ‘Rewarded UA’?
Many in the industry still equate Rewarded UA with the outdated concept of incentivized traffic, which focused on boosting app store rankings without delivering quality users.
James points out that modern Rewarded UA is far more sophisticated. “Platforms like Freecash are delivering measurable results for studios like Plarium, where new user registrations rose by 30%, and the lifetime value (LTV) of users was 20% higher compared to other channels.”
While the model is powerful, James emphasizes the importance of anti-fraud measures to maintain trust and quality.
At Almedia, you lead gaming partnerships. How do you approach building connections in the games industry?
“The gaming industry is incredibly well-connected, so we focus on building relationships for the long term,” James explains. Events play a significant role in fostering these connections, and maintaining authenticity in conversations is key. “Don’t treat discussions as transactions; view them as opportunities to build meaningful partnerships.”
As we look toward 2025, what industry trends are on your radar?
James predicts a more equitable and accessible mobile games industry, driven by policy changes like Epic’s court victory against Google. Additionally, he foresees a surge in user-generated content (UGC), with platforms like Roblox and Unreal Editor for Fortnite paving the way for new creative opportunities.
“Increased payouts to creators and emerging platforms to support UGC will be a significant trend,” he adds.
Conclusion
Rewarded UA is reshaping mobile gaming, providing scalable and effective user acquisition strategies while enhancing the gaming experience. With industry leaders like James Crabb championing innovative approaches, the future of mobile gaming looks brighter than ever. From advancements in Rewarded UA to new opportunities in UGC, developers have much to look forward to as the gaming landscape evolves.
The post Rewarded User Acquisition: Transforming Mobile Gaming with James Crabb, Head of Gaming Partnerships at Almedia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
GR8_TECH has partnered with Setanta Bet, a locally licensed online betting operator in Georgia and part of the wider Setanta Sports ecosystem. The collaboration marks another important step in GR8_TECH’s expansion across regulated markets, with Setanta Bet successfully launching the GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame solution.
By joining the Champions Club—GR8_TECH’s exclusive network of ambitious operators powered by high-performance technology—Setanta Bet gains access to a sportsbook solution designed to accelerate growth, enhance player engagement, and maximize operational efficiency.
“We are delighted to welcome Setanta Bet as a partner of GR8_TECH and a proud addition to our Champions Club,” said Vardan Hakobyan, Head of Sales at GR8_TECH. “The brand has successfully created a strong connection between sports content, player engagement, and entertainment. With GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame, Setanta Bet can further enhance its betting offering while preserving its unique brand identity and delivering a richer, more engaging experience for its players.”
“Setanta Bet was launched on the foundation of the region’s largest and most successful sports media, representing the most vital part of Setanta as a major brand,” said Tamar Badashvili, CEO at Setanta Bet. “It is the ideal synergy between sports media and the betting business, a model already successfully proven by leading global brands. We launched our sportsbook in partnership with GR8_TECH because their regional experience, along with their platform’s features and functionality, perfectly matched our requirements. We believe this collaboration will be mutually beneficial; not only will Setanta Bet succeed, but our vast operational experience in the industry will provide valuable feedback to help further develop the GR8_TECH platform.”
GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame provides Setanta Bet with a scalable, high-performance sportsbook solution designed for rapid deployment and local-market adaptability. The solution delivers more than 180,000 monthly events across 50+ sports and esports disciplines, supported by 24/7 live betting coverage, AI-powered recommendations, embedded CRM capabilities, and extensive customization options.
The solution also includes a comprehensive suite of engagement and revenue optimization tools, including cashout, multi-bets, odds personalization, margin personalization, geo-targeted content, customizable widgets, and a fully mobile-first experience designed to meet the expectations of modern players.
Get in touch with GR8_TECH to learn how the GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame can help launch, upgrade, or scale your iGaming business.
GR8_TECH. Platform for Champions
GR8_TECH is an award-winning provider, delivering high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. GR8_TECH’s comprehensive portfolio includes the GREAT_TURNKEY and GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY solutions, GREAT_SPORTSBOOK, and GREAT_CASINO AGGREGATION.
With a geo-specific approach to solutions, a focus on practical innovations, and an operator-first mindset, GR8_TECH helps its clients achieve measurable results in their target markets quickly and efficiently. Trusted by top operators worldwide, GR8_TECH has over 100 successful cases and earned multiple recognitions, including the title of Platform Provider of the Year by SBC Awards 2025.
The post Setanta Bet Joins GR8_TECH’s Champions Club with GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
NuxGame has been named Casino Platform of the Year at the inaugural iGaming News Awards, the first edition of the awards programme run by industry publication iGaming News.
The Casino Platform of the Year category recognises the platform technology operators use to build and run their casino businesses — the core system behind day-to-day operation rather than any single feature or campaign. It is a meaningful marker for a B2B provider since it points to the technology operators actually rely on. Winning the category in the programme’s first year adds another point of industry acknowledgement for the NuxGame online casino software.
The award caps a strong year for the platform, one shaped by steady work on the product itself. NuxGame added new player-engagement tools such as Achievements, Spin Wheel, and Rakeback, expanded its game aggregator with thousands more titles, and opened up new markets by launching its Sweepstakes and Telegram products and gaining a Class II B2B licence in Romania.
The category win follows other recent recognition for the platform, such as Best Platform Provider at the 2025 SiGMA Eurasia Awards and Best Innovation in iGaming Technology at the 2025 European iGaming Excellence Awards. Together they create a steady awards record for the technology behind the company’s casino offering rather than for a single product or campaign.
“A casino platform is the part of the business an operator depends on every day, so this is the recognition that means the most to us,” said Daniel Heywood, CEO at NuxGame. “We’ve spent years keeping the platform stable, straightforward to scale, and simple to run day to day. And we work just as hard on the support quality behind it. Seeing that commitment recognised by the iGaming News Awards is a proud moment for the whole team.”
NuxGame says its direction for 2026 is to keep the platform dependable and easy to run. The company will also keep expanding the ecosystem around the platform so operators can add proven, pre-integrated partners as they scale rather than vetting and connecting each one on their own. The company reads the win as confirmation that the fundamentals it has invested in remain important for operators — and as a reason to keep strengthening them.
About NuxGame
NuxGame is a B2B iGaming software platform provider that has been helping online casino and sportsbook operators launch and grow their projects for more than 7 years. Founded in 2018, the company now supports more than 100 operators worldwide. What began as a platform provider only has developed into a unified ecosystem. Alongside its own flexible casino platform, turnkey casino and sportsbook solutions, sweepstakes-ready infrastructure, game aggregation and API integrations, NuxGame connects operators to a vetted network of proven partners, spanning CRM, payments, orchestration, aggregation, and traffic. All of it is backed by 24/7 support.
The post NuxGame Wins Casino Platform of the Year at the iGaming News Awards appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
GR8_TECH has partnered with Setanta Bet, a locally licensed online betting operator in Georgia and part of the wider Setanta Sports ecosystem. The collaboration marks another important step in GR8_TECH’s expansion across regulated markets, with Setanta Bet successfully launching the GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame solution.
By joining the Champions Club—GR8_TECH’s exclusive network of ambitious operators powered by high-performance technology—Setanta Bet gains access to a sportsbook solution designed to accelerate growth, enhance player engagement, and maximize operational efficiency.
“We are delighted to welcome Setanta Bet as a partner of GR8_TECH and a proud addition to our Champions Club,” said Vardan Hakobyan, Head of Sales at GR8_TECH. “The brand has successfully created a strong connection between sports content, player engagement, and entertainment. With GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame, Setanta Bet can further enhance its betting offering while preserving its unique brand identity and delivering a richer, more engaging experience for its players.”
“Setanta Bet was launched on the foundation of the region’s largest and most successful sports media, representing the most vital part of Setanta as a major brand,” said Tamar Badashvili, CEO at Setanta Bet. “It is the ideal synergy between sports media and the betting business, a model already successfully proven by leading global brands. We launched our sportsbook in partnership with GR8_TECH because their regional experience, along with their platform’s features and functionality, perfectly matched our requirements. We believe this collaboration will be mutually beneficial; not only will Setanta Bet succeed, but our vast operational experience in the industry will provide valuable feedback to help further develop the GR8_TECH platform.”
GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame provides Setanta Bet with a scalable, high-performance sportsbook solution designed for rapid deployment and local-market adaptability. The solution delivers more than 180,000 monthly events across 50+ sports and esports disciplines, supported by 24/7 live betting coverage, AI-powered recommendations, embedded CRM capabilities, and extensive customization options.
The solution also includes a comprehensive suite of engagement and revenue optimization tools, including cashout, multi-bets, odds personalization, margin personalization, geo-targeted content, customizable widgets, and a fully mobile-first experience designed to meet the expectations of modern players.
Get in touch with GR8_TECH to learn how the GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame can help launch, upgrade, or scale your iGaming business.
GR8_TECH. Platform for Champions
GR8_TECH is an award-winning provider, delivering high-performance sportsbook and iGaming solutions that empower operators to lead and win in competitive markets. GR8_TECH’s comprehensive portfolio includes the GREAT_TURNKEY and GREAT_CRYPTO TURNKEY solutions, GREAT_SPORTSBOOK, and GREAT_CASINO AGGREGATION.
With a geo-specific approach to solutions, a focus on practical innovations, and an operator-first mindset, GR8_TECH helps its clients achieve measurable results in their target markets quickly and efficiently. Trusted by top operators worldwide, GR8_TECH has over 100 successful cases and earned multiple recognitions, including the title of Platform Provider of the Year by SBC Awards 2025.
The post Setanta Bet Joins GR8_TECH’s Champions Club with GREAT_SPORTSBOOK iFrame appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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