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The Impact of Regulatory Changes on Media Buying in iGaming
How legislative shifts influence media buying strategies and adaptation in a rapidly evolving industry
The iGaming industry is one of the most heavily regulated digital sectors, constantly adapting to new compliance frameworks worldwide. Regulatory changes affect not only operators but also media buyers, who must rethink their advertising strategies, creatives, and audience engagement approaches. While regulation enhances player safety, it also fosters challenges such as increased costs, creative limitations, and the rise of unlicensed operators.
Experts from the media buying agency RockApp have conducted an in-depth analysis of how regulatory changes impact the entire iGaming ecosystem.
How Regulations Shape Ad Creatives in iGaming
One of the most immediate effects of regulation is the restriction on advertising creatives. The UK, for instance, is one of the most tightly regulated markets, where media buyers must comply with strict guidelines:
- No mention of currency in ads: According to the UK Advertising Codes regulated by the ASA, there is no direct ban on the use of currency in gambling advertisements. However, advertisers must adhere to strict guidelines to ensure they do not mislead customers regarding potential winnings.
- No misleading claims or exaggerated expectations: Ads should not mislead users by exaggerating the chances of winning or implying that gambling can be a solution to financial concerns.
- No streamers or influencers with significant underage audiences: Featuring individuals who are, or appear to be, under 25 years old is prohibited. Additionally, using celebrities or influencers who have a strong appeal to under-18s is not allowed.
- Strict moderation of creatives before approval
- Social Responsibility: Advertisements must not portray gambling as indispensable or as a way to achieve financial security. They should not suggest that solitary gambling is preferable to social gambling.
These regulations necessitate careful consideration during the creation of advertising content. For instance, the prohibition on content that strongly appeals to under-18s means avoiding the use of animated characters, certain color schemes, or themes associated with youth culture. Additionally, the restriction on featuring individuals under 25 limits the selection of brand ambassadors and influencers, requiring brands to choose representatives who not only resonate with the target audience but also comply with age-related guidelines.
According to AppsFlyer’s “State of Gaming App Marketing – 2024 Edition,” global app user acquisition ad spend grew by 5% in 2024 to $65 billion, with a significant portion allocated to gaming apps. This increase underscores the importance of adhering to advertising regulations to ensure that marketing efforts are both effective and compliant.
In summary, the UK and other regulated countries’ stringent advertising regulations significantly influence the development of ad creatives in the iGaming industry. Advertisers must navigate these rules carefully to create content that is engaging yet compliant, ensuring that their marketing strategies uphold the principles of social responsibility and consumer protection.
Licensed media buying agencies can effectively adapt by integrating disclaimers and legal notices without compromising user engagement. While these additions reduce creative space, they don’t hinder performance significantly.
The Paradox: Regulation Enhances Safety but Fuels the Gray Market
Regulation is designed to protect players, but in some markets, it has also led to a surge in unlicensed casinos. For example, France, Poland, and the Netherlands have all experienced an influx of offshore operators who can acquire players at lower costs compared to licensed brands.
In Poland alone, nearly 50% of the gambling market operates in a gray zone, leading to an estimated annual tax loss of over $247 million. In 2023, transactions through unlicensed platforms reached $8.6 billion, prompting industry experts to call for urgent regulatory reforms by 2026 to curb further market deterioration.
Why does this happen? Strict regulations often limit marketing avenues for legal operators, making it difficult for them to compete with unlicensed platforms that operate without restrictions. As a result, players may turn to black-market casinos that offer more aggressive promotions, unrestricted gameplay, and fewer account verification hurdles.
For media buyers, this creates a complex landscape – navigating between compliance, profitability, and market demand.
The Value and Strategic Advantage of Media Buying in Regulated Markets
Operating under a license means adhering to an extensive list of requirements:
- Adhering to jurisdiction-specific advertising laws
- Complying with responsible gambling policies
- Avoiding blacklisted traffic sources
- Implementing strict user verification processes
While these regulations add complexity, they also bring long-term benefits. Running campaigns in a legally compliant manner allows for sustainable business growth, fostering trust among players and partners. Although user acquisition costs in regulated markets are higher, the quality of users significantly improves due to the absence of low-quality creatives with miss-promises, exaggerated expectations, and outright scams, which are prevalent in unregulated markets.
Advertisers appreciate this shift, as the traffic quality far exceeds expectations. This, in turn, improves lifetime value (LTV) and fosters long-term relationships between brands and agencies. Here’s a comment from a representative of HighRoller Casino, one of RockApp’s key clients:
“Stricter regulations in the iGaming industry have significantly increased operational demands and social responsibility for businesses. While compliance creates a more structured and reliable market, it also adds layers of complexity that companies must navigate. There are both advantages and challenges. On the one hand, licensed operators benefit from greater stability and credibility; on the other, the regulatory burden requires continuous adaptation. Finding the right balance is key to ensuring sustainable growth without restricting innovation.“– HighRoller Casino, CEO.
And a perspective from Soft2Bet:
“Choosing the right traffic partner is crucial in today’s iGaming landscape. RockApp has proven to be a reliable partner, delivering high-quality traffic and seamlessly adapting to the regulated market with the right approach. They don’t just follow trends – they anticipate changes and optimize processes to ensure outstanding results. The strategies that worked in the past are no longer effective, but RockApp excels at evolving, refining, and elevating performance to an entirely new level.” – Soft2Bet, CEO.
In contrast, grey and black market operators often have lower operational costs since they bypass licensing fees and may evade taxes. This cost advantage allows them to offer more attractive odds or bonuses to players. However, these operators face significant risks, including legal actions, lack of access to reputable payment processors, and challenges in establishing trust with players due to the absence of regulatory oversight.
A 2024 report by the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) highlighted concerns that overly stringent regulations in some European countries are inadvertently driving players towards black market operators.
This trend is further reflected in Sweden, where a report by AB Trav och Galopp (ATG) revealed that traffic to unlicensed gambling operators has increased tenfold since 2019. The study estimates that the gross gaming revenue (GGR) of illegal operators now reaches 13 billion SEK ($13.64 billion) annually, with users reportedly spending 10-20 times more in unlicensed online casinos. ATG’s CEO has criticized Sweden’s current gambling laws, stating that excessive restrictions on licensed operators are creating an unfair playing field and driving users toward unregulated alternatives.
While licensed operations bring stability and quality assurance, excessively restrictive regulations can inadvertently push players and advertisers toward unregulated markets. This paradox is evident in markets like Sweden and Poland, where overly stringent policies have led to a surge in black-market activity. Thus, the key lies in finding a balance – ensuring robust consumer protection without stifling the competitive landscape for licensed operators.
In summary, while operating in the white market entails higher compliance costs, it ensures legal security and fosters player trust. Conversely, grey and black market operations may offer short-term financial gains but come with significant legal and reputational risks.
For media buying agencies, working within legal frameworks unlocks significant advantages:
- Access to bigger clients: Major iGaming brands prefer licensed agencies.
- Better partnerships: Large ad networks and platforms favor advertisers that comply with regulations.
- Higher-quality traffic: Compliance reduces fraud, improving traffic efficiency.
Many traffic sources, including Google, Facebook, and premium programmatic platforms, enforce strict iGaming policies. This means agencies that operate in compliance gain preferential access, while black-market operators struggle with bans and restrictions.
In contrast, working with unlicensed brands often leads to short-term gains but long-term instability. Black-hat media buying comes with high risk, including frequent account shutdowns, payment delays, and loss of advertiser relationships.
The Impact of Regulations on Influencer and Streaming Marketing
Strict regulations have also affected influencer marketing. In countries with tight restrictions, streamers can no longer serve as direct brand ambassadors for casinos. For example, while streamers in Tier 3 markets (regions with lax regulations) aggressively promote gambling to younger audiences, this is strictly forbidden in Tier 1 markets like the UK and France.
To adapt, agencies have found creative solutions:
- Using AI and deepfake technology to modify streamer appearances
- Replacing copyrighted music with royalty-free alternatives
- Carefully curating influencer partnerships to avoid compliance risks
These strategies help agencies continue leveraging influencer marketing without violating legal guidelines.
Conclusion
Regulation is an unavoidable reality in iGaming media buying. While it presents challenges, it also creates opportunities for agencies that know how to navigate the landscape effectively.
For media buyers, working within legal frameworks is no longer an option – it’s a necessity. The future belongs to those who can play by the rules while still outperforming the competition. Recently, RockApp has secured licenses in all regulated states across the United States, further solidifying its commitment to compliance and long-term growth in the iGaming industry.
The post The Impact of Regulatory Changes on Media Buying in iGaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Betnacional
Brazil: Betting pressures household budgets and reshapes the competition for consumer spending
As the industry prepares for BiS SiGMA South America 2026, the largest and most influential iGaming event in Latin America, real market data begins to reveal a profound transformation in the behavior of the Brazilian consumer.
It is no longer just about “betting volume”, but about a reconfiguration of the Share of Wallet (participation in household spending).
The unprecedented study “Bets na Mesa, Consumo em Jogo”, carried out by NielsenIQ Brazil, sheds light on a reality that will be the center of technical debates at the Transamerica Expo Center: in 2025, 26.3% of Brazilian households participated in some form of betting.
This figure is not just a number; it is the reflection of a “new parallel shopper journey” that is capturing the attention and income of the population.
Radiography of Consumption: Who and what is being bet?
The Brazilian market in 2026 shows a clear fragmentation.
Despite the explosion of digital platforms, traditional modalities maintain notable resilience, creating a hybrid ecosystem between analog and digital.
Dominant Modalities
According to the NielsenIQ study, preferences are distributed as follows:
• Mega-Sena: 15.8% of households.
• Video Slots (such as the “Jogo do Tigrinho”): 7.7%.
• Jogo do Bicho: 3.9%.
• Sports Betting (Bets): 3.6%.
Socioeconomic and generational profiles in Brazil
The study reveals that bettors are not a homogeneous group. There is a marked division by Socioeconomic Level (SEL) and age:
• The Slots phenomenon: The “Jogo do Tigrinho” concentrates bettors from middle SEL (63.3%) and a notably young audience, with 42.4% of bettors up to 35 years old.
• The maturity of Mega-Sena: It predominates in high SEL (45.5%) and in a more mature profile, where 49.1% are over 51 years old.
As Gabriel Fagundes, Insights Leader for the Industry at NielsenIQ, points out: “We had already identified that betting became a popular and common practice in the routine of the Brazilian consumer.”
“Now, the numbers also point to the dimension that this practice is taking within household expenses and in the income of bettors.”
The Economic Motivation: Extra Income or Entertainment?
One of the most critical points for operators that will meet at BiS SiGMA is to understand the “why” behind betting.
The data from 2026 shows a diffuse frontier between gambling as leisure and gambling as economic hope.
For 49% of bettors, the main motivation is to obtain extra income, while 43.5% expect a “radical change of life”.
This second profile is more common in casual Mega-Sena players.
Classification by Intensity
The market is divided into three levels of commitment:
- Casual (73%): They play at least once a month.
- “Pro” (28%): They bet once a week. From this group, 65.8% seek extra income.
- “Elite” (9.3%): They bet weekly and spend more than R$ 100 per month.
This “gaming intensity” is, according to the study, the real driver of the economic impact on households, especially in the Northeast regions (29% penetration) and South (28.3%).
The Impact on Retail and the Consumption Basket
For the iGaming industry, understanding which expenses are being substituted is vital for sustainability and social responsibility.
The study reveals that only 10% of households admit substituting expenses directly for betting, but the affected categories are alarming.
Affected Categories
Among those who substitute expenses:
• Food: 47% of the cases.
• Fixed bills (water, electricity, internet): 45.3%.
• Beer: It is the category with the greatest retraction, registering a drop of 1.7 percentage points in the participation of spending.
• Cookies, perfumes and soft drinks: They also present negative impacts.
The main strategy of the consumer to accommodate spending on betting has been to reduce the quantity of items purchased; in fact, 60% of the consumption categories registered a decrease in the volume acquired in 2025.
Strategic Challenges for the Legal Market in 2026
The NielsenIQ data presents a direct challenge for brands and operators that seek to consolidate themselves in “Legal Brazil”.
The pressure on the domestic budget forces manufacturers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and betting operators to compete for the same currency.
“Betting is a new competitor in the consumer’s Share of Wallet.
This pressures manufacturers to act with more precision in communication, price and activation to recover relevance in front of this new competitor: the habit of betting itself.”
Towards BiS SiGMA 2026
As we approach the largest event in the region, this study serves as a warning and an opportunity. The Brazilian market of 2026 is mature, but it is under intense social scrutiny due to the impact on low-income families.
Operators that wish to have long-term success must:
- Differentiate the profiles: It is not possible to treat the young middle SEL slot player the same as the high SEL Mega-Sena bettor.
- Promote Responsible Gaming: The substitution of food and fixed bills for betting is a regulatory “red flag” that could tighten laws in the near future.
- Regional Innovation: The Northeast and the South are the markets with the highest intensity, requiring more aggressive localization strategies.
BiS SiGMA South America will be the perfect stage to discuss how the industry can grow without compromising the economic stability of Brazilian households, ensuring that iGaming is seen as entertainment and not as an unsustainable financial burden.

Superscore consolidates in Brazil and launches weekly analysis for the press.
The platform offers statistical analysis of the Brazilian Championship and of the main national and international championships, such as the Copa Libertadores, the World Cup and the Champions League, among others, with metrics that go beyond goals and assists for fans and sports experts.
Superscore Insights is the new newsletter for the press, with a weekly publication and another analysis of the latest news.
Superscore, a sports intelligence application associated with Superbet, advances and consolidates itself in Brazil as a strategic platform to transform data into reliable information for football fans in real time and without advertising.
With its own methodology, the solution establishes itself as a reference among sports fans, bringing together advanced statistics, rankings and in-depth analysis of the main tournaments, players and coaches in the country.
Now, the platform takes a new step with the launch of Superscore Insights, expanding its collaboration with the press by offering even more solid analysis, contextualized data and specialized support for sports coverage.
On Mondays, journalists will receive an exclusive bulletin with deep and original analysis of the weekend matches, a specialized analysis of the most important events of the day, as well as predictions and statistics of upcoming events.
With global coverage, Superscore already gathers more than 1,900 competitions, 63,000 teams and more than 480,000 monitored players, offering a solid base for historical and real-time analysis.
The data from Superscore comes from leading partners worldwide in the collection and distribution of sports data, the same ones used by Superbet and the main companies in the sector.
These providers offer high precision, low latency and comprehensive coverage of competitions worldwide.
“Superscore was born as a free sports intelligence application, without advertising, that goes beyond the basics by offering a wide database and statistics for those who want to understand the game in depth.
In just one year, it has already achieved thousands of users and grows approximately 30% monthly, climbing positions in the Google Play ranking.”
“The platform offers a solid experience for both fans and professionals, in addition to facilitating more informed decisions in sports betting, thus reinforcing the commitment to responsible gaming,” states Patrícia Prates, Marketing Director of Superbet and of the alliance with Superscore.
Superscore: Exclusive data and decades of history
In a context where sports coverage increasingly requires qualified data and contextualization, Superscore distinguishes itself by going beyond traditional indicators, incorporating metrics such as accurate shots, passes in the offensive third, tackles, recoveries, participation in decisive plays and time on the field, among other indicators.
These data are translated into the Superscore Score, a proprietary index that allows building Top 5 or Top 10 rankings of the best players of each round, with graphical visualizations and quick analysis.
Another differentiating factor is the expanded historical database, which gathers information from the Brazilian Championship since 1937, the Copa Libertadores since 1960 and the Champions League since 1992, which allows comparative analysis and identifying patterns over decades.
“We are talking about a platform built on a solid technological base, which combines a large volume of unique data, history and a team prepared to transform this information into relevant content for football fans.
Superscore organizes and translates these data so that they can also be used in sports coverage,” states Guilherme Simantob, director of Superscore in Brazil.
Superscore offers free and integrable widgets for the press and content creators, facilitating the incorporation of statistics, graphics and comparisons directly into articles, enriching journalistic narrative with reliable and visually accessible data.
The app is available in the App Store and Google Play.

Reevo arrives in Brazil with Betsson
Reevo has expanded its presence in Latin America after launching its aggregation platform and its own games catalog in Brazil in collaboration with Betsson.
The integration, carried out through a single connection, allows the operator to expand its content offering with Reevo’s own titles and third-party titles.
The movement reinforces the alliance between both companies and is part of a growth strategy in regulated markets, especially Brazil, considered one of the most promising in the region after regulatory advances.
From Betsson, Andrea Rossi highlighted the impact of the agreement by stating that the incorporation of Reevo’s content “expands the entertainment offer available for our players in one of the fastest-growing markets in the region.”
Additionally, both companies anticipated new joint expansions in other markets, after a recent launch also in Mexico.
Reevo continues to bet on its aggregation model as a way to facilitate access to multiple studios through a single integration, while expanding its global distribution network.
BTG launches prediction platform and increases the dispute between banks, stock exchange and betting
The launch of BTG Trends by BTG Pactual marks a new chapter in the growth of prediction markets in Brazil, intensifying competition between banks, the stock exchange and the betting sector.
This new platform allows investors to operate binary contracts (“yes” or “no”) based on probabilities about financial events, such as the dollar, the Ibovespa or interest rate decisions, using already regulated derivative instruments.
The movement is not isolated. The Brazilian stock exchange (B3) also advances in this direction, with the development of financial event contracts and digital derivatives, although restricted to professional investors.
At the same time, the platform XP established a partnership with Kalshi, facilitating access for Brazilian investors to international predictive markets, while new startups such as VoxFi explore broader applications, including geopolitics and culture.
At a global level, these markets have gained relevance and volume, driven by platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi.
However, their regulation continues to be a subject under debate. In the United States, the CFTC considers these contracts as financial derivatives, although discussions still exist about limits and risks, especially in sensitive events.
In Brazil, authorities, including the CVM and the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, are already analyzing how to frame these activities from a regulatory point of view, especially when they overlap with sports events.
The advance of these products has also generated reaction from the betting sector.
The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR) maintains that, when there is money involved in uncertain events, it is essentially betting, regardless of the format, and warns about risks such as unfair competition and lower consumer protection if they operate outside the regulated framework.
The main difference between betting and prediction markets lies in their structure: in betting, the user plays against the house, while in prediction markets prices are formed among participants and reflect collective probabilities.
Even so, the boundary between both models remains diffuse.
With banks, stock exchange and new platforms advancing simultaneously, prediction markets stop being an emerging trend and become a new field of dispute within the financial system.
The regulatory framework is still under construction, and the evolution of the sector will depend on how the limits between investment and betting are defined as these products scale.
The post Brazil: Betting pressures household budgets and reshapes the competition for consumer spending appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Casino Guru
Casino Guru Awards partner with Ethical Gambling Forum to champion transparency and player protection
Casino Guru is excited to announce a strategic collaboration with the Ethical Gambling Forum (EGF), a leading industry event focused on responsible gambling, sustainability, and ethical business practices. This partnership represents a major step forward in promoting ethics, transparency, and player protection across the iGaming sector.
As part of the initiative, the Casino Guru Awards will take a prominent role during the upcoming EGF conference, bringing the awards process directly into a space where industry stakeholders are united in their commitment to raising standards and safeguarding players.
From April 30 to May 1, Casino Guru will host an exclusive judges’ session during the conference week. This hands-on gathering will allow the Awards jury to actively review shortlisted nominees, conducting direct calls with candidates to gain deeper insight into their operations, values, and dedication to responsible gambling. This approach ensures that the Awards remain rigorous, transparent, and merit-based.
Additionally, Casino Guru will lead a panel discussion at the conference, featuring Awards judges and industry experts. The session will explore the significance of independent evaluation, ethical standards in iGaming, and how initiatives like the Casino Guru Awards contribute to a safer, more transparent gambling environment.
Daniela Sliva, PR & Creative Projects Director at Casino Guru, said:
“This partnership with the Ethical Gambling Forum is a natural fit. We share core values around ethics, transparency, responsible gambling, and player protection. By enabling judges to engage directly with shortlisted candidates, we add an extra layer of integrity and depth to the evaluation process, which truly sets the Casino Guru Awards apart.”
Jo Abergel, Co-Founder of the Ethical Gambling Forum, added:
“Partnering with Casino Guru for the Leeds event reinforces the message that accountability must be at the heart of our industry’s future. Together, we are creating a space for honest dialogue and meaningful progress, celebrating those who lead by example in player protection and industry integrity.”
This collaboration underscores the shared mission of Casino Guru and EGF: to elevate industry standards, support responsible operators, and recognize organizations that prioritize player well-being. By embedding the Awards judging process within the Ethical Gambling Forum, both organizations aim to foster transparency, encourage accountability, and celebrate ethical leadership in iGaming.
The post Casino Guru Awards partner with Ethical Gambling Forum to champion transparency and player protection appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Endorphina
NAZAR WISHES AWAIT YOUR COMMAND
Let your wishes guide you to fortune in Nazar Wishes, the latest visually stunning and immersive online slot from Endorphina.
Players are invited on a mystical journey through an Arabian fantasy world, traveling by camel along a desert path toward a radiant temple brimming with treasures. This enchanting adventure features a 5-reel, 3-row layout with 20 fixed paylines, an RTP of 96.07%, and high volatility, promising thrilling gameplay with every spin.
Along the way, players are guarded by the Nazar Wishes amulet, a symbol of good luck bestowed by friendly genies. This mystical talisman protects against Nazar, the ‘evil eye’, who seeks to claim the prizes for himself.
Why Nazar Wishes Stands Out
Endorphina’s latest release adds a touch of magic to its growing slot portfolio. Players can summon colorful enchantments through Lucky Time Features and Hold & Win Bonus Games, triggered with the help of sacred lamp spirits.
The game also includes a Pick Me Bonus Game with Min, Mid, Max, and Ultra jackpots, offering rewards of up to 1,000x the total bet.
Built for seamless play across desktop, tablet, and mobile, Nazar Wishes delivers fast-loading, flawless performance, allowing players to enjoy their mystical adventure anytime, anywhere.
Double Your Wins with 10 Risk Attempts
Endorphina’s classic Risk Game returns, giving players up to 10 chances to double their winnings, adding extra excitement to each session.
With its enchanting Arabian theme, magical bonus mechanics, and smooth gameplay, Nazar Wishes promises a captivating journey for players seeking high-quality, immersive entertainment.
The post NAZAR WISHES AWAIT YOUR COMMAND appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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