Constant blocking, government restrictions, and increased control by Google’s and Meta’s moderators encourage specialists to look for new channels for attracting online traffic.
In-app advertising has become a trendy direction in the iGaming segment in 2025. Analysts from the independent consulting agency Statista believe that the volume of this industry will increase to $500 billion by 2029.
You can get additional advice on promotion and buy a turnkey gambling business from the experts of the Casino Market studio.
Core Essence of the Concept
The term unites the types of popularising content that are broadcast via mobile applications. When using the main product (navigator, game, store, etc.), the client sees banners, interactive elements, or short clips. All of them lead to a 3rd-party program in the Google Play service.
The key formats of this promotion style:
- Reward. It is a mini-video that customers must watch to the end to receive a prize. This variation is most often utilised in games to access extra lives, crystals, coins, etc.
- Banner. This common option is a static or animated element in a 300x50 size. As a rule, such blocks are built into the structure of the application.
- Full-screen format. Such materials appear on top of the interface at certain intervals, for instance, after each victory in the session or transition to a new level.
All the considered versions are often placed in free products and demos of paid services. In these cases, installation is free, but the user must regularly watch extra content or buy a subscription.
Overall, 3 core participants form the in-app structure:
- advertisers and traffic buyers;
- marketing networks (traffic aggregators and affiliates);
- end publishers (owners of digital products and portals for placing promos).
The interaction between the chain members is built on DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms). With the help of these services, ad displays are purchased according to pre-determined parameters.
Among the basic criteria are:
- the type of devices used;
- geolocation of the potential audience;
- the category of the most frequently visited applications, etc.
One of the largest brands in this segment is Moloco DSP. The service includes 40+ internal networks focused specifically on the gaming market. The top tool of the corporation is machine learning (ML) algorithms.
Overview of the Platform
The advertising solution has a colossal reach of over 6.7 billion devices. About 3 million different applications are connected to it.
Advantages of cooperating with Moloco DSP:
- high speed of confirming requests for publication;
- large traffic volumes with daily purchases of $15,000–25,000 depending on the niche;
- built-in AI module for managing ad displays with processing of over 600 billion requests every day.
Tech Nuances of In-App Services
The vast majority of traditional marketing sources are aligned with Meta protocols. However, innovative in-built solutions are not an auxiliary option for promotion on social networking platforms. It is a completely independent alternative, focused on other audience segments.
Yet, this self-sufficient innovation, capable of developing into an autonomous buying direction, has not eclipsed the usual methods. The main obstacle to the mass transition to this tool is the need for a powerful infrastructure and expert control. Therefore, for a significant part of the market, such a format still serves as a backup solution.
While Facebook and Google often have restrictions and the risk of blocking, app-integrated alternatives operate more stably, transparently, and safely.
The main advantages of this promotion format are as follows:
- no problems with account bans;
- long-term validity of advertising bundles;
- an extensive selection of publication platforms;
- quick purchases that cover all specified parameters;
- an impressive variety of creatives (from banners to interactive inserts with gamification elements).
Not all advertising networks are equipped with advanced targeting tools comparable to those of Meta. Nevertheless, the channels are fitted with different internal algorithms for audience segmentation by specific offers.
A good example is Liftoll. The solution automatically shows betting offers to all users aged 18+. Manual configuration for this parameter is not required.
Basic criteria and filters for targeting traffic in Moloco DSP’s networks:
- Geolocation. When choosing a country for ad displays, it is recommended to rely on Facebook analytics. If traffic in certain regions is low or does not convert well, a similar situation will likely be in the in-app segment.
- Publication placements. The company’s specialists highlight several major categories that are popular with gaming operators. These include Unity, Vungle, Xiaomi, IronSource, and similar options.
- Application types. Operators should pay attention to niche and thematic products. Such solutions provide the largest targeted traffic. For instance, these can be betting ads in sports-focused services.
- Mobile device parameters. This section has many additional internal filters, from screen size and operating system type to phone model and network connection format.
- Custom metrics. The platform does not use cookies to identify customers. Their role is performed by highly specialised algorithms, including Apple ID for Advertisers and Google Advertising ID.
The vertical works according to a unique logic. The buyers cannot specify the gender or age of potential players in the traffic parameters. Instead, other methods are used, for instance, cloud AI, which analyses customer behaviour and evaluates the chance of conversion.
Moloco DSP has become a leader in leveraging machine learning for audience segmentation and was recognised as the best in-app network in the Singular ROI Index ranking.
Effective Advertising Products: Creation and Launch
Usually, marketing inserts spoil the player experience: the majority of customers close the banners, often automatically. Niche buyers need to catch attention in the 1st few seconds. The creative should be bright, as well as appropriate in style and context of the application.
Industry experts recommend testing various solutions for each location and offer. At the start, the same strategy as on Facebook may be utilised. Traditionally, the simplest content with a demonstration of a slot and emotions from winning works well. Surprisingly, such elementary advertising options have record-low competition.
The vulnerability of the promotion model is most often associated with the applications to which traffic is directed. By default, any gaming developments are considered suspicious and are subject to additional moderation by Google Play, affecting optimisation.
To get an app for such online casino advertising, the following approaches are recommended:
- static rent of the title on one of the platforms;
- manual search for services to provide organic traffic;
- redirection to the operator’s native mobile solution (if it is legal);
- full buyout of niche options (the price of such a product starts at $2,500).
Industry analysts advise abandoning a method such as rent by rating with payment for downloads. This variation increases the costs of the entire advertising strategy and can delay its launch.
Basic protocol for interaction with the Moloco DSP platform:
- CPI (Cost Per Install) optimisation before confirmation. The marketing campaign is launched prior to the official approval of the mobile service. This approach allows the algorithms to collect preliminary data on customers and learn the parameters of future traffic.
- ROAS (Return On Ad Spend). After validation, the system is turned on in automatic mode. It becomes a fully prepared, powerful, correctly configured structure, adapted to key algorithms within the network.
- Transition to CPA (Cost Per Action). For the first week after launch, the program operates under the CPI model. As soon as the required amount of data for in-depth segmentation is accumulated, the service automatically switches to the CPA format.
An interesting feature of the platform is that it does not allow so-called “spies,” thus, users cannot discover and employ ready-made, debugged schemes of competitors or other niche brands.
The service is rather friendly to offers from the gambling segment. Nevertheless, operators are advised not to use questionable tools in their marketing strategies.
A ban can occur for the following violations:
- AI-generated people;
- names of local organisations;
- aggressive and explicit content 18+;
- open insults, obscene language, and clickbait;
- mentioning media personalities in advertising programs, etc.
Budget for In-App Promotion
The cost depends on many factors. It is important to understand that starting with $500 is a losing game. As a rule, daily expenses for implementing one strategy range from $250 to $500.
Parallel launches show the best results. Testing 2+ programs simultaneously within a country can require up to $15,000 per month.
It is also worth considering that just purchasing traffic is rarely effective. Organic flow provides the highest profitability. The operator spends at least $1,000 per month on such campaigns. Additional costs may be sent to assisting intermediaries.
To summarise, the basic amount for launch is about $17,200. It includes:
- a starting budget to cover monthly expenses ($15,000);
- payments for organic promotion ($1,000);
- an agency commission ($1,200).
The Main Things About Innovative Online Casino Ads
Marketing via mobile applications is a highly effective, but quite expensive alternative to Google and Meta methods of business popularisation. This traffic source is an ideal choice for brands that are focused on long-term sustainable growth and have solid investment capital.
Key features of promotion through in-built algorithms:
- Absence of traditional audience segmentation filters. Their pool comprises age, gender, and similar options. Instead, the system offers targeting by types of portable devices, geolocation, download history, preferred programs, etc.
- Penetration volume, similar to traffic from Facebook. If the social network does not provide a stable influx of customers, then the same situation may be observed in the in-app segment. This factor is crucial to consider when choosing a country.
- Minimised risk of blocking and legal restrictions. An operator can only be banned for an obvious violation of the rules, for instance, using explicit 18+ content or obscene language, generating AI avatars, mentioning media personalities, etc.
You can learn more about the nuances of promoting gaming projects with advanced tools from Casino Market specialists. Feel free to contact us for a comprehensive consultation.
Our team includes experts in the fields of SEO, SMM, affiliate networks, and others. We can make your project one of the most recognisable in your country of operation.
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