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Maximizing ROI in iGaming: A Deep Dive into Non-Standard Geo-Targeting Through Influencer Marketing (Part 1/2)
Here’s a quick take on influencer marketing in iGaming: it’s all about making waves in the digital world. Popular social media stars teaming up with iGaming brands make them not only well-known, but also more trustworthy. Influencers have got the followers, the trust, and the know-how to get people excited about gambling and betting online. In this article, Anna Zhukova, Team Lead of iGaming vertical at Famesters will delve deeply into smart influencer marketing strategies for this business vertical.
Here are some of the key components of influencer marketing for iGaming brands:
- Engaging the Crowd: Influencers are superstars at grabbing the attention of different players – from those who play just for fun to the serious high rollers.
- Building Trust: When an influencer gives a thumbs-up to a game or a particular online casino, their followers listen. It’s like having a friend recommend your favorite new game.
- Finding the Right Fit: Picking the perfect influencer is key. They need to align with what the iGaming brand is all about.
- Staying in the Lines: iGaming has got rules. Influencers need to play by them to keep things cool and compliant.
- Performance Metrics and ROI: Tracking the success of influencer campaigns through metrics like reach, engagement, and conversions is crucial. This data helps in refining strategies and ensuring a high return on investment.
In short, influencer marketing in the iGaming industry is a trust-building powerhouse: it is a nuanced and effective approach, leveraging the power of influential personalities to build brand trust, engage diverse audiences, and drive business success within a regulated framework.
And here’s another great power that influences the final results of an influencer marketing campaign: geo-targeting. It’s about hitting the right audience, in the right place, at the right time. Here’s why you can’t do iGaming marketing without geo-targeting:
- Audience Segmentation: It’s all about hitting the sweet spot with each region’s unique gaming tastes and cultural vibes. Tailoring content to specific areas means more impact and appeal.
- Regulatory Compliance: Different areas, different rules. Geo-targeting keeps campaigns on the right side of the law, dodging legal headaches.
- Localized Content: This is where you speak their language, literally. You have to adapt to local dialects, cultural hooks, and region-favorite games to ramp up engagement and conversions.
- Cost Efficiency: It’s about smart spending. Better focus your efforts where they count, avoid wasting resources, and watch your marketing budget deliver more.
- Data-Driven Decisions: You can use geo-targeting data to get the lowdown on what works where. This insight sharpens resource allocation, boosting your ROI.
Understanding the iGaming Industry
The iGaming industry, encompassing online gaming and betting platforms, has witnessed exponential growth in recent years. A surge in digital technology adoption and the rise of mobile gaming have been pivotal. The industry’s growth trajectory is marked by technological advancements, expanding into new markets, and an increasing acceptance of online gaming as a mainstream entertainment option. This evolution has opened doors to vast opportunities but also posed unique challenges.
According to Statista, the global iGaming market is expected to reach a revenue of more than $107 billion in 2024.
Traditional marketing methods in iGaming face several hurdles. The biggest is the evolving regulatory landscape, with different countries imposing varied restrictions on gaming advertising. Additionally, the traditional one-size-fits-all approach struggles in a market where gamers’ preferences are as diverse as their geographical locations. There’s also the challenge of ad fatigue, where conventional advertising methods no longer capture the audience’s attention as effectively.
To navigate these challenges, the iGaming industry is turning towards more innovative, targeted, and engaging marketing strategies. Personalization and use of data analytics are becoming increasingly important. Brands are now focusing on creating more immersive and interactive marketing experiences that resonate with their audience on a deeper level.
Influencer marketing is now one of the most powerful tools in the iGaming industry. It leverages social media influencers’ reach and credibility to promote betting and gambling platforms and products. This approach taps into the influencers’ engaged audiences, offering a more authentic and trustworthy promotion method than traditional advertising. Influencers can create content that resonates with their followers, whether it’s through live-streaming games, tutorials, or reviews, thus providing a more organic and engaging way to introduce products to potential customers.
Statistics underscore the impact of influencer marketing. For instance, 66% of marketers using it say that influencer-generated content performs equally or better than branded content. Also, on average, brands earn $5.78 for every dollar spent on influencer marketing.
Understanding the iGaming industry today means recognizing the shift towards more innovative, personalized, and influencer-driven marketing strategies. The industry’s growth is paralleled by the evolution of marketing techniques, with influencer marketing standing out as a key player in engaging and expanding the iGaming audience.
Non-Standard Geo-Targeting
First, you need to understand the tiers in global market segmentation. There are three of them. Understanding the economic and audience characteristics of different tiers is crucial for effective global marketing. Each tier offers unique opportunities and challenges, and selecting the right one depends on a company’s budget, target audience, and industry regulations.
Tier-1 Countries: The Premium Market
- Characteristics: These are the most developed countries with strong economies and a wealthy audience.
- Why They’re Attractive: Businesses target these regions due to the high purchasing power of the audience. This means greater potential for sales and revenue.
- Consideration: Advertising in these countries can be quite expensive. Brands should be prepared for higher marketing costs.
Tier-2 Countries: The Balanced Choice
- Characteristics: These are developing countries. Their economies are well-developed, but the audience’s purchasing power isn’t as high as in Tier-1 countries.
- Why They’re Attractive: They’re a strategic choice for businesses seeking a solvent audience without the high costs associated with Tier-1 markets.
- Ideal for Certain Industries: Tier-2 countries are particularly suitable for advertising sectors like betting, forex, and binaries, which might be restricted in Tier-1 countries.
Tier-3 Countries: High Reach, Low Cost
- Characteristics: Often referred to as ‘third world countries,’ these nations have weaker economies and lower-income populations.
- Advantages: Advertising costs are low, allowing for broad coverage even with smaller budgets.
- Target Audience: These regions are often targeted by industries like gambling, forex, and betting. These sectors appeal to audiences seeking opportunities for ‘easy’ income.
Now let’s take a closer look at the peculiarities of each tier and the countries in it.
High Costs in Tier-1 Markets: A Matter of Solvency
- User Solvency and Payback: In Tier-1 markets, users generally have higher purchasing power, which can lead to better payback for businesses. However, this comes with its own set of challenges.
- Regulatory Hurdles: A significant issue in these markets is the stringent regulation around gambling products. While launching campaigns on platforms like Facebook may not require a license, working with influencers often does.
- Licensing Complexities: Licenses such as MGA (Malta Gaming Authority) or Curacao are necessary for simply working in European countries. However, they don’t authorize advertising in these geographies and targeting users in them. Plus, obtaining advertising permissions is a very complex process.
- Influencer Marketing Challenges: Tier-1 influencers, earning well from less risky advertising options, often steer clear of gambling promotions. Finding one willing to collaborate without a license is rare.
Businesses eyeing Tier-1 markets need to be prepared for higher costs and stringent regulations, especially when incorporating influencer marketing into their strategies. While the financial returns can be significant due to the high solvency of users, navigating the regulatory and licensing requirements adds complexity.
In contrast, Tier-2 markets offer a more accessible and flexible environment for certain types of promotions, including those in the gambling sector. Transitioning from the complex landscape of Tier-1 markets, Tier-2 geographies present a different potential. The regulatory environment is typically less stringent, and the cost of marketing is more manageable compared to Tier-1.
In the next article, we will make it clearer how the countries from different tiers can be connected, what role influencers play in this, and most importantly – how exactly non-standard geo-targeting can be used to reach more solvent audiences with cost-effective strategies. Stay tuned!
Author: Anna Zhukova, Team Lead (iGaming) at Famesters
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Osborne Clarke advises Shore Capital on £205 million IPO of Winvia Entertainment, marking renewed momentum in London markets
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International law firm Osborne Clarke has advised Shore Capital on Winvia Entertainment plc’s £205 million AIM IPO and associated £40 million institutional placing. Shore Capital acted as nominated adviser, sole bookrunner and sole broker.
Technology focused business Winvia Entertainment is the second largest prize draw operator in the UK by market share and owns the brands Best of the Best and Click Competitions, through which players can play for prizes including cars, luxury watches and holidays.
Outside the UK, the company is focused on the fast-growing and regulated Romanian online gaming market, where it is a top three online casino operator, operating a multi-brand strategy including own brands such as Princess Casino, Royal Slots and Luck, white label brands such as Magnumbet, Cashpot and Excelbet, and a majority owned poker business.
Winvia Entertainment intends to use the net proceeds of the placing to fund acquisitions in the large but fragmented UK prize draw sector. It has been building a pipeline of other opportunities and is in discussions with several potential acquisition targets to allow it to consolidate its position in this rapidly growing market.
Admission and trading in the company’s ordinary shares on AIM took place on the 3 November 2025 at 8:00 a.m.
The IPO represents a significant AIM admission in H2 2025 and highlights the renewed interest in UK tech and digital-entertainment flotations. It follows commentary that the London listing market may be turning a corner, with several listing announcements and a strengthening pipeline emerging in recent weeks.
Commenting on the transaction, Ed Nisbet, Associate Director at Osborne Clarke, said: “We are delighted to have assisted the Shore Capital team in relation to the IPO of Winvia Entertainment. Both the UK and Romanian markets that the group is focused on offer exciting opportunities and this IPO perfectly positions Winvia to build on its existing strength to take advantage of these. This transaction, together with general market activity and our increasing pipeline of opportunities, is also demonstrative of the increased momentum in UK capital markets.”
Jonathan King, Partner at Osborne Clarke, added: “The Winvia IPO showcases the breadth of Osborne Clarke’s capital markets expertise – from advising on complex cross-border structures to supporting clients at every stage of their growth.”
Osborne Clarke’s Corporate team, which is ranked in the top tiers by both Chambers UK and Legal 500 UK for AIM, is considered a go-to practice for many companies in the tech, media and comms sector. Its clients range from global businesses to fast-growth start-ups and market challengers. The team advises at every stage of company development across all corporate issues, from equity and debt fundraisings to strategic M&A, IPOs and JVs.
The post Osborne Clarke advises Shore Capital on £205 million IPO of Winvia Entertainment, marking renewed momentum in London markets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies & ChimeraVC join forces to launch ‘LVL Zero’ gaming incubator in India; Google Play joins as Knowledge Partner
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With a total equity free grant pool of USD 100,000, LVL Zero will fast-track product execution, provide targeted mentorship, and enable investor and publisher readiness within 100 days
Following the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, the incubator aims to empower India’s gaming leap by supporting 100+ high-performing startups over the next five years
MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies & ChimeraVC have officially joined forces to launch LVL Zero, a gaming incubator designed to help India’s gaming startups accelerate product execution and achieve investor and publisher readiness within 100 days. The initiative is supported by Google Play, which joins as the Knowledge Partner, offering technical mentorship, platform guidance and developer best practices.
As per the India Gaming Report 2025, India is home to 16.63 crore gamers today, with the number expected to reach 24.68 crore by 2027. As the nation’s gaming audience continues to expand, many new startups across diverse portfolios have emerged, yet few have scaled to global publishing, live operations, or sustainable business models. With global investors and publishers increasingly viewing India as a hub for creative talent and innovation, LVL Zero brings together some of the biggest names in the industry to bridge this gap. Offering equity-free grants and open to all game developers in the ecosystem, the incubator will provide mentorship, access to tools, and support to help Indian startups build sustainable ventures and compete on a global stage.
What LVL Zero Offers
- LVL Zero is built to fast-track startups from concept to investor and publisher readiness in 100 days through structured, measurable goals.
- Each cohort startup is matched with mentors who align with their current challenge whether it’s game design, development, analytics, or live-ops.
- A USD 10,000 equity-free grant for 10 startups each, along with access to global and Indian mentors, tools, platforms, and growth infrastructure provided by partners.
- LVL Zero connects developers with publishers, investors, and ecosystem partners to open pathways to distribution and funding.
- The programme focuses equally on product quality, data-led decision-making, business scalability, and product narratives, preparing startups to operate at global standards.
How LVL Zero Will Work
- The LVL Zero framework is designed to compress years of learning and growth into a focused 100-day execution cycle. It is an outcome-driven sprint with defined phases and checkpoints.
- Three-phase structure: Each team starts by pinpointing its biggest challenges and goals, builds through guided mentorship, testing and feedback cycles, and finishes ready for publisher reviews, investor outreach, and scale-up opportunities.
- Hands-on mentorship: Teams work closely with domain specialists from across the globe across game design, production, user acquisition, monetisation, and business strategy and more.
- Sprints and reviews: Regular product reviews and data checkpoints ensure measurable progress toward publishing and funding readiness.
- Demo Day: The cycle concludes with a Demo Day, where startups pitch to a curated panel of publishers, investors, and strategic partners for potential capital, distribution and growth opportunities.
- Ecosystem support: After Demo Day, teams remain connected to the LVL Zero network for ongoing mentorship, partnership and fund raising introductions.
The partners & hosts of LVL Zero
As a firm specialising in games, tools and infrastructure, Chimera VC brings its early-stage, product-first investment approach to LVL Zero. The firm focuses on gaming, tools and infrastructure startups, backing founders early, helping them ship fast and scale globally.
“With Chimera, we’ve always worked with founders at Level 1 – the seed stage where conviction meets capital. LVL Zero allows us to start even earlier, at the stage where belief forms before traction and ideas are still taking shape. Most founders meet investors once they have momentum; LVL Zero lets them meet conviction first. It completes the loop for us, helping founders start earlier, think globally, and build more sustainably.” said Krish Anurag, Managing Partner at Chimera VC.
Nazara Technologies, India’s leading diversified gaming company and only publicly listed gaming company, which has its own publishing division known as Nazara Publishing, is a game publishing division of Nazara Technologies. It adds its publishing expertise, market experience, and global reach to the initiative. With a diversified portfolio across mobile gaming, esports, and sports media, Nazara has been instrumental in shaping India’s gaming landscape.
Nitish Mittersain, Joint MD & CEO, Nazara Technologies, explained, “At Nazara, we have always believed that India’s gaming story will be written by its startups. With LVL Zero, we are helping turn ambition into execution. This collaboration allows us to bring publishing experience, analytics insights, and go-to-market knowledge directly to developers who are ready to take the next leap. The future of gaming in India will depend on how well we empower startups to build and own their success stories.”
MIXI Global Investments (MGI) is the corporate venture capital arm of MIXI, Inc., based in Tokyo and known for its popular mobile game IPs and community-focused live operations. It brings global expertise and networks to help Indian startups engage with international markets and partners.
“We’ve been impressed by the energy and creativity of India’s game developer community. Through LVL Zero, we aim not only to invest but also to contribute to the country’s broader ecosystem—supporting emerging talent to grow and building a lasting bridge between Japan and India’s gaming industries,” said Tomoharu Urabe, Managing Director of Investments at MIXI Global Investments, Inc.
As Knowledge Partner, Google Play will provide participating teams with developer resources, technical mentorship and insights on discovery, retention and monetisation. The platform’s deep understanding of developer growth and user engagement will help startups maximise their reach and success.
The launch of LVL Zero comes at a time when India’s gaming ecosystem is growing rapidly, supported by the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, expanding 5G networks and the mainstream acceptance of gaming as a viable career option. The incubator aims to support more than 100 high-performing startups over the next five years, nurturing a new generation of Indian gaming startups ready for global markets.
By focusing on execution, mentorship and access to the gaming industry, LVL Zero bridges a critical gap in the ecosystem, helping startups move from early-stage prototypes to globally competitive products. As more Indian teams build with global benchmarks, the impact will strengthen the entire industry: better talent retention, greater investor confidence and increased publisher trust in Indian game IP.
The post MIXI Global Investments, Nazara Technologies & ChimeraVC join forces to launch ‘LVL Zero’ gaming incubator in India; Google Play joins as Knowledge Partner appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) today announced that its net income in the first three quarters of the year has reached Php14.32 billion, a 49% increase from the Php9.63 billion in the same period last year.
Total revenues from January to September was at Php84.09 billion, rising 5.87% year-on-year from Php79.43 billion. Gaming operations accounted for Php75.93 billion of the total revenues while other related services and other income contributed Php8.16 billion.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the strong revenue performance highlights the positive impact of the agency’s governance and modernization initiatives.
“Our financial performance is a clear reflection of PAGCOR’s renewed focus on governance, digital transformation, as well as sustainable and responsible gaming,” Mr. Tengco said.
The agency’s total contributions to nation-building (CNB) likewise rose 11% to Php54.26 billion from Php48.88 billion during the period in review.
Out of the total CNB, two-thirds or Php36.06 billion went to the National Government as mandated by Presidential Decree 1869. This share, which accounts for 50% of PAGCOR’s gaming revenues minus 5% franchise tax, also covers allocations for the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
PAGCOR also paid Php3.79 billion in franchise taxes and Php609.87 million in corporate income taxes to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
The agency likewise allocated Php11 billion for its socio-civic projects, including remittances to the President’s Social Fund.
The Philippine Sports Commission received its mandated 5% share worth Php1.80 billion, an 8.66% increase from the same period last year, while athletes and coaches who won in international sports competitions received Php26.54 million under the Sports Incentives and Benefits Act.
Other mandated PAGCOR beneficiaries include the Board of Claims, which received Php142.42 million, and the Renewable Energy Trust Fund which got Php201.47 million.
Cities hosting Casino Filipino branches also received a total of Php508.20 million in revenue shares.
Mr. Tengco said PAGCOR remains committed to aligning its growth with public service goals.
“Every peso that PAGCOR earns goes back to the people through classrooms, health facilities, disaster response programs, and other community projects,” he said. “Our focus is to sustain this momentum while ensuring that the gaming industry continues to operate responsibly and contribute to national development.”
The post PAGCOR net income up 49% to Php14.32B in first nine months of 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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