

Industry News
IronSource: Top advertising mediation platform
Reading Time: 7 minutes
WakeApp continues its educational rubric for mobile app marketers “Source of the Month”.
Why are we doing this?
If earlier, in order for an application to become popular among users, it was simply necessary to create a unique program that has no analogues and connects the client and the service, today this is not enough. The number of applications in the app stores has reached unprecedented heights: 2.6 million in Google Play and almost 4.5 million in the Apple App Store (Statista).
The WakeApp team decided to help novice marketers, partners and specialists in the mobile app promotion market to be aware of the latest GEO trends and traffic sources and promotion features in them. This time we would like to introduce readers to an equally well-known source of traffic and a tool that specializes in promoting mobile applications – Iron Source.
IronSource is a top ad mediation platform and one of the largest mobile app monetization platforms operating in the mobile advertising market since 2010. The platform allows developers to monetize their products, and our clients receive large volumes of high-quality traffic from all over the world. Thanks to automatic costing mechanisms, for each ad impression, developers receive the highest possible payout, and advertisers receive a lead.
In November 2022, IronSource partnered with Unity to form the industry’s leading in-app creation and advertising platform.
Facts about IronSource:
- Industries: Gaming, Mobile App Installs
- Payment Models: CPA, CPC, CPCV, CPE, CPI, CPL, CPM, CPS, CPV, Flat Rate, Revshare / ROAS
- Audience:3 billion
- Applications: +80 000
- 87% of the top 100 Google Play and Apple Store apps are connected to IronSource
- In November 2022, IronSource announced the end of its merger with Unity Ads.
- 50% Research and Development
- Year of foundation – 2010
IronSource provides ready-made ad units with several modern ad formats. An advertiser can capture the attention of users through both impressive reward-per-view videos and interstitial ads and banners.
To attract traffic, it is proposed to use the following advertising formats:
- Rewarded videos. The format is most effective in building mutual trusting relationships with the audience through an equal exchange of values.
- Advertising that works on the principle of mini-shops. The user is presented with a list of actions for which he can receive some valuable reward. The tool allows you to increase revenue from traffic monetization, increase audience engagement, and keep it in the application longer.
- Interstitial video ads. A tool for monetizing traffic using creatives that involve the user going to the advertiser’s website within the software. Allows you to earn money without interrupting the user from using the application.
- Rewarded interstitial ads. A format for attracting large amounts of traffic within the application by rewarding users for watching videos. Appears during natural user transitions.
- The format with the simplest integration algorithm in the application and high demand from advertisers.
Each of the available IronSource formats is an effective tool for attracting potential audience within the application.
IronSource is one of the most popular ad mediation platforms to not only increase app revenue, but also increase your effective CPM. Through IronSource, you can work with several ad networks at once and integrate through a single SDK.
You can choose from 15 ad networks available on the platform. IronSource will manage them for you, which will save your time and make the process of attracting traffic as comfortable as possible. The uniqueness of IronSource is that with its help you can track key indicators such as: DAU, ARPDAU and engagement.
Ad networks connected to IronSource and using its traffic:
- AdColony
- AdMob
- Amazon
- AppLovin
- Chartboost
- Fyber
- HyprMX
- InMobi
- Maio
- Mintegral
- myTarget
- Tapjoy
- UnityAds
- Vungle
Today, IronSource is included in the arsenal of all major market players. A wide range of targeting options brings some advertisers more than half of all incoming traffic, which once again proves the effectiveness of the platform. The platform independently filters incoming traffic and filters out fraud and irrelevant users.
Features of IronSource:
- Access to detailed reporting tools to increase traffic monetization revenue.
- IronSource ads are rigorously tested and do not interfere with application performance.
- Access to auction rates in real time.
- A/B testing. The system offers 3 powerful testing tools to optimize the process of attracting traffic.
- Simple dashboard.
- Setting up an advertising stream with adaptation for different audience segments.
- Separate bids for each platform/publisher/app within the advertising campaign
- Separate rates for each geo within RK
- Integration with AppsFlyer: CPI and cost
- Creative Tracking
- Import bids / bids / CPI without waiting for a manager
- Disabling / enabling advertising campaigns on your own
- A/B testing of creatives: endcards, video
- Fast tech. support
- Full staking support by the IronSource team
Disadvantages of IronSource:
- Heavily loaded technical support
- No notifications to re-roll or stop an ad campaign
The funnel in IronSource is practically no different from other sources of in-app advertising. Users see in-app ads, click on the ad and go to the landing page and app card inside the marketplace. A large selection of high-conversion formats allows you to interest users in the advertised product and encourage them to switch.
High-quality optimization tools, a wide range of targeting options and highly efficient IronSource algorithms allow you to find interested target traffic and significantly save your advertising budget.
How can a marketer use IronSource?
In order to start using the advertising network, you need to register here.
Fill in all the required fields: full name, password, company name, city and country.
After filling in the fields, an email will be sent to the specified email address. Confirm your email to complete registration.
Step 1. Create an advertising campaign
In the left menu, select the Promote item, and then in the opened window, click Campaign → +New.
Step 2. Filling in basic information
- Specify the name of the advertising campaign
- Add a link to the application
- Choose a payment model
- Determine your minimum auction bid
Step 3. Set up attribution
- Add click link (Click URL)
- Add a link to the impression (Impression URL)
Step 4: Targeting
- Advertising format. Choice of Interstitial or Rewarding video.
- Device type. Mobile phone or tablet.
- OS version. Android or IOS.
- Publication planning. By default, the campaign starts immediately after the settings are completed. If you do not plan to launch an advertising campaign right now, select “Set dates”.
Step 5. Setting the budget
- Allows you to set a single daily budget for all advertising campaigns.
- By countries. Allows you to set the daily budget for each country separately.
Interesting! The Iron Source functionality allows you to adjust and change the bid within the campaign by choosing certain publishers with higher CR, thus effectively allocating the budget.
Step 6. Setting up country targeting
With IronSource, you can create up to 15 ad groups depending on the GEO.
Step 7. Working with creatives
We can create our own unique creative or choose from those offered by the platform.
To create a creative you need:
- Specify a name for creative groups
- Choose ad format
- Video and carousel
- Video and full screen
- Video and interactive card
- game format
- Select language
Advertising is ready to go!
How is IronSource used at work in WakeApp?
Many of our clients are already connected to IronSource and are successfully getting positive traffic. I would like to note that IOS applications are especially well promoted in IronSource, the site complies with all Apple requirements regarding the preservation of personal data and respect for their confidentiality
The platform allows us to fine-tune the target audience, so our clients receive only relevant and profitable traffic. Extensive targeting settings allow you to comply with all the wishes of advertisers and attract only those users who are potentially interested in the product.
IronSource is one of the most popular ad mediation platforms that allows advertisers to drive high volumes of quality traffic using modern ad formats. Among marketers, IronSource is considered one of the most effective and popular sources of in-app traffic.
IronSource is one of the 30+ sources our media buyers use to promote their WakeApps.
For more than 5 years at WakeApp, we have been using this traffic source for the convenience of our clients, whose goal is to attract a young and, at the same time, solvent audience.
About the rubric: Every month we will issue instructions for promotion: by traffic source and by GEO traffic, talking about the features of promotion in a particular region, sharing prohibitions and life hacks when promoting in a particular source. Think of it as a mobile marketer’s desktop guide.
About us: WakeApp is an international mobile marketing agency with over 9 years of experience in the market. It is a leader in the development and promotion of gaming and non-gaming mobile applications in e-com, video streaming, food delivery, sport, utilities, finance verticals. Earlier in 2022, WakeApp received The Media Agency of the Year at Sigma Asia Awards, in 2021 the agency placed in 5 categories of the 13th edition of the AppsFlyer Performance Index XIII.
Industry News
NCPG Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Results and Board Leadership

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has announced the newly elected members of its Board of Directors, as well as the slate of officers who will lead the organization for the upcoming year.
Following the annual election in June, NCPG members voted to elect the following individuals to serve on the Board of Directors from 2025 to 2028:
• Diana Goode – Affiliates Seat
• Wiley Harwell – Affiliates Seat
• Lori Manson – Affiliates Seat
• Glenn Yamagata – Affiliates Seat
• Jamie McKelvey – Organizations Seat
• Amanda Quintana – Organizations Seat
• Brian Ward – Individuals Seat
Glenn Yamagata and Jamie McKelvey will serve a two-year term from 2025 to 2027.
In addition, the Board has elected the following officers to lead NCPG for the 2025–26 term:
• President: Derek Longmeier, Executive Director, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
• Vice President: Christina Gray, Executive Director, Indiana Council on Problem Gambling
• Secretary: Wiley Harwell, Executive Director, Oklahoma Council on Problem Gambling and Gaming
• Treasurer: Amanda Quintana, Player Health Manager, Colorado Lottery
The Board’s esteemed leadership and expertise are instrumental in fostering NCPG membership, shaping policies, implementing strategies, and attaining organizational objectives. By leveraging their subject matter knowledge, skills, and experience, Board members are dedicated to serving all NCPG stakeholders through the development of comprehensive policies and programs for all those affected by problem gambling.
The post NCPG Announces 2025 Board of Directors Election Results and Board Leadership appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Industry News
How European Tax Changes Are Reshaping iGaming Media Budgets in 2025

Throughout 2025, European iGaming markets have faced a new layer of complexity: shifting tax and licensing rules that directly impact marketing costs. Governments continue to increase gross gaming revenue (GGR) tax rates and impose stricter reporting standards.
As of July 2025, these changes have become a critical factor in how operators and agencies plan, distribute, and optimize user acquisition budgets. RockApp analysis indicates that tax policy is fundamentally reshaping the planning process for performance marketing across Europe.
European Tax Environment in 2025
Several major European markets have introduced or expanded gambling tax rules over the last 18 months:
- Germany: GGR tax increased from 5.3% to 7% in mid-2024. By Q2 2025, operators are recalibrating CPA targets and revising bonus strategies to preserve margin.
- Netherlands: New compliance requirements implemented in January 2025 include enhanced KYC/AML reporting, adding operational costs and slowing onboarding funnels.
- Eastern Europe: Romania and Poland are reviewing GGR tax bands, with planned 1–2% increases included in government budgets for H2 2025.
These changes raise per-user acquisition costs and reduce flexibility on pricing incentives. Media buyers now need to plan budgets and creative strategy with greater precision to maintain efficiency.
RockApp data, drawn from over 120 active campaigns in 2025, demonstrates how these pressures translate into real shifts in buying behavior and budget allocation.
Budget Impact on Media Buying Strategies
Analysis of campaign performance in 2025 reveals several clear trends:
- Shift to Tier-2 GEOs: Markets with lower tax pressure (such as CIS, Balkans, and LATAM) are seeing 30-40% more acquisition budget allocation compared to 2023.
- CPA Adjustments: Average first-time-depositor CPA in regulated Western European markets has risen from ~€120 in 2023 to €145–160 in 2025, driven by increased taxation and competitive auction dynamics.
- Creative Cost Pressures: Bonus-focused creatives now demand tighter payout modeling to balance user appeal with higher GGR liabilities.
As a result, buying strategies have moved away from broad, high-volume campaigns toward segmented, CPA-focused plans with more granular GEO targeting.
Budget Impact on Media Buying Strategies
Tax policy changes don’t just influence operator balance sheets. They force a recalibration of the entire media buying strategy.
RockApp data from over 120 active campaigns in 2025 shows clear budget trends:
- Shift to Tier-2 GEOs: Markets with lower tax pressure (e.g., CIS, Balkans, LATAM) now see 30-40% more acquisition budget allocation compared to 2023.
- CPA Adjustment: Average first-time-depositor CPA in regulated Western Europe has climbed from €120 in 2023 to €145-160 in 2025, driven by both taxation and competitive auction prices.
- Creative Cost Pressure: Bonus-focused creatives need tighter payout modelling, balancing marketing appeal with GGR realities.
For media teams, the result is a move away from broad, high-volume campaigns toward precisely segmented, CPA-optimized buying with robust GEO-targeting logic.
GEO Diversification as Strategic Response
For many brands, geo diversification has become the simplest and most effective hedge against rising tax costs.
According to Appsflyer’s mid-2025 install cost benchmarks, CPIs in markets such as Brazil, India, and select African countries remain stable or are falling – averaging $0.60–$1.20 per pre-install, compared to $3+ in Western Europe.
RockApp’s planning data shows clear reallocation trends:
- LATAM budgets up ~35% year over year.
- Eastern Europe spending stable, with modest CPA increases.
- Western Europe budgets flattening or declining, with more investment going toward targeted retargeting and high-value lookalike segments.
Diversifying GEO strategy is emerging as a necessary planning approach to balance premium Tier-1 acquisition costs with Tier-2 scale opportunities.
Tactical Media Buying Adjustments in 2025
In response to new taxation and compliance demands, advertisers are refining their acquisition tactics. Effective strategies seen across European campaigns this year include:
- Hyper-segmentation: Adapting CPA targets at the micro-GEO, channel, and audience level.
- Creative Flexibility: Developing multiple bonus tiers and transparent CTAs designed for localized regulations.
- Source Tiering: Prioritizing verified, high-retention traffic sources over pure volume channels.
- Automated Bidding Rules: Aligning bid pacing and budget allocation with region-specific margin goals and user lifetime value curves.
RockApp analysis suggests that these shifts are helping operators maintain acquisition efficiency in the face of rising costs and regulatory complexity.
Advice for Q3 and Q4 Planning
With peak acquisition season approaching, several planning considerations stand out:
- Leverage Q3’s traditionally lower competition to test new channels and creative variations cost-effectively.
- Prepare Q4 budgets for elevated CPA levels, using segmented bidding strategies and clear ROI targets.
- Integrate compliance checks and fraud-control measures early in creative production to avoid approval delays and wasted spend.
RockApp data indicates that campaigns investing in upfront planning and testing see more stable CPA performance even in high-demand periods.
Conclusion
European tax changes have become a defining variable in iGaming growth strategy. These aren’t simply operational details – they now shape how marketing teams approach channel selection, creative design, and budget allocation at the most fundamental level.
RockApp continues to monitor these shifts across campaigns and regions, helping operators and agencies adapt media buying systems to maintain acquisition efficiency in a more complex regulatory environment.
The post How European Tax Changes Are Reshaping iGaming Media Budgets in 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
IGT Celebrates Milestone Achievement

IGT has hosted a special customer event to celebrate a 2500-plus unit installment milestone in Spain’s Amusement with Prize (AWP) salones sector.
Presented in partnership with gaming distributor Orenes Grupo, the event was held at the historic Retuerta LeDomaine Hotel in Valladolid, Spain. IGT representatives were onsite to demonstrate the Company’s Salones Espana multi-level progressive (MLP) portfolio featuring the high-performing Diamond Mania and Treasure Box Link games on the BINTIA 27 cabinet.
“IGT was thrilled to bring our customers together in a world-class venue to demonstrate our top-performing MLP innovations and celebrate our growth in Spain’s Salones Sector. As reflected by our 2500-plus unit installment milestone, IGT is committed to building a successful roadmap in Spain by delivering market-attuned MLP experiences that align with localized player preferences,” said Marilu Aldana, IGT Director of Sales, Western Europe and Africa.
The post IGT Celebrates Milestone Achievement appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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