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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.
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Spinmatic’s premium Slots now live with ElaBet in Greece

Spinmatic, leading developer of premium casino games and part of Softquo Holding, is proud to announce its latest strategic partnership in Greece. The company’s most popular Slots and Crash games are now live on ElaBet, the fast-growing online platform operated by Soft2Bet.
This collaboration marks a key milestone in Spinmatic’s European expansion. Following the successful certification of its games for the Greek market last year, Spinmatic has continued to build its local presence. The partnership with ElaBet strengthens that growth, bringing Spinmatic’s high-quality titles to an even broader Greek audience.
ElaBet has quickly earned a reputation for delivering localised content and gamified player experiences tailored to the Greek market. This shared focus on innovation, quality and entertainment makes it an ideal partner for Spinmatic.
“Greece is a competitive market, no doubt – but we believe in the quality of what we do. Partnering with ElaBet is a fantastic step forward. They’re building something innovative and powerful for local players and we’re proud to be part of that growth,” said Norbert Mathies, Managing Director at Spinmatic.
Thanks to Spinmatic’s Remote Gaming System and seamless API integration, ElaBet can now offer players a smooth, mobile-first experience that meets all local compliance requirements while enhancing user satisfaction.
“This launch with ElaBet Greece marks a fresh and exciting chapter for Spinmatic’s premium content. ElaBet is a brand on the rise – bold, modern, and sharply focused on what Greek players want – and that makes them the perfect partner for us at this stage of our journey. Through this collaboration, we’re bringing into the hands of the Greek players community, tailored content, certified under HGC and built for mobile-first entertainment. This is more than just a content launch – it’s a statement of intent. We’re here to grow, engage and contribute to a stronger, more dynamic igaming scene in Greece. The best is yet to come.”
Vassileios Efthymiou, Softquo’s Country Director for Greece.
Through this partnership, Greek players now have access to a range of Spinmatic’s top-performing titles, including 3 Amigos Jackpot, Cosmomix, Egyptian Stone, Ed Jones and the Book of Bastet Deluxe and the high-speed crash game Meteoroid Deluxe. Each title is designed to deliver immersive, cinematic gameplay optimised for mobile devices.
Spinmatic’s presence in Greece continues to grow, with additional partnerships and localised content set to follow. For more information about Spinmatic’s offering in Greece, visit their website.
The post Spinmatic’s premium Slots now live with ElaBet in Greece appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Kind request for publication of a press material regarding EGT Digital’s partnership with Pepeta (Kenya)

EGT Digital is thrilled to announce its collaboration with the prominent Kenyan operator Pepeta. Thanks to the provider’s Gaming Aggregator, pepeta.com customers can now enjoy the hit slot titles from the Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, Single Progressive Jackpot, and Gods & Kings Link jackpots.
“We are very impressed with the performance of EGT Digital’s products, especially Bell Link and Clover Chance, which immediately caught the attention of our players and became their favorites,” said Joseph Mbugua, Kenya Country Manager of Pepeta. “I believe that our cooperation with the Bulgarian company will fully unleash its potential in the coming months, continuing to deliver remarkable results for us and our clients.”
Zsuzsanna Zeibig, Sales manager for Africa at EGT Digital, also shared her positive expectations regarding the partnership, stating that “it is of strategic importance for positioning our company as a leader not only in Kenya, but also in the region as a whole.” She concluded: “I would like to thank Pepeta for placing their trust in us. I am confident that together we will be able to further enhance the gaming experience of local players, providing them with access to innovative gaming solutions at a world-class level.”
The post Kind request for publication of a press material regarding EGT Digital’s partnership with Pepeta (Kenya) appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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PG Soft named as key sponsor at SiGMA Euro-Med 2025

PG Soft, a world-class digital mobile games company, has been confirmed as a key sponsor for SiGMA Euro-Med 2025, taking place from September 1st – 3rd at the Mediterranean Maritime Hub (MMH).
The sponsorship ensures PG Soft’s brand takes centre stage across the three-day event, with prominent visibility at the registration desk, the Welcome Arch, and on large HD entrance screens.
PG Soft will also serve as Title Sponsor for the SiGMA Gaming Awards, with branding featured throughout the ceremony and across SiGMA’s digital channels.There will be more than 12,000 delegates attending Valletta’s event for what promises to be an invaluable meeting of the minds, connecting the global iGaming community in the heart of the Mediterranean.
PG Soft’s spokesperson commented: “SiGMA Euro-Med is a major date on the iGaming calendar each year that draws industry leaders from across the globe. We’re proud to sponsor such a prestigious event and look forward to showcasing our brand to this influential audience.”
The post PG Soft named as key sponsor at SiGMA Euro-Med 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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