The iGaming Marketer’s Guide to Mobile User Acquisition
Introduction
The iGaming industry has seen astounding growth over just a few years. Users worldwide now access casino, sports betting, poker, lotteries, and other gambling opportunities without setting foot in a physical establishment. In fact, the value of the global iGaming market is expected to reach $87.69 billion in 2025 and grow to $153.57 billion by 2030.
What’s more, the market shows no signs of slowing down. Even as regulatory environments in North America, Europe, and other regions grow more complex, emerging markets across LATAM and APAC are evolving rapidly, seeing new innovations that speak to the local market and regional preferences.
Across all regions, one thing is certain. For recognized international brands and new challengers alike, the race is on to snap up new audiences where they are—this is where mobile comes in. While online betting is rising across all channels, over 80% of iGamers access their wagers via smartphone. The consensus is clear—users prefer to play or bet with a device in hand, integrating the activity into their daily or weekly routine.
For iGaming marketers navigating this dynamic landscape, we’ve created a quick guide that offers a primer on how betting platforms can leverage programmatic campaigns on mobile to grow audiences—and their revenue.
iGaming Apps at a Glance
First, what does iGaming on mobile look like? As the iGaming industry expands, its repertoire has also grown, and the requirements for different betting apps can be diverse. While it would be tricky to offer an exhaustive categorization of all iGaming apps, many apps fall into one of the following categories:
Other popular genres include Poker, crypto or blockchain gambling apps, and real-money gambling apps. Although user experiences can differ significantly from app to app, iGaming apps are generally looking to attract an audience that spends consistently and habitually engages on mobile.
Make a Sure Bet With Your DSP
As more iGaming companies build mobile apps and invest in transactions to mobile, they need to discover not only where mobile audiences are, but also what makes them spend.
Unlike brand campaigns that optimize for impressions and clickthroughs, mobile app-to-app campaigns for iGaming apps optimize primarily for lower funnel conversions. For most sports betting, DFS, and casino apps, this means maximizing installs at low, efficient costs while increasing the number of first-time deposits.
Depending on the campaign, you may see significant drop-offs at every stage in the funnel. Fortunately, the right DSP minimizes this risk by optimizing your ad dollars for revenue, not just reach. The right partner can also tap into quality traffic from top apps, so every impression comes from a user likely to engage. This way, you can recuperate value at every stage by targeting the right user from the start and serving a personalized ad experience likely to result in a transaction.
See the Liftoff Difference
The right DSP takes the guessing out of running mobile app-to-app campaigns. Cortex, Liftoff’s powerful AI-enabled platform, helps advertisers discover and target high-quality audiences at scale.
Ready to learn about our advanced AI capabilities? Contact us today.
Drive First-Time Deposits and Repeat Bets With Your User Acquisition Strategy
Running successful app-to-app campaigns at scale requires a thoughtful, iterative approach in addition to the right technology partner. We believe that a successful UA strategy not only attracts new users but also encourages repeat, habitual spending. By tracking the right campaign metrics and aligning your UA campaigns closely with the in-app experience, you’ll drive valuable users and keep them from being lured away by the competition.
1. Monitor multiple KPIs, but focus on what matters
KPIs can differ depending on the specific goals you set for your app. A new casino app may be looking for as many sign-ups as possible in a competitive emerging market, while an established DFS app may focus more on ROI over the course of a sporting season or tournament. But there are a few measurements to track:
- Many apps run cost-per-install (CPI) and cost-per-action (CPA) campaigns that optimize for a balance between cost and volume. CPI indicates whether you are driving new users to your app at a cost-effective rate and tracks the scalability of your campaign. CPA indicates how successful you are at optimizing for a specific action—for many apps, this is a first-time deposit.
- Return on ad spend (ROAS) campaigns measure how much revenue is attributable to a specific campaign. Consistently hitting ROAS targets indicates that your campaigns are finding quality users who are high or habitual spenders.
2. Leverage rewards and offers strategically by combining them with an incentive for engagement
A free first-time bet or a limited-time offer can be an enticing way to attract new customers. Still, the key is to encourage continued, habitual engagement with the app—not for the user to churn after collecting a free reward.
Bonus bets, for example, are a highly effective type of first-time deposit offer. They provide additional money for bonus bets if users make an initial bet themselves. This extends app time for the user and offers a chance for risk-free exploration, encouraging them not only to install but to continue to make bets.
3. Ensure frictionless onboarding
Getting a player to install an app isn’t easy, so reduce any friction necessary to make the first deposit. Always keep onboarding short—the longer it takes, the more time they have to reconsider their decision to place a bet. Let users set up an account later, and always indicate where they are in the sign-up process (e.g. step 1 out of 3). Finally—signal that your sign-up portal is secure. Many users see first-time deposits with a new app as a risk. You can minimize their concerns by indicating that their transaction is secure.
4. Spend on key holidays and sporting tournaments—but do it smartly
For sports betting and DFS apps, capitalizing on events like the Super Bowl or the World Cup is key to driving revenue. While ramping up campaign spend during and before the event is important, it’s equally essential to build out a spending strategy that includes initial promotions and offers, ad creative that aligns with the tone of the event, and ways to leverage real-time odds that capture attention during the live event.
5. Align UA and in-app engagement strategies by showcasing app features that already drive engagement
To increase revenue for your iGaming app, map out features that create a pattern of habitual engagement and show off your features for UA campaigns. Top apps use daily login rewards or regular bonuses for repeat bets to incentivize users to come back. These features can make iGaming apps feel rewarding even when users aren’t actively placing wagers. By using similar rewards and bonuses to entice new users, you help them build a routine before they even download the app.
Win Over iGamers With Cutting-Edge Ad Creative Designed to Maximize Conversions
Whether you’re dominating regional market share with a well-known sports betting app or introducing an online casino to a new market, ad creative remains the quintessential lever for improving UA campaign performance. Beyond promoting your app, they’re users’ first chance to engage with your app. Recently, we took a look at the ad creative strategies that are driving real value for iGaming marketers in 2025, and this is what we found:
1. Invest in eye-catching interactive ads
Typically, top apps combine interactive ads with a reward mechanic—a free or bonus deposit, for example. This way, users can be prompted to get started on an app in a fun and relatively frictionless way.
Top Tip:
Interactive concepts like scratch-offs have long been reliable performers, but the familiarity of their UI means they can easily get lost in the shuffle. Leverage gen AI tools to take your interactive ad from 2D to 3D or add a little motion to a static image. The result is an attention-grabbing upgrade to a previously flat visual.
2. Embrace UGC with the right content creator
Many users may be hesitant about trying an unfamiliar or new betting app for the first time—working with a content creator can be an easy way to build trust. As a bonus, the right creator can bring their own audience, increasing the net new audience for your app.
Top Tip: Liftoff Creative has seen success with two-person skits for sports betting, casino, and crypto apps.
Hit your top value props in the script, whether it’s betting during the game, the variety of bets you can access, or just how easy your app is to use. To maximize impact, try combining it with an app walkthrough.
“Our approach [at DraftKings] is all about diversity. We run a healthy mix of display, video, dynamic, and interactive ads, which gives us the flexibility to meet users across different touchpoints and moments. We’ve also invested heavily in UGC and influencer content, which has been a major driver in keeping us connected with our core demographic. It brings authenticity and relatability that traditional creative can’t always deliver. “
Senior Manager, Growth Marketing at DraftKings
3. Tap into FOMO as much as you can
Choose ad formats designed to showcase time-limited or eye-catching opportunities. Users are usually prompted to start betting when they see a low-risk, time-limited opportunity that is too good to pass up.
Top Tip: Liftoff’s product ads are designed to tap into user FOMO and are a perfect fit for sports betting and DFS apps. They deliver a unique experience by category, geo, and audience segments, and leverage deep links to direct users to specific product pages.
These ads dynamically generate creatives showcasing schedules, betting odds, or specific matchups. They even combine near-live odds with schedules to drive immediate betting action. Sports betting apps can tailor game day creatives for specific geos and audiences.
Looking to learn more about top ad creative trends that drive ROI? Check out our 2025 Mobile Ad Creative Index.
A well-known global iGaming company that publishes casino, sports betting, and other apps wanted to expand its reach to keep pace with the burgeoning market in LATAM.
To achieve this, the company ran standout campaigns for their sports betting app with Liftoff’s new Product Ads. They launched 54 dynamic creatives that seamlessly covered matches around the world. The newly-designed creatives featuring Product Ads significantly improved performance:
- Product ads increased incremental conversions by 23% for their sports betting app on iOS
- The app also saw 25% lower CPA and 28% lower CPI after implementation
Control the Ad Experience With Innovation and Compliance
As the regulatory environment in the Americas and Europe continues to evolve, iGaming companies need to prioritize compliance when targeting new users in their campaigns. The key is finding a DSP that gives you greater control over where your ads appear and who sees them. The benefits are clear:
1. Ensure Your Ad Experience Looks How It’s Intended
The ad experience can make or break conversions. All your efforts will go to waste if your interactive ad is rendered incorrectly. Ensure your programmatic partner can access top inventory that supports the right formats. This way, you can trust that your ads are streamlined to drive engagement and maximize installs and target actions.
2. Stay Compliant by Controlling Where Your Ads Appear
Real-time bidding (RTB) ads can dramatically improve targeting, but they can also cause your ads to appear to inappropriate audiences—for example, underage users. To prevent negative regulatory scrutiny, ensure you and your ad partner work with ad exchanges that stay compliant and brand-safe.