According to data from Statista, the global online gaming market is expected to be worth US$107.3 billion by the end of this year and US$138.1 billion by 2028. As the industry continues to grow, so do its responsibilities — and the general trend is toward more advertising regulations, not less.
Slotegrator shares key findings on this topic for those looking to operate responsibly. Online gaming eventually faces severe limitations or complete bans, even in countries where land-based casinos are legal.
Even outside of historically conservative nations, there is a general trend toward stricter regulations; Liberal countries such as Georgia and Lithuania have made substantial adjustments to strengthen oversight of gaming operators and advertising strategies.
Countries across the European Union are slowly harmonizing their gambling regulations and countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are also actively improving regulation of the iGaming market, with particular attention to strict regulation in the field of advertising.
Governments argue that tighter advertising restrictions are not intended to stifle the industry’s growth, but rather are necessary measures for effective oversight of the industry.
Advertising regulations can vary drastically from country to country, depending on their legal status and cultural attitudes towards the practice. However, in most countries with a regulated online gaming industry, there are some common general principles of advertising regulation:
- Prohibition of advertising to minors.
- Advertising content requirements.
- Advertising licensing and regulation.
- Prohibition of misleading or aggressive advertising.
You can read more about these points in a new Slotegrator Academy article.
What are the consequences for illegal online game advertising?
From fines and criminal charges to revoking licenses and seizing assets, authorities employ a range of measures to ensure compliance with advertising regulations and maintain the integrity of the online gaming industry.
- Fines are one of the most common penalties for illegal online gaming advertising in countries with gaming regulation.
- Strict measures such as revocation or suspension of licenses are possible.
- Criminal charges can even be brought against individuals or organizations responsible for illegal advertising.
- In cases of illegal online game advertising activities, authorities may confiscate illegally obtained assets, profits or revenue.
Experts from CasinoRIX, Slotegrator’s media partner, comment: “When launching projects on such markets, the main task is to thoroughly study all the requirements of local regulators – whether affiliate licenses are required and what restrictions or rules exist for operations and advertising.
Next, it is essential to constantly monitor possible changes and amendments to comply with all provisions. It’s not enough to know which tools and traffic channels to use; for example, to promote on social networks, it is necessary to delve into the prohibitions at the legislative level and understand the social responsibility of all your actions.”
Furthermore, it is necessary to maintain constant communication and exchange experiences with your partners to reduce the chances of errors.
Here are some examples of how online gaming advertising is regulated in different European countries and the Baltic region:
- In Lithuania in 2021, the government implemented a comprehensive ban on the promotion and advertising of online gaming activities through any means, including television, banners and outdoor advertising channels. Additionally, the government banned operators from offering players incentives such as free spins or bonuses.
- In Latvia, the promotion of online gaming activities is strictly regulated, with permissions limited exclusively to land-based casinos. Operators are allowed to advertise only by displaying the casino name, organizer and official brand. It is also prohibited to offer participation in online games for free, as a gift or prize.
- In Estonia, operators enjoy significant freedom in advertising their online gaming services, with television and free streaming platforms being especially favored channels for promotions, often used during evening hours. This liberality extends to casinos, which have the freedom to advertise bonus offers, promotions and their own brand without significant restrictions.
- Finland maintains a strict stance towards online gaming advertising, with legislation prohibiting promotions across a range of media, including radio, television, online platforms and public spaces. Authorities maintain strict surveillance over advertising activities, particularly targeting operators without a local license.
- In Italy in 2019, the government implemented a broad ban on all forms of online gaming advertising in the country. This legislation prohibits both the direct and indirect promotion of online gaming services through all available information channels, including television, radio, print media, the internet and any other public platform. Furthermore, the initiative extends to the ban on sponsorship in football, prohibiting the placement of logos, merchandise or the use of other marketing tools associated with online games.
- In Spain, strict regulations have been implemented to restrict almost all forms of online gaming advertising, including sponsorships. The only exception is during the early morning hours of 1:00 am to 5:00 am where live streams are permitted to feature advertisements for online games. Additionally, welcome bonuses have been banned from 2020.
- In Belgium, the government has taken decisive action to combat gambling addiction and debt by instituting a comprehensive ban on online gaming advertising across multiple platforms from July 1, 2023. This ban extends to television, radio, cinemas, magazines, newspapers, public spaces and even online advertising on websites and social media.
- In Denmark, advertising for online games is permitted within the country’s borders as long as it does not target minors. Operators are required to highlight that online games are primarily intended for entertainment, and not as a means of making money. Furthermore, when featuring prominent people in their advertising campaigns, operators should refrain from conveying the idea that the game played a significant role in its success.
- In Sweden, all forms of online gaming and betting are permitted, along with advertising for them. However, under the Marketing Act, only games and lotteries licensed in Sweden are eligible for advertising.
Svetlana Kirichenko, Head of Marketing at Slotegrator comments: “One of the first items that should be on your to-do list if you want to develop working strategies for a highly regulated market is to carry out thorough market research, and your first port of call is the regulatory framework of your target market.
You should also analyze competitors’ marketing approaches and monitor how they navigate regulatory compliance. Seeing how other companies are innovating to market themselves effectively while remaining compliant can help inspire your team to develop new strategies and, in some cases, provide an example of what not to do.”
Interview with Martin Calvert, marketing director at ICS-digital
Slotegrator is always interested in partners’ opinions on advertising on regulated markets. Martin Calvert, Marketing Director at ICS-digital, actively followed the changes and shared his responses in a quick interview:
Slotegrator: What do you think the intensifying market for advertising in the iGaming industry will bring?
Martin Calvert: Hopefully a renewed focus on the product and competing in a responsible way for players’ attention. For some markets, operators already have a dependency on paid media and the affiliate channel — but they haven’t always worked as true partners with their affiliates.
Perhaps, given the need for high-quality traffic, there is more incentive to work more collaboratively with partners in the affiliate channel. Of course, given what we do at ICS-digital and ICS-translate, I’m always excited about the potential for organic SEO and targeted content to bring players in directly in an efficient and scalable way — but not all operators are well-equipped to capitalize on this potential.
Slotegrator: Are there universal rules for marketing activities in the industry today?
Martin Calvert: It seems like, if we’re being completely honest, the range of marketing activities in the industry is huge — some brands are at the forefront of innovation, while others are deeply traditional.
I think the main thing is to focus on strategies that
a.) fit well with your brand
b.) still deliver the necessary results.
You don’t have to do everything, nor exactly mirror what your competitors are doing — finding your own path can bring you closer to your ideal customers.
That said, I believe there are a few themes that will always make marketing easier — a commitment to understanding multiple audiences, using data responsibly, and being both creative and practical can help keep things interesting but effective.
Slotegrator: Is the intensification of regulation of the advertising market in the iGaming industry capable of influencing the formation of a responsible gaming culture?
Martin Calvert: Yes, I think sometimes having real restrictions on activities is necessary to make marketing practices evolve more quickly and responsibly.
A true culture, however, is based on how companies decide to conduct themselves and how they structure their activities according to some kind of values.
For more and more iGaming companies, this is something they are willing to commit to, seeing themselves more as entertainment and technology brands than conventional betting brands.
Committing to responsible gaming has other advantages too — in the world of SEO, Google looks closely at YMYL sites, i.e. ‘Your Life, Your Money’ sites, with the potential to affect someone’s finances or health. Betting brands that take a responsible approach have a better chance of staying on the right side of Google with responsible content.
This is another reason why betting brands that focus on Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust (E-E-A-T) in their content have the potential to increase rankings and traffic over time.
Slotegrator: How not to get lost in the market with all these changes?
Martin Calvert: I think the most important thing is to analyze your competitors, but not to be tempted to try to do everything they do. There’s more useful, actionable advice than ever from Google and other major platforms.
Making good marketing decisions depends on understanding your target audiences and, whenever possible, responding to their wants, needs and questions efficiently and clearly. In this regard, responsible gaming fits well with online marketing, content and SEO best practices.
About Slotegrator
Since 2012, Slotegrator has been a leading provider of software and business solutions to the iGaming industry, for online casino and sportsbook operators.
The company’s main focus is software development and support for online casino platforms, as well as the integration of gaming content and payment systems.
The company works with licensed game developers and offers a vast portfolio of casino content: slots, live casino games, poker, virtual sports, table games, lotteries, casual games and betting data feeds.
Slotegrator also provides consultancy services in acquiring gaming licenses and business incorporation.