CASE STUDY: How I Finally Cracked iGaming Traffic After 3 Months of Testing

[btaliat]

Hey folks,


If you’ve ever tried running paid traffic for casino, slot, sports betting, or crypto gambling offers, you know the struggle is real. I’ve spent the last three months deep-diving into iGaming traffic sources—burning through a fair chunk of ad budget—to figure out what works and what doesn’t.


In this case study, I want to share what finally started working for me, the mistakes I made along the way, and which traffic format gave me the best ROI. Hopefully, it helps some of you cut the learning curve.

My Goal​

I promote mid-range and high-payout CPA offers across three iGaming verticals:

• Casino
• Sports Betting
• Crypto Gambling (especially BTC deposits)

My primary objective was to find a paid traffic source that:

• Allowed wide GEO targeting (especially Tier 2 and 3 countries)
• Accepted gambling creatives/offers
• Provided real traffic with low bot interference
• Had manageable CPV/CPC rates for budget testing
• Integrated easily with conversion tracking (e.g., postback/pixel)

What Didn’t Work​

Before I found success, I tested a number of sources and formats—here’s a quick breakdown:

Native Ads (Mixed Results)​

• Networks Tried: MGID, RichAds, AdStyle
• Problems Faced: High bounce rates, expensive Tier 1 CPCs, and rejections due to gambling content.
• Verdict: Native can work for gambling—but creatives must be ultra-clean, and prelanders need to be story-based and emotionally engaging. Not ideal for fast testing.

Popunder Traffic (High Volume, Low Quality)​

• Networks Tried: PopAds, PropellerAds, Adsterra
• Problems Faced: Cheap traffic, but lots of bots and junk. Even with JS filtering and postback validation, I was getting crazy high CTRs but near-zero conversions.
• Verdict: Great for cloaked landing pages or sweepstakes, but not reliable for legit iGaming offers that need KYC or deposits.

Push Ads (Low CTR Over Time)​

• Networks Tried: MegaPush, Evadav, DatsPush
• Problems Faced: CTRs dropped fast after initial run. Also noticed poor engagement from mobile Tier 1 traffic.
• Verdict: Works better for retargeting or warmed-up lists, not cold gambling traffic. Avoid for direct-offer sends.

What Did Work: Focused Niche Traffic Source​

After rotating through formats, I finally tested a niche traffic network that allowed:

• Gambling, Casino, Crypto verticals
• Worldwide GEO targeting (Tier 1–3)
• Custom audience targeting by vertical and device
• Clean, validated traffic (low bot rates)
• Integrated S2S and pixel-based tracking
• Flexible daily budgets starting from $50

The Results​

I started testing with $100/day across three GEOs:

• India (Tier 3)
• Canada (Tier 1)
• Brazil (Tier 2)

Best Performer: Brazil — good mix of volume + conversions
Worst Performer: India — lots of clicks, poor deposit rate
Top Offer: Crypto casino with BTC bonus on first deposit


Here’s a quick breakdown of the numbers after a 10-day test:

Metric	Brazil	Canada	India
Spend	$450	$300	$250
Conversions (FTDs)	28	12	5
CPA Payout (avg)	$35	$55	$30
Revenue	$980	$660	$150
Net Profit	$530	$360	-$100
ROI	+117.7%	+120%	-40%

Setup Details​

• Tracking: Voluum (S2S postback)
• Landing Pages: 2-step prelanders for casino, direct for crypto
• Creatives: Static banners for crypto, video snippets for slots
• Device Split: Mobile-heavy targeting (80% of traffic)

Key Lessons Learned​

1. Not All Traffic Is Created Equal: Pop and push are cheap but rarely convert unless you're running ultra-aggressive funnels or cloaked flows. Clean campaigns need clean sources.
2. Tier 2/3 GEOs Can Be Goldmines: Brazil outperformed Canada in volume-to-cost ratio. Don’t sleep on these GEOs—especially for crypto or sportsbook verticals.
3. Tracking Is Critical: If your tracking sucks, your data sucks. Spend the extra time setting up proper conversion flows. It will pay off.
4. Warm Up Before Scaling: Start with smaller $50–$100 daily budgets. Gather data. Scale what’s working. Optimize landing pages as you go.

Final Thoughts​

There’s no “perfect” traffic source for iGaming—it all comes down to testing and refining. But for anyone struggling with high CPAs and low deposit rates, I strongly recommend:

• Skip general pop/push networks if you’re doing direct sends.
• Choose sources that specialize in iGaming, gambling, or crypto verticals.
• Always test GEOs outside Tier 1.

If anyone wants to swap traffic sources, success stories, or optimization tips—let’s chat! Always happy to exchange battle notes with fellow affiliates.


Your Turn:
What traffic sources are working for your gambling campaigns in 2025? Anyone crushing it with email, SEO, or influencer traffic?


Let’s build something valuable here.


Cheers,
– affilateflux