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In this series, we break down the specifics of working with different GEOs in the iGaming industry. We share not only basic information about countries but also practical recommendations for working in these geos from our top owners of buying teams within our holding.
Today's breakdown is dedicated to the United Kingdom — one of the most diverse audiences and one of the most popular countries for traffic in the Tier-1 geo.
Base about the UK
The United Kingdom has a population of 69 million people, with almost 95% of them being active users of online services and mobile devices. Around 2.5% of the adult population in the UK is addicted to gambling. The betting and gambling industry in the UK has reached record-breaking revenues, surpassing $19.11 billion in annual turnover. The sector is heavily regulated in the country, with one of the new regulations this year being restrictions on betting amounts based on age. For instance, the maximum bet for players over 25 years old will be £5 per spin, while for those aged 18 to 24, the limit will be £2.
Cultural diversity in the United Kingdom is off the charts, both in terms of nationality and religion. The country is home to more than 10 million migrants (15% of the population) from various parts of the world.
The primary language is English, but other languages, reflecting the diversity of the population, are also widely spoken. Some of these include:
- Welsh — actively used in Wales.
- Scottish Gaelic — common in certain areas of Scotland.
- Irish — present in the Irish community.
- Arabic — spoken by a significant number of immigrants.
- Polish — the most common foreign language among immigrants, particularly in England.
- Urdu and other South Asian languages — widely spoken within specific communities.
In major cities like London, the diversity of languages is even greater due to high migration and multiculturalism.
The United Kingdom is a developed Tier-1 country, meaning its citizens generally have higher incomes than those in most other countries. The country boasts a high standard of living and significant purchasing power, making it a promising market for gambling. The average salary ranges from $3,000 to $4,000 in USD equivalent. However, like other Tier-1 countries, the traffic is expensive, so be prepared to invest in testing.
Among the wealthiest cities in the UK, the following stand out:
- London — the main financial hub with high purchasing power and significant opportunities for gambling.
- Edinburgh — the capital of Scotland, known for its history and culture, attracting a large number of tourists.
- Manchester — a large city with developed industries and an active young audience.
- Birmingham — the second-largest city in the UK, with a growing economy and diverse population.
- Glasgow — the largest city in Scotland, with a high concentration of people interested in gambling.
Popular iGaming brands in the UK
The United Kingdom is renowned for its legalized gambling and robust regulatory framework. Online gambling accounts for 30% of the total revenue from gambling activities in the country. The most popular sectors in the UK include:
- Sports betting — particularly on football matches, horse racing, and tennis.
- Casino games and slots — with a strong focus on providers with high ratings.
- Esports betting — a growing segment that is gaining popularity.
Moreover, when choosing an offer and promotional materials, we recommend considering market research for the selected geo. In the case of the United Kingdom, research highlights several key factors that significantly influence conversion rates:
- Simplicity — 51% of players say that the convenience of the website or app is the main factor when choosing where to play.
- Attractive offers — 44% of players look for good odds and promotions.
- Game selection — 37% of players choose brands that offer a variety of slots and games. The more options, the better.
- Loyalty programs and easy transactions — 26% of players appreciate brands that offer loyalty bonuses and simple deposit and withdrawal methods.
- Trust in others' opinions — 63% of people trust recommendations from others, so including user reviews and success stories in your creatives is effective.
- Emotional appeal — Videos showing slot spins and the emotions of winners perform better compared to other approaches.
Popular traffic sources
There are several platforms teeming with potential audiences. The top sources are the classics: Facebook and Google. In addition to them, traffic can also be sourced from other popular social networks ↓
The British respond quite actively to social media ads. Media buyers who use a more "human" language in their creatives tend to achieve better results. It's important to create content that not only informs but also evokes emotions.
Tips for working with traffic
As for the practices of working with the UK, we received recommendations on this topic from Daniyar, the owner of the AFFRISE COMP team in the Marlerino Group holding, and a person with extensive experience in driving traffic to the UK geo.
"When choosing offers, it's better to focus on popular providers and avoid overlap with competitors. When driving traffic to the UK, at Marlerino, we always have several offers from direct advertisers: thanks to our developed BizDev, we are able to receive new offers for testing among the first. It's crucial to localize all creatives to the country's cultural features, using British English, slang, and expressions typical for the UK, as well as remembering to use the national currency — the British pound "£" — in the creatives. Pay attention to A/B testing to identify the best-performing creatives and audiences. When creating apps for the UK, we choose designs based on specific slots and ensure there are no clickbait headlines in descriptions or reviews, as they may attract non-target users and bonus hunters."
A few recommendations for creatives:
- The flow when working with Facebook is based on a slot-based approach in creatives. Before running traffic, it's important to find out which slots are currently popular among players — this can be done using Google Trends.
- When creating video creatives, we focus on the emotions of players from winning, showing wins of reasonable amounts and deposits in a banking app.
Examples:
https://vimeo.com/1054453654/e5d4bb6d2b?ts=0&share=copy
https://vimeo.com/1054452626/8c5b84db4b?ts=0&share=copy
https://vimeo.com/1054451973/2d8dee25d7?ts=0&share=copy
When selecting targets, I recommend focusing on a male audience aged 25-55 years. For placements, we use the Reels feed and FB/Instagram Stories.
We run A/B testing of creatives based on the 1-3-1 and 1-5-1 schemes. The process looks like this:
Day 1: launch the test, distributing the budget evenly between several creatives.
Days 2-3: analyze the results, turn off the least effective creatives. Scale by duplicating ad sets or increasing the budget, depending on how Facebook's optimization works at the time of the traffic run.
Recommended budget for the test: $150–$250 per creative.
Target metrics:
- CTR: Min 0.7%, ideally 1.5-2%
- CPC: $2–3 (if above $3, I recommend reviewing the audience/creative).
- CPI: $8–10 (optimal)
- uEPC: $14–16 (if higher, it's recommended to scale the campaign, roughly by increasing the budget by 20–30% per day and monitor the results).
Deposits: The target for the UK is 15-20% deposits.
Next, it's important to focus on improving the RD metric — push notifications for those who registered but haven't made their first deposit, or those who deposited but haven't played; as well as SMS and calls from the product team with reminders, promotions, and bonuses for returning players.
Conclusion
In our opinion, the UK is one of the most interesting and profitable geos in Tier-1. It is expected that the potential of the gambling market in the UK will continue to grow and adapt to new technologies and audience preferences, as evidenced by the following facts:
- Interest in online betting, including esports, continues to grow in the UK.
- Along with other developed countries, the share of mobile device users is growing, and with it the number of betting and online casino app users.
- The number of licensed gambling operators is also expanding due to regulation.
- There is a growing awareness among the population about gambling and its variety.
- Along with this, the number of marketing activities from casino operators and sports betting companies is increasing, boosting their visibility.
At Marlerino Group, we offer exclusive conditions for working with the UK: unlimited turnover, our own infrastructure, and access to top offers from direct advertisers. If you want to learn more, reach out to us through the Marlerino Group HR bot. Tell us about yourself
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