Best geos for Betting ads

The worldwide iGaming vertical is highly influenced by online betting. According to a recent study by WorldMetrics, the industry has almost doubled in the last couple of years alone, and by 2027 will be valued at $127.3 billion (reaching 3.2 billion active users). 

This includes the promising cybersports sector, where online betting has increased by 47% in 2020 alone (Statista data). Betting is a gold mine and a multi-billion dollar market, so for smart webmasters it’s important to know the proper geo for advertising. In this topic, we’ll look at the best regions for the Betting vertical, categorized by characteristics and potential for affiliate marketing.

What is a geo in affiliate marketing?

For a webmaster, selecting the proper region to start an advertising campaign is just as crucial as finding a profitable affiliate network or good advertiser. A comprehensive list of countries is described when you open the chosen offer in any affiliate program. The zone in which you can run an advertising campaign is what term “geo” stands for.

The offer’s logic dictates the geo selection. In terms of potential demand as well as the price-quality ratio, some products and services are better suited for launching to specific countries.  

Naturally, some have the potential to simultaneously promote advertising campaigns in multiple zones. It’s possible that the idea is that local audiences eventually burn out and become less open to new offers, which lowers earnings. 

Consequently, the webmaster must be informed of any modifications and comprehend not only the methods, patterns, and sources of traffic that are in use today, but also the specific areas with their own national characteristics. Making the correct geographic selection maximizes the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, reaches the most engaged audience, multiplies leads, and reduces expenses. 

What do Tier 1, 2 and 3 stand for?

In terms of advertising, all existing countries are conventionally divided into three zones:

Tier 1

Tier 1 refers to developed regions with strong economies and high disposable incomes among the population. These are the premium regions that offer the best opportunities for betting offers due to high conversion rates (CTR) and higher average revenue per user (ARPU). Accordingly, the cost of traffic here is the highest when compared to Tier 2 and 3.

Tier 2

Tier 2 geos are progressive markets with growing economies and expanding internet penetration. These geos are distinguished by average revenue per user and moderate conversion rates in addition to a continually changing regulatory environment. 

Tier 3

Tier 3 geos refer to developing economies and emerging markets with poor internet penetration. These areas may have decreased average revenue per user and conversion rates, as well as weak or nonexistent regulatory monitoring and an expanding but unreliable internet infrastructure. Positively, a webmaster can build up his hand here for the least amount of money as the cost of traffic will be the lowest.

The divide is essentially conditional, as we’d like to mention once again. Countries periodically move from one zone to another due to factors such as instability in politics, economic growth rates, citizens’ solvency, and digital development.

Tier 1 geos for betting ads

Tier 1 geos cover highly developed nations, such as the majority of EU members, as well as the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. For webmasters, this is the most appealing area since deals here have the biggest profits. Apart from positive outlooks, it’s important to take into account common challenges:

• Expensive traffic:
  It can cost two or three times as much as the average in some locations. As a result, starting an advertising campaign here requires sizable investments.
• Huge level of competition:
  People living in industrialized countries have high standards for both the quality of the items and the offer. To launch a successful ad campaign a webmaster has to put a lot of effort into the sports creatives’ and ad targeting audience’s portraits. Additionally, there are numerous legal prohibitions and restrictions on betting advertising, therefore prior webmaster experience is necessary for successful promotion.
• Competition among webmasters is extremely high:
  In Tier 1 geos, it’s important to develop personalized ad campaigns, and to remember that it’s not just English ads that convert here.

It’s preferable if the webmaster can build creatives and landing pages in the region’s language, or even better, if he can hire a local of the target country to help. Set expressions or a grasp of the country’s agenda increase trust and lead to more conversions. 

Another key point to note is that Tier 1 countries are the most digitally advanced region in terms of ease of use for online payments and internet marketing. One of the potential drawbacks is that operating in such a complicated regulatory environment may necessitate legal compliance and obtaining the necessary licenses. Not all nations fit these criteria — let’s take a look at the main markets:

USA

One of the most lucrative markets for advertising betting offers is the US. This country has extremely high purchasing power. In 2023 alone, Americans will bet $119.84 billion on sports — that’s 27.5% more than the previous year (ESPN data).

Key pros include high pay per action (PPA) and excellent ARPU.  State-by-state variations exist in betting regulation here, but initiatives to introduce legalized betting are still highly contentious in the areas where it matters. 

According to data from Drive Search, American bettors most often choose to place sports bets on basketball (52.7%), soccer (51.2%) and American football (45.8%).

Canada

Canada is another promising Tier 1 region for betting ads. According to Statista research, the online sports betting market revenue is expected to reach the $1 billion mark in 2024, with an expected revenue growth rate of 8.52% per year (CAGR 2024-2029), resulting in a market size of $1.49 billion and $25.5 million active users by 2029. Popular sports for betting in Canada are hockey and soccer.

888STARZ Partners has a local license for you to run Betting ads in Canada. Contact your affiliate manager if you’re interested in this geo!

United Kingdom

It’s true that betting originated in Great Britain, so betting culture here is booming. When it comes to the huge number of real bookmakers, England leads the way. High conversion rates and a dependable regulatory framework make it one of the most developed betting industries in the world. Here you need to have a license from the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission). 

Most popular types of sports here are soccer (25 million fans), cricket (16 million) and rugby (12 million). Tennis, horse racing, athletics, and golf share the remaining market share, according to a recent Geeks of Geeks survey.

Germany

Germany is another country with strict compliance issues and license requirements. Despite this, the business is still promising: 14.31% of Germans wager on sports each month, according to TGM Research. The online betting segment of the German gaming market is predicted to expand at a rate of approximately 10% per annum. By the end of 2024, sports betting revenue is predicted by Statista to reach €2.2 billion.

France

In France, the market is controlled, and in order to operate business fairly, the organizer needs an ARJEL authorization. Online poker, horse racing, and sports betting are all allowed (the list of iGaming verticals keep growing). The online betting market is expected to grow to $1.91 billion by 2024, according to Statista research. 

Recent research by l’Association Française des Jeux en Ligne (AFJEL) showed that in 2023, around 4 million French people made bets through gaming-related websites, while only 3.6 million — through regulated betting platforms (research from iGamingBusiness).

Australia

The region of Oceania completes our Tier 1 selection. With substantial revenue, it’s a relatively active market. A study by The Guardian found that out of 16,000 Australians surveyed, 15.5% had placed a wager on a sporting event within the previous year.

Every state and territory issues licenses, ensuring strict regulation of the market. Even so, Australians rank among the world’s most compulsive gamblers. The expanding betting business includes bookmakers with licenses: this market is predicted by Statista to bring in about €4.54 billion in sales by 2024.

Compared to the same European countries, Australia’s estimates are less positive. The primary drawback is that in recent years the country has been actively fighting against addiction and the subset of underage bettors. As such, there will be new laws and betting regulations that need to be learned in order to launch the ad campaign.

New Zealand

To start promoting Betting offers, New Zealand presents another captivating market. In addition to those of its Australian neighbors, the local laws are player-oriented. Thus, local businesses may run their operations entirely lawfully if they are licensed, registered, and compliant with the law.

Total Football Analysis states that among Kiwis (that’s what the locals are known here), soccer, American football, cricket, tennis, and horse racing are the most frequently mentioned sports.

Overall, Tier 1 geos are characterized by a high degree of economic development. Offers in these regions may have large payouts, but traffic costs here are expensive. Moreover, as webmasters always stay highly competitive in this area, it is challenging to reach more customers. Here you have to be carefully prepared before launching an ad, because the user engagement is more demanding of the quality of advertising and services. 

Tier 2 geos for betting ads

Tier 2 regions include part of the EU countries, the CIS countries, and the most developed countries of Asia and the East. The level of solvency in Tier 2 varies from average to low. However, you should confirm with your partner ahead of time to see which geo nations are specified in the offer. Let’s name characteristic indicators for gambling affiliation in Tier 2:

• Average financial health of users:
  The audience here is quite affluent, but not as exposed to advertising as people in more developed Tier 1 regions. This is where you’ll find the ideal customer — someone who is interested in a straightforward offer and willing to pay for it.
• Good traffic volumes:
  The countries inside the zone differ greatly from one another. Therefore, you will need to do some research and provide ad campaign optimization according to the local geo’s specifics.
• The average level of payments on the offers:
  There won’t be much competition in this area. To promote betting offers more effectively, you must boost product recognition, trust, and loyalty amongst potential customers. 
• Almost no limitations or prohibitions for Betting offers:
  The main thing you need to do before you begin promoting, consider checking the payment methods in certain geos to see if local or global operators are available.

Now let’s take a closer look at the most promising Tier 2 geos for running Betting ads:

Sri Lanka

Although the Sri Lankan market is still in its early stages of development, this presents a rare chance for early entry with less competition. Current market continues to evolve: in January 2024, there were 7,50 million social media users (34.2% of the total population), according to a recent DataReport research. Approximately 7 million people, or 31% of the total population, speak English. The top sports to bet on in Sri Lanka are football and cricket.

There may be certain issues with promoting betting ads here, such as censorship and social media restrictions. In order to bypass them, we suggest you diversify your traffic with multiple sources of betting ad networks.

At 888STARZ Partners we know all the necessary peculiarities of this geo, so with us you can enter the local market without any troubles. Contact affiliate manager for additional information on this region!

Brazil

Brazil is one of the most emerging markets in Latin America. It is currently undergoing an active regulatory reform, which opens up huge prospects for betting advertising. The Brazilian betting market is experiencing astonishing rise: according to a market analysis by DataHub, this sector grew by 734.6% between 2021 and April 2024, increasing from 26 to 217 registered companies operating in the region.

Brazilians have different preferences because they are passionate football fans — 94% of wagers are made on this sport, according to ENV Media. Basketball and cybersports come after this. Nevertheless, many webmasters are looking at more promising geos that are not overheated right now — in particular the African market, which we will definitely talk about later in the article. 

Mexico

Mexico is another of LatAm’s primary target regions and offers webmasters considerable income potential as well. Several laws were passed here in 2004 to control the gaming industry. Therefore, obtaining authorization and collaborating with a legal land-based casino suffices for local bookmakers — they do not require obtaining an additional license.

As in Brazil, betting on soccer is very popular here. According to Statista, by the end of 2024 the sports betting market will reach almost $1.24 billion. 

Argentina

According to Sigma World, Argentine online betting brings approximately $2.4 billion annually. That being said, there are strict restrictions on gambling advertising across this country.  It is important to keep in mind that these advertising initiatives cannot be deceptive or unfair. Only operators with authorization are allowed to promote their services.

As of the end of 2023, 15 out of 24 Argentine jurisdictions have legalized online gambling, representing more than 85% of the country’s population. Moreover, this list is constantly growing.

Southeast Asian countries

Other nations in Southeast Asia are likewise deserving of attention. These markets each have special legal characteristics and cultural sensitivity. For instance, the limited format in which sports betting is offered in Thailand necessitates a more careful approach before running an advertising campaign.

The two most popular betting marketplaces for offers are esports and football. Additionally, employing local celebrities to establish brand credibility, focusing on mobile betting advertising, and localizing creatives to native languages are all successful affiliate marketing techniques.

Tier 2 is the second most solvent region. A webmaster will require catching creatives to push betting ads here, and 888STARZ Partners might be able to help. A personal manager will assist in making your launch as smooth as possible if you are interested in driving traffic into these geos!

Tier 3 geos for Betting ads

This category, which is the largest among possible geos, comprises low-income nations in Asia, Africa, and America. The level of purchasing power of the population is low, but the traffic here is quite cheap. The peculiarities of promotion in Tier 3 are as follows:

• Large volumes of inexpensive traffic:
  However, it needs to be constantly tested and optimized.
• Low level of solvency:
  The products offered should be matched to the region’s average income level. However, this is the place to start an advertising campaign for services that few people in other geos like Tier 1 or Tier 2 would be interested in.
• Technological development is low:
  The ability to shop online is still relatively new to users. However, low payouts on offers can be covered by expanding the audience. Furthermore, the target demographic is far less picky than consumers of earlier mentioned geos.
• Adaptation of creatives is mandatory for the selected geo:
  Knowledge of English in Tier 3 countries is at a low level, so the Betting campaign should be prepared in the local language (or in extremely simplified English).
• Low level of competition:
  For individuals who are new to online gambling affiliate marketing, this is the easiest way to start, which makes sense given the low payment amount. 

With competent ad campaign optimization, you can earn good money in Tier 3. Let’s consider the most popular regions:

Africa

In search of new and promising markets, webmasters is actively exploring regions such as Brazil and the LatAm countries. Since interest in affiliate marketing is expanding quickly, conferences on the subject have been hosted here before. Given the abundance of recent chances for business expansion and growth in Africa, the continent will be the next clear favorite in terms of bringing in large amounts of traffic for betting.

The African continent has 1.5 billion people, which by default makes it a very promising region for Betting ads. From here you can exclude only 7 out of 54 countries — online gambling is banned only in Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and Eritrea. The main emphasis so far can be placed on Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, where gambling and sports betting are becoming a trendy topic. This is directly evidenced by the analytical summary from Statista:

The target sport for this market is football. It is appropriate to start advertising campaigns that are adapted to local tastes (such as regional festivals and holidays) and employ regional languages to better connect with geo target audiences.

Africa is one of the most promising areas in affiliate marketing today. While major companies just started penetrating this market, 888STARZ Partners is actively launching Betting ads here. Our partners are guaranteed to get quality offers to Kenya, Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire, Cameroon and many other geos! Get in touch with your affiliate manager for more details.

South Asia

South Asia’s most notable countries are India and Bangladesh. India is the second most populated country in the world, regarding the extent of user demographics: by 2029, there should be close to 19 million active bettors there.  The regulatory landscape here is diverse and has many legal nuances to consider. 

For example, the legality of sports betting in India is primarily governed by the Public Gambling Act of 1867, which dates back to the colonial era. It prohibits the attendance and management of gambling establishments. It does not, however, specifically address online betting, which gives possibilities for getting excessive volumes of traffic. The target audience of bettors under the South Asian market is cricket and football.

As in India, a similar Public Gambling Act is in place for the Bangladesh market. Here too, you can get a wide user engagement at a quite affordable price tag. According to a recent DataReportal resurvey, the audience of internet users has grown to 77.3 million in early 2024 — that’s almost 50% of the country’s total population. With the proper localization strategies, that’s a potentially huge market to drive betting traffic to sports offers.

Huge territory with an average solvency makes up Tier 3. There’s a small delay in technological progress here, that’s why not all users are able to shop online yet. However, as the countries we mentioned above, the market is continually growing and filling up. Although traffic on them is inexpensive, you will need to adjust according to the country language and regional market trends. 

Conclusion

So there you have it! Now you know the potential of running Betting ads in Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 geos. To succeed, it is important to study the culture, language and mentality before launching an advertising campaign for a particular geo. Learn about the problems faced by residents, their priorities, beliefs and values. 

888STARZ Partners operates in over 100 countries, so we know exactly which geo suits your needs. So, if you want to maximize conversions and bring solid results, contact your affiliate manager and get the best offer for your Betting ad campaign!