Every year, the iGaming world comes together for two of the biggest iGaming conferences of the year, ICE and iGB Affiliate London. Taking place from February 7th to 11th, the IA team was lucky to meet with all corners of our growing industry, to share insights, helpful tips and much more.
With that in mind, we’ve put together this piece to highlight all the key takeaways we found during our time at the conferences, that we’re happy to share with all our readers!
Market Growth
While the conferences took place in London, lots of the talk surrounded a variety of emerging iGaming markets that has both operators and affiliates excited about the future.
As was the case last year, there was ton of interest in the United States and its ever-growing market. New states are consistently becoming regulated and open to the iGaming world in the country, like Maryland who just went live and Massachusetts who is expected to open later this year.
America’s southern neighbors were also a major talking point, as the iGaming world continues to expand in Latin America, with Brazil and Mexico being a big part of the chatter. Not all the countries in Latin America have been regulated yet, but similar to the various states in the US, more countries are discussing the possibility of legalizing online gaming.
There was also a lot of interest in Asian markets, as there was much discussion around its iGaming potential than at previous conferences. In particular, Japan, India, Indonesia and Thailand were all mentioned as exciting avenues from both the operator and affiliate perspective.
Different Verticals
While the typical verticals of sport betting, casino and lottery are still dominant in the industry, they weren’t the only topics of discussion in London. Many mentioned their interest in social games, which are free-to-play games where users aren’t required to play with real money. It’s an exciting concept, as there’s less need for licenses and regulation, but it can be more difficult to monetize than other verticals. Those we spoke to in the US were particularly excited, seeing this vertical as a way to balance out their offerings in the area. There’s still plenty of growth left for social games and it’ll be exciting to see this vertical’s continued growth over the coming years.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) were also discussed, as more brands have begun to offer this kind of product to their users. Interestingly, we found that affiliates were split on this vertical, with some detailing their successes marketing it, while others didn’t seem as confident in the vertical’s staying power. As the NFL just closed its season and is the largest sport for DFS brands, it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the year goes in this vertical.
Evolving Technologies
In speaking to different parties at the conference, it became apparent how important having up-to-date statistics are for affiliates to be able to reach new audiences. For affiliates to properly optimize and track their campaigns without data being lost, it’s vital for their tracking software to have real-time and cookieless tracking. As new markets and verticals consistently open up, affiliates need every advantage possible to help brands connect with as many users as possible.
In that vein, moving into new markets can be somewhat confusing, as each one has their own rules, customs and more that make it unique. Affiliates we spoke to were hoping for more support in this area, with tutorials or explanations on the new market they’re looking to link up with.
With 20+ years of iGaming experience, IA has created multiple Marketing Intelligence Reports for our clients, looking to give them a leg up in new areas. If you’re interested in discussing one of these reports with us, be sure to reach out to your Account or Affiliate Manager.
Key Takeaways
As always, it was a thrill for IA to participate in the latest ICE and iGB Affiliate London conferences. It’s a valuable chance to re-connect with all the different participants in the iGaming world and learn from each other as we all continue to push this industry forward. We’re already looking forward to seeing everyone at the rest of the major conferences before we find ourselves back in London next year once more!
