Alex Lysak

Gambling Addiction Statistics Worldwide in 2022 — Scanteam

Due to modern technologies, casino games are more accessible and diversified. Players can use mobile phones to launch online slots, deposit within seconds, and play for money. And that’s good in terms of entertainment, but gambling addiction statistics state that these qualities are also harmful to those who have problems with self-control.

That’s why addictions to behaviors, or process addictions, require supportive treatment and players should be attentive to the responsible gaming question. Here, you will find casino gambling addiction statistics according to geo, gender, and other parameters.

Top Gambling Addiction Statistics Facts

To understand the scale of problems with modern casino games, here come gambling addiction facts and statistics:

• In each group of 100 players, 3 to 5 of them struggle with gambling addiction
• The risks are increased by 23-fold when players have problems with an alcohol disorder
• Among American players, 1% has serious problems with casino games
• Regarding UK adults, this percentage is decreased to 0.5%
• The group of players who are twice more affected by the problem is adult college students
• In China, the rehabilitation center for addictive players caters approximately 50 new patients monthly
• Only 1% of women who face gambling addiction ask for professional help
• Over 750,000 young people of 14 to 21 have problems with compulsive gaming

Gambling Addiction Statistics in Different Countries

Globally, the gambling market is forecasted to reach over $92.9 billion in 2023, which means that it’s rapidly developing in numerous countries. To get relevant statistics for gambling addiction, it’s reasonable to take into account situations in different areas. So here comes data according to the most popular regions.

USA and LATAM

In the US and LATAM, online gambling addiction statistics are as follows:

• In Mexico, the gambling market is anticipated to be valued at over $1.17 billion in 2023
• About 2.5 million Americans, which is 1% of the citizens, face gambling addiction
• As for American players who are at risk, about 3 million adults can become compulsive gamblers, 15 million adults can be problem gamblers, and 148 million citizens are in the low-risk gambling category
• Over 80% of US citizens gamble on an annual basis, spending about $500 billion on wages, and 15% of Americans gamble each week
• Average losses of about $55,000 make 23 million Americans go into debt
• The areas with the highest rate of gambling addiction are Montana, South Dakota, and Nevada
• According to Wallet Hub, the least gambling-addicted states are Utah, North Carolina, and Maine

Canada

According to statistics, gambling addiction in Canada is not that developed:

• About 75–79% of Canadians take part in at least a single gambling activity (like Canadian online casinos )
• The percentage of young Canadian players over 15 years old who are involved in gambling stands at 2%
• As for affected Canadians, 0.6% of the population has problems with compulsive bets
• Ontario features the range of 0.4–0.8% addictive players

UK

In the United Kingdom, statistics on gambling addiction are as follows:

• Recently, the rate of players who have problems with addiction has dropped from 0.6% to 0.3%
• Only 0.2% of female British players face compulsive gambling problems
• The UKGC stats show that for now, there are no gambling-addicted players aged 65 or more
• The groups of 16–24, 25–34, 45–54, and 55–64 show the addiction rates of 0.4%, 0.3%, 0.2%, and 0.2% accordingly. Groups of 16–24 and 25–34 at the same time show a tendency to choosing British online casinos over brick-and-mortar casinos
• A large group of 20.4% of players in Britain gambles more than 2 days a week
• According to the commission’s statistics, the rate of moderate-risk players is equal to 0.7%

Western Europe

These are statistics of gambling addiction in Western Europe:

• Across this territory, the rate of gambling addiction varies between 0.5–2%
• The rate of Dutch players with the compulsive gambling problem stands at 1%
• Scandinavian countries, including Estonia, Finland, and Switzerland, show a rate of over 3%
• Hungary has a much higher rate that is as high as 7%, with lotteries being admitted as the most popular gambling type

Australia and New Zealand

These are statistics of problem gambling as an addiction for the areas of Australia and New Zealand:

• About 0.5–1% of Australians have such problems, and for New Zealanders, this percentage doesn’t exceed 0.2%
• The largest average losses per player in Australia were fixed at $958
• While 56,000 players have serious problems with casino stakes, 158,000 Australians are moderate-risk players, and 373,000 are low-risk ones

Russia

Formally, gambling isn’t available in this country. Legislation passed in 2006 banned online gambling, and in 2009, all forms of gambling activity were banned within the territory. That’s why official statistics from this area aren’t available. However, some data has still been provided, according to which, there are 2 million fans of gambling in Moscow, at least 14% of Russians used to gamble at least once, and 10% of these players are put in the high-risk category, leaving about 40% of their budget at online casinos.

Japan

Japan’s recovery facilities receive about 5,222 calls about gambling addiction per year. And the number significantly grew in comparison to previous years. A recent government survey states that nearly 5 million Japanese players are addicted, which is 5% of the population. The stakes are placed at traditional pachinko, horse racing, and other activities like Japanese online casinos .

China

In China, the statistics from The First Rehabilitation Center for Problem Gamblers state that approximately 50 new patients are reaching out for help in the establishment. However, the center has been operating for 12 years, helping thousands of compulsive players. In comparison to 1.5% to 2% in Western countries, here, 2.5% to 4% of Chinese players suffer from the problem.

India

According to the Public Gaming Act of 1967, gambling in India is prohibited. Yet, local players keep on playing on international sites, so the statistics are as follows:

• On average, players of 20 to 45 years old gamble in India
• Over 5580 college students in Kerala, George took part in a survey, according to which, 19.5% of them used to gamble and 7.4% of them reported problems with the addiction
• As for adults, 80% of Indians gamble once a year, opting for lotteries, sports betting, and Indian casinos online

African Countries

African countries are also connected with gambling and, according to this data, may have problems with compulsive gaming:

• Sports betting is extremely popular in Africa, which is proved by the bets of 60 million Nigerians between 18 and 40 placing pets daily, spending $5 million daily
• At least 54% of citizens of the Sub-Saharan area used to try gambling, and Kenya leads the list, having 76% of its younger citizens spending money on different variations of bets for money
• In Uganda, this statistic stands at 57%, and 42% of Ghanaians have a similar position

Gambling Disorder Statistics — Demographics

According to gambling addiction statistics worldwide, around 26% of the population, or 1.6 billion people, gamble, and the global problem of gambling rates between 0.12–5.8%. Yet, the percentage for different age and gender groups varies.

Age

The age of players is also important when overcoming the addiction problem:

• According to the British Gambling Addiction Statistics Report, only 2.9% at the ages of 35 to 44 are involved in gambling
• Players of 20 to 30 years old are twice more vulnerable to facing risks connected with casino games

Gender

As gambling addiction gender statistics show, the percentage of addictive players will be different between male and female players:

• Gambling debts of male players stand at $55,000–90,000, and the amount for women doesn’t exceed $15,000
• About 30% of those who reach out for help at National Gambling Helpline are women, and Gamban states that 33% of its visitors are females
• Only 1% of females who face problems with gambling addiction do ask professionals for help
• Men gamble (64%) twice as much as women (36%)

Social Status

The gambling addiction from casino statistics also has the following data connected with the social status of players:

• In families where people have problems with casino games, the risk of divorce is 3 times higher
• Compared with the general population, racial and ethnic minorities face the problem of compulsive stakes more often

Gambling and Criminal Activity

The world statistics about gambling addiction are also connected with criminal activities:

• At Gamblers Anonymous, patients state that nearly one-third used to steal from their employers
• Over 66% of problem gamblers admit that they had to commit crimes to pay for their games.
• Domestic violence significantly increases in families where at least 1 person has problems with gambling addiction
• Approximately 90% of Gamblers Anonymous patients used to deal with illegal activities to pay for their games

College Gambling

Statistically, young players of 20 to 30 years old are in the highest risk group connected with the addiction of compulsive gambling. Statistically, the problems of this kind take place:

• About 6% of US college students try to overcome the following addiction
• By taking part in a survey, American students admitted that they gambled at least once during the past year
• The risks for college students are more than doubled

Gambling and Mental Illness

Players who suffer from gambling addiction are more vulnerable to having problems with mental health. And vice versa. The risk factors connected with compulsive gambling are depression, substance abuse, PTSD, and suicide.

Gambling and Depression

Compulsive gambling is connected with the depression of players, be it a result of losses or, vice versa, a cause for placing new bets. During the survey to explore this connection, 119 pathological gamblers were interviewed and the results are as follows:

• 76.47% had different symptoms of depression
• 28.57% were middle-depressed
• 34.45% had moderate depression
• 13.45% suffered from severe depression

Gambling and Suicide

Unfortunately, some statistics about casinos and gambling addiction are connected with suicide:

• One of 5 cases of problems with gambling are connected with suicide attempts
• This parameter is 20 times more than the rate among non-gambling people

Gambling and PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is also connected with addictive casino users:

• The group of addictive players who suffer from PTSD symptoms comes up to 12.5–29%
• A study that screened 260 Veterans proved that 32.7% of them used to gamble during a year and 25% of them opted for lottery

Gambling and Substance Abuse

Players who suffer from substance disorders are more vulnerable to facing problems with placing stakes compulsively and are predisposed to thrill-seeking behaviors. According to the study held in the US, alcohol addiction is connected with gambling addiction in 73% of cases.

Online Gambling Addiction

Because of being widely available, online gambling has a stronger effect. The statistics on online gambling addiction are here:

• On average, online players have 3 accounts in different casinos, though avid gamblers can have more
• One third to one-half of online casino visitors who face problems with gambling addiction state that they faced problems with gambling in land-based casinos before
• Due to the pandemic of Covid-19, the range of online customers and those who suffer from this addiction significantly increased

Did Covid-19 Affect the Growth of Gambling Addiction?

The gambling industry, in general, experienced a large drop during the coronavirus pandemic. However, closed land-based establishments made more players join online projects. The estimated increase of online gambling in this period stands at 10–20%. And the pandemic worsened health problems, including the ones connected with addictive behavior.

As a result, still, players keep on gambling and a certain group still faces problems with addiction. According to Journals.lww, Frontiers in Psychiatry, the number of compulsive gamblers increased by 17.6%.

Yet, in the UK, authorities prohibited the use of credit funds for gambling during the pandemic. And the Health Promotion Agency examined this situation in New Zealand, revealing that most of the reasons to gamble less during the pandemic were financial (50%) and the ones connected with players who didn’t want their families to see them gamble (15%).

Social Gambling — Is There Any Addiction?

Social gambling is known as the activity connected with the elements of gambling but provided on a social network platform for virtual currency. In other cases, it’s an activity that isn’t connected with business and the winnings are divided between the winners only. At any rate, the internet gambling addiction statistics state that this is still a behavior connected with the desire of participants to rely on a matter of chance and spend money on this.

Conclusion

Casino games for real money require a high level of responsibility as statistics about gambling addiction show that players who have problems with self-control suffer from the consequences of compulsive gambling. According to research, players from different areas and of different social positions can be affected, which means that responsible gaming organizations are a must, as well as basic responsible gaming terms and measures.

Sources:

1. https://www.buffalo.edu/cria/news_events/es/es3.html
2. https://www.debt.org/advice/gambling/
3. https://www.ncpgambling.org/files/public/Military/Veterans%20and%20Problem%20Gambling%20Lit%20Review%202010.pdf
4. https://www.statista.com/statistics/552821/gambling-losses-per-adult-by-country-worldwide/

Originally published at https://scanteam.pro on April 19, 2022.

Social media has become one of the most common ways to spend time online, with many of the world’s most popular websites offering social features. Social media is described as a digital platform that allows users to create an account, share content and interact with other users. Main examples include sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but there are hundreds of different social media sites, each offering a unique set of features and catering to different groups of people.

Social media is perfect for connecting with friends and family, as well as sharing ideas and content with people from all over the world. It’s also a great place for businesses to interact with their potential consumers, engaging with them and advertising to them. One of the reasons why social media sites have become so successful is that they sell personal data to companies for advertising purposes. Brands can target people based on their age, location, and likes, reaching their target demographics more easily.

Although social media is very popular, with over half of the world’s population now owning at least one account, it does raise issues about cybersecurity. When signing up to a social media site, users need to be careful that they’re not compromising their data, falling victim to data leaks, or downloading malware.

With over 4 billion users, social media platforms present a big target for hackers, scammers, and identity thieves. As a result, it pays to be careful about the platform you use and how you use it. In this article, our US cybersecurity expert Alex Lysak (more information about him can be found here) will be looking at nine different ways social media and cybersecurity are connected and how to practice social media safety.

What is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting devices or networks from cyber-attacks, malware, or other online threats. These cyberattacks are typically aimed at gaining access to, altering, or destroying sensitive data, extorting money from users, or disrupting normal corporate activities. Whether you’re an individual or a company, cybercriminals don’t discriminate, and you need to be able to protect your devices and data from cyber security threats.

Because there are more devices than humans nowadays, and attackers are growing more inventive, putting in place effective cybersecurity measures is very difficult. Over the last few years, there has been a rise in the number of high-profile cyber-attacks, particularly those using ransomware. This type of malware encrypts a user’s data, making it useless unless the user gives in to demands and pays a ransom.

Hackers often demand payment in the form of cryptocurrency, which has the advantage of being much easier to use than other forms of online payment. Payments made using cryptocurrencies have increased a lot over the past few years, as researched by Scanteam, this is partly thanks to the added level of security as well as the potential anonymity.

Protecting Yourself While Using Social Media

Although you can use antivirus software and other tools to keep your device secure from threats, the best way to stay safe online is by taking the right precautions. By following good practices while online, you can avoid malware and stay safe from cyber-attacks, including those on social media.

Here are a few of the things to avoid or be careful of when using social media if you want to stay secure:

Providing Too Much Personal Information

When using social media, users often fill out their profiles without caring much about who sees them. Although it may seem innocuous to provide details on your birthday, your family members, where you grew up, and more, it can put you at risk. By publishing so much information about yourself online, you can be affecting your cybersecurity, making it easier for hackers to gain entry to your accounts or for identity thieves to open up credit cards or bank accounts in your name.

Additionally, you should also be careful about the contact details you provide, as scammers will often look for email addresses and phone numbers. When combined with your personal information, they can use this to create highly believable scams aimed at extracting money from your accounts. Privacy is one of the most important social media security issues, and users should be more careful about their personal information.

Phishing Scams

A phishing scam is one of the most common types of online scams, where scammers use social engineering to get the information they want. This type of social engineering involves an attacker sending a phony message to a human target in the hopes of obtaining sensitive information. In addition, the scam could also involve or deploying harmful software on the victim’s infrastructure, such as ransomware.

When using social media, you should always be wary of messages you receive, especially from people you don’t know. Sometimes it could even appear to be someone you know sending a phishing message, either through a hacked account or a fake profile.

Insecure Passwords

Passwords are essential for keeping your accounts secure, and you should always make sure to use strong passwords no matter what kind of account it is. Using weak passwords is asking for trouble, as it means hackers can easily break into your account. Not only that, but you should also avoid reusing passwords on multiple accounts. You definitely shouldn’t use the same password for your online banking and your Facebook account, for example.

Single Layer Security

Passwords aren’t the only thing you should use to secure your account; many online sites also offer two-factor authentication or digital ID. This is where the site will send a code to your phone for you to use as well as your password. You should definitely set this up, as it means that even if hackers manage to crack your password, they won’t be able to get access to your account.

Outdated Apps

Social media apps are constantly updated to remove bugs and exploits that make them vulnerable to social networking security threats. If you want your device to stay safe, make sure the app you’re using is up to date, and if you’re not sure, you can check to see if updates are available. Additionally, you can set the app to update automatically when new software patches are released.

Unsecure Mobile Networks

When using social media on a mobile device, you should be careful about which networks you connect to. Using mobile data in the US is fine but connecting to open Wi-Fi networks is often a risk. When you connect to an unsecured mobile network, you could be opening your device up to malware and cyber-attacks.

Malware Links

Malware links are rare on social media as they often get reported and taken down. However, you can still find plenty of examples of social media cyber attacks through malware being spread over various platforms, particularly through private messages. If you don’t know the person, never open the link and be very careful about what links you open in general.

Tags and Locations

Part of the fun of social media is tagging friends in photos and sharing your location. However, this can potentially put you at risk. Be careful about sharing your location online, especially as you never know who can see this information. Some people in the US have had their homes robbed after revealing their location on social media, and it can be a cybersecurity risk too.

Poor Privacy Controls

When using social media, you’re in control over who gets to see the content that you share, but you do need to adjust the privacy settings to change this. Make sure you revisit this often to prevent people not connected to you from accessing your personal data and ensure proper data security.

9 Ways Social Media Sabotages Your Cybersecurity was originally published in Geek Culture on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If some 10 years ago cryptocurrency was something complicated and difficult to access, several years ago things changed. Financial experts started to consider it as a good asset. But it doesn’t end there. Besides investments, cryptocurrency is becoming more commonly used in daily life. And our research from the Scanteam.pro team is here to prove it.

We’ve analyzed the development of this payment system over the years, taking into account the most popular consumption fields. According to this, 93% of consumers are considering using emerging payments in the next year. In addition to contactless, these include biometrics, QR codes, as well as digital currencies.

So, what is the future of this currency, and is it worth your time?

The infographic here depicts the companies and merchants open to crypto payments. Read on to find out how and where you can pay with crypto.

The best way to prove that the payment solution is popular is to make sure that it is widely used by real customers. For this reason, we’ve analyzed the statistics of each month in the period of June 2020–January 2021. And the results are astonishing: the number of cryptocurrency users has been growing constantly.

If in June 2020 there were 73 million users, in January 2021 this amount reached 106 million. According to the graphic, this growth is natural and smooth: new users appear each month. And we are sure that our next research will show even bigger growth.

The statistics show that the highest demand is for Prepaid cards and Gift cards. It means that 41.15% of users prefer to pay for these services via crypto. While the other popular areas are:

• VPN/Hosting
• precious metals
• games & entertainment
• some daily spending, including food

This shows that the ways to use cryptocurrency are much diversified: digital solutions, payments for other services via prepaid cards, investments, food, entertainment.

The rise of crypto’s popularity is due to several advantages that convince more and more users to try out this solution. These pros include anonymity, transaction speed, and security. That’s how it all works.

1. Anonymity is the first strong side of this payment solution. It’s especially popular in the iGaming industry.
2. Transaction speed represents another benefit: users don’t wait until the transaction is processed by third parties.
3. Security sums up the above. The payments are direct and protected properly.

Our research also revealed the ways users find the most convenient to make payments. They are BitPay (27.18%) and Coinbase (14.95%). But Blockchain, Electrum, and Exodus Wallets are also rather popular. Plus, 21.8% of users selected the ‘Other’ option. As for BitPay, it’s popular both due to its convenient app and the Prepaid Mastercard. While Coinbase is a perfect place to start a crypto portfolio.

MAJOR BRANDS THAT ACCEPT CRYPTO

It’s important not only to find out that users pay via crypto more often but to highlight the industries where these payments are available. We’ve checked the most popular directions and the brands that accept crypto.

This is the largest industry where you can notice loads of familiar names you could use via fiat funds as well. No wonder, so technologies are not standing still, especially when it comes to payments. They are large brands, such as PayPal, Microsoft, MoneyGram, OneDrive, PrivateVPN, and Cyberghost. The companies from this list are working with 9 types of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.

This direction is also very popular: Zynga, Playasia, Aloha Tuners. First of all, online gaming requires fast and remote transactions that will allow users to start playing at once. Plus, the gambling industry is working closely with crypto: anonymity and high speed are the first priority of gamblers. Streaming platforms are also here as Twitch also accepts crypto.

Here, we’ve highlighted 3 giants that allow users to provide transactions via this digital currency. They are Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Depending on your gadget and its operating system, you can effortlessly pay for any services that accept this payment solution.

Buying famous pieces of art is also more accessible for the fans of this digital currency. Sotheby’s, one of the world’s largest brokers, offers its customers to purchase jewelry, pictures, real estate, and other valuable things via BTC and ETH. Christie’s is another auction house based in Britain. It also works with these types of currency.

Famous brands of the sports industry also use BTC and ETH for their transactions. These vendors are Miami Dolphins, Oakland Athletics, and some more famous clubs. This way, the currency is useful for different kinds of sport, including football and baseball.

This direction also proves that crypto is perfect for daily needs, such as shopping. Platforms like Shopify, OpenBazaar, and Etsy are common among those who prefer purchasing various goods online. And the list of available currencies is also impressive: users can pick from 9 of them.

This direction also proves that crypto is perfect for daily needs, such as shopping. Platforms like Shopify, OpenBazaar, and Etsy are common among those who prefer purchasing various goods online. And the list of available currencies is also impressive: users can pick from 9 of them.

This section is huge: a whole lot of travelling companies accept crypto. They are both the sites to book a hotel or a tour and the airline brands to buy tickets. The most common brand you could have already used if planning to book a room for a few days is Booking.com. While the other popular ones are Travala.com, bitcoin.travel, and Expedia.

Even daily spending of this kind can be paid for by using cryptocurrency. It shows that this solution is great not only for the IT industry. Of course, the majority of brands that accept it are big corporations. This list includes Starbucks, Subway, CCA, and Whole Foods. The owners of crypto wallets will never get hungry, right?

What about a portion of good entertainment? The brands that are advanced to work with crypto are Antiwar.com, Wikileaks Party, 4chan, and even, don’t be surprised, Pornhub. And it’s natural as the payment solution covers the entire spectrum of community activity. The range of available currency includes a bunch of types, such as Litecoin, Bitcoin, Litecoin.

Charity is also in. It doesn’t matter that the brands of this kind don’t bring profit to their owners. Until they are using money to pay for various services, even if they are charitable, new solutions to make these transactions quick and fast are always required. For this reason, the list of non-profit crypto brands includes organizations like American Red Cross, Internet Archive, and Save the Children.

This direction is not that well-developed yet, though the number of companies is rapidly growing. To date, the brands like RankWorks, goLance, and Aprio accept crypto to provide the smoothest solutions for business owners and freelancers. But remember to check the availability of this currency in your country.

Gift or shopping cards are a straightforward way to make a purchase if your shop isn’t on the list or to give crypto as a present. Each card has its value and can be converted into the currency you choose at the current rate. Among the most popular brands, there are Purse, Coincards, and Bitrefill.

Looking for venues where your crypto funds can be accepted? This map is a perfect tool to help you. There are over 20 thousand places where users can pay for services of different kinds. Whether this payment is online or land-based. Find out the opportunities for your region for your transactions to be instant and advanced. Spot the necessary place and let the map do everything for you!

CRYPTO PAYMENT COMING SOON

It’s obvious that more and more brands are going to change their payment policy so that cryptocurrency will be the available and even the priority solution. And when the giants like eBay, Google, Uber, and Amazon will implement it, a kind of digital revolution will take place. Crypto will become even more available and accessible, so it’s just a matter of time.

To make our research up to date and relevant, we’ve considered actual statistics from the following resources.

Find the full list of resources: https://scanteam.pro/crypto/

“It’s important to have a clear notion of how to create a product, attract traffic, and communicate with the audience” — Alex Lysak

Alex Lysak, CEO at Scanteam.pro, joins the latest series of affiliate interviews on Affiliate Grand Slam

Aiming to create projects that will be of value to players, focusing greatly on content, Alex Lysak and his team at Scanteam.pro do not only address traffic attention, but also at its quality — follow his story below.

How did your affiliate marketing business take off? And, is iGaming your only vertical?

My first attempts to create projects started back in 2014. At that time, I had also owned Mirai Net agency specialising in SEO projects promotion, where I focused mainly on client projects. As from the end of 2019, I have switched focus to the development and promotion of exclusively own projects and closed the agency down. Currently, my project heads only to iGaming.

How did you first get into the affiliate space? And, were you always focused on the Gaming space?

My journey to affiliate marketing started from the payday loans niche. During 10+ years in SEO, I had a chance to participate in the promotion of many interesting and complex projects targeted mainly at the CIS and English-speaking market (US, CA, European countries). Some of the projects were associated with software development, payday loans, essays, and others.

However, when I began to work in the gambling niche, this attracted me more than any other market. iGaming is a perfect place for showing what you, together with your team, are capable of achieving. In addition, this is one of the most competitive and interesting niches worldwide so, for me, achieving success therein was a challenge. I’ve accepted one, and our team aims to become №1 in iGaming affiliate marketing.

How is your company structured, and what aspect of business development are you currently focused on?

The structure of our company, Scanteam.pro, is no different from the most classic IT companies. Currently, the operation of the company is arranged in teams: project management, marketing, social media, PR, HR, and development. Each department has 3 to 7 employees, but we’re actively developing and are open to new talents.

Our business development now is focused on two stages: projects in active promotion, and projects in the launch. Moreover, we constantly research and analyse new markets.

Which markets do you focus on and do you see any potential in the emerging markets?

At present, we operate in the following markets: Canada, UK, Portugal, and Sweden. Norway, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, and other regions are on the active launch stage. As soon as we launch these, our team will review other regions, including emerging markets.

What makes your traffic proposition/traffic sites unique?

Our greatest advantage is that we try to create truly useful projects that would help players. We aim not only at traffic attraction but also at its quality. The content is among our most important focuses, with a large team staying behind the content creation. We perform thorough research, gather maximum information available, write detailed casino reviews, and publish feedback by real players, and many more.

Our main goal is to create great projects that will be of value to players.

Which qualities and skills are essential in an affiliate team/business?

Gathering a strong team of experts is crucial for any business. We’re not an exception here, so we constantly work in this direction. You must have the best specialists and experts in the business. Plus, it’s important to have a clear notion of how to create a product, attract traffic, and communicate with the audience.

What sets you apart from other affiliates?

When analysing our projects, we see that there’s a number of things that can be improved in many aspects. Our team tries to bring a product of the best quality.

Another thing that sets us apart from other affiliates is that we always think about how we can bring new and innovative solutions into the iGaming niche. For example, our team has recently launched a new project https://slotsjudge.com that has no equivalent on the market. This project is designed to review the newest slots by all providers and create a community for players where they can share their experience. For this purpose, a unique referral system and YouTube channel were created.

How does technology play a part in your day-to-day?

My team and I work hard on business processes within the company and their optimisation. We constantly improve the ecosystem at our workspace. For example, our team is now shifting to a new CRM system https://www.notion.so/. Moreover, we regularly experiment with the introduction of new applications and services that would assist in our business.

Which emerging technologies like AI and big data will impact the affiliate industry in 2021 and beyond?

In my opinion, nothing significant will happen in 2021; Big Data and Al will continue being developed. The bigger impact then will be on the casino products, operation of affiliate systems, and quicker and more correct processing of a large data amount.

Which markets are you eyeing up as a priority in 2021, and why?

The Asian market is with one’s attention. There are a lot of people with an interest in gambling. However, they need a specific approach due to their mentality aspects, the way sites are developed, marketing operation, and other details.

How is the Asian market shaping-up for affiliates?

For the moment, we are just monitoring this market. Some of our main competitors have launched their projects there; we can see the traffic attracted but still there are some issues I’ve mentioned in my previous answer.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when starting out?

Build up your strength: you’ll have a challenging path with a lot of competition.

Be ready to learn fast and adjust your strategies in marketing. The faster you move, the more chances you have for a great result.

What’s been your biggest nightmare to date?

Cannot remember any seriously bad situations. Yet, Google can sometimes bring bad news that you have an incorrect approach in your project’s promotion. I had one in December 2019, but our team has already solved the issue. I think many other teams also experienced the same issue with Google that time.

What are the main challenges for the sector in 2021?

I think the main challenge is our big brother, Google, as I’ve already mentioned. Currently, we depend very much on organic traffic, but we are working on diversification.

What are your predictions for the future of the sector?

iGaming vertical is growing, which is a little associated with the COVID-19. Many offline spheres had difficult times due to pandemic; some companies even ceased operations. As a result, part of the traffic switched to online where we operate.

What are the benefits of attending large iGaming events, and what can they do better?

It’s good to visit all major profile conferences, as this is a great opportunity to communicate with colleagues in your niche, share your experience, and simply have a good time with great guys.

Have you ever been to SiGMA? Would you consider attending SiGMA Manila or SiGMA Malta at some point?

I have not yet got a chance to participate in a SiGMA conference, but I have planned to visit some in the nearest future. However, there are some difficulties with that as all events are cancelled. As soon as these are back, I’ll be among the first visitors of the SiGMA.

Tell us a bit about yourself — after all, business is done with people, not just companies!

I don’t gamble as I simply have bad luck in that. I can play poker with friends from time to time, and that’s my maximum. Most of all I love travelling with my family by car and getting a new experience.

Globally, my objective is to create big history in iGaming affiliate marketing and build a great and happy team.

What’s on your must-read list right now?

I always try to find time for reading as projects in the iGaming niche relate closely to hiring a big team. As a result, my main responsibility is to improve managerial skills, i.e. be able to gather people, motivate them, set up business processes, and make a good environment for operations.

The book I’m currently finishing reading is ‘Principles’ by Ray Dalio. This is one of the most interesting works worth studying. Highly recommended!

Get to know other great affiliates, responsible for killer traffic!Click the link to read more insights from affiliates. About SiGMA Europe Virtual Expo:

SiGMA Group is excited to announce the launch of their November event, SiGMA Europe Virtual Expo. The online event, which runs from the 24th to 25th, will focus on the European gaming and tech marketplace.

For more information about how to sponsor this event please contact Hamza and to explore speaking opportunities get in touch with Jeremy. To register for the expo click here.

Originally published at https://www.sigma.com.mt on November 24, 2020.

SEO for Gambling — How to Start in Casino Niche

So, you want to open an online casino or gambling site, and you think igaming SEO is the only way forward. You’re right — let’s face it, the online gambling industry is one of the hardest nuts to crack when it comes to optimizing your online casino site for online visibility.

There is stiff competition. That’s for a very good reason — online gambling businesses know the importance of keeping their casino at the top of each and every web search. So they always make some generous space in the monthly budget for igaming SEO experts.

When a business only runs off online traffic and stands to be as profitable as online casinos can be, there really is no excuse not to invest some time and money into your igaming SEO.

What Can I Do To Improve My Rankings?

You don’t need to be an expert to optimize your online casino site. Initially, you simply need to learn a bit of basic SEO, and then you need to keep abreast of important new changes in the way websites are ranked thereafter.

This is because the world of igaming SEO isn’t cut and dry and is continuously in flux. Even Google doesn’t divulge every little way that sites are ranked. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to improve your rankings in 2020. These include:

• Invest in UI and UX
• Claim your business listing
• Structure your data
• Optimize keywords
• Add FAQ Pages

Read this useful guide on the small changes you can make to improve your online gambling business site’s SEO rankings. If you need to, consider investing a bit of cash in some tips and marketing from an expert.

Invest in UI/UX

The time a user spends on your page has a direct impact on your rankings. As such, you’ll want to ensure they spend as long as possible on your online gambling business site. To do this, create a beautiful site and ensure your customers enjoy engaging with your site.

That’s what UI and UX are all about. If you’ve been looking a bit into igaming SEO, then you’ve probably heard of both of these terms.

User Interface — UI

UI focuses on the way your site looks. As graphics get more advanced, more beautiful, and seamless online gambling industry sites have become achievable. And, in the same breath, the more discerning online users have become.

Having an outdated site will drive off a fair portion of new customers before they get the chance to learn about your great offers, world-class games, or wonderful customer service. As superficial as that may sound, it’s a fact that great UI translates to higher conversion rates.

User Experience — UX

UX revolves more around how your customers experience navigating through your site and accessing the information or service they want. Great UX balances fun with serious matters by allowing your users to find what they’re looking for in a unique, memorable, and engaging way.

I always say, “UX and UI design may not appear to have a direct impact on ranking, but the time users spend on your site will. That’s why UI/UX is so important in igaming SEO”. I’m a gambling expert from Scanteam who specializes in implementing SEO for businesses and I always implement this concept on sites, because having a well-designed, professional-looking site also speaks to your site’s credibility.

Voice Matters, Too

More and more web browsers are turning to voice search to find what they are looking for. There are a few things you can do to optimize your online casino site voice search ranking. One is to use long-tail keywords, and the other is to structure your data.

Claim Your Business Listing

Along with structuring your data, it’s important to claim your Google business listing. Why? Just like trusted, legitimate, land-based businesses get more foot traffic, so do legitimate online businesses.

When Google ranks online gambling business sites to recommend for a voice search, it will prioritize claimed businesses. So, make sure to claim your listing before you even consider any more igaming SEO tips.

Structure Your Data

Help Google make sense of your online gambling business data and your site. If you do, the reward could be better rankings, according to Google’s Senior Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller, who hinted at Google adding structured data to it’s ranking factor.

After you’ve submitted a sitemap to Google, use the Google Structured Data Markup Helper to structure your data.

Optimize Your Keywords

When making a spoken query, a browser is most likely to use a complete sentence and apply more specific keywords. Keeping this in mind, make sure to structure your website content around those long-tail keywords.

Add Some FAQ Pages

This igaming SEO tip won’t just improve your voice search traffic; it will also positively affect your text search results. Because this FAQ page’s purpose is to improve your voice search ranking, don’t forget to revolve these FAQ pages around a long-tail query as well.

Adding some long-tail FAQ pages into your website may cost you a bit more time and effort, but, unlike many other things that might be a waste of time to optimize your online casino site, this one is not.

Conclusion

There are plenty of simple things you can do today to optimize your online casino site. The online gambling industry can be difficult to break into, but it’s well worth the effort. For everything else that you can’t do, there are wonderful igaming SEO experts to help you out.