Regulations, red tape, and an ongoing battle to stand out from the crowd – no wonder marketing in the gambling and iGaming sector has always presented a unique challenge.

One company which has navigated the rough seas of the sector successfully is Soft2Bet, a company which recently reported doubled EBITDA year-on-year and an upsurge in consolidated group revenue. Their marketing was instrumental in conveying their product innovation and credibility – including compliance success – to their target audience.

For other players in this space, marketing drives continue to be faced by a series of hurdles, and this article is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on these wretched roadblocks!

Tight and complex regulations

Gambling is one of the most heavily regulated industries on the planet. In terms of marketing, regulations can be seen as a ‘final boss battle’ of sorts. Each country has its own set of rules, and so campaigns must be adjusted accordingly.

For us marketers, it’s a constant balancing act between compliance and creativity. Once you get over the ‘can’t say that’ issues, it becomes a whole lot easier. We think of it like writing a love poem for a brand, with the attention to compliance that you’d usually expect from a tax document

Fewer advertising channels =  thinking outside the box

Following on from the point above; the result of a restricted market is fewer platforms to choose from. In some territories, the mediums we take for granted – such as TV and radio – are no-go areas.

With major ad channels restricting gambling content, marketers are forced to unleash their inner nerdy innovator. SEO wizardry, content marketing, storytelling, gamification… these become the real superpowers.

Trust is non-negotiable for brands

Players place real money in a platform’s hands. That means brands must immediately communicate safety, fairness, and reliability.

A weak reputation or unclear value proposition can sink even the most well-funded operator.
But in a sea of similar-looking operators, standing out without shouting “looking me please!” it is a challenge.

Saturation in an ocean of operators

There are literally thousands of operators in the gambling world. Many offer the same games, the same bonuses, and the same vibes. Differentiation is everything, and it’s not easy; to be honest, it’s hard.

Soft2Bet becomes a textbook case of how to stand out. Motivational Engineering Gaming Application (MEGA) is their gamification solution that transforms the player journey into something far more engaging than operators relying on the age-old bonus format.

MEGA adds cool and compelling features such as immersive quests, avatars and collectibles, city-building mechanics, personalised achievement paths and intelligent reward triggers.

Marketing becomes easier when the product itself generates buzz. Soft2Bet has achieved exactly this through MEGA’s award-winning impact and Soft2Bet Invest, a €50M innovation fund.

For us as marketers, the combination of a carefully planned, creatively on-point campaign with a product or service of real substance is almost unbeatable, even in the challenging industry of gambling.