Category: Marketing

Introduction

Platform and Games

Understand Regulatory Compliance

Marketing Your Sweepstakes Casino

Advertising Your Sweepstakes Casino

Conclusion – Launching Sweepstakes Casino

Introduction Sweepstakes Casinos

Sweepstakes casinos have seen explosive growth in the United States, achieving an estimated 75% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2024, and reaching a market valuation of approximately $4 billion. This surge is largely attributed to their innovative business model, which allows players to enjoy casino-style games without direct real-money wagering, effectively navigating complex gambling regulations. Prominent brands in this thriving sector include Stake.us, WOW Vegas, High 5 Casino, and Luckyland Slots.

The appeal of sweepstakes casinos lies in their ability to offer legal, risk-free gaming entertainment, coupled with the potential to win real prizes through sweepstakes entries.

Concurrently, real money gaming (RMG) arcade competitions and social casinos are also experiencing increased popularity. Social casinos provide free-to-play games where players can purchase in-game currency without any real-world monetary value, delivering an engaging gaming experience devoid of financial risk. These platforms often incorporate arcade-style features, such as daily bonuses, tournaments, and competitive leaderboards, to enhance player engagement and retention.

The lines between RMG and social gaming are increasingly blurred, as operators explore strategic partnerships to integrate real-money elements into social gaming experiences. This convergence aims to attract a wider audience and foster greater player loyalty.

So, it is understandable that sweepstakes casinos are one of the most popular discussion points at igaming conferences.

Many people from both the mobile gaming and igaming spaces are looking to establish their own sweepstakes casino.

Here is an overview of this, especially focused on the marketing planning side of your launch.

Platform and Games

Selecting the right platform and games for a social or sweepstakes casino in the U.S. requires careful planning, market research, and regulatory considerations. Here’s a step-by-step guide to making the right choice:

1. Understand Regulatory Compliance

Sweepstakes casinos operate under unique legal frameworks, often using “sweepstakes” models to allow players to participate without direct gambling. To ensure compliance:

• Research state laws on sweepstakes gaming.
• Choose a platform that adheres to legal requirements (e.g., offering free entry methods).
• Consult legal professionals for compliance verification.

2. Choose the Right Platform Provider

Selecting a platform provider is crucial for backend functionality, security, and scalability. When evaluating providers, consider:

• Customization & Branding – Can you white-label the platform to fit your brand?
• User Experience (UX) – Is the interface intuitive, mobile-friendly, and engaging?
• Game Variety – Does the platform support a diverse range of games?
• Security & Payments – Secure transactions and compliance with sweepstakes cash redemption models.
• Marketing & CRM Tools – Loyalty programs, referral bonuses, and analytics to retain players.
• Scalability – Can it handle growth as your user base expands?
• iOS and Android Apps – This makes both user acquisition and retention much easier and increases your chances to grow rapidly.

Top platform providers for sweepstakes casinos include:

• Pragmatic Solutions (iGaming platform for social and sweepstakes casinos)
• SoftSwiss (known for crypto and sweepstakes gaming solutions)
• White Hat Gaming (offering turnkey casino solutions)
• BetConstruct (supports virtual casino and sweepstakes models)

If you want to learn more about which platform is best for you, we are happy to have a discussion.

3. Select High-Quality Game Providers

Offering popular and engaging games is key to user retention. Look for providers that specialize in social and sweepstakes gaming. Key criteria include:

4. Define Your Game Mix

• Slot Games: Players expect a strong slot selection with various themes and bonus features.
• Table Games: Blackjack, roulette, and poker add variety.
• Live Casino Games: High engagement and interactive experience.
• Arcade & Crash Games: Increasingly popular, especially for younger demographics.

5. Test & Optimize Before Launch

• Conduct beta testing to ensure smooth gameplay.
• Gather user feedback and refine the platform.
• Implement a robust customer support system.

It is key to do your preparation work in order to avoid issues down the line.

Marketing Your Sweepstakes Casino

So, you have your sweepstakes casino live now you just need to market it. Well, it’s not that simple. Your marketing preparation should have started before you launched. There are two key areas that you should have started before launch.

They are:

1. Marketing Tech and reporting integration
2. SEO audit and technical set-up

Marketing Tech and Reporting Integration for Sweepstakes Casinos

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System
A CRM is vital for tracking user behavior, automating engagement, and personalizing experiences.

Your CRM Platform Should Have:

• Automated email and SMS marketing
• Player segmentation (VIPs, frequent players, inactive users)
• Trigger-based engagement (e.g., bonuses)
• Multi-channel marketing (email, push, in-app messaging)

You should consider a platform like Xtremepush, Optimove, Customer.io or Symplify.

We can give you some pointers based on your unique requirements. Just drop us a note and we will respond to start the conversation.

2. App Attribution Platform

This is overlooked by so many new sweepstakes casinos. Basically, in order to optimize your app ad campaigns you need a fully integrated app attribution platform.

Examples are AppsFlyer or Kochava. In 2025 these should be non-negotiables.

3. Full API integration with Ad platforms and Reporting Dashboards

In reality, in today’s environment optimizing outside the ad platform is just as important as optimizing on the ad platform. As a result, integrating conversions across the marketing mix is essential. You need to have a clear picture to assess ROI and make campaign decisions.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your Sweepstake Casino

SEO is a massive opportunity for sweepstakes casinos. Especially considering ad policy across networks. Ranking well on a state by state basis can deliver significant growth alone.

So, before you launch, you should complete a technical SEO audit, as well as begin building out your site structure and the number of crawled and indexed pages.

Here are some tips on SEO for sweepstakes casinos.

Advertising Your Sweepstakes Casino

Each platform has a different policy across each state for sweepstakes casinos. As a result, you should ensure compliance in order to get accounts/ads approved and live. In some cases, you should consider a number of online ad networks, depending on state-level policy.

For example:

• Meta/X
• Google Ads
• Microsoft Ads
• Apple Search Ads
• Programmatic
• Native

The key to success is ensuring best practice MarTech and reporting is put in place. This is essential as AI targeting and creative continue to increase in prominence.

So, if your MarTech is not up to scratch you are at a serious disadvantage.

Again your approach will depend on how your redemptions are set up, the type of games you offer and if you are 100% skill based or not (so not a true sweepstakes casino, there is a different approach for 100% skill-based arcade sites).

Conclusion – Launching Sweepstakes Casino

Building a thriving sweepstakes casino in the U.S. demands a meticulous blend of regulatory adherence, strategic marketing, engaging player experiences, and cutting-edge technology.

Navigating the Regulatory Landscape:

Compliance is paramount. Operators must meticulously structure their platforms to align with sweepstakes laws, ensuring free entry methods and appropriate virtual currency frameworks. Seeking expert legal counsel and staying abreast of evolving regulations are crucial for avoiding costly legal pitfalls.

Driving Player Acquisition:

Effective advertising and acquisition strategies are vital for attracting a robust player base. While platforms like Meta and Google impose restrictions on traditional casino advertising, savvy operators leverage social media ads, app install campaigns, influencer collaborations, and affiliate marketing. Crafting compelling, compliant messaging that resonates with the target audience is key.

Enhancing Player Retention:

Retaining players is just as critical as acquiring them. Personalized promotions, VIP programs, push notifications, and gamification elements foster sustained engagement. A robust CRM system enables seamless segmentation, automation, and tailored experiences that maximize player lifetime value.

Leveraging MarTech for Success:

Integrating advanced analytics dashboards, chatbots, and automation tools provides invaluable insights and enhances the overall user experience.

SEO optimization is essential for organic discoverability. Targeting high-intent keywords, creating compelling content, and optimizing on-page elements drive long-term traffic, reducing reliance on paid advertising.

Ultimately, success in the U.S. sweepstakes casino market hinges on a data-driven approach, unwavering compliance, innovative marketing, and a laser focus on player retention. By executing a comprehensive and well-rounded strategy, operators can cultivate a sustainable and highly profitable gaming platform.

Today, Google opened up Meridian, their new Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM) tool, to the general public. This is an interesting development, to say the least. It had been in closed beta for a while, so it’s great to finally see what’s under the hood.

As a former marketing student, I remember when Media or Marketing Mix Modeling was seen as something done by old-school agencies and marketing departments before the rise of the Internet.

However, the more practical experience you gain running campaigns, the more you see the need for a deeper understanding of performance. Simply put, attributing results to the “halo effect” is a lazy explanation.

According to Google’s documentation, “Meridian uses a Bayesian framework and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms to sample from the posterior distribution.”

So, why has Google built an MMM tool?

In summary, to make it easier for marketing teams to secure more budget for YouTube and Google ATL ad products.

Essentially, marketing teams must build a case for ad spend, which is particularly challenging for video and programmatic channels. The reason for this is that users typically view ads and convert at a later time.

Even in 2025, many financial decisions are still made based on measuring clicks, even though this does not account for the entire marketing mix. Marketers need more advanced tools to justify budgets for upper-funnel ATL campaigns.

Search and Other Google Owned Platforms

Some campaigns and sectors see research and upper-funnel terms deliver strong performance when modeled correctly. Even high-cost generic search terms can drive direct or in-store sales without registering conversions on the ad platform or online tracking tool.

The Problems with MMM and Regression Analysis

The core issue that typically arises is the age-old correlation versus causation question.

Additionally, measuring the long-term impact of advertising frequency combined with organic social marketing is extremely challenging.

For example, it could take five or more years of continuous campaigns to reach the critical mass needed to build a brand that generates significant conversions from direct website traffic or point-of-sale (POS).

In theory, using MMM data and incorporating correlation test groups could provide clearer insights into the effectiveness of each channel. However, in practice, the time horizon of marketing effectiveness will likely blur the results.

Advertising is a Subset of Marketing – Paid Media Is Only a Part of Marketing Success

A viral video, a founder with millions of followers, a brand with strong consumer trust that doesn’t advertise, organic marketing, SEO, and other non-paid strategies can sometimes be more impactful than paid media in the marketing mix.

MMM often struggles to account for these factors. There are countless case studies of brands driving revenue through non-paid media sources, but measuring their impact alongside paid media remains challenging.

As a result, MMM cannot provide a complete picture.

The Broad Marketing Mix – Self-Service Platforms

Real-time self-service platforms do require a degree of MMM, as it helps marketers get closer to the truth. The marketing mix available to most companies has never been this large.

Brands now have access to Spotify, YouTube, social media, programmatic ads, native ads, push and pop notifications, app install ads, VoD, TV, radio, search, and even outdoor advertising—all on demand. MMM is a valuable method for evaluating channels, but it’s important to remember that it’s not the be-all and end-all.

Ultimately, you are optimizing the thought process and emotions of your customer.

As experienced advertisers say: your product or service is not the product—your customer is.

Meridian from Google Conclusion

Hopefully, this will help marketers secure more budget for upper-funnel campaigns. However, if this works as intended in an ideal world, lower-funnel ad auctions on Google Search might become less competitive—though this is unlikely.

You can check out Meridian on Google’s developer site or GitHub.

Overall, because Meridian is backed by Google’s credibility, marketers can use it to justify decisions and request additional budget—even from the most risk-averse and cautious C-suites.

The kind of thing your CEO, CFO, and COO will appreciate.

It’s only thirteen days ago that Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim stated that “it was really clear” that his side were in a relegation battle. Fast forward a little under two weeks, and his team have battled to a creditable draw at Anfield – against arguably the world’s most in-form side – and knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup after an epic clash at the Emirates. 

Change in the Odds

Their odds for relegation have lengthened from 40/1 to 66/1 in the interim period and suddenly, whisper it quietly, things are looking up at Old Trafford. There have been many false dawns in the post-Alex Ferguson era at United and it is hard to argue against this being another one.

However, in under a fortnight, United fans have gone from pondering whether there are three worse sides in the top flight to dreaming of cup success and an ascent up the table. 

What a Difference a Week Makes

United’s latest turnaround of fortune is a perfect example of how campaign objectives can change. Just as a football team must adapt its strategy and objectives in response to the ever-changing dynamics of a season, so too must marketing campaigns be flexible to the ever-shifting landscape of consumer behaviour, market conditions and organisational goals. 

For example, a campaign initially designed to boost brand awareness may pivot towards driving conversions if early metrics indicate a strong engagement but low sales. This flexibility in objectives is not a sign of failure but a critical component of effective marketing strategy. Many companies are guilty of rigidly sticking to campaign objectives despite insights gathered from customer feedback and data analysis which indicate a change in strategy is required.

Contact us now at tentenseven to discuss your organisation’s marketing objectives and how they can – and should – change over time.