Reacheffect Reports Rising Demand for Scalable CPM and CPC Campaigns as iGaming Operators Target Emerging Markets
TL;DR — Reacheffect says demand for scalable digital advertising is climbing fast. Acquisition costs are up and regulation keeps moving as operators want awareness, to test new markets and grow globally. Affiliates are supplemented with CPM and CPC campaigns for speed while geo-testing has become a key step before entering new markets.
SCCG Take — Operators must layer performance campaigns atop affiliates to enter high-growth markets faster while containing costs. Geo-testing data will separate viable jurisdictions from speculative ones.
Reacheffect reports growing demand for scalable digital advertising solutions among iGaming operators. The performance marketing company active across gambling and betting verticals says brands seek awareness, new-market testing, and global growth without excessive budget outlay.
Rising acquisition costs and continuing regulatory shifts are prompting the search for alternatives. Boards demand measurable growth while investors require evidence that new markets justify the spend.
Affiliates Alone Aren’t Cutting It
Affiliate marketing remains a core channel but shows clear limits. The global affiliate industry is on track to hit $24.7 billion in 2026, with iGaming accounting for around a fifth of that spend. Roughly three-quarters of operators still treat affiliates as their primary acquisition channel, concentrating budget on a limited set of top partners.
Affiliate traffic is niche and slow to scale. Google pushed through 18 separate policy changes affecting gambling ads in 2025 alone. Gambling ads are now blocked outright across the majority of markets for operators without certification.
Operators are therefore adding CPM and CPC campaigns that run alongside the affiliate model. Affiliates still represent roughly 30% of acquisitions industry-wide. CPM and CPC campaigns can launch within days rather than months, delivering measurable speed for brands entering new jurisdictions.
Growth Concentrated in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia
Western Europe and North America are mature, crowded, and expensive. Latin America leads current momentum, with Brazil at the forefront. Since launching its regulated market in January 2025, Brazil has generated around R$37 billion ($6.6 billion) in gross gaming revenue, attracted 25.2 million bettors, and is expected to surpass $8.9 billion in revenue in 2026.
Africa is also expanding rapidly. Nigeria’s online gambling market is projected to reach $500 million this year, growing at more than 16% annually, with nearly 90% of bets placed via smartphones. South Africa, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo show similar mobile-first patterns.
Southeast Asia’s online gambling sector was valued at $3.66 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $5.67 billion by 2034. Growing internet penetration, mobile adoption, and low brand loyalty create openings. Geo-testing with smaller CPM or CPC campaigns has become standard to validate audience response, creative performance, and market potential before larger commitments. According to reporting by GamblingNews, many operators are also shifting toward alternative ad inventory as global programmatic display ad spend grows by more than 17% year over year in 2026.
Reacheffect was founded in 2014 and delivers over 13 billion monthly impressions across multiple formats and regions.
Reporting: GamblingNews
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Affiliate-only strategies are too slow and narrow; scalable paid campaigns let operators test new jurisdictions fast and efficiently.
We're connecting operators into Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia right now. Affiliate networks alone can't deliver the speed or reach boards demand when entering Brazil, Nigeria, or the Philippines. CPM and CPC campaigns let you test, learn, and scale before committing full infrastructure—and we broker those partnerships daily across 545 vendors in every regulated market.
- Affiliate marketing still drives ~30% of iGaming acquisitions but is too slow to scale in new jurisdictions
- Brazil generated $6.6B GGR and 25M+ bettors since regulated launch in January 2025
- Nigeria's online gambling market hits $500M this year, growing 16% annually, 90% mobile
SCCG angle: SCCG connects operators to the performance networks, compliance partners, and payment providers who can execute geo-tested CPM and CPC campaigns in Brazil, Nigeria, and Southeast Asia. We've placed clients with the regional ad tech and affiliate partners who move fast in these exact markets—so you test smart, not blind.
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