{"id":38478,"date":"2025-05-30T12:48:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T09:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adsterra.com\/blog\/?p=38478"},"modified":"2025-05-30T13:48:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T10:48:15","slug":"cpa-bidding-alternative","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogdev.adsterratech.com\/blog\/cpa-bidding-alternative\/","title":{"rendered":"CPA Bidding Alternative in iGaming Marketing: Your Rules for Conversions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Many iGaming operators look for a CPA bidding alternative<\/strong>, as this model is too costly and unreliable. These are not the only reasons, by the way. We asked our Head of CPM to lay out a rivaling strategy of running iGaming ads with powerful results and lower budget risks. Tempting? Sure it is! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Mikhail
Hi there! My department is in charge of over 10K campaigns for top-market operators who target players worldwide, from LatAm to Asia. We\u2019re facing a bunch of challenges these days while players become more selective and new markets appear at a roaring speed. My simple question to iGaming pros: do you still rely on CPA pricing when you need to gain more from campaigns? If so, you will need to reassess your approach. Hopefully, you will enrich your marketing with a neat and friendly tool after reading this post<\/em>.

Mikhail Zhukov,<\/em>
Head of CPM Advertising<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\r\n\tToo long? Ask AI to summarize<\/strong>\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\r\n ChatGPT\r\n\t\t<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n Perplexity\r\n\t\t<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\tClaude\r\n\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n

When iGaming CPA bids are reasonable<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Do you still rely on unpredictable CPA bidding when buying iGaming or sports traffic? This may be reasonable when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. You advertise a new app and target to increase its installations or grow players\u2019 signups<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. You collect a subscription base. So, the conversion flow equals to a single opt-in (e.g., email)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    As you may have guessed, the shorter and simpler your conversion is, the better it fits the CPA strategy. But the situation alters when it comes to complex (or hard) conversions like FTDs (first-time deposits). Why\u2019s that? Let me explain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    When a CPA bidding alternative is a must<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    With CPA bidding, you pay only for conversions. You don\u2019t know how many users have engaged and are ready to play, and you don\u2019t know how many will stay with you after they make a deposit. 

    In the iGaming market, 90% of revenues come from 5\u201310% of players, and you can invest thousands of dollars in CPA but still not become profitable. So, what are the most common reasons?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Whether you opt for CPM or optimized CPA bidding, traffic quality remains at premium level. Streamline traffic aqcuisition with a trusted partner in iGaming industry.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

    FIND MORE TRAFFIC<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    1. Overheated markets & prices<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Deposits and credit card submissions are considered to be the hardest conversions, only ceding the competition to COD (cash-on-delivery) offers. With so many operators and affiliate marketers willing to grab deposits, the rivalry for high-intent players is extremely high, even in new markets. There are several ways to enter new markets and boost user activity with lower spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    2. Unpredictable LTV<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Ok, you set the highest CPA bid, knock down the competition (in Tier-1 geos, this competition is truly harsh), and grab the conversions needed. Will these players stay? Or, were these “free spins” and “$100 bonus” they fell for just once? You never know unless your customer base stays stable and scalable for years, which is not possible these days.

    With a high LTV (lifetime value), your CPA investments will pay off multiple times. But when players leave after their first minimal deposit, ad investment can be leveled out. I mean that investments in advertising, team wages, time spent on market research, and launching campaigns may not collectively pay off. There’s a need for a less costly solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    3. Tons of relevant traffic are overlooked<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    As we could ensure, a well-targeted campaign paired with a powerful offer always attracts players. However, with CPA pricing selected at the start, you only focus on those ready to deposit right now. Hundreds of not thousands of potential customers are overlooked because of the time factor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    4. Slow decision making<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    And the last reason stems from the previous one: players don\u2019t fund their accounts in seconds. It may take time to become familiar with the operator (so stay credible \u2013 don\u2019t make these iGaming mistakes<\/a>), check all terms and conditions, googling or ChatGPTeeing user reviews and ratings. They don\u2019t decide instantly. You need a more time-resistant strategy that will allow you to wait until the decision is made.

    And we’ve come closer to the solution for a dilemma: save all CPA bidding advantages, removing its challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    CPA Goal: the best CPA bidding alternative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    CPA Goal is a bidding strategy<\/a> wrapped into one smart tool. iGaming operators can save money on classic CPA bidding and apply this tool to auto-optimize CPM traffic. You don\u2019t need any deep user analytics here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    What is CPA Goal optimization?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    CPA goal allows you to achieve a certain cost per action (eCPA) or a desired number of conversions when buying massive amounts of CPM (or CPC) traffic. You still pay for impressions\/clicks, and CPA Goal auto-optimizes this traffic according to a rule set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How does a rule looks like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. You enter the spending amount. When an ad placement reaches this amount, the system will check it to meet one of the criteria.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Criteria: you enter either eCPA (average cost per action) or the number of conversions needed per placement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. The rule will remove (unlink) publishers\u2019 placements that reach the given spending amount and don\u2019t meet your criteria.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n