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How to Drive High-Value Players
Dec 29, 2025
For years, iGaming acquisition has been driven by volume-first tactics: aggressive bonuses, affiliate arbitrage, and broad-reach media designed to inflate registrations rather than long-term value.
As we move into 2026, that model is breaking.
Rising CPAs, stricter regulation, and more sophisticated players mean operators can no longer afford to acquire users who churn after one bonus cycle. The brands that win in 2026 will be those that prioritise player value over player volume — and build acquisition strategies designed to attract real bettors, not bonus hunters.
This is where a new approach to acquisition is required.
Bonuses have become a double-edged sword. While they can drive short-term sign-ups, they disproportionately attract:
The result?
- Inflated CPA
- Poor retention
- Weak LTV
- Distorted performance data
In 2026, acquisition efficiency will be measured not by registrations or first deposits alone — but by player quality and long-term value.
The most successful iGaming brands are already shifting focus toward:
In short: when and why a user sees an ad will matter more than how many users see it.
Traditional targeting asks:
“Who should we show this ad to?”
Modern acquisition asks:
“When is betting intent at its peak?”
In iGaming, intent spikes are predictable:
The brands that win in 2026 will synchronise media delivery to these moments — capturing users when intent is highest, not when bonuses are loudest.
FanStack is Finovation Media’s moment-led acquisition framework built specifically for sports betting and casino brands.
Rather than relying on broad audiences or static campaigns, FanStack activates media in real time, aligned to live fan behaviour and betting intent.
FanStack dynamically triggers ads based on:
This ensures your brand appears exactly when players are most likely to bet — not when they’re passively browsing.
Bonus hunters behave differently to real bettors.
They:
FanStack filters these users out by design.
By aligning acquisition with behavioural triggers, FanStack drives players who want to bet — not those chasing free money.
In 2026, programmatic media will play a central role in scalable, compliant iGaming acquisition.
When paired with FanStack, programmatic enables:
This combination allows operators to:
Importantly, it also creates cleaner performance data, helping operators understand which moments actually drive value.
If you’re still optimising purely to:
You’re behind.
In 2026, leading iGaming brands will optimise toward:
FanStack is built to support this shift — helping operators connect acquisition spend to long-term value, not vanity metrics.
The days of “spray and pray” iGaming marketing are over.
In 2026:
Brands that continue to rely on bonuses and low-intent traffic will struggle to scale profitably. Those that invest in moment-based, intent-led acquisition will build stronger player bases and more sustainable growth.
At Finovation Media, we help iGaming operators move beyond short-term acquisition tactics and build scalable, value-driven growth strategies using FanStack.
If you want to:
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Written by Lewis Spice — Founder & Growth Director at Finovation Media
Lewis leads Finovation Media, a global digital agency helping iGaming and sports brands scale through programmatic advertising, influencer marketing, and data-driven fan engagement.
