Canada
iOS Users Spent $1 Billion in Social Casino Apps Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, Says New Report from Liftoff and GameRefinery
The report also shows a 10% spike in cost-per-install on iOS following Apple’s IDFA privacy regulations
Liftoff, one of the world’s largest independent and privacy-friendly platforms fueling the entire mobile app growth cycle across user acquisition, engagement, monetization, and analytics, along with GameRefinery, a mobile games insight and analytics platform, today released its mobile social casino apps report, revealing unique trends in the mobile market. The report reveals record spend in social casino during the height of the pandemic, as well as shifts in platform engagement following Apple’s privacy regulations and key insights into the value of global regions.
This data draws on more than 83 billion ad impressions and 1.1 billion clicks across 12 million installs and 239 apps between August 1, 2020 and August 1, 2021, to find:
iOS users spent nearly $1 billion on casino apps during the peak of the pandemic
As the pandemic drove a decrease in foot traffic to in-person casinos, social casino titles hit the jackpot. Many consumers took to a new habit of online social casino games, which offer a gambling-like experience without the stakes. According to the report, iOS users in the U.S. spent a record $990 million in social casino apps during the height of the pandemic, Q3 2020 to Q2 2021. Even as vaccinations increased in the U.S. and real casinos in key states were already reopened, the success of social casino didn’t slow down. By Q2 2021, quarterly profits reached a new high of more than $260 million — a particular feat, as the category’s U.S. market share had dropped year-over-year, from 19.43% in Q3 2020 to 18.89% in Q2 2021.
Interestingly, social casino users are older than every other gaming genre — more than half are over 45. The user base is also split about 50/50 men and women, showing that the gaming category has broad appeal.
“As we examine the effects the pandemic has had on gaming, it’s no surprise casino apps are soaring in popularity around the globe,” said Joel Julkunen, Head of Game Analytics of GameRefinery. “Since we are seeing more movement in this market, it’s vital for mobile marketers and developers in this vertical to use these insights to inform long-term strategies.”
Apple kills the IDFA, leading Android to win this round of the “Platform Wars”
Amid Apple’s recent IDFA policy changes, the report sees Android edging out iOS as the leading platform for casino apps. As marketers adjusting to the post-IDFA landscape shifted their ad spend habits, cost-per-install (CPI) on iOS increased to 9.9% year-over-year, up to $11.09. Meanwhile, Android CPIs dropped 13.7% between August 2020 and August 2021, widening the affordability gap for Android — iOS install costs are now 122% higher than that of Android, compared to 2020’s 74%.
The report also shows Android edging out the competition in return-on-ad-spend (ROAS). While iOS takes the early lead over Android, Android pulls ahead 1.9% by Day 30.
Regional: Bet Big, Win Big
While North America (NAR) shows great engagement, reaching those engaged users comes at a cost. At $10.37, CPIs are the highest of all global regions. Asia-Pacific (APAC), meanwhile, offers a CPI half that of NAR, at $5.68. The regions aren’t far off on 30-day ROAS, with NAR (26.47%) only slightly outperforming APAC (21.8%). Marketers looking for great value may want to consider expanding their sights to gamers in APAC, as the up-and-coming market shows great promise.
For more details on Liftoff+Vungle and to download the full report, visit LINK.
Methodology
The 2021 Social Casino Report draws from Liftoff+Vungle and GameRefinery’s internal data from August 1, 2020 and August 1, 2021 — which spans 83 billion ad impressions, 1.1 billion clicks across 239 different apps, 12 million installs and 39 million events to deliver ad performance insights to show how marketers can get the most out of their games.
Scientific Games, in partnership with Loto-Québec, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec, won the 2024 Gutenberg Award for sustainability at the 42nd Gala Gutenberg. The Gutenberg Awards are the Québec printing industry’s premier event, highlighting the talent, creativity and expertise of printing artisans.
The partnership’s winning entry was the Le Billet Vert (The Green Ticket) lottery instant scratch game launched by Loto-Québec in April 2024. The game was printed on 100% recycled board provided by Sustana Papers, with 100% water-based inks. Scientific Games enhanced the sustainability of the production process by packing completed games in boxes containing 60% recycled fiber and delivering them on reused European Pallet Association pallets.
The game promotes the recycling of lottery tickets, inviting players to download Recyc-Québec’s Ça va où? (Where Does It Go?) mobile app. The app teaches users to correctly sort recyclables and shows them drop-off locations for various types of household waste.
Isabelle Jean, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Lottery Games for Loto-Québec, said, “Since our first scratch game printed on 100% recycled paper stock debuted in 2021, our sustainability efforts have only increased. Congratulations to our team members from Loto-Québec, Scientific Games, Sustana Papers and Recyc-Québec for their vision. Together, we are reducing the environmental footprint of our games.”
The sustainable materials and game production techniques used for Le Billet Vert saved 110 mature trees, the equivalent of 326 10-minute showers, and the electrical power of 882,587 60-watt lightbulbs in one hour (Sustana Solutions eco calculator).
Marc-Andre Doyon, Vice President Canada for Scientific Games, said, “Through this collaboration, Scientific Games and our partners lead the global lottery industry in instant game sustainability. It’s truly an honor to win the Gutenberg Award for our efforts.”
Le Billet Vert is the thirteenth 100% recyclable game created for Loto-Québec since 2021 when Scientific Games and the Lottery began collaborating on a project to bring sustainable instant games to the lottery industry. Another game from this collection, Folie des plantes (Plant Madness), won the Gutenberg Award for sustainability in 2022. Other 100% recyclable Loto-Québec games produced by Scientific Games include Evasion (Escape), Code secret (Secret Code), SLINGO 10X and C’est quoi ton signe? (What’s Your Sign?).
Scientific Games is Loto-Québec’s primary instant game partner, producing the Lottery’s first instant game more than 50 years ago. The company has employed generations of Québécois professionals from their Montréal production facility, which produces instant games for Canadian and European lotteries.
With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the world’s largest instant games creator, producer and services provider, and the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2024 World Lottery Almanac).
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
Soft2Bet strengthens integrity monitoring with IBIA membership in Ontario
Soft2Bet, a leading casino and sportsbook platform provider, has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and activated its membership in Ontario, Canada, following its licensing in the Canadian province.
Soft2bet obtained its Certificate of Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) at the end of March, where the company’s Ontario-focused brand Tooniebet.com will now feed into IBIA’s world-leading sports betting integrity monitoring platform before worldwide implementation in the coming months.
IBIA includes over 50 of the world’s leading sports betting and gaming companies, who operate over 125 sports betting brands. Soft2Bet’s decision to join the association further strengthens its own internal betting integrity protocols and IBIA’s position as the world’s leading sports betting integrity monitoring body.
David Yatom Hay, General Counsel at Soft2Bet, commented: “Soft2Bet is delighted to be joining the IBIA as we strengthen our own betting integrity monitoring processes and play our part in furthering the IBIA’s long-standing work on this key issue. Ontario is a world class iGaming jurisdiction; it will be the first market where we will implement our IBIA membership and we look forward to deploying the monitoring infrastructure worldwide in all the other markets in which we operate.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “Soft2Bet is a very welcome addition to IBIA, further strengthening our position in the Ontario market. The operator’s decision to join IBIA demonstrates its desire to utilise the best integrity protection available for its sportsbook product. The association is delighted to be able to integrate Tooniebet within our integrity monitoring system and looks forward to working closely with Soft2Bet to maintain the high integrity of its sportsbook.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and is run by operators and for operators to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets.
Through the IBIA monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts. IBIA members generate more than $300bn in annual betting turnover (handle), accounting for approximately 50% of the global commercial regulated land-based and online sports betting sector, and in excess of 50% for online alone.
IBIA recently released a report on the Availability of Sports Betting Products which highlighted Ontario as a leading regulated gambling jurisdiction, with an expected onshore channelisation for sports betting of 92% in 2024 forecast to rise to 97% in2028. IBIA currently represents over 60% of the private sports betting operators licensed in the province. All online sportsbetting operators licensed in Ontario are required to be part of a betting integrity monitoring body.
IBIA’s Q1 2024 report detailed 56 alerts during the quarter. IBIA alerts contributed to the investigations and subsequent successful sanctioning of 21 clubs, players and officials in 2023, an increase on the 15 sanctioned in 2022.
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management Signs Contract with British Columbia Lottery Corporation
SCCG Management has signed a contract with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the B.C. Crown corporation which conducts and manages commercial gambling in the province, including lotteries, casinos, and online gaming. This partnership aims to undertake a comprehensive assessment and strategic enhancement of BCLC’s diverse operations.
The work between SCCG and BCLC will involve a thorough review of technological infrastructures, strategic market positioning, and the integration of various gaming modalities. SCCG’s extensive expertise will be pivotal in harmonizing BCLC’s online and physical gaming experiences.
Stephen Crystal, Founder and CEO of SCCG Management, said: “Our collaboration with BCLC represents a remarkable opportunity to push the boundaries of innovation within the gaming industry. We are committed to deploying our resources and expertise to enhance BCLC’s operational efficiencies and customer engagement strategies. It’s an honor to partner with an organization that has a robust impact on the community through its support of public initiatives.”
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