Gonzo. The hardest working marketer in iGaming. It feels like that guy is on every banner, email header, ad image and campaign landing page across the industry. Yet, even with that luxurious beard, when every advert looks the same, people will eventually stop paying attention. But what are you supposed to do when every other creative marketing idea you’ve suggested results in the compliance manager looking at you like you’re clinically insane?

The system doesn’t work anymore, and perhaps it’s not so surprising. In the heady gold-rush days of iGaming, there were a more than a few lazy ads with vague small print and eye-watering wagering requirements that have ruined it for the rest of us. Now public trust is wavering, and as a result, the rule book is getting thicker, making it impossible to apply any sort of individuality to our branding.

As the industry is changing, so must our approach to marketing it. Perhaps it’s time to revisit the oldest and most successful form of marketing that, until now, has been largely overlooked by gaming companies.

Word-of-mouth is by far the most effective form of advertising. 83% of people trust recommendations from friends and family, with referred customers having a 37% higher retention rate. The type of player you attract from referrals is absolute gold standard, and they don’t even have to be referred by friends, 70% of people will trust a recommendation from someone they don’t even know.