Back in the day, iGaming felt much easier: more traffic meant more registrations, deposits, and profit. But the industry – and the competition within it – has matured. Players have become more selective, and building a strategy purely around large traffic volumes is no longer enough. In a new edition of Business View, Tanya Pisarchuk – Senior Media Sales Manager at Already Media – explains why performance marketing no longer works in isolation, how brands can extend the player lifecycle, and why combining traffic acquisition with loyalty and brand work is the only way to go in 2026.
Expert background
Hi, Tanya! Could you tell us a little about your experience in iGaming?
I’ve spent the past few years in iGaming, and it didn’t take long to realize it’s exactly my kind of environment: complex challenges, a fast-paced industry, plenty of dopamine, and, above all, creativity and freedom.
What role do you play in developing the Already Media brand and supporting our partners today?
Twenty-plus years in marketing have taught me one simple thing: it only makes sense to sell something if it actually helps a client solve a problem. That’s why I always start with a conversation. I listen to what’s happening inside the brand, the challenges they’re dealing with, what they’ve already tried – and why it didn’t work. Only then do I start suggesting possible solutions.
I also focus on building long-term relationships with partners. Sometimes a client-side manager leaves a company, and months later we end up working together again on a completely new project. To me, that’s the clearest sign that everything was done right. At the end of the day, sales is the public face of the company. And I want Already Media’s face to be alive, honest, and human.
Please tell us three interesting facts about yourself.
- I love Asia. I lived in China for two years and in Vietnam for twelve.
- I used to do stand-up comedy and even performed on the same stage as comedians who have been featured on the BBC and Netflix.
- I never skip workouts. Even during major conferences such as SiGMA, ICE or iGB, I wake up at 6 am and go to the nearest gym.
Why High Volumes Don’t Guarantee Profits
We’re seeing many iGaming brands rethink their acquisition strategies. What has changed in the industry?
In iGaming, it rarely feels like tomorrow will be easier than yesterday. For years, we’ve been fighting for SERP positions, competing in overheated GEOs, and pouring massive resources into SEO. And now AI Overviews are entering the scene with their own logic for how content gets surfaced, forcing the entire system to adapt almost in real time.
At the same time, regulators keep tightening the rules, often revising them every quarter. In an environment like this, relying on a stable acquisition funnel simply isn’t realistic anymore. You have to stay ahead of the curve – not just driving reach, but building a brand people actually recognize and trust.
Why doesn’t buying more traffic always solve a brand’s problems?
The days when massive traffic volumes meant easy money are over. Brands have realized that volume alone guarantees nothing. You can bring in thousands of players and still end up with neither loyalty nor sustainable revenue. That’s why more and more brands now choose to work only with affiliates who can prove real value through metrics and long-term performance.
My colleague Sergey, BizDev Lead at Already Media, recently shared how we transformed our partnership model to deliver stronger ROI – you can read more about it here.
Players themselves have also become far more selective. They’re no longer looking only at the bonus. They’re looking at the brand behind it – whether they can trust it and whether they actually want to use the product. Simply bringing a player in is no longer enough. You have to warm them up, engage them, and keep them coming back.
Now, let’s cover the typical situation. Players receive a strong offer, complete the bonus requirements, and then never return. Why does that happen?
For bonus hunters, that’s completely normal. No matter how much you nurture them, they’ll leave the moment the wagering requirements are met. But even players who originally planned to stay longer may walk away if the brand gives them no reason to remain. Loyalty depends on many factors: the loyalty program, the game portfolio, a convenient interface, and, most importantly, trust in the brand.
Brand awareness starts working long before a player reaches the funnel. It shapes perception even before the first deposit and directly influences retention – and that’s exactly where sustainable revenue comes from.
The Value Of Brand Awareness In iGaming
When should brands start building brand awareness, and why does it matter?
Brand awareness is important for companies that plan to stay in the industry long term. iGaming businesses operate differently. Regulations change and restrictions appear, causing companies to launch brand after brand. In that situation, it’s not surprising that few are willing to invest seriously in marketing. Why invest heavily in a short-lived offer?
But when a company is playing the long game, the strategy changes completely. Of course, players are more likely to pick brands they recognize and trust. That’s the power of brand awareness. It creates an emotional connection long before the first deposit. That connection is key in whether a player decides to come back.
How does brand loyalty affect player behavior?
Players usually deposit where they feel comfortable and where they’re familiar with the process. Loyalty makes players more forgiving of minor issues and keeps them engaged for longer periods of time. Why register at a new casino, go through KYC all over again, and learn how to use a new platform?
It’s just easier to stick with what you know. If a brand has a solid loyalty program offering points, cashback, tokens, or other perks, it can keep players hooked for a long time.
How can brands avoid turning expansion into a new GEO into just an expensive experiment?
Brand awareness matters for both the product and the market in which you plan to operate. Our experience shows that the same offer can perform differently in neighboring regions. Simply chasing hype and copying competitors’ ideas is like shooting in the dark – sometimes even shooting yourself in the foot.
At Already Media, we don’t look at traffic volume alone. We adapt each brand’s content strategy to the specific GEO it targets. Every audience comes with its own habits, expectations, and even cultural codes around how gambling is perceived. Our Media Content Lead, Evgenii Reguzak, has spoken about this in detail. Ignore those nuances, and traffic simply won’t convert.
What to Buy First
Which cooperation formats are most relevant for iGaming brands today?
Marketing and performance go hand-in-hand. That’s why we don’t just work as an affiliate – we also build our own high-quality traffic sources. In the last few years, Already Media has acquired two strong projects: LiveCasinoComparer (LCC) and PokerListings. These sites give brands a mix of tools that drive fast registrations, as well as awareness, trust, and loyalty.
So how exactly can they help promote an iGaming brand? Take LCC, for example. It has a highly engaged audience — people genuinely read reviews and enjoy trying out new releases. That creates organic traffic and builds long-term interest in the product. Recently, we published a detailed game review that attracted organic traffic from India. That’s the advantage of strong content: it keeps working long after it’s been published.
What I personally enjoy most is that we’re always ready to think beyond standard formats. Why not bring a game provider and a casino together to promote a new release? For the provider, it’s additional PR. For the casino, it means a warmer, more motivated audience. And for us, it’s an opportunity to create something genuinely interesting and engaging for players.
What is the right balance between brand awareness and performance?
In practice, it’s always a mix of formats. Listings have a direct impact on registrations and deposits. Articles, casino reviews, and social media posts may not drive instant conversions, but they significantly increase brand awareness and generate real interest.
PokerListings is a great example of this. Right now, we work with several poker rooms using a full toolkit that includes website content, social media promotion, and banner placements under a fixed partnership model. Some clients were skeptical at first. But once they saw the numbers, they decided to continue working with us. And when partners renew their contracts, that’s the clearest proof that the strategy works.
Conclusion
At some point, every brand realizes a simple truth: traffic can always be bought. Trust has to be earned. That’s why sustainable iGaming businesses grow at the intersection of performance, which brings players today, and brand awareness, which brings them back tomorrow. At Already Media, we work across both sides – building strong platforms and content-driven ecosystems with experience across multiple GEOs.
And if you’re thinking about playing the long game too, we should definitely talk!
