By
iGBA
Editorial
As digital entertainment becomes increasingly mainstream, iGaming brands are tapping into influencer marketing to reach highly engaged audiences, build trust and foster brand loyalty in a competitive space. Dmitry, influence team lead and Semen, head of mediabuying at Riddick’s Partners, explain how the brand is utilising the influencer strategy and its results in a recent campaign
In the iGaming industry, one of the main reasons influencers are so effective is their ability to target niche communities. Influencers, particularly those on platforms like Twitch, YouTube and TikTok, often specialise in gaming content and have cultivated loyal followings. These audiences are not only receptive to gaming-related promotions but are also likely to trust the influencer’s endorsements due to perceived authenticity.
Today, the influence of streamers and bloggers is felt at every stage of the funnel. Content that evokes emotional response and trust shapes intent and, in successful cases, turns viewers into active players.
Moreover, influencers provide a bridge between brands and younger demographics. Millennials and Gen Z audiences, who are digital natives, tend to distrust traditional marketing and are more likely to be influenced by peer recommendations or community leaders. Influencers embody this role and are often seen as relatable figures rather than corporate representatives.
In exploring this, the strategy employed by Riddick’s Partners appeared fairly standard. “Our plan involved regular Instagram placements with a lifestyle blogger, a familiar offer and a launch targeted at an already engaged audience,” explains Dmitry, influence team lead at Riddick’s Partners. “However, it was not a single element that drove the successful outcome.”
The impact came from the combination of several factors. The influencer’s delivery, the bonus offers, and a simple, clearly integrated promotional code worked together as a cohesive mechanism. This combination captured the audience’s attention and helped not only attract new users but also significantly improve the final results.
Anyone can become a regular player in crash games
iGaming products are designed for a broad audience. While sports fans typically convert well for betting offers, Dmitry emphasises the importance of recognising that almost any average user, even without prior exposure to gambling products, can become a regular player in crash games such as Aviator or Plinko.
“This is why we don’t prioritise formal content categories,” says Dmitry. “Instead, we focus on two key factors: the influencer’s position within the media landscape and the loyalty and engagement of their audience.”
Our plan involved regular Instagram placements with a lifestyle blogger, a familiar offer and a launch targeted at an already engaged audience
Dmitry, influence team lead at Riddick’s Partners
At the early stages, it is essential to quickly identify which influencers are worth working with and which ones should be filtered out. Riddick’s Partners uses parsing tools to track likes, comments and engagement rate. These metrics are then compared with similar accounts by geo and niche to set realistic expectations and assess actual reach.
Each blogger was also asked to provide statistics from their personal account dashboard. As Dmitry stresses, this data was requested in video format to reduce the risk of edits or inaccurate reporting. The team as a whole focused primarily on story views, engagement levels and Reels performance.
Budget management
As a benchmark, the team used the market CPM (Cost Per Mille). This helped determine whether the proposed rate corresponded with the average cost per thousand impressions for the given audience. Although not a final decision-making factor, it provided a solid foundation for evaluating the budget’s adequacy. The main objective at this stage was to establish a model where the cost of placement aligned with the expected performance.
“We also avoided naming a price first,” explains Dmitry. “The blogger proposed his own rate, which turned out to be lower than we expected. This allowed the team to secure a test budget without sacrificing performance as even a small reduction in initial spend can have a noticeable impact on the final ROI.”
Riddick’s Partners also agreed in advance on the long-term model. If the campaign delivered strong results, the collaboration would shift to a dynamic format where improved performance led to higher payouts. Influencer motivation was considered a critical factor. There is a clear difference between simply posting content and being genuinely invested in the outcome.
Following the placement, the team analysed the data and user behaviour, identified key growth points and used those insights to plan the next stage. This included setting parameters for volumes, frequency and content formats.
What the numbers show
Over the two-month collaboration with the influencer, Riddick’s Partners distributed the budget evenly and tracked key metrics such as total payments, NetDep and the cost per first deposit. Performance remained stable throughout the campaign. However, towards the end, the cost per first deposit increased by approximately 20%.
“This kind of trend is typical for longer placements,” notes Dmitry. “Part of the audience had already seen the promo, and their responsiveness to repeated messages began to decline. This is a common scenario when working with influencers.
“However, the opposite effect is also possible. If a blogger actively attracts new followers and increases reach, the resulting flow of fresh traffic can balance out audience fatigue and help lower the cost of conversion.”
Riddick’s Partners tracked all users who made deposits through the influencer’s referral link, following a standard approach to direct attribution. At the same time, approximately 80% of users entered the promo code manually, indicating a high level of engagement with the promotional message among potential leads.
In this context, the promo code acted as more than just a tool to unlock a bonus. “Within influencer marketing, it played a dual role,” says Dmitry. “It increased user motivation and served to confirm that the offer was clearly understood.
If a blogger actively attracts new followers and increases reach, the resulting flow of fresh traffic can balance out audience fatigue and help lower the cost of conversion
Dmitry, influence team lead at Riddick’s Partners
With a large share of registered users entering the code manually, it shows the message was memorable, the terms were clear and the user had made a conscious decision to complete the action.”
Initial results
Over the course of two months, total deposits reached 140K. Out of that, 49K came in as NetDep – meaning deposits after subtracting withdrawals.
“At first glance, this might seem like an average result if you’re thinking in terms of classic affiliate marketing,” Semen, head of mediabuying at Riddick’s Partners explains. “But for an influencer campaign in this format, these are actually strong numbers – even if the spend wasn’t fully covered by NetDep, let alone NGR.”
Direct attribution captures only a small part of the overall picture. Many users do not take action immediately after seeing a promo. Instead, they return later through search, saved links, memory, or after reading about the product on review platforms. For this reason, Riddick’s Partners added an additional tracking layer to the campaign by using promo codes.
In this case, the promo code made it possible to measure the campaign’s influence beyond direct traffic. During the same period, it was used by approximately 2,500 players. Of these, 1,122 were new users, most of whom came through search queries including the product’s name. These users generated an additional $152,000 in deposits and $53,000 in NetDep.
For an influencer campaign in this format, these are actually strong numbers
Semen, head of mediabuying at Riddick’s Partners
Based on Riddick’s Partners’ hybrid attribution model, 70% of this traffic can be attributed to the influencer’s impact. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the promo code was entered manually. As a result, the campaign delivered an additional $37,000 in NetDep beyond the directly attributed traffic.
“The promo code proved to be a valuable tool that not only increased conversions but also made it possible to more accurately assess the influencer’s contribution across the entire funnel,” says Dmitry.
Final model and ROI
After recalculation using the hybrid model, the ROI based on NetDep reached 49% over the two-month period, offering a more accurate view of the campaign’s effectiveness and demonstrating the level of results that influencer traffic can achieve when supported by the right strategy. A more in-depth analysis that includes reactivation effects suggests the final ROI could be even higher.
Additional impact of the campaign
The campaign delivered more than just a direct effect – it also triggered additional processes. “We observed returning users who had previously shown no activity but eventually made a deposit using the same promo code,” notes Semen. “There were also noticeable spikes in other channels and a decrease in acquisition costs, likely due to the extra touchpoint created by the influencer.
“At this stage, the collaboration with the influencer is ongoing,” he continues. “Some of the traffic has not yet reached its full potential in terms of deposit volume and NGR, which means the current ROI remains conservatively low. A final and accurate assessment of the campaign’s performance will only be possible three to six months after its completion.”
However, the interim results already confirm that influencer traffic is a highly effective source that will continue to gain a larger share of the iGaming market for Riddick’s Partners.
Influencers are significantly shaping the landscape of iGaming marketing by offering authentic engagement, targeted reach and dynamic content delivery. Their ability to humanise brands and foster trust with digital-native audiences makes them indispensable to modern iGaming strategies. As the industry continues to grow, the collaboration between influencers and iGaming brands is likely to deepen, but success will depend on balancing creativity with responsibility and compliance, as Riddick’s Partners are seeing.