Best Ways to Gain Gambling Traffic in India: Strategies, Tips, and Best Practices

December 04, 2024

This article is for media buyers who want to get into the Indian market and for experienced professionals who want to deepen their knowledge on working in this geo. We have gathered key insights, tested strategies and useful tips for successful launch and scaling of gambling ads traffic in India.

As an affiliate marketing and ad tech expert, ROIads ad network shares its experience and exclusive data to help you maximize your ad campaigns. In this article you will find:

  • Indian audience overview and preferences;
  • Best ad formats and traffic sources;
  • Landing pages and creative tips.

Whether you’re launching your first campaign or already working in this geo, this article will be your perfect guide.

Legal Landscape of Gambling in India

Before you launch campaigns in Indian geo, you need to understand the legal landscape of gambling. In this chapter, we will cover the current legal situation, legal vs illegal gambling formats and how to use the legal loopholes to promote your offers.

Overview of Gambling Laws in India

Casinos in India are state regulated and not federal, which creates a complex and ambiguous legal environment. While offline gambling is almost banned in most states, online gambling is a grey area. Laws like Public Gambling Act 1867 don’t regulate the internet, which gives room for operators and affiliates.

As we mentioned earlier, each of the 28 states in India has the right to regulate gambling in their territory. For example:

  • Sikkim and Nagaland are progressive states where certain forms of online gambling are allowed and regulated.
  • In states like Goa and Daman, offline casinos are legal and attract a lot of players.
  • In most other states online gambling is in a grey area: not banned but not regulated.

Legal vs Illegal Forms of Gambling

The law divides gambling into two main categories:

  • Games of Chance: Mostly banned. Example — lotteries and roulette.
  • Games of Skill: Allowed in some states. Example — fantasy sports and poker.

Many operators use the term “skill games” to legally promote their services, which is important to consider when creating ad materials.

Opportunities for Online Gambling within the Legal Framework

For affiliates this means:

  • Choosing the right states for targeting is crucial for campaigns.
  • Using localization and “socially acceptable” creatives helps to avoid legal issues and increase conversion.

Before you launch campaigns, you need to understand the Indian audience. This market is incredibly diverse — so targeting is key to success.

Demographics of Potential Gambling Players in India

Now let’s look at the demographics of gamblers in India. Here are some of the key characteristics:

  • Age: Men between 18 to 35 years of age make up a large chunk of online gamblers in India. According to the data, 76% of Indian users prefer online gambling over offline formats which is the highest among the surveyed countries.
  • Devices: Mobile devices dominate internet access in India. As of Q3 2023, 96% of internet users aged 16 to 64 owned a mobile phone. This mobile penetration indicates that a significant part of online gambling happens on mobile platforms.
  • Urban population: Urban areas have higher internet penetration. In 2022, 71% of the urban population had internet access, compared to lower rates in rural areas. This means online gambling platforms may find a larger user base in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.
  • Average income: India’s growing middle class with increasing disposable income is driving online gambling.
  • Multilingual: While English is used online, a significant portion of Indian internet users prefer content in their local languages. Hindi has surpassed English in online usage and languages like Bengali, Tamil, Telugu and Marathi account for about 30% of online activity. 70% of users find content in their local language more reliable than in English.
  • Trend: Fantasy sports have grown rapidly in India and is one of the fastest growing segments of online gambling. With over 100 million users in 2023, platforms like Dream11, My11Circle and MPL are leading the market.

Key Information About the Indian Geo for Buying Gambling Traffic 

1. Currency

  • Indian Rupee (INR) — the main currency. Popular payment methods: Paytm, Google Pay, UPI.

2. National Holidays

  • Diwali (Oct/Nov): Main Indian festival associated with shopping and entertainment. It’s a good time to promote gaming.
  • Holi (Mar): Festival of colors, attracts mass audience.
  • Republic Day (26 Jan) and Independence Day (15 Aug): State holidays with higher internet activity.

3. Top Cities

  • Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore: High disposable income and internet activity.
  • Chennai, Hyderabad: Growing markets.

4. Internet Usage

  • 96% of users access the internet through smartphones. Peak activity in the morning (9:00-11:00) and in the evening (19:00-22:00).

5. Payment Preferences

  • E-wallets (Paytm, PhonePe), UPI for instant payments, cards for big purchases.

6. Cultural Insights

  • Main languages: Hindi and English. Adding regional languages (Tamil, Telugu) increases effectiveness.
  • Religious and cultural sensitivities require careful consideration in creatives.

Where to Buy Gambling Advertising Traffic in India

So now we know that India is a growing market, and choosing the right traffic source is key to successful gambling ads. Let’s look at the main advertising channels, their features, limitations and benefits.

Social Media Advertising

Social media like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok offer huge targeting and audience engagement opportunities. But such ads have major drawbacks that make gambling ads almost impossible.

Features:

  • Targeting by demographics, interests and behavior.
  • High audience engagement and coverage.

Limitations:

  • Strict gambling ads restrictions so campaigns can be shut down quickly.
  • High campaign costs, especially in Tier-1 cities.

SEO Promotion

SEO is a long term strategy that brings organic traffic to the site. But it has its own limitations.

Features:

  • Attract quality traffic without extra ad spend.
  • Organic results are trustworthy.

Limitations:

  • Requires significant time and financial investment in optimization.
  • Risk of penalties from search engines for violating rules due to gambling themes.

Push Notifications Advertising

Push ads in ad networks offer one of the most cost effective and efficient ways of promotion. Users voluntarily subscribe to push notifications and the notifications look native, and these factors impact CTR.

Features:

  • Minimal content restrictions, especially in the gambling niche.
  • Low cost per click (from $0.002).
  • Targeting by devices, regions, OS and even browser language and schedule setting (targeting options vary in different ad networks).
  • High visibility — notifications are delivered directly to the device and don’t disappear until the user interacts with the ad.

Limitations:

  • Can be seen as intrusive if creatives are not adapted to the audience and if frequency cap is not set right. We recommend setting the frequency to 1-2 pops per day per user so not to overwhelm him and not to make him unsubscribe.

Pop Advertising

Pop (popunder) is an ad that shows up under the main content and grabs the user’s attention without interrupting his main internet browsing. Pop ads usually consist of a pre-landings that leads to the main site — landing page.

Features:

  • Affordable: traffic cost is lower than other channels and CPM starts from $0.01.
  • Minimal restrictions: Pops are not regulated and easy to launch.
  • Good for mass audience reach due to wide coverage.

Limitations:

  • Can be seen as intrusive but can be avoided with proper campaign setup.
ChannelAdvantagesDisadvantagesCost (approx.)
Social MediaWide reach, precise targetingStrict restrictions, high CPM$1–$5 CPC
SEOOrganic traffic, long-term impactTime-consuming, risk of penalties$500+ per month of work
Push NotificationsLow cost, minimal restrictionsRequires strong creatives$0.001–$0.2 CPC
Pop AdsLow cost, massive reachCan be perceived as intrusive$0.01–$12 CPM

While push and pop ads offer cost effective and flexible options, the success of your campaigns depends on the quality of traffic, not just the format. Choosing trusted networks like ROIads gives you access to premium traffic from exclusive publishers, so you can get higher conversions and lower risks.

Why Choose ROIads for Buying Gambling Traffic in India

ROIads — the leading ad network for push and pop traffic. Since its inception, our ad network has proven itself as a reliable partner for affiliates looking to maximize their ROI.

Key Features of ROIads:

  • Premium Traffic Only: ROIads carefully selects partners and traffic sources to ensure high conversion and quality audience.
  • Global Reach: Network covers over 150 countries, with over 9.6 billion impressions monthly, allowing to scale campaigns.
  • Multiple Niches: ROIads supports promotion in iGaming, VPN, Dating, Software & Utilities, Finance, Nutra and Sweepstakes verticals, giving you flexibility to choose your niche.
  • Innovative Technology: AI algorithms for source optimization (AI bidding technology) and Micro bidding tools to improve campaign performance and ROI.
  • Client Support: We provide personal managers to help with campaign setup and optimization, creative development, and insights and recommendations on top performing verticals and geo.

Creative Approaches for Gambling Promotion in India with Push Ads

Now that we have the best traffic sources for gambling, let’s talk about creative approaches. First, we will go over the creatives used for push ads in Indian geo.

  1. Eye-catching Bonuses and Promotions

What works:

  • Highlight big bonuses with specific numbers (e.g., ₹1,05,000 or 500%). Use texts like “Welcome Bonus,” “First Deposit,” or “Free Spins” to grab attention.

Why it works:

  • Indians are value-conscious and clear high value offers drive clicks. Gold and red colors are culturally resonant and create urgency.
  1. Localization in Language and Themes
  • What works:

Adapt creatives by using local languages (e.g., Hindi, Tamil, Bengali) and familiar gambling symbols like slot machines, coins, jackpots or playing cards. Use culturally relevant colors and designs to match Indian taste, especially during festive seasons like Diwali.

  • Why it works:

Localization makes ads feel more relevant, while recognizable gambling visuals connect the audience to the offer and drive engagement.

  1. Gamified Visuals and Winning Stories
  • What works:

Show characters or animations (like a king or jackpot machine), show success with stacks of money and use emojis for emotional appeal. Use phrases like “YOU Won 10 Spins!” or “Try Your Luck” to make the ad engaging.

  • Why it works:

Gamified elements create excitement, visual storytelling builds curiosity and sense of possibility.

Creative Approaches for Gambling Promotion in India with Pop Ads

Pop (popunder) ads are simple and don’t require elaborate creatives like push notifications. So launching campaigns is faster and easier for mediabuyers. Focus is on high quality pre-landings and landing pages that capture user attention and convert.

  1. Pre-landing Pages: Engage with Interactivity
  • What works:

Interactive pre-landings like spin-the-wheel games, scratch cards or dynamic countdowns work well. For example, a spinning wheel promising rewards (like in the first image) grabs user attention and motivates them to proceed.

  • Why it works:

Gamification creates excitement and engagement and users are more likely to continue to offer.

  1. Landing Pages: Appeal with Strong Visuals
  • What works:

A beautiful landing page with attractive visuals, clear CTAs and prominent rewards (like in the second image) seals the deal. Highlight bonuses, jackpots and winnings in bold and easy registration options.

  • Why it works:

Vibrant designs and clear incentives get users to take action fast.

Key Takeaway

Pop ads don’t require complex creatives but success depends on interactive pre-landings and visually appealing landing pages.

Conclusion

India’s gambling market is bursting with potential, offering affiliate marketers a wealth of opportunities to tap into one of the world’s most dynamic and fast-growing digital audiences. With its diverse culture, high mobile penetration, and passion for entertainment, India presents the perfect geo for scaling your gambling campaigns.

But success isn’t just about choosing the right geo — it’s about choosing the right partner. With ROIads, you get access to premium traffic, advanced targeting tools, success to come to you — take the first step and launch your gambling campaigns in India with us today. Let our features help you dominate this promising market and achieve the ROI you’ve been aiming for.