Time to Face the truth about hate in the digital online ad space Over the weekend, Starbucks and Diageo said they would pause advertising on all social media platforms. They’re among the biggest spenders on Facebook ads: Starbucks spent $95 million and Diageo $23 spent million on the platform last year. Other companies have boycotted Facebook specifically, including Coca Cola, Honda America, Levi Strauss and Patagonia Marketers are expressing unease with how FB handles misinformation and hate speech, including its permissive approach to problematic posts by President Trump raising a question around brand safe advertiser environments. Brands have always thought carefully about the companies they buy media from, but this is an opportunity for advertisers to take an even more thoughtful approach about how they allocate media spend reaching communities such as online gamers - these fans spend hours playing in environments where editorial or social content simply does not exist, which means a safe platform for advertisers If I were to ask you to picture the typical online real money gamer, what mental image would you create? What would that person look like? What is their gender, their age, what kinds of other hobbies do they enjoy and what goods and services do they spend money on? The online gambling industry here in the UK has been undergoing significant change in recent years. Odds are, the person you are picturing right now doesn’t reflect many of the changes that have taken place. Fortunately, the UK Gambling Commission publishes regular industry statistics that provide significant insight into these changes and what it means to be a typical online gambler today. Expanding Reach One of the most dramatic changes that has been taking place in recent years is the growth of online gambling in comparison to other forms of gambling. It is the largest single gambling sector, accounting for almost 40% of all the gambling in the UK with £3.0bn coming in from online casino games alone. The latest industry data shows that 18% of all people have gambled online at least once in the last four weeks, and during the global lockdown user engagement has surged to record levels. Unlike the past, where online gambling only took place at home, now over half of all online gamblers are making use of mobile phones and tablets giving more access to RMOG sites. In fact, over the past four years, the number of people who have engaged in mobile gaming has grown from 23% to 44%. Setting the Record Straight on Age Most people imagine gamblers to be in their 50s or 60s. This isn’t without justification, because when you look across all types of gambling this is the age group with the highest participation. However, if you remove national lottery draws, then the landscape looks very different. After removing the national lottery, the age group that has the highest participation in all gambling is the 25-34age bracket, with 37% of the population participating. This is reinforced when we look at the participation rates specifically for online gambling by age. Again the 25-34 age bracket leads the way, making up 23% of the total market. Gender is No Longer a Barrier Returning to your mental image of the typical gambler, what gender did you assign that person? If you assumed them to be male, then you have assumed correctly. Once again, however, the split between males and females is likely closer than you realise. Increasingly women are engaging in gambling activities. In 2017, 48% of all men participate in some form of gambling, but women are not far behind with 41% participating. Removing the national lottery tightens the gap slightly to 34% for men and 29% for women. Part of this shift may be due to the engaging nature of many of today’s online casino games. The Gambling Commission also tracks the availability and prevalence of online gambling-style games where no money is at stake. These games are played simply for fun, and in this category of game, women actually led men as of the 2017 data, with 34% of all women participating and men at only 32%. While softer games like bingo remain most popular with the ladies, operators and suppliers are now offering games across igaming genres, designed with the female player in mind. Motivations for Gambling Who doesn’t love winning? As you might have guessed, the chance of winning is the driving factor for roughly half of all gamblers. Once again, those participating in the national lottery draws skew the data a bit, as they are more likely to play to win compared with other gamblers. But you might be surprised that roughly a third of all gamblers are simply looking for fun and enjoyment. After that driving factors include the opportunity to socialise and finding it relaxing. Conclusion Gambling audiences represent a much more diverse audience than most people would imagine. Men and women across age groups all participate in large numbers. This diversity is one of the reasons onload{media} has chosen to work with gambling networks. The vigorously age-verified audience can be intelligently targeted, regardless of the audience you are trying to reach. As we now understand, they are not simply driven to win. Many chose gambling as a fun, leisure activity so taking otherwise idol time and filling it with relevant advertising provides optimal impact and opportunity for conversion. Onload{media} is uniquely positioned as a digital ad network to help brands target this sector and unique demographic of double verified over 18 players, in one of the most heavily regulated markets in the world - providing a safe haven for brands who can no longer support businesses and ad networks that allow hate and misinformation to flourish.

Don’t Gamble on the Credit Card Ban This week, The Gambling Commission released confirmation that it will introduce a ban on the use of credit card s for all forms of online and land-based gambling. A move we wholeheartedly approve of and one we have predicted for some time. The ban will come into effect on April 14 and will apply to most offline and all online gambling offerings with the exception of Lottery Products. Some of the stats published this week reveal that 24 million adults in the UK gamble, with 10.5 million of these gambling online UK Finance estimates that 800,000 consumers use credit cards to gamble 22 percent of online gamblers use credit cards It goes without saying that operators and game suppliers alike, will need to find ways to offset this loss in income. The Emma Barnett 5 live show this morning had gamblers ringing and sharing obvious ways they intend to bypass these changes imposed to protect them. Banning the use of credit cards for online gaming is only the first step in trying to keep people from gambling money they don’t have. More regulation will no doubt follow, with another rise in Point of Consumption tax, or a stake limit to £2 being the most obvious and potentially damaging. Riding this tide will require revenue streams which are future proof; taking into account not only changes in legislation, but the impact of the current social milieu. For example, in the future, UK banks may voluntarily start doing their bit to protect vulnerable gamblers. To future-proof the industry, we propose that operators must find a revenue stream that is not controversial and will not be constantly targeted by regulation, taxes and levies: Advertising. In an industry where profit margins are already slim, traditional belt-tightening will not be the answer . We propose an alternative: diversify your revenue streams. Now. Don’t wait for the tidal wave; surf it. UK online casino operators hold a massive, unused asset: strictly regulated audiences of rigorously verified 18+ consumers. There is no end to the advertisers that can benefit from access to these audiences: luxury goods, automobiles, high fashion, insurance providers, mortgage lenders… Now add to this the fact that verified 18+ audiences are elusive. Despite extensive research, it is still difficult to pinpoint the times and places adults, and only adults, will be watching and receptive. Do advertisers just submit to the fact that most viewers will be inappropriate? Instead, imagine this scenario: You’ve got hundreds of thousands of real-money online gamers active in the UK each month . They are verified 18+; their wallets are open and they’re in spending mode; they’re highly engaged; they select a game to play and a stimulating video ad appears in the 10-15 second window while the game is loading. Married to more personalised data, it’s hard to find a more targeted placement. In short, real-money online gaming sites are a huge, untapped publisher for brand advertisers. Why haven’t these audiences been tapped before? Because traditionally, ad networks reflexively blacklist anything related to gambling as not “brand safe”. But looked at more closely, there are no surprises on a real-money gaming site; that’s all they publish, and the consumer is completely brand-compatible. By publishing video adverts during the game loading experience, operators earn additional revenue that is not subject to point-of-consumption tax. They can offer game suppliers a better share of the revenue. Advertisers reach unique, untapped, highly targeted audiences in buying mode. Talk to us now to find out how onload{media} can diversify your income streams way ahead of this ban, and help protect your bottom line in this difficult and rapidly changing landscape. _______________________________ Related News Articles The Guardian Business Gambling watchdog plans to ban online credit card bets The Times All bets are off as regulator bans credit‑card gambling Vagas Slots Online UK Gambling Regulator to Ban Online Credit Card Bets Metro Gambling businesses to be banned from allowing people to use their credit cards

LONDON, UK – 13th January 2020 – onload{media}, the advertising network for real-money online gaming sites, announced today the appointment of Heather Faulkner to the position of Global Sales and Commercial Manager based in Malaga Heather brings an impressive and diverse background to onload{media}. Well-known in the UK and offshore real-money gaming sectors, Heather joins onload{media} from Superbet where, as head of gaming, she oversaw growth in a number of European jurisdictions. Prior to that, Heather worked her way up at William Hill to owning overall P&L performance of the games and scratchcards products. “It is a privilege to be awarded the opportunity to contribute to the success of this promising offering,” said Ms Faulkner. “The timing is perfect. Real-money online gaming is growing globally, but ever-tightening legislation means that gaming operators need to diversify revenue streams. This creates the perfect wave for onload{media} to ride. I’m looking forward to working with the onload team and supporting our growth aspirations.” CEO Justin Chamberlain added, “I have great pleasure and immense pride in announcing that the legend, superstar, and all-round industry queen of the colony Heather Faulkner will join the onload{media} team in February as our Sales and Commercial Manager. An exciting year ahead just got even more so!” Heather owns a campervan which is used to discover and explore new surfing spots. When she’s not surfing, Heather is working hard to promote sustainable living. Not only is Heather a vegan activist, she also has her own vegan ethical, sustainable clothing brand, Lovegang. So with any luck, she can help improve the team dress-sense too. Heather will be at ICE next month. We encourage existing and interested partners to let us know if you are attending , so Heather and team can say Hi. About onload{media} The onload{media} advertising network partner with suppliers of real-money online games and online gaming operators to provide them with revenue that is not subject to increasing taxes and levies, whilst also promoting and supporting the work of gambling addiction charities. onload{media} are the first ad network specifically created to increase advertisers’ ROI by reaching untapped, rigorously verified over-18 audiences by engaging real-money online gamers.

The ability to create engagement with a target audience determines the success or failure of any advertising campaign. It separates ads that generate clicks from those that get skipped. People have become so accustomed to advertisements that often they tune out and miss the message completely. Overcoming this apathetic response is critical to ensuring that your message is heard, and potential customers begin their journey down your sales funnel. Recently, a new opportunity has arisen that allows advertisers to inject their messaging quickly to a fully engaged audience. This opportunity is provided by using the load time between games on Real Money Online Gaming (RMOG) websites. Filling this time with highly appealing advertising creates a continuity of engagement from game to advertisement and back to game. But how can you ensure that this advertising draws in the audience so that they don’t treat it as an intermission? Here are the top tips for creating engagement with a ROMG audience. Understand the Value of Viewability Online advertising is a complex topic, and nothing makes that more obvious than viewability. Viewability is a measure of whether someone actually sees an ad that you, as an advertiser, pay to place on a page or whether it is buried at the bottom and is never actually seen. In fact, up to 54% of online ads that are purchased fall into this latter category and are never actually seen by anyone. To make the most of marketing revenue, advertisers are driven to make their ads loud and eye-catching so that when they do actually appear on the screen, they stand some chance of grabbing your attention away from the content you are actually trying to consume. Advertising on a RMOG website with onload{media} is a signifyingly different experience. To begin, the advertisements are served directly in the same viewing window as the games that are being played. Therefore, baseline viewability is substantially higher than other forms of online advertising. In fact, if you look at a comparable service like YouTube, viewability is 95% . With that understanding, there is no need to make advertisements visually loud or annoying to catch attention. Focus instead on creating content that is entertaining yet conveys your brand and the needs filled by your products and services. Engage the Right Audience Nothing is worse than paying to have an ad served to someone that isn’t in your target audience and has no intention of ever buying your product. It is wasted marketing dollars that could be better spent putting content in front of someone who might actually be interested in your products and services. Since GDPR went into effect, the ability to accurately track and target potential customers has been significantly hindered. But with RMOG websites, you have a much better understanding of the players you who are viewing your ads. RMOG operators are required to perform double-verification of players ages and collect a wealth of other relevant information which can be used to focus your campaign on relevant players. This helps to prevent low quality leads from viewing your content and wasting valuable marketing dollars. Ensure Brand Compatibility Consider the type of ad campaigns and ad networks that will work best for your brand. Are you building a luxury brand or something more accessible? Many of today’s products and services are targeted at a broad segment of the population and the brands behind those products are looking to be either attainable, every-man’s brands or aspirational brands. So, what kind of ad networks are compatible with these types of brands? Historically RMOG websites carried a poor reputation for being generally harmful to society. However, in recent years, a great deal of clean-up has happened that is turning that perception on its head. According to the Gambling Commission , nearly one in five people in the UK visit RMOG websites. This broad player base means that both attainable and aspirational brands have something to gain by working with a RMOG website. Now is your opportunity to capitalize on the exciting new opportunities that come with this growing and newly cleaned up industry. You need to develop a comprehensive strategy addressing viewability, minimizing latency, avoiding ad-blockers, ensuring brand compatibility and avoiding the costs of not-converting clicks. Related Blogs Making the case for casino audiences What are Real Money Online Games?

By Ben Hamill - Nov 28 2019 Gaming Post Movements in the iGaming industry that specifically relate to advertising have created a wealth of challenges for operators and other relevant parties over the course of recent years. Operators have been rapped over the knuckles, penalised and in some cases even slapped with hefty fines by regulators dissatisfied by the way in which gaming ads are aired and handled. Increasing threats regarding complete blanket bans by state organisations are exactly what has now prompted the establishment of a new initiative that will focus solely on global gambling advertising. The initiative, which is powered and driven by marketing and advertising specialist Onload Media, has just gone live and NetEnt is one of the first industry giants to have added its name to the cause. What Onload Media essentially aims to achieve is to offer to operators, suppliers, developers, payment administrators and general distributors a specialised service that will ensure that each party is acting perfectly in line with the advertising provisions of its licensed region. Video Ads Will Change The Game Onload will hone on this goal by way of specialised video advertisements that strictly comply with regulated age restrictions and relevant gaming regulations, whilst at the same time severely limited overhead costs associated with typical in-house ad development as well as negating and off-setting taxes and related costs in a positive way. Onload refers to the initiative as “a unique way of engaging audiences” and has said that the latest service to have hit the market originated from extensive research and a rigorous and thorough “testing phase”. The system was developed along industry experts and prominent role-players Blueprint Gaming and LeoVegas. 15 Seconds Of Ad Content The advertisements will apparently comprise of 15-second-long spurts of advertising content that will be displayed for the duration of the time it takes a typical online game to load on a user’s screen. The advertisements will not be skippable. Perhaps most significant of all is the fact that the video ads will not exclusively focus on gaming content only but will extend its reach to various other industries as well, such as fitness, travel and also the automobile industry. This is expected to create major revenue opportunities for marketers of special and everyday promotions and will action a cross-sector advertising movement pioneered by the online gambling industry. The ads will also specifically support and promote initiatives revolving around safe gambling practices and the global war on gambling addiction. The initial test-results delivered exceptional results in terms of revenue and engagement potential.

Breaking Stereotypes If I were to ask you to picture the typical online real money gamer , what mental image would you create? What would that person look like? What is their gender, their age, what kinds of other hobbies do they enjoy and what goods and services do they spend money on? The online gambling industry here in the UK has been undergoing significant change in recent years. Odds are, the person you are picturing right now doesn’t reflect many of the changes that have taken place. Fortunately, the UK Gambling Commission publishes regular industry statistics that provide significant insight into these changes and what it means to be a typical online gambler today. Expanding Reach One of the most dramatic changes that has been taking place in recent years is the growth of online gambling in comparison to other forms of gambling. It is the largest single gambling sector, accounting for almost 40% of all the gambling in the UK with £3.0bn coming in from online casino games alone. The latest industry data shows that 18% of all people have gambled online at least once in the last four weeks. Unlike the past, where online gambling only took place at home, now over half of all online gamblers are making use of mobile phones and tablets giving more access to RMOG sites. In fact, over the past four years, the number of people who have engaged in mobile gaming has grown from 23% to 44% . Setting the Record Straight on Age Most people imagine gamblers to be in their 50s or 60s. This isn’t without justification, because when you look across all types of gambling this is the age group with the highest participation. However, if you remove national lottery draws, then the landscape looks very different. After removing the national lottery, the age group that has the highest participation in all gambling is the 25-34 age bracket, with 37% of the population participating. This is reinforced when we look at the participation rates specifically for online gambling by age. Again the 25-34 age bracket leads the way, making up 23% of the total market. Gender is No Longer a Barrier Returning to your mental image of the typical gambler, what gender did you assign that person? If you assumed them to be male, then you have assumed correctly. Once again, however, the split between males and females is likely closer than you realise. Increasingly women are engaging in gambling activities. In 2017, 48% of all men participate in some form of gambling, but women are not far behind with 41% participating. Removing the national lottery tightens the gap slightly to 34% for men and 29% for women. Part of this shift may be due to the engaging nature of many of today’s online casino games. The Gambling Commission also tracks the availability and prevalence of online gambling-style games where no money is at stake. These games are played simply for fun, and in this category of game, women actually led men as of the 2017 data, with 34% of all women participating and men at only 32%. While ‘softer games like bingo remain most popular with the ladies, operators and suppliers are now offering games across igaming genres, designed with the female player in mind. Motivations for Gambling Who doesn’t love winning? As you might have guessed, the chance of winning is the driving factor for roughly half of all gamblers. Once again, those participating in the national lottery draws skew the data a bit, as they are more likely to play to win compared with other gamblers. But you might be surprised that roughly a third of all gamblers are simply looking for fun and enjoyment. After that driving factors include the opportunity to socialise and finding it relaxing. Conclusion Gambling audiences represent a much more diverse audience than most people would imagine. Men and women across age groups all participate in large numbers. This diversity is one of the reasons onload{media} has chosen to work with gambling networks. The vigorously age-verified audience can be intelligently targeted, regardless of the audience you are trying to reach. As we now understand, they are not simply driven to win. Many chose gambling as a fun, leisure activity so taking otherwise idol time and filling it with relevant advertising provides optimal impact and opportunity for conversion. ____________________________________ Related Posts onload{media} 29 Nov 2019 Making the case for casino audiences YouGov.co.uk The most popular gambling & betting brands in the UK

Onload{media} goes live today A new Ad Network, onload{media}, is now running live in the worlds latest hunting ground for unique and engaged audiences, real money online gaming sites. Together with LeoVegas and Blueprint Gaming, onload{media} has developed a channel to deliver video ads with high viewability and completion rates to rigorously verified 18+ audiences. Last month IAB member, onload{media} announced the launch of their business , and the opening of their Euston-based London office. Since then, onload{media} has worked closely with its launch partners to finesse their beta offering. The delivery, partner model and viewer experience have all been thoroughly tested for suitability, to be deployed globally in regulated gambling markets. About the network In its mission statement, onload{media} details that it seeks to deliver online gambling incumbents with an optimal targeted ad-network, compliant with the multiple advertising demands facing industry marketing teams. It helps operators and game suppliers diversify their revenue streams and obtain a means to offset the mounting regulatory costs and taxes. Partnering with onload{media} The network is now open to global operators , game suppliers , gaming platforms, gambling support charities , brands and advertisers alike. onload{media} is particularly interested in engaging with operator and supplier partners who are keen to assist in helping promote a safer and responsible gambling message in the industry Early results show that brands targeting 18+ audiences realise exceptional view and completion rates, particularly for Fitness, Travel, & Auto brands. The consumer experience onload{media} publish winning videos, specifically formatted and relevant for real-money online gaming environments. Visitors to the operator site are served non-skippable, branded video content while games load, to engage and enhance the user’s continuous experience. Looking ahead onload{media} are now working on their general release offering which will launch with tier 1 global game supplier, NetEnt. Henrik Fagerlund - Managing Director, of NETENT Malta, had this to say regarding their onload{media} partnership : "We love making engaging games and we even want to make the game loading more entertaining for the players as well as monetizing on that space we create together with the operators. The onload{media} ad network offers us additional revenue each time one of our games is played, which is great.” Onload{media} CEO, Justin Chamberlain said, “players in the industry, should be looking to diversify their revenue streams in order to survive the continued tightening of controls and increasing regulatory limits and charges. “ About onload{media} onload{media} advertising network partner with suppliers of real-money online casino games and online casino operators to provide them with revenue that is not subject to existing taxes and levies, whilst also promoting and supporting the work of gambling addiction charities. onload{media} are the first ad network specifically created to increase advertisers’ ROI by reaching untapped over-18, rigorously verified audiences by engaging real-money online gamers. Related Articles iGaming Business 25 Nov 2019 onload{media} ad network goes live worldwide CasinoBeats 25 Nov 2019 NetEnt signs on as onload ad network goes global European Gaming 25 Nov 2019 Together with LeoVegas and Blueprint Gaming, onload{media} has e-Game spectrum 26 Nov 2019 Game-changing onload{media} Ad Network Goes Live Worldwide Gaming Post 28 Nov 2019 NetEnt Partners With Onload Media’s New Ad Network

Introduction A successful digital marketing campaign depends on a multitude of factors that all need to play to your favour in order to identify and move customers through your marketing funnel and turn impressions into sales. As is generally true in life, the first step of that customer journey is often the hardest. The top-of-funnel step, often referred to as awareness or outreach, is where you cast a wide net and try to reach as many potential customers as possible, in the hope of creating engagement and interest. Success at this phase often relies on two key attributes of the person you are reaching: 1. Is this person part of your target audience? 2. What is the mental and emotional state of that person? Who do you want to reach? Having a clear working definition of your target audience is crucial to an effective marketing campaign. Chances are, if you are reading this article, then you are interested in reaching, through digital advertising, an audience that is online. A smart choice considering that, according to the Office for National Statistics, 87% of all adults in the UK “use the Internet daily or almost every day”. If you understand your target audience to be adults 18-35, then the number climbs to 99.5%. But how do we make sure the people we are reaching are actually part of our more specific target? Finding your customers For many years, online marketers enjoyed finding their target audiences with relative ease. Websites and online tools tracked peoples’ online habits and were able to form a strong understanding of that person in order to serve them highly relevant advertisements. But that all changed with the passage of the General Data Privacy Regulation (GDPR), which sent shockwaves through the digital marketing community. Many of the tools and techniques for using behavioural data to identify and track individuals were severely hindered. We at onload {media} searched for and found one solution: an ad network that gives advertisers access to a massive, untapped audience through partnering exclusively with RMOG operators and suppliers. Many advertisers are looking to engage with 18+ audiences: car manufacturers, luxury goods, upscale fashion, to name just a few. Casino audiences are rigorously verified as over 18 and casino operations are subject to strict regulation by the UK Gambling Commission. State of mind Any advertiser knows that getting the message seen isn’t even half the battle. The real challenge is in turning that impression into engagement. With online casinos, you can get your video ad in front of an audience that has their wallets open and are already paying to consume entertainment. In more succinct wording, they are in consumption mode. What’s more, they are happy to sit in front of a blank screen for an average of 12 seconds to wait for it! This valuable time – the seconds between the consumer selecting a game and game loading – could be filled with relevant and engaging, non-skippable ad content to occupy and entertain them. The perfect audience. A growing audience Not only are gamers in online casinos the perfect audience, they are also a growing audience. According to the British government, nearly 9 million people are regularly spending both time and money in online casinos. This number has steadily climbed by about half a million people each year since 2014, with the largest year-on-year growth happening in the 25-34 age group. With distribution like that, the value of tapping the casino market is clear. An improving image We know casinos don’t historically have the best reputation. But in recent years, the British government has stepped in and began passing regulations to improve the operations of online casinos. The impact has been a reformation of the industry into a more legitimate online venue for entertainment. Online casinos are now some of the safest sites in the UK, but the lingering negative image has kept it an untapped resource. Now is your chance to be a part of the positive change. If you’re keen to learn more about the casino market, get in touch with onload{media}.

The new proposed regulations for online gambling, without doubt, will be revised before they are adopted. Also certainly, in whatever form, they will reduce the revenues of online casino operators. This, in turn, will reduce the share of revenue they will offer online game suppliers who are a vital component in this supply chain On ethical grounds, we wholeheartedly approve of banning credit cards for online gaming, but that subject is for another day and another article. The urgent point today is that if this proposed regulation is approved, the drop in operators’ revenue will be significant and this reduction will, in turn, hit the suppliers bottom line hard too. We doubt the stake limit will drop as low as £2, as proposed, but any decrease could prompt an increase in point-of-consumption tax, further squeezing the profits of operators and game suppliers. In an industry where profit margins are already slim, traditional belt-tightening will not be the answer. We propose an alternative: diversify your revenue streams. Now. Don’t wait for the tidal wave; surf it. We invite all RMOG operators and game suppliers to get in touch for an onload{media} demo. The key to protecting your business from future regulatory changes, taxes and fines. By publishing video adverts during the game loading experience, operators earn additional revenue that is not subject to point-of-consumption tax. They can offer game suppliers a better share of the revenue. Advertisers reach unique, untapped, highly targeted audiences in buying mode. Win win win. Do it now.