Australia's deep ties to gambling are well-known, so it would be a shame not to discuss it. In 2022, Australians lost AU$11.4 billion on slots, equal to US$7.73 billion. So in other words, there's money to spend and Australians love spending it on gambling.
In this article, we'll analyze data from spy services and insights from colleagues driving gambling traffic via push notifications on the fully-managed MyBid ad network. Let's look at which creatives may increase CTR and conversion for your campaigns.
Features of gambling campaigns for Australia
Australia is renowned for its affection for gambling. Residents spend an average of $1,300 per year on gambling with their tastes varying from poker and sports betting to slots and horse racing. The geo carries a huge potential for affiliates that will go ahead and research and use the right ad creatives to acquire traffic. Let's look at basic ad creative principles used in our network for this region.
Traditional values
As mentioned, gambling is in Australians' blood. A national tradition has formed that must be honored to profit from it. Australians are conservative, so classic slots and familiar top games achieve the best CTR. Avoid flashy, trendy creatives and providers. Simpler is better.
Cryptocurrency approach
Australia has emerged as a global leader in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency adoption. Crypto is now mainstream alongside traditional payment methods. At least 4.5 million Australians own some form of cryptocurrency. While the total number is higher in the US at 46 million, that only represents 13% of Americans, compared to 23% of Australians.
In addition, the growth rate for new crypto users in Australia is 5.8% annually. This high adoption rate makes incorporating a cryptocurrency angle in creatives a smart play, especially with recent rumors of impending bans on credit card deposits to Australian online casinos. When you understand specific pain points affecting your target demographic, you can profit by addressing them.
Avoid negative stereotypes
Some affiliates shared an insightful case study from a campaign targeting white Australian men in their early 40s. The initial ad creatives they used depicted men of that age gambling. The affiliates tried to connect with the target audience by mirroring their age and ethnicity.
However, testing revealed the target group actually responded very poorly to seeing representations of themselves as aged or elderly. Creatives using images of young, attractive women instead vastly outperformed the originals. Below we can see an example of the ineffective initial creative (left) and the high-converting revision (right):
Speak like a local
Australians are renowned for their colorful slang and fondness for nicknames. They refer to dollars as "aussies", shorten afternoon to "arvo", and call slot machines by the nickname "pokies", short for poker machines.
Incorporating these types of local slang into ad copy can grant ad creatives an authentic Aussie voice. Even small touches like using "aussies" instead of dollars can boost engagement and click-through rates with audiences.
Promote big wins
For seasoned gamblers, financial struggles are unfortunately very common to them. Many have big dreams of hitting one big jackpot win to erase accumulated losses and debts.
Creatives that tap into this desire and promise life-changing wins have consistently high click-through rates, especially in Australia with its gambling-loving culture.
Conclusion
The Australian gambling market offers plenty of opportunities. Australians prefer straightforward ads that align with their traditions and language. To succeed, create well-optimized ads tailored to local preferences, and don't forget to tap into the support of a personal manager from MyBid for a better return on investment (ROI).
