Gaming1 Reduces Advertising Costs and Improves Conversions with TrafficGuard in Belgium

Gaming1 applied TrafficGuard's Search solution on Circus-Casino.be with the goal of reducing invalid traffic and paid clicks that do not generate real growth. Following the initial measurement in September in Liège, Belgium, Gaming1 and TrafficGuard reported that the elimination of this traffic allowed them to recover more than 11.3% of their annual marketing budget, while converted registrations and sales increased by 11.5%. This intervention aligns with the industry's efforts to improve the effectiveness of user acquisition in regulated markets.

How TrafficGuard Optimized Gaming1's Search Strategy

TrafficGuard reported that the initial analysis revealed that 97% of the clicks on the brand came from already registered users attempting to log in, rather than from new players making their first deposit. To combat this phenomenon, TrafficGuard's Search solution applied individual click frequency controls, limiting repeated paid clicks on brand searches. The goal was to prevent regular players from generating unnecessary costs in Google Ads campaigns.

“In high CPC verticals like sports betting, recurring users generate multiple paid clicks on brand terms to access, while bots and invalid traffic often target higher-cost generic terms. Small volumes of either can significantly distort acquisition costs and optimization signals at scale,” explained Mathew Ratty, CEO of TrafficGuard.

Effects on CAC, ROAS, and Automated Models

Gaming1 stated that the implementation led to greater accuracy in calculating customer acquisition cost (CAC) and return on advertising spend (ROAS). TrafficGuard quantified the "saved paid clicks" and redirected the protected budget to attract first-time depositing players. The improvement in traffic quality optimized conversion funnels and Google's Smart Bidding automated models.

Simón Wood, Performance Marketing Director at Gaming1, stated:

“The paid search channel is one of our most commercially sensitive and we needed to acquire audience more efficiently. TrafficGuard provided us that clarity. Recovering over 11% of the annual budget and seeing an immediate increase in conversions confirms the opportunity we had identified: a large portion of our brand investment was not generating incremental growth. Now it is one of the most impactful optimization levers in our operation.”

Regulatory Considerations and Google Ads Policies

The collaboration considered both Google’s advertising policies and Gaming1's regulatory obligations in Belgium. This is relevant given the regulatory framework of online gaming in that market and the restrictions on advertising and user acquisition.

The differentiating approach was to validate in real-time returning organic users to the site while simultaneously preventing non-incremental interaction from consuming the budget allocated for acquisition. In this way, spending was redirected to attract true new players, improving the overall quality of the campaigns and their financial impact on Circus-Casino.be.

Implications for Operators and Suppliers

Gaming1's experience can serve as a reference for operators facing high acquisition costs in casino and sports, where the segmentation between valid traffic and incremental traffic is not always technologically resolved. The granular control over clicks and automated traffic — and the close collaboration with suppliers like TrafficGuard — now appear as crucial levers in the sector's digital strategy.

The key figure: more than 11% of the annual marketing budget "unlocked" and redirected toward new registrations, for an immediate and measurable increase in campaign performance in regulated markets like Belgium.