The Role of TikTok in Attracting Gamblers to Online Casinos

Social media has, for a while now, played a massive role in attracting gamblers to play at online casinos. For gambling companies, it’s a relatively low-cost way to reach potential new customers when compared to traditional media.

According to a cross-channel media cost comparison by Dr. Augustine Fou in the US, companies need to spend just $2.50 on average per 1,000 impressions on social media. By comparison, a gambling brand in the US would have to spend $28 on TV advertising to reach the same number of people or $16 for Magazine and Print ads to reach 1,000 people.

Why TikTok is becoming more popular for gambling companies

A January 2024 marketing survey by Statista found that TikTok was the fifth-most used social media platform by marketers worldwide, with 28%.

For online casino and gambling companies in particular, some recent changes suggest that TikTok could be overtaking the likes of Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). Not least of all because the Chinese-owned short-form video social media app now has more than an estimated 1 billion users worldwide.

Changes to TikTok’s gambling and games advertising policies

As recently as September 2024, things didn’t look great for TikTok as an advertising medium for online casinos. The UK Advertising Standards Authority banned five social casino game ads, all of which appeared on TikTok, for being “misleading”.

However, this prompted TikTok to take action, as they updated their Gambling and Games Advertising Policies in December 2024.

As well as having region-specific rules for all countries in which TikTok legally operates, there are now four key requirements that online casino companies must meet before launching an ad on the app:

• Advanced permission– Written permission must be obtained from TikTok before the ad goes live.

• Evidence of licensing and regulation – Evidence that the gambling service being advertised is licensed, regulated, and legal in the market(s) that it aims to reach must be presented.

• Appropriate market delivery – Gambling and gaming ads will only be pushed in markets where the law permits them.

• Protection of minors – The ads will not be delivered to, and cannot be designed to, appeal to young people.

TikTok online gambling and gaming policies by region

Here is a summary of the TikTok online casino advertising rules in some key countries:

• United States – Online casino, horse racing, and virtual sports adverts may be allowed if the four key requirements are met. Sweepstakes casino game ads may be permitted if they are free to enter and only aimed at persons aged 18 and older.

• United Kingdom – No gambling-related products or services can be advertised. Social gaming ads may be permitted if the right conditions are met.

• Canada – Online casinos and social casino game adverts are permitted if they meet the four key requirements (listed above) and legal requirements in the country and province.

• Australia – No online casino ads are allowed, but sports betting ads may be approved subject to regulations.

TikTok and eSports betting

As well as online casino operators, TikTok is hugely popular with online gaming streamers and professional eSports teams. The short-form videos on TikTok are useful for attracting people to their long-form and live-streaming channels on apps like Twitch and YouTube.

TikTok and eSports’ relationship was firmly established in the summer of 2024 when TikTok became the official sponsor of the eSports World Cup. This paved the way for eSports betting companies to advertise via TikTok through streamers and influencers.

How this is relevant to online casinos

There is a huge amount of crossover between eSports and online casino gaming. Some of the top eSports betting brands, such as Stake.com, also have extensive online casino platforms that they can cross-advertise on the app. You use this link to look at more info about Stake.com and its bonus drop codes.

TikTok Live and online casino streaming

The massive rise in popularity of TikTok live means that eSports players can now stream live on the app, and don’t have to cross-advertise to other platforms like Twitch. Since 2020, users have been playing online casino games on TikTok Live, and at first, it was largely unregulated.

However, many online casinos started to ban TikTok users who were streaming without their consent, only allowing those that they paid to advertise. Additionally, TikTok themselves have become quicker at banning streamers who have breached their policies on gambling and gaming.   

Hours watched and peak viewers massively increased on TikTok live in 2024

While we don’t have exact data for online casino streamers specifically, we do have three years’ worth of data for TikTok live eSports streams.

Online casino games are included in the eSports category on the app, so here are some relevant figures relating to hours watch and peak viewers in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Info taken from #EsportsCharts