We Analyzed 20,000+ Real-Money Casino Ad Creatives. Here’s What We Found.

Real-money casino app marketers produce a lot of creative assets. What isn’t obvious is which on‑screen creative features in a video ad actually improve campaign performance, specifically installs per 1,000 impressions (IPM). In June 2025, we analyzed thousands of video ad creatives in the real-money casino category across APAC, EMEA, and the Americas to identify creative features that help or hurt performance.

This post unpacks those findings, offering real-money casino app marketers context they can use to evaluate their current video ad creative mix and—where it makes sense—apply the learnings to design creative winners and boost campaign performance.

The Big Takeaways

• What boosts IPM globally: On-screen text, home environments, text message UI, user POV gameplay, people interactions, and explicit legitimacy assurances.
• What drags IPM globally: “Play Now” CTAs, showing future levels, emphasizing skill-based play, and seasonal content.

How We Approached the Analysis

• Defined the feature set: We cataloged more than 50 creative features (measurable on‑screen attributes) commonly used in real-money casino ads.
• Tagged at scale: With the help of generative AI, we analyzed and assigned tags to over 20,000 video and playable ad creatives globally.
• Normalized performance: We calculated performance metrics for all of the creatives and normalized the data across campaigns to make fair comparisons.
• Modeled impact: We ran a regression analysis to calculate the IPM impact of each feature.

LIFTS: A Framework for Breaking Down Ad Creative

To make the findings usable in everyday creative production, we organized every feature into a framework we call “LIFTS”.

• “L” is Layout (how information appears on screen)
• “I” is Imagery (live action, UI, setting, props)
• “F” is Featured Talent (how many people appear and how they interact)
• “T” is Tone & Message (credibility cues, value‑led copy, CTAs)
• “S” is Storytelling Style (on-screen text, text message UI, user POV gameplay)

Once creative assets are reviewed through this lens, it becomes easier to compare iterations fairly and to diagnose why a given ad succeeded or failed.

What to Put on Screen (Global Boosters)

‍On-screen text visuals: Open the ad with a large, legible text block that carries the benefit. This feature consistently lifted IPM by getting the real-money casino app’s value prop across immediately.

‍Home environment: Set the creative in home settings such as kitchens, living rooms, or bedrooms. These familiar settings make moments feel personal and relatable.

Telling a story through text messaging: Use a chat interface to surface a bonus, win, or withdrawal. The motif moves quickly and adds social proof.

User POV gameplay: Show how the game looks and plays from the perspective of a person holding a mobile device.

Two or more people interacting: Light dialogue and genuine human conversations convey emotion and legitimacy more effectively than a solo monologue.

‍Assure that the winnings are real: Show a withdrawal flow or state clearly that the opportunity to win money is real.

*The ad creatives shown here were generated with AI for illustration and are not taken from any live campaign.

What to Phase Out (Global Draggers)

• “Play Now” CTA buttons: This often reads as pressure rather than help. Instead, use a “Claim Now” CTA or benefit‑led copy, such as prompting the user to claim a reward.
• Future level previews: Showing previews of future levels introduces too much gameplay variety at once.
• Skill‑first framing: Positioning success as something only skilled users achieve increases perceived effort and turns off certain audiences.
• Seasonal imagery: Seasonal holiday or event themes look promotional and distract from the creative's main message.

3 Creative Concepts to Try

Video ad: Message‑first

Open the ad with an on-screen text visual mechanism (prompter text or text message thread) that carries the key points and benefits of the real-money mobile casino game. Cut to a message that explains why the game is trustworthy and “not a scam.” Close with a clear value‑led CTA.

Playable ad: Simulated gameplay and winning

Design a playable that visualizes gameplay as close to the real game as possible and lets users play a few simple rounds that culminate in a visible win and an on‑screen withdrawal option. End with a clear CTA that alludes to the ability to continue playing.

Playable ad: Simple selection

Show a layout focused on one key visual and a simple one- or two-tap interaction, with both actions leading to a user winning. 

Ad Creatives With Moloco Studio

Let Moloco Studio and Moloco Data Science put these ad creative findings to work for your mobile ad campaigns by reaching out to your account manager today.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The laws, regulations, and advertising codes applicable to gambling and gaming advertisements vary significantly by jurisdiction. The content and examples discussed herein are for illustrative purposes and may not be compliant in all regions. It is the sole responsibility of the advertiser, its agencies, and partners to ensure that all advertising and promotional materials comply with all applicable local, state, national, and international laws, regulations, and advertising codes in the jurisdictions where the advertisements will be displayed. We strongly recommend seeking independent legal counsel to ensure the compliance of your advertising creative before publication.