Do we need an iGaming specialist, or will a good generalist do?
A generalist can work where you need execution capacity on a single well-run channel, or where your internal team already carries the category expertise. Anywhere else the generalist learning curve is paid in wasted spend, thrown-away creative and occasionally in regulatory exposure. The specialist premium buys compressed time to competence, and you should be able to state roughly what that is worth before agreeing a rate.
Is it cheaper to build an in-house iGaming marketing team?
At scale, usually yes. Below it, usually no. A functioning team needs five to seven specialists before leadership, and the honest comparison adds tooling, affiliate platform licensing, recruitment, vacancy months, ramp time and expected turnover to the salary line.
Does our marketing agency need PAGCOR accreditation?
If you are a PAGCOR licensee, yes. The B2B accreditation framework requires licensees to engage only accredited providers and names marketing affiliates explicitly among covered categories. The compliance exposure sits with the licensee rather than the vendor.
What should an agency report on every month?
Cost per first-time depositor by channel, payback period, player value by acquisition source over a fixed window, and retention by cohort. Marketing cost against net gaming revenue is the governing relationship. Everything else is diagnostic.
How long before an agency should show results?
Expect diagnosis rather than performance in the first four to six weeks. Dramatic improvement in month one means the agency either inherited obvious errors or is reporting selectively, and it is worth establishing which. Genuine compounding starts in the second quarter and is visible in the third.
How do we handle an agency that also works with our competitors?
Directly, and in the contract. Multiple operator clients are where the expertise comes from, so a blanket restriction will be refused. Negotiate exclusivity against a named competitor set in a defined market instead, and ask who else they serve before you sign rather than after.
