If a couple of years ago it was possible to get out of gambling on simple "from scratch" creos, today this era is over. The level of production has grown, the competition has become tougher, and users are much more selective. Creatives are no longer about "just to hook a click", but about keeping attention, showing real gameplay and bringing a quality player, and not random traffic.

We won't say for the hundredth time that creatives are "important." It's obvious enough. Something else is much more important: what exactly working creatives in the in-app store look like right now, and what approaches really convert, and which ones are already hopelessly outdated.

In this article, we will analyze:

What creative approaches can we expect this year?
What makes good creativity different from bad creativity in practice?
What practical tips can help you create creatives?
And how to work with Playable Ads.

Overall market picture

The total market (offline and online) of players in Canada is approximately $15-16 billion, making it one of the largest and most stable Tier-1 markets. At the same time, this market remains one of the most solvent markets.

According to Grand View Research analytics, the industry is showing steady growth:

high ARPU (~$220 in iGaming)
Total Online Gambling Market: ~$3.9 Billion in 2024
CAGR ~14% (very fast growth
tens of millions of active users
Industry growth forecast to ~$8.7B by 2030

If we look at the revenue structure, online already holds a significant share. Out of the total NGR of $15.6 billion, about $5.5 billion (≈35%) comes from the online segment. At the same time, virtual casinos dominate the online market, generating more than 60% of the total revenue, which confirms the shift of the industry towards iCasino.

Let's look at the main indicators for the market:

The dynamics of the regulated market itself deserve special attention. According to iGaming Ontario reports, it becomes clear that the market is not just growing, but entering a phase of mature, controlled development. Betting volumes are already measured in the tens of billions of dollars per year, and revenue is steadily increasing at double-digit rates.

Regulation: the main factor

This is where things get interesting. Canada is not a single market, but rather a collection of 10+ different rules and approaches. Unlike most Tier-1 geographies, Canada is a set of provincial ecosystems with varying levels of maturity, regulation, and competition. Each province operates under its own set of laws, governed by local authorities, and evolving at its own pace.

Unlike most Tier-1 geos, Canada is not a single system with common rules of the game. It is a collection of separate provincial ecosystems, each with its own laws, governed by local authorities, and evolving at different rates.

Today, the only fully formed and transparent iGaming market is Ontario. It is here that you can find open analytics, clear rules for operators, and full-fledged competition between international brands. In fact, Ontario serves as a benchmark, allowing you to understand how the entire country of Canada will develop as regulation evolves.

For example, iGaming Ontario has a public registry of regulated operators: as of March 2026, it lists 47 operators and 81 sites. However, participation is only possible if you are physically located in the province and are at least 19 years old. This is a full-fledged legal open market, not a test model.

If we look at the last 1-2 years, we can see another important shift: Canada is moving from a phase of legalization to a phase of increased control.

The most notable change is the introduction of the CGA Code for Responsible Advertising starting in 2026. Essentially, this is a new level of marketing regulation:

There is now a unified set of rules for all iGaming advertising
the control is carried out by an independent body (Ad Standards)
any user can file a complaint about the ad
The rules apply to all channels: digital, social, and influencers

At the same time, the government is actively trying to transfer users from the offshore segment to a regulated environment. For example, in Alberta, it is explicitly stated that up to ~70% of the market is still in the “gray zone.” This is why the provinces are starting to open regulated markets in order to gradually “capture” this traffic.

This is an important point: regulation is no longer just limiting; it is competing with offshore companies for users.

Financial control is additionally strengthened. Stricter AML requirements, mandatory KYC procedures, and transaction control through FINTRAC are introduced.

In practice, this means that regulation is becoming increasingly integrated into operational processes. It's no longer just about licenses; it's about having complete control over how businesses operate within the market.

Audience behavior

The main difference between Canada is that its users are rational, which sets it apart from classic traffic. They are not impulsive players, but mature, financially stable users who make decisions consciously.

If we talk about the basic structure of the audience, the main segment in iGaming is people aged 30-50, and not a young audience, as is often expected. Moreover, participation in gambling is generally higher among the older group (45+) than among young people.

The market remains predominantly male, but not as much as before:
~56–57% men
~43–44% women

This is an important point, as the female audience is already significant, especially in the online format.

From the point of view of behavior, the Canadian user is a digital-first audience. He is used to online services, actively uses mobile devices and interacts only with clear and “clean” products that can be trusted.

Platforms should be considered separately. Canada is a pronounced iOS market: the share of iOS on mobile devices exceeds 64%, while Android occupies about 35%.

The language structure is also important. The main language is English (~75–76%), but French (~21–22%) is not just an addition, but a separate large segment, primarily due to Quebec.

It makes sense to use French in creatives only when targeting specific French-speaking regions or when setting the device language. In other cases, it is easier and more effective to work in English, as the vast majority of the audience understands it.

If we look deeper, audience behavior varies greatly by age.
Younger audiences (18-30) are more likely to engage with iGaming through mobile devices, prefer fast formats (slots, instant games), and respond more strongly to product and UX.

The 30+ audience behaves differently: it is more conservative, has a higher LTV, and is much more responsive to brand, reputation, and trust.

And here comes the key behavioral insight that the Canadian user:

don't respond to aggressive offers
compares products before registration
draws attention to the brand
sensitive to condition transparency

In fact, this is no longer “traffic” in the classic sense, but an almost conscious buyer. This is why pressure doesn’t work in Canada: aggressive approaches don’t lead to conversions, while trust directly translates into money. The Canadian user is not someone who can be “pressured,” but someone who needs to be convinced.

Creatives: what really works

From the point of view of creatives, it is important to understand which formats and verticals are at the core of demand. According to statistics on redwine, online slots remain the most popular category, with around 78% of players regularly interacting with this format. Among table games, blackjack is the most popular, with around 45% of users playing it, while online roulette holds around 38%, which is slightly higher than the global average. Online sports betting is projected to generate just over \$2.04 billion in 2024/25.

Despite this, the approaches to creatives in Canada are very different from the classic “arbitrage” markets, they don’t work well here:

flashy offers
fake promises
aggressive bonuses

They work much better:

calm delivery
value-first communication
transparent conditions and native formats.

In fact, this is closer to the style of premium Tier-1 markets like the UK or the Nordics than to aggressive approaches.

At the same time, the formats themselves — slots, UGC, and TikTok approaches — continue to be used, but the key role is no longer played by the format itself, but by the quality of implementation and adaptation to the local audience. More about creatives can be read here.

It is also important to take into account the tightening of regulation: since 2026, the new Code for Responsible Gaming Advertising has been in effect, which has increased control over advertising, restricted the communication of bonuses and promotions, and generally made the requirements for creatives much stricter. Therefore, any elements such as bank logos or cryptocurrencies in creatives require special caution and understanding of compliance.

Billing methods

Canada is a developed fintech market with a clear and “clean” payment infrastructure.

The basis consists of:

Bank cards (Visa / Mastercard)
Interac (key local system)
e-wallets

The key features of the market are Interac and Interac e — Transfer, which are one of the most common payment methods. This is also confirmed at the level of regulated products: for example, PlayAlberta supports Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and Interac e-Transfer, while OLG in Ontario supports Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard, Credit cards, American Express, Interac e-Transfer, and Apple Pay.

Essentially, the core of payment systems in Canada is a combination of Interac and bank cards, with the addition of popular e-wallet solutions.

At the same time, it is important to take into account user behavior: Canadians trust only transparent and legal payment methods, and any “gray” schemes or non-standard methods often lead to rejection or loss of trust.

What will lead to the result

In Canada, those who build a systematic approach win, rather than trying to force the market.

Kostya, Support Manager: “Based on our experience with different geographies and cases that we have analyzed in our blog, teams that rely on trust rather than aggressive approaches tend to scale better. High-quality localization, understanding of regional specifics, and the ability to adapt the approach to the geographies are crucial in this context, rather than relying on national averages.”

Also, a separate role is played by infrastructure: stable cabinets, access to sources, built-in processes — all this becomes not just support, but a key factor of growth. And it is here that the main lever of scaling appears: access to advertising infrastructure directly determines whether the team will be able to grow or will run into restrictions. In the conditions of Canada, this is no longer an operational detail, but a full-fledged competitive advantage.

Conclusion

The future of iGaming in Canada looks dynamic and technological. The market will continue to grow through the development of the online segment and mobile platforms, especially as more provinces open regulated digital markets.

The industry is already moving towards more complex products: live betting, personalized user experiences based on data and AI, and new formats like esports that attract younger audiences. At the same time, regulation will intensify, focusing on user protection, transparency, and responsible gambling.

Canada is a market where “arbitrage” ends and real marketing begins. Here, you can’t win with speed, aggression, or random creativity. Here, it’s all about systems, trust, and infrastructure.

If you plan to launch in Canada and work with In-App without unnecessary tests, bans, and losses at the start — write to us in the Telegram bot, we will help you set up a starting setup and choose a working approach that takes into account the specifics of this market.

And subscribe to our Telegram channel Profit Rental — there are cases, insights, and practical analyses on Tier-1geo and much more.

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