Moloco remains the main topic of discussion across the iGaming and In-App communities. Account shutdowns, suspended agency accounts, and the lack of clear communication from the platform have affected a large number of teams.
During the first few hours, the market was still expecting clarification and hoping that operations would resume. By now, however, the situation has become much clearer: Moloco is unlikely to return to its previous model of working with iGaming advertisers and agencies.
Let’s break down what is currently known, why this may have happened, and how teams should restructure their media buying.

What is currently happening with Moloco

As things stand:
— agency accounts have been disabled;
— new accounts are no longer being created;
— there is no clear path toward restoring the previous operating model.
The situation is unusual even by iGaming industry standards. Based on what we have observed, some front-line Moloco managers either do not have access to the full picture themselves or are unable to comment publicly on what is happening.
At this point, teams should no longer expect the traffic source to simply “come back online” within a few days and return to business as usual. The reality is that Moloco will no longer work with iGaming and the agency model in the same way it did before.

The market has already gone through similar transformations with other major traffic sources. In the past, however, the rules usually changed gradually: individual restrictions would appear first, moderation would become stricter, rejection rates would increase, and only then would high-risk verticals be fully pushed off the platform.
With Moloco, everything happened almost overnight. Access was disabled within roughly one day, leaving agencies and media buying teams with virtually no time to prepare.

Why this situation is especially important to us

For us, Moloco is neither a new traffic source nor another trend that appeared on the market yesterday.
We have been working with the platform for several years and were among the first to publicly cover Moloco, share case studies, and help teams launch campaigns there—back when most of the industry was still only beginning to explore the source.
Over the years, we have supported hundreds of launches, dozens of teams, and a large number of tests across different verticals and GEOs. We have watched the platform evolve through multiple stages and helped clients launch, scale, and adapt to changes within the traffic source.

That is why our current position is not based on a single message or rumors circulating in industry chats. It is based on years of experience working with Moloco, direct communication with teams, and a deep understanding of how the source operates.

Why Moloco may have made this decision

Moloco has not yet provided a detailed official explanation, so it would be incorrect to state the reasons behind the decision as fact.
One of the most likely explanations is that the company is reassessing its exposure to high-risk verticals and the agency business model in an effort to make its operations more transparent and attractive ahead of major corporate developments, potentially including preparations for an IPO.
The current situation does look like an attempt to make the business structure as “clean” as possible and step away from areas that may be perceived as risky.
For now, however, this remains a hypothesis. To confirm it, we would need a clearer understanding of what is happening across Moloco’s other client categories and business segments.

The restrictions have affected more than just iGaming

It is important to understand that the impact has not been limited to iGaming teams.
Many agencies were working with both high-risk verticals and fully compliant, white-hat clients at the same time. As a result, the shutdown of the agency model has affected all of them, including legitimate apps and mainstream advertisers.

At the same time, some gaming studios and white-hat advertisers working with Moloco directly may be able to continue operating. The main impact has fallen on agencies and clients running campaigns through agency accounts.
Initial reports suggesting that the changes only affected EMEA also do not reflect the full picture. The consequences appear to be much broader and are affecting clients across multiple regions.

What happens to client funds?

For most clients, recovering or withdrawing funds is not the primary concern.
Agencies mainly work with Moloco through credit lines, which means there are no large amounts of client funds being frozen across accounts. The main issue is the loss of an active traffic source, the sudden suspension of campaigns, and the need to rebuild launch strategies quickly.

What teams should do now

The first step is to stop waiting for Moloco to return in its previous format.
The second is not to rush into replacing it with the first available source. Moving budgets chaotically without understanding how a new channel works can lead to additional losses. A more effective approach is to restructure media buying and launch strategies in a controlled and systematic way.

1. Assess Your Dependency on Moloco
Teams need to determine:
— what share of their overall performance came from Moloco;
— which campaigns and volumes have been suspended;
— which offers and GEOs need to be migrated first;
— which apps, creatives, and funnels can be adapted for other sources.
When one traffic source accounts for more than 50% of a team’s overall results, that is already a systemic risk. The Moloco situation has once again demonstrated why an entire business model should never be built around a single channel.

2. Choose Alternative In-App Traffic Sources
We are already preparing a list of strong Moloco alternatives, and several sources are showing solid potential for In-App campaigns.
However, they should not be selected simply based on what is available right now. Each source needs to be evaluated according to specific parameters:
— available GEOs;
— optimization model;
— app and creative requirements;
— minimum testing budget;
— campaign learning speed;
— long-term scaling potential.

3. Run Controlled Tests
Teams should not immediately move their entire budget to a single alternative source.
A better approach is to test several channels in parallel using budgets that are limited but still sufficient to generate meaningful data. Volumes can then be gradually redistributed toward the sources where the unit economics work and traffic quality remains stable.

4. Do Not Build a New System Around a Single Source
The main lesson from the Moloco situation is that diversification must be part of the strategy—not an emergency response after a source shuts down.
Even when one channel delivers the strongest results, teams should not move their entire volume there. Part of the budget should remain allocated to testing and developing additional channels so that there is always a viable backup scenario.

5. Document Everything That Already Worked
Before moving to a new traffic source, it is important to document all proven assets and learnings from Moloco:
— creatives that delivered the best results;
— campaign combinations with strong unit economics;
— funnels with high conversion rates;
— apps and GEOs that performed consistently;
— offers, settings, and approaches that have already been validated with real traffic.
This does not mean that everything should be transferred without changes. However, this data should form the foundation for new tests.
Proven ideas and mechanics should be adapted to the specifics of each new source, including its inventory, placements, optimization algorithms, and creative requirements.

What will happen to the In-App market?

Moloco stepping away from its previous iGaming model does not mean the end of In-App advertising. On the contrary, the market will begin redistributing volumes more actively, testing new DSPs, and developing expertise across alternative channels.
The advantage will go to teams that are faster to:
— understand the mechanics of new sources;
— build their own benchmarks;
— adapt their creatives and funnels;
— configure reliable analytics;
— build a multi-channel system instead of searching for a single direct replacement for Moloco.

Conclusion

Strong alternatives are already available, and some of them are showing solid potential for both launching and scaling campaigns. We are not simply observing the changes from the sidelines. We are already building a pool of new In-App traffic sources, studying how they operate, and preparing practical materials for media buying teams.
Our goal is to help teams navigate this transition systematically: select the right source for specific GEOs and offers, define an appropriate testing budget, prepare creatives, set up analytics, choose the right decision-making metrics, and build a scaling strategy without creating another dependency on a single channel.

You already know how we work with teams: we do not simply provide account access. We support the entire launch process, assist with technical issues, help analyze performance, and adapt strategies to changing market conditions.
The priority now is not to wait for Moloco to return, but to build the next working system. And this transition can be made together with us.

To find out which Moloco alternatives are best suited to your goals, message us the bot. We will review your situation, recommend where to start, and suggest which traffic sources should be tested first.
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