How to use TikTok to promote casinos

💡 Important: no "moderation bypass." TikTok allows gambling advertising only in certain countries and with permits. Below are only legal and compliant practices.

1) Dos and don'ts on TikTok for iGaming

It is possible if:

brand licensed;
GEO is allowed by local law and the platform itself;
there is an official permission/certification of the advertiser's account for gambling;
targeting only 18 +/21 + (by local law);
creatives without promises of income, "easy money," packs of cash;
on landing - license, Responsible Gaming (RG), bonus terms.

You cannot:

cloaking, content substitution;
promo on prohibited GEO;
"before/after," promises of "guaranteed winnings," aggressive FOMO;
use of juvenile imagery, alcohol/erotica.

2) Channel architecture: what to build before launch

Accounts: TikTok Ads + verified domain.

Accesses: Permit request for real-money gambling in specific countries/products.

Landing: Fast, with visible bonus terms, license, RG and cookie banner.

Tracking: GA4 + server-side event 'deposit _ success', S2S-postbacks' registration/KYC/FTD/2nd _ dep/refund/chargeback ', MMP (if app).

UTM policy: uniform directories and 'click _ id' on the redirector (without PII in the URL).

Antifraud: IP/ASN scoring, velocity rules, source whitelists/blacklists.

3) TikTok formats and when to use them

In-Feed Ads is the main performance format; quick sprints and A/B.

Spark Ads - a boost of native posts (yours or the creators): higher engagement, cheaper per view, better social signals.

TopView/Brand Takeover - branding when scaled in authorized markets.

Lead Ads/Instant Page - if you need to collect contacts (for remuva and CRM with RG restrictions).

Influencer/UGC - through white contracts, whitelisting and compliance brief.

4) Creatives: Safe "corners" and frameworks

Work and compliance topics:

Gameplay/UX: demonstration of the interface, honestly and without promises of income.
Tournaments and schedules: "compete, test skills," conditions - on the site.
Onboarding and service: "registration in 2 minutes," support 24/7, replenishment methods.
Responsible game: limits, self-control, RG messages.

Storyboard Template 15s (Reels/TT):

1-3 s - hook (animated UI/feature), 4-6 s - how the product differs (tournaments/support), 7-11 s - how to start (onboarding/replenishment methods), 12-15 s - CTA + screen "18 +/Play responsibly. Conditions on the site."

Clear factual CTA: "Play responsibly. 18+. Conditions apply."
Without "earn/guaranteed/return loss."
Localization under GEO (language, currency, age threshold).

5) Targeting and scaling

Age: 18 +/21 + strictly; excluding sensitive audiences.

GEO-segmentation: individual campaigns by country/region from the permitted list.

Growth audiences: look-alike by FTD/2nd-dep/LTV, interests and behavioral signals, contextual categories.

Savings audiences: exclude segments with low 'Prob (2nd_dep)' and high risk scoring.

Pacing/betting: target CPA/ROAS with cohort metrics (see § 7).

6) Funnel and attribution (Web/App)

Web: TikTok → preland (optional) → land → reg/KUS/deposit.

App: TikTok → One-Link → store → first session → 'deposit _ success' event.

Link between click and money: 'click _ id' → S2S postbacks → BI (NGR/cohorts).

7) Success metrics and "early quality"

Operating rooms: 'CTR', 'VTR' (for video), CR (click→reg), CR (reg→FTD).

Quality: '2nd _ dep rate', 'Retention _ D7/D30', chargeback/refund.

Economy: 'CPA', ARPU_D30, Cum_ARPU, Payback, ROAS/ROI - NGR only, not GGR.

Technical: postback delay, p95 latency,% retrays, share of events without 'click _ id'.

Early Quality (D1/D3): predict 'Prob (FTD) '/' Prob (2nd_dep)' based on the source × the geo × device × the creative - distribute the budget/rates for this and turn off the "dead" bundles until D30.

8) Working with creators (UGC) - a secure process

1. Brief and rules: list of prohibited phrases/frames, RG/18 +, legal check.

2. Agreement: permission for Spark-boost, rights to use.

3. Content review: moderation for compliance prior to publication.

4. UTM/creative_id: markup to see author contributions.

5. Monetization: fix or hybrid (fix + KPI bonus on FTD/cohort quality) - if permissible by contract and law in GEO.

9) Security and anti-bans

Do not mix permitted and prohibited GEOs in the same campaign.

Keep whitelisting, domain verification, two-factor.

No cloaking. Any substitution is a risk of blocking accounts/domains.

Incident logs: reasons for deviations, a quick cycle of creative/landing pages.

10) Frequent errors

1. Promises of income/" easy money" - instant deviations.

2. No RG/licenses/bonus conditions on landing.

3. Mixing GEO/age thresholds.

4. Only browser pixels are "leaky" attribution; no S2S.

5. Early stop tests or lack of exploration - "frozen" on yesterday's winners.

11) Checklists

Before launch

TikTok GEO/product permissions; domain/business verification
Landing: license, RG, bonus terms, speed, consent
GA4 + server-side `deposit_success`, S2S `reg/KYC/FTD/2nd_dep/refund/chargeback`
UTM policy and 'click _ id'; Antifraud (IP/ASN/velocity)
Creative pool: 6-12 video 9:16 (10-20 s) + 6-12 static; diskl. 18+/RG
Test matrix: 2-3 corners × 2 formats × 2 copy options

In progress

Alerts of postback delays> 15 min and "operator↔BI" discrepancies
Approval rate report/reasons for deviations; quick edits
Cohort Metrics: Cum_ARPU D7/D30, 2nd-dep, Payback by Creative/Source
Upgrade exclusion audiences and LAL rolling

12) 30-60-90 plan

0-30 days - Frame and hygiene

Obtain white GEO tolerances; clean up landings/disclaimers.

Set up GA4 + S2S + MMP (if app), alerts and BI storefronts (FTD cohorts).

Launch the first test package (Spark + In-Feed), 10-20% of the budget - exploration.

31-60 days - Amplification and scale

Enable Early Quality for auto-cap/bets; extend UGC through Spark.

Transfer the budget to winning corners; modify landings for UX insights.

Add retention campaigns/CRM segments (with RG restrictions).

61-90 days - Sustainability and Portfolio

Connect Advanced Attribution (DDA/MMM) for channel mix.

Regulations for rolling update of the creative pool (burnout, seasonality).

Quarterly compliance audit: creatives, landings, tolerances, reports.

13) Mini-FAQ

Can I run without platform permission?

No, it isn't. Only certified accounts and GEO allowed.

Are "sign-up bonuses" acceptable?

Yes, if it is legal in GEO and the terms of the bonus are transparently disclosed in the creative/on the landing.

Do I need side-tracking server?

Almost mandatory for accurate attribution and trust of partners/platforms (cookies are truncated).

TikTok can only be a powerful channel for casinos with a legal approach: permitted markets, platform tolerances, honest creatives and transparent landings. Combine this with data discipline - S2S chain, NGR cohorts, Early Quality - and you get a manageable channel: a quick hypothesis test, predictable Payback, and scale without the risk of blockages.