If you're a betting, fantasy sports, or online casino brand looking to hire a marketing agency in India, this guide is for you. Not a list of sponsored rankings. Not a directory populated by whoever paid for the top slot. Just an honest breakdown of what to look for, what to avoid, and which agencies are actually doing real work in this space.
We'll be upfront: AdsTown is one of the agencies on this list. We've included ourselves because we believe our work stands up to scrutiny. But we've also included honest criteria that you should apply to any agency you speak to — including us.
See how we work on the about page; our core acquisition lanes are Meta Ads for iGaming and SEO for iGaming in India, plus retention channels.
The Indian iGaming market is not the same as any other market. Agencies that can run ads for a UK casino or a US sportsbook will fail here. IPL seasonality, UPI payment friction, India-specific compliance requirements, and the first-time depositor conversion dynamic are things you can only understand by working in this market.
What Makes an iGaming Marketing Agency Good in India
Before you look at any agency's name, check these five things. They separate agencies that understand India iGaming from those that don't.
1. They measure in FTDs, not just registrations
A registration is when someone creates an account. A first-time depositor (FTD) is when someone actually puts money in. The gap between those two numbers is where most iGaming marketing fails. If an agency talks to you only about registrations, click-through rates, and impressions — and never mentions FTDs, cost per FTD, or reg-to-FTD conversion rates — they don't understand your business.
Any serious iGaming marketing agency should be able to tell you: what is the typical cost per FTD for a brand like yours? What reg-to-FTD rate should you expect from Meta Ads vs. Google Ads? What does a good number look like during IPL vs. off-season? If they can't answer those questions, move on.
2. They have India-specific compliance knowledge
Running paid ads for iGaming brands in India is not the same as running ads in Europe or the US. Meta and Google both have specific policies for gambling-related advertising in India that are different from their global policies. Accounts get banned regularly — sometimes for reasons that aren't obvious. An agency that has never run iGaming ads in India will learn that the hard way on your budget.
Ask them: have they had ad accounts banned in India before, and how did they handle it? The right answer is yes, it has happened, and here's what we did. The wrong answer is 'we've never had an account banned.'
3. They understand cricket and IPL seasonality
iGaming player behaviour in India is heavily seasonal around cricket — particularly the IPL, which runs from March to May. A good agency plans campaigns 4–6 weeks before IPL starts. They have match-day campaign structures ready for every significant game. They know that cost per FTD drops to its lowest point of the year during IPL and that you should be scaling aggressively during this window.
If an agency hasn't mentioned IPL in your first conversation, ask them about it. Their answer will tell you a lot.
4. They have real numbers to show you
Not testimonials. Not 'we worked with 50+ brands.' Real numbers: how much ad spend have they managed? How many FTDs have they generated? What was their average cost per FTD? Which clients can you speak to directly?
The Indian iGaming marketing space is full of agencies that claim 'industry expertise' without being able to back it up with a single specific number. If an agency can't give you concrete campaign data, they haven't done it at scale.
5. They know what happens after the first deposit
Acquisition is only half the game. The average Indian iGaming player churns fast. A good agency thinks about retention — WhatsApp campaigns for re-engagement, VIP player sequences, dormant player reactivation. If an agency only talks about getting players in the door and has nothing to say about keeping them, you'll spend a lot of money filling a leaky bucket.
The Agencies Worth Considering
AdsTown
What they do: Performance marketing for iGaming and betting brands in India exclusively. Services include Meta Ads, Google Ads, SEO, WhatsApp and SMS campaigns, social media, and calling/customer support.
What makes them different: AdsTown only works with iGaming brands — no other verticals. They measure everything in FTDs. They've managed over $5M in ad spend for iGaming brands in India, generated 50,000+ FTDs, and run campaigns that brought cost per FTD down to INR 800 during IPL 2025. They have a dedicated calling and retention team alongside the paid media side, which is unusual.
Good for: Brands that want a specialist who lives in iGaming and measures success in depositing players, not just registrations.
Website: adstown.co · Meta Ads · SEO
The Marketing King (TMK)
What they do: A broad range of digital marketing services for iGaming brands plus software and website development. They target both India and Canada markets.
What makes them different: They have a large content library and offer a wide range of services including Telegram Ads and influencer marketing alongside the standard paid and organic channels.
Worth noting: Their service offering is broad — they do software development, traditional marketing, and website dev in addition to digital marketing. If you want a pure marketing specialist, that breadth may be a consideration. Their website's stat counters appear to currently show zero figures, so asking for specific campaign data during your conversation is important.
Website: themarketingking.org
Digital Astitva
What they do: General digital marketing agency that includes iGaming as one of their verticals alongside other industries.
What makes them different: They offer standard digital marketing services and have worked with some iGaming brands in India.
Worth noting: Their blog hasn't been updated since 2022 and their iGaming content doesn't include India-specific benchmarks or metrics. Their positioning is as a general agency rather than an iGaming specialist. Best suited for smaller brands looking for a broad digital marketing partner rather than a dedicated iGaming marketing team.
Website: digitalastitva.com
Questions to Ask Any Agency Before You Hire Them
- What is your average cost per FTD for a brand with a monthly budget similar to mine?
- How many iGaming brands in India are you currently working with?
- Have you run campaigns during IPL? What results did you see?
- How do you structure Meta Ads campaigns to avoid account bans in India?
- Can I speak to one of your current clients directly?
- What channels do you use for player retention, not just acquisition?
- What is a realistic reg-to-FTD rate for a new brand on Meta Ads in India?
Any agency that can't answer these questions specifically — not vaguely, specifically — hasn't done this work at scale in India. Keep asking until you get a number, not a sentence.
What a Good Engagement Looks Like
When you start with a good iGaming marketing agency in India, the first 2–4 weeks should look like this:
- Week 1: Audit of your current setup — ad accounts, landing pages, tracking, UTM structure, existing player database
- Week 1–2: Keyword research and competitor analysis for paid campaigns and SEO
- Week 2–3: Campaign structure built, ad creatives developed, Meta/Google accounts verified for India iGaming
- Week 3–4: First campaigns live, tracking confirmed, initial data coming in
- Week 4 onwards: Weekly reporting in FTDs, cost per FTD, reg-to-FTD rate — not just clicks and impressions
If an agency is still talking about 'brand awareness' and 'impressions' four weeks in without being able to show you deposit numbers, that's a problem.
Red Flags to Watch Out For
- They pitch you on registrations without mentioning FTDs
- They can't tell you what a typical CPFTD looks like in India
- They've never had an ad account banned (means they haven't run at scale)
- They don't ask about your reg-to-FTD rate in the first conversation
- Their case studies use percentages only, never absolute numbers
- They don't have anyone on the team who specifically understands Indian cricket seasons
- They offer a 'guaranteed' number of leads or registrations