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Social casino
50 of 51 jurisdictions open, no licence needed
Free-to-play means no state licensing and national reach from day one. The player base already watches daytime TV, game shows and factual programming.
The map
One buy, 49 states and DC.
Washington is the exception. Its courts ruled virtual chips a thing of value in the Big Fish case, and operators geo-block the state as standard. Household-level CTV geo-fencing handles it as a delivery setting.
The read
What matters in this market.
The channel and the customer are the same people
Social casino players track closely with casual TV viewers. Most categories pay a premium to make TV fit their audience. This one's audience is already there, in the cheapest dayparts.
The category has already shown it will buy TV
SciPlay ran Jackpot Party with Sofia Vergara inside America's Got Talent, and again with Joel McHale. The missing piece is a measured, performance-grade plan.
Capital-rich, acquisition-constrained
Playtika's direct-to-consumer (DTC) storefront hit $250.1M in Q4 2025, about 37% of revenue. Huuuge cut user acquisition and posted a record 41% EBITDA margin. Both protected margin. Neither solved top-of-funnel demand.
Apple's ATT made the case for TV
App Tracking Transparency (ATT) degraded mobile targeting and attribution. TV reaches people your paid social has already exhausted, and makes the paid social you keep convert better.
Where the operators stand
| Operator | Posture | The opening |
|---|---|---|
| Playtika | DTC about 37% of revenue, targeting 40% | Scale player hunting acquisition outside mobile paid |
| SciPlay | Six-month payback discipline | Already buys TV and celebrity; needs it measured |
| Huuuge | Harvest mode, 41% EBITDA margin | Hardest pitch: marketing treated as cost |
Why TV here
Built for this category.
The simplest launch geography in gaming
No regulator and no licensing regime. Standard network standards and practices review applies. One buy covers 49 states and DC.
Measurement that clears a performance bar
Geo-level incrementality across matched DMAs, impression-level CTV logs feeding cost per install by state and daypart, and MMM inputs from day one.
The media
What you can reach.
How it's bought
Four routes in. Two are yours.
Most US networks need a US-registered entity, US credit or a US agency of record (AOR) before they'll take an order. Element Media Direct is a US company and can be that AOR.
| Route | Timing | Read |
|---|---|---|
| The upfront | 12 to 18 months ahead | Big annual commitments. The wrong door for a market entrant. |
| Scatter | 2 to 13 weeks ahead | Your linear entry. Flexible, market-priced, includes local DMA buys. |
| Programmatic CTV | Days | Fastest way in. Geo-fencing built in. Minimums around $25K to $50K. |
| Managed service | Weeks | Direct with Hulu, Peacock, Amazon and YouTube. Minimums around $100K. |
What it costs
Directional CPMs.
CPM is cost per thousand impressions. These are typical 2026 ranges; your plan gets real quotes.
| Format | Typical CPM | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Live sport (NFL, NBA) | $9 to $40+ | The most expensive inventory in US TV, and the strongest betting adjacency |
| Broadcast primetime | $6.50 to $30+ | Mass reach and the trust that comes with it |
| Premium CTV | $6.50 to $30 | Geo-fenced, measured, brand-safe |
| Programmatic CTV | $4 to $23 | The workhorse of a compliant launch |
| National cable | $2 to $18 | Efficient frequency |
| AVOD (Tubi, Pluto, Roku) | $3 to $15 | Cheap incremental households |
| Local broadcast and cable | $1.50 to $10 | State-level and DMA-level reach at regional cost |
Live in 30 days
Signature to on air.
Map and plan
Legal map confirmed. Target states, audiences and budget set. A plan across linear DMAs and CTV. Creative brief agreed.
Produce
Script to finished spot. Broadcast-ready creative is included, with compliance and responsible-gaming elements built in at production.
Clear and book
Network clearances secured. CTV built with state geo-fencing. Linear placements booked.
Launch and measure
CTV goes live and linear flights start. The measurement baseline is set on day one.
Measurement
TV you can hold to a number.
Weekly reporting on cost per install and cost per payer, by state, daypart and creative. If TV isn't paying back, you'll hear it from me first.
Geo-level incrementality
Matched-market tests across DMAs and states. The cleanest way to show TV caused the growth.
Impression-level CTV data
Every impression logged by household geography, feeding cost per install and cost per payer by state, daypart and creative.
Spike analysis
Minute-by-minute response in downloads, site traffic and branded search after each linear spot.
Marketing mix modeling (MMM)
TV's contribution read alongside every other channel, so budget follows evidence.
The US TV Playbook for Gaming OperatorsFree download
The US TV Playbook
All 7 categories mapped. Who can advertise where, how US TV is bought, what it costs, and how to measure it so finance signs off.
Contact
Tell me what you're trying to do in the US.
You'll talk to me directly. If TV isn't the right next dollar for you, I'll say so.