The average iGaming app loses over 70% of its users within the first 30 days. That’s not just a retention problem—it’s a revenue leak. But here’s the good news: holidays create a massive second-chance window to bring those dormant players back.
During the holiday season, entertainment app engagement naturally spikes. People are off work, looking for fun, and often have discretionary income from bonuses or holiday gifts. For iGaming apps—whether sports betting, casino, poker, or daily fantasy—this is prime time to reactivate lapsed users who might have forgotten about your app or moved to competitors.
Retargeting dormant users during the holidays isn’t just smart—it’s more cost-effective than pure user acquisition. Reactivated players already know your brand, have lower cost per re-engagement than cold installs, and often deliver higher lifetime value when they return. Plus, while many advertisers pause campaigns during the holidays, smart iGaming marketers see an opportunity to capture attention with less competition.
This guide breaks down how to segment dormant iGaming users, craft holiday-specific retargeting campaigns, leverage programmatic advertising and neural networks, and measure success with the metrics that actually matter.
Why Holidays Are Prime Time for Reactivating Dormant iGaming Users
The holiday season isn’t just about family gatherings and gift-giving—it’s a perfect storm of conditions that make retargeting iGaming users incredibly effective.
Mobile usage surges during the holidays. People have time off, they’re relaxing at home, and they’re scrolling through apps more than usual. For iGaming apps, this creates a window where dormant users are more receptive to re-engagement.
Sports betting apps see massive spikes around NFL playoffs, college football bowl games, and NBA Christmas Day matchups. Casino and slots apps benefit from New Year’s promotions and holiday-themed games. Poker platforms can capitalize on holiday tournament series, while daily fantasy apps leverage season-specific lineup opportunities during championship runs.
Beyond increased screen time, holidays bring discretionary income. Year-end bonuses, holiday cash gifts, and tax refunds all contribute to players having more money to deposit and play. That financial flexibility makes it easier to convert a reactivated user into a first-time depositor.
Holidays tap into powerful emotional drivers that iGaming marketers can leverage in retargeting campaigns. FOMO (fear of missing out) is amplified when users see limited-time holiday bonuses, exclusive tournaments, or jackpot promotions that won’t be available again until next year.
Social gambling also peaks during holidays. Family gatherings often involve friendly bets on football games, fantasy league competitions, or poker nights. That social element can remind dormant users why they enjoyed your app in the first place.
The “fresh start” mentality around New Year’s is another powerful trigger. Players who quit gambling apps mid-year might see the New Year as an opportunity to try again with better bankroll management, new strategies, or a more disciplined approach. Smart retargeting campaigns can tap into that mindset with messaging around fresh starts and new opportunities.
Many advertisers—especially in e-commerce and retail—pause or reduce campaigns during the holidays, assuming users are too distracted. That creates an opening for iGaming apps to dominate ad inventory at lower CPMs.
Retargeting dormant users also means you’re working with a warmer audience. These aren’t cold prospects who’ve never heard of your app—they’re lapsed players who already registered, explored your platform, and might have even deposited before. That familiarity reduces ad fatigue and increases conversion rates compared to cold user acquisition campaigns.
Segmenting Dormant Users: Not All Lapsed Players Are the Same
Effective retargeting starts with segmentation. A user who last opened your app 30 days ago is fundamentally different from someone who’s been dormant for six months. Your messaging, offers, and creative strategies should reflect those differences.
Users who’ve been inactive for 30 days or less are still warm. They likely got distracted, tested a competitor, or simply lost interest temporarily. These users don’t need aggressive incentives—they need a gentle reminder that your app exists and is worth returning to.
For retargeting 30-day dormant users, focus on low-friction messaging. A simple “Welcome back” push notification with a small bonus (free spins, $10 free bet) can be enough to bring them back. Highlight any new features, games, or improvements that have launched since they left.
Creative should feel friendly and non-intrusive. Avoid heavy sales tactics or desperate win-back language. Instead, position the return as easy and rewarding: “Miss us? Here’s $10 on us to get back in the game.”
Users inactive for 60 days are cooling off. They’re not completely gone, but they need a stronger incentive to return. These players have likely established new habits—maybe they’re using a competitor app, or they’ve stopped gambling altogether. Your mobile app retargeting campaign needs to break through that inertia.
Holiday-exclusive offers work well for this segment. A deposit match bonus (“100% match up to $500—Holiday special!”), entry into a holiday tournament, or exclusive access to a new game can create urgency. The key is making the offer feel time-sensitive and valuable.
Creative should lean into urgency. Countdown timers, limited-time language (“Ends Dec 31!”), and bold CTAs (“Claim Your Bonus Now”) help push users to take action before the opportunity disappears.
Users who haven’t opened your app in 90+ days are the hardest to reactivate—but they can also deliver the highest ROI if you succeed. These players either churned hard to competitors, stopped gambling entirely, or had a negative experience that drove them away.
Win-back campaigns for 90+ day dormant users require big incentives. No-deposit bonuses, VIP tier upgrades, or “we miss you” offers with significant value can break through. You’re essentially re-acquiring these users, so your cost per re-engagement will be higher—but their lifetime value can justify the spend if they stick around.
Creative for this segment should acknowledge the absence and highlight what’s changed. “It’s been a while—here’s what you’ve missed” messaging works well. Address potential pain points: faster payouts, better odds, new games, improved app performance. Show them why coming back is worth it.
Different iGaming verticals require different retargeting approaches during the holidays.
Sports betting apps should time retargeting around major events. The NFL playoffs, college football bowl games, NBA Christmas matchups, and NHL Winter Classic are all massive engagement drivers. Messaging should tie directly to these events: “Super Bowl is coming—claim your $50 free bet now.”
Casino and slots apps benefit from holiday-themed games and jackpot promotions. Retarget dormant users with messaging around New Year’s jackpots, holiday slot tournaments, or limited-time games that won’t be available after January.
Poker apps can leverage holiday tournament series. Many poker platforms run special holiday events with bigger prize pools and unique formats. Retargeting should highlight these tournaments and create FOMO around missing them.
Daily fantasy apps should focus on season-specific lineups. The NFL playoffs and NBA mid-season are huge opportunities to reactivate dormant fantasy players with messaging around championship-level competition and big prize pools.
Holiday-Specific Retargeting Triggers and Messaging
Generic retargeting doesn’t work during the holidays. Players are bombarded with promotions, ads, and offers across every app they use. To stand out, your retargeting campaigns need holiday-specific triggers and messaging that feel relevant, timely, and valuable.
The most effective holiday retargeting campaigns tie directly to major events that naturally drive engagement.
For sports betting apps, the NFL playoffs are the biggest opportunity of the year. Retarget dormant users with messaging like “NFL Playoffs are here—claim your $50 free bet and get back in the action.” Pair this with countdown timers to kickoff and highlight any special odds boosts or promotions tied to playoff games.
Casino apps should lean into New Year’s jackpot promotions. “Ring in the New Year with a $10K jackpot—spin to win before January 5!” creates urgency and taps into the excitement of fresh starts and big wins.
Poker apps can retarget around holiday tournament series. “Holiday Poker Series starting December 26—$100K guaranteed prize pool. Miss the action? Not this year.” This works especially well for 60-90 day dormant users who might have been active poker players before they lapsed.
Daily fantasy apps should retarget around championship-level competitions. “Draft your championship lineup for the NFL playoffs—$500K prize pool this week only.” Event-driven retargeting works because it gives dormant users a specific reason to return right now, not someday.
Holiday bonuses need to feel bigger and more valuable than standard promotions. Dormant users need a compelling reason to return, and generic offers won’t cut it.
Deposit matches are a powerful incentive. “100% deposit match up to $500—Holiday special ends Dec 31” gives returning players an immediate reward for reactivating. For 60+ day dormant users, this type of offer can tip the scales.
Free spins and free bets work well for 30-day dormant users who just need a nudge. “Welcome back! Here’s 50 free spins on our new holiday slot” is low-friction and easy to claim.
No-deposit bonuses are ideal for 90+ day dormant users. “We miss you! Here’s $20 on us—no deposit required” removes all barriers to return and gives players a risk-free way to re-engage with your app.
VIP tier upgrades can reactivate high-value players who churned. “Your VIP status is waiting—return by Jan 1 and unlock exclusive perks” appeals to players who previously engaged at a high level and want recognition for their loyalty.
Holiday creative needs to balance festive theming with clear value propositions. Overly cute or generic holiday imagery won’t convert—but holiday themes paired with strong offers can.
Thanksgiving and Christmas creative should emphasize gratitude, giving, and celebration. “We’re thankful for players like you—here’s a $50 bonus to celebrate” feels personal and appreciative without being manipulative.
New Year’s creative taps into fresh starts, big wins, and resolutions. “New Year, new wins—start 2025 with a 100% deposit match” connects the emotional reset of the New Year with the excitement of gambling.
Super Bowl creative should lean into rivalry, community, and excitement. “The biggest game of the year is here—place your bets and join the action” creates FOMO and taps into the cultural moment.
Retargeting iGaming users during the holidays requires extra attention to compliance. Responsible gaming messaging is critical, especially during a season when gambling activity naturally increases. Include clear opt-out language, deposit limit reminders, and links to responsible gaming resources in all retargeting creative.
Geo-restrictions are also key. Some states and countries ban holiday-specific gambling promotions or restrict certain types of bonuses. Make sure your retargeting campaigns are properly geo-targeted to avoid wasted spend or regulatory issues.
Age verification reminders should be included in all retargeting messaging. Even though these users already registered, reinforcing age requirements helps maintain compliance and protects your brand.
Programmatic Retargeting Best Practices for Q4
Running effective retargeting campaigns during the holidays requires a multi-channel, data-driven approach. Programmatic advertising gives you the precision, scale, and real-time optimization needed to reactivate dormant iGaming users efficiently.
The best retargeting campaigns don’t rely on a single channel—they orchestrate across multiple touchpoints to stay top-of-mind without overwhelming users.
In-app retargeting through push notifications and in-app messages is the most direct way to reach dormant users. Push notifications with holiday offers can break through the noise if timed correctly (avoid late-night sends, target evenings and weekends).
Programmatic display ads allow you to retarget users across mobile web and other apps. Use dynamic creative to serve personalized messaging based on the user’s previous behavior—sports bettors see NFL playoff promos, casino players see slot bonuses.
Video ads deliver high engagement and allow you to showcase gameplay, winnings, and the excitement of your app. Short-form video (15 seconds or less) performs best, especially on mobile.
Connected TV (CTV) is a powerful channel during the holidays when people are streaming more than usual. Retarget dormant users with CTV ads during sports broadcasts, holiday movies, or binge-watching sessions.
Social media retargeting on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (where legally allowed) can keep your brand visible in feeds and stories. Use carousel ads to showcase multiple offers or highlight different game types.
Ad fatigue is real, and during the holidays when users are seeing ads everywhere, overexposure can backfire. Set frequency caps to ensure dormant users see your retargeting ads 3-5 times per day max across all channels.
Rotate creative every 3-5 days to maintain freshness. Even if your offer stays the same, changing the visuals, headlines, and CTAs keeps the ads from feeling stale.
Personalization is critical in retargeting. Generic “come back” messages won’t perform as well as tailored messaging based on user behavior.
Use dynamic creative optimization (DCO) to serve different messaging to different segments. A sports bettor who last engaged during football season should see NFL playoff offers. A casino player who loved slots should see holiday slot bonuses. A poker player should see tournament promos.
A/B test headlines, CTAs, and visuals continuously. Test “Welcome back” vs. “We miss you” vs. “Limited-time offer.” Test red vs. green vs. gold holiday colors. Test “Claim now” vs. “Get started” vs. “Play now” CTAs.
AI-powered creative optimization takes this further by automatically serving the best-performing creative to each user segment in real time, maximizing conversions without manual testing.
Focus retargeting spend on legal markets where iGaming is allowed. Avoid wasting budget on users in restricted states or countries where they can’t legally play.
Localize offers to match regional preferences. In Canada, highlight NHL betting promos. In India, focus on cricket. In the UK, lean into Premier League and horse racing. Geo-specific messaging increases relevance and conversion rates.
Retargeting timing matters just as much as messaging. Break your holiday retargeting into three phases:
Pre-holiday (November – December 20): Build awareness with softer retargeting. Remind dormant users your app exists and preview upcoming holiday offers. This phase primes users for the main push.
Holiday peak (December 20 – January 5): Go aggressive. High-frequency retargeting, big offers, urgent messaging, and event-driven campaigns. This is when most reactivations will happen.
Post-holiday (January 6+): “Last chance” messaging to catch stragglers. Extend offers slightly but emphasize that the holiday window is closing. Transition into New Year’s resolution-themed messaging.
How Bigabid’s Neural Networks Supercharge Dormant User Retargeting
Retargeting every dormant user equally is inefficient. Not all lapsed players are equally likely to return, and not all reactivations will deliver the same lifetime value. That’s where AI-powered neural networks make the difference.
Bigabid’s neural networks analyze historical user behavior—session length, deposit history, game preferences, churn patterns—to predict which dormant users are most likely to reactivate during the holidays. Instead of blanket retargeting, campaigns focus budget on high-probability converters.
This predictive approach increases efficiency. You’re not wasting impressions on users who are unlikely to return no matter what offer you show them. Instead, you’re concentrating spend on users who are on the fence and just need the right nudge at the right time.
Neural networks don’t just predict likelihood to convert—they optimize bids in real time based on that likelihood. For users with high reactivation scores, the AI increases bids to win more auctions and secure premium inventory. For low-intent users, bids drop to avoid overpaying.
This dynamic bidding ensures you’re maximizing return on ad spend by paying more for users who will deliver value and paying less for users who won’t.
Reactivating dormant users often requires multiple touchpoints across different channels. Bigabid’s platform coordinates retargeting across display, video, CTV, and social media to maintain presence without oversaturating users.
The neural networks track engagement across channels and adjust frequency and creative accordingly. If a user engages with a video ad but doesn’t convert, the system might follow up with a display ad featuring a stronger offer. If a user clicks through but doesn’t deposit, a push notification with a deposit bonus might close the loop.
Personalization isn’t just about segmentation—it’s about serving the right creative to the right user at the right time. Bigabid’s AI automatically generates and serves personalized creatives at scale.
Sports bettors see NFL playoff messaging. Casino players see slot bonuses. Poker players see tournament promos. And within each vertical, the AI continuously tests and optimizes headlines, visuals, and CTAs to find the winning combinations.
This level of dynamic creative optimization would be impossible to manage manually, but neural networks handle it automatically, improving performance with every impression.
Measuring Success: The Right Metrics for Mobile App Retargeting Campaigns
Retargeting dormant iGaming users requires tracking metrics that go beyond installs. The goal isn’t just to get users to open the app—it’s to drive deposits, engagement, and long-term value.
Re-engagement rate measures the percentage of dormant users who return to your app after seeing retargeting ads. A strong re-engagement rate for iGaming apps during the holidays is 8-15%, depending on how long users have been dormant.
Cost per re-engagement (CPRE) tells you how much you’re spending to bring back each user. For iGaming apps, a good CPRE ranges from $5-$15, though this varies by vertical and geo. Sports betting and daily fantasy typically have lower CPREs, while casino and poker may be higher.
First-time deposit rate (FTD) is the critical conversion metric for iGaming. What percentage of reactivated users actually deposit money? A strong FTD rate is 15-25% of reactivated users. This metric tells you whether your retargeting campaigns are bringing back high-value players or just window shoppers.
Return on ad spend (ROAS) measures revenue generated versus ad spend. For retargeting campaigns, target a ROAS of 3:1 or higher. Holiday campaigns often deliver even better ROAS because players are more active and willing to deposit.
Lifetime value (LTV) of reactivated users is the long-term metric that matters most. Did these users stick around this time, or did they churn again after claiming the bonus? Compare the LTV of reactivated users to first-time users to understand whether retargeting is driving sustainable growth.
Understanding what “good” looks like helps you set realistic goals and optimize campaigns effectively.
A good CPRE for iGaming retargeting during the holidays is $5-$15, depending on vertical and geo. Sports betting tends to be on the lower end, while casino and poker can be higher due to higher lifetime value.
A strong FTD rate is 15-25% of reactivated users. If fewer than 10% of reactivated users are depositing, your offers might not be compelling enough or your targeting might be too broad.
A target ROAS of 3:1 or higher means you’re generating at least $3 in revenue for every $1 spent on retargeting. Holiday campaigns often exceed this due to increased engagement and higher deposit amounts.
Measuring the true impact of retargeting campaigns isn’t always straightforward. Multi-touch attribution models try to assign credit across touchpoints—was it the video ad, the push notification, or organic behavior that brought the user back?
Incrementality testing helps measure true lift. Run controlled experiments where one group of dormant users sees retargeting ads and a control group doesn’t. Compare reactivation rates between the two groups to measure the actual impact of your campaigns.
Attribution windows also matter. A user might see a retargeting ad on December 20 but not reactivate until January 2. Make sure your attribution windows are long enough (14-30 days) to capture delayed conversions.
Turn Holiday Engagement Into Long-Term Mobile App Growth
The holiday season is a perfect storm for reactivating dormant iGaming users. Increased mobile engagement, discretionary income, major sports events, and emotional triggers create a window where lapsed players are more receptive to returning than any other time of year.
The key is approaching retargeting strategically: segment dormant users by inactivity period, craft holiday-specific offers with urgency, leverage programmatic advertising across multiple channels, and use AI-powered neural networks to predict and target the users most likely to convert.
Retargeting isn’t just about bringing users back—it’s about bringing back the right users who will deposit, engage, and stick around. By focusing on metrics like cost per re-engagement, first-time deposit rate, and lifetime value, you can ensure your holiday retargeting campaigns drive sustainable growth, not just short-term spikes.
Ready to reactivate your dormant players this holiday season? Contact Bigabid to learn how our neural networks predict and target your highest-value lapsed users, optimize bids in real time, and maximize return on ad spend with AI-powered retargeting.
