Replacing old GEOs with MENA: Regional breakdown from the CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates

Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, has highlighted the growth potential of the MENA igaming market, emphasising that success requires adaptation to local specifics and cultural nuances.

Press release.- In May, Yerevan traditionally becomes the capital of the igaming industry, thanks to the annual MAC Affiliate Conference. This year, the event was held on May 26-27 and featured two days of outstanding networking. Around 5,000 industry professionals, including affiliate marketers, direct advertisers, media buying veterans, developers, and influencers, came together to discuss the hottest topics in the igaming niche. 

And what could be more relevant than the eternal question: Where to get traffic? The answer came straight from the main stage, where Anastasiia Shcherbyna, CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates, delivered her talk Unobvious MENA Markets: Traffic, Money, and Scale. She shared valuable insights into the fast-growing markets of Morocco, Jordan, Iraq, and Algeria, revealing their promising aspects and hidden potential. 

The key message of her presentation was delivered right at the beginning: “The biggest mistake is treating MENA as a single market. In reality, it’s dozens of completely different countries, where everything varies – from audience behaviour and trust in products to payment habits, content preferences, and even the speed of decision-making.” 

According to Anastasiia, many teams are still focused on overheated GEOs, where traffic costs and competition continue to rise. It’s a paradox: everyone wants to grow, scale, and increase revenue, yet many keep competing in the same saturated markets.

In contrast, MENA offers markets with attractive economics and significant room for growth. Yes, success requires adapting to local specifics and cultural nuances, but as the CMO of MelBet Partners & Affiliates emphasised, the effort is well worth it.

Take Morocco, for example. The country has a population of over 38 million, and internet penetration is approaching 95 per cent. What makes the market especially attractive is not just its size, but the quality of its audience. Localised creatives perform well here, strong brand recognition matters, and detailed, high-quality analytics are essential.

“Morocco isn’t a market for quick volume. It’s a market that rewards patience, analytics, and a deep understanding of the audience. But if you’re ready to invest for the long term, the quality of the traffic can pleasantly surprise you,” she said. 

The presentation also took a closer look at Jordan. While Morocco can already be considered a mature market, Jordan is still in a phase of rapid development. Not long ago, betting-related search demand was among the lowest, but today it is steadily approaching the top search categories. The audience is becoming more familiar with digital entertainment and increasingly interested in new online products. An additional growth driver has been the national team’s historic qualification for the premier football tournament.

According to Anastasiia, Jordan is an excellent market for those focused on building long-term strategies and on not only acquiring users but also generating sustained interest in sports betting.

Iraq also stood out as a promising market. Despite having a population of over 46 million people, it is still rarely mentioned when discussing long-term expansion: “It is largely due to stereotypes and the overall news narrative surrounding the country. However, if you look at the actual numbers, it becomes clear that this market is significantly undervalued. It has a highly engaged audience, a strong passion for football, and very active content consumption.”

Last but certainly not least was Algeria, the largest market among those discussed in terms of population. Alongside its traditionally high level of football engagement, the country is also showing growing interest in esports. According to Anastasiia, the government is actively investing in this sector, creating another major growth opportunity for the industry within the next year, or possibly even sooner.

A separate section of the presentation focused on the common characteristics shared by these markets. In short:

• Nearly all of the markets analysed are mobile-first.
• The majority of users rely on Android devices.
• Audiences respond well to UGC formats.
• Social media is the primary channel for content consumption.
• Localisation is the key to success. Without it, entering these markets is simply not an option.

“I’ve spoken about the importance of localisation many times, and I’ll say it again. It’s no longer enough to simply translate your creatives into Arabic. You either take the time to understand the local context, what motivates users, what they care about, their cultural codes and mindset, or you might as well say goodbye to the market,” Anastasiia said. 

MelBet Partners & Affiliates knows a thing or two about localisation. The brand has successfully built trust across the region by partnering with local ambassadors. One of the standout examples is its partnership with the legendary football club Juventus. The brand’s reputation is further strengthened by ambassadors such as Mohamed Zidan and Kamaru Usman. Through its own experience, the company demonstrates how strong brand awareness can be transformed into real traffic. It’s also worth noting that MelBet works across branded traffic, SEO, and ASO, ensuring comprehensive market coverage.

MelBet Partners & Affiliates’ experience shows that partnering with a reliable, well-known brand makes entering new GEOs significantly easier, more transparent, and ultimately more profitable.