What metrics to track in betting campaigns: from clicks to profit

CTR is growing, registrations and FTDs are on the rise, but why, despite good performance in the advertising dashboard, profit sometimes remains stagnant?

Because a click, a deposit, and revenue are different stages of the same funnel. In betting, it looks like this: impression → click → registration → FTD → repeated deposits → revenue. And each stage requires its own metrics.

1. Clicks: attention is not yet the result.

CTR shows the share of clicks relative to impressions, CPM is the cost per thousand impressions, and CPC is the cost per conversion. They help assess the purchase and creative, but not the quality of the players acquired.

A banner with a large (and fake) bonus may attract clicks, but after the conversion, it may disappoint with the actual terms. A more subdued creative will get fewer conversions, but more deposits. Don’t create a mislead; you’re not earning on clicks.

2. Conversion: At which step do people get lost?

The overall CR doesn’t explain much. It’s more useful to break it down into two metrics:

Click2Reg — the share of clicks that turned into registrations

Reg2Dep — the share of registrations that made it to the first deposit
Many clicks, few registrations? We check whether the creative promises match the landing page, the loading speed, and the usability of the form on a smartphone. There are registrations, but no FTD? Look for the problem in the top‑up methods, verification, and bonus terms. A drop in FTD can have various causes.

3. FTD and ROI: how much does the result cost?

The number of first deposits alone doesn’t say anything about the costs. For this purpose, there is eCPA: eCPA = campaign costs / confirmed FTD.

We spent $1,500 and received 30 FTDs — each cost $50. If we pay $70 per FTD, the earnings will be $2,100.

ROI = (revenue − expenses) / expenses × 100%.

In this example, the ROI is 40%, assuming there are no other expenses. However, fees rejected by FTD, additional expenses, and payout terms can change the picture. For RevShare and Hybrid, revenue still depends on player activity and the rules for calculating NGR.

And you shouldn’t hide unprofitable combinations behind the overall positive: ROI should be examined separately for sources, ГЕО, and campaigns.


4. After FTD: did the player stay or disappear?

On CPA, the first deposit often meets the web goal. But what matters to the bookmaker is what happens next:

Repeat Deposit Rate — the share of players who make a repeat deposit

Retention (D7, D30) — how many players are active after 7 and 30 days; the activity criterion needs to be defined in advance

GGR — accepted bets minus players’ winnings; NGR — GGR after the applicable deductions, such as bonuses and commissions.

LTV — the player’s value over the entire period of interaction with the product.

A large first deposit does not guarantee a high LTV. A player with a small FTD, who returns over several months, may be more profitable than a one‑time large deposit. And remember: deposits do not equal the income of the bookmaker and the buyer.


5. Cohorts: comparing comparable data

Let’s say SEO and Facebook each brought in 100 FTDs, but one campaign was launched in September and the other in November. Comparing their combined NGR at the end of the period is unfair: the first one had more time to generate revenue. Cohort analysis solves this problem: we group players by acquisition period and source, then compare identical intervals — for example, repeat deposits and NGR per FTD in the first 30 days.

How to put this into a system?

Three levels of analytics are sufficient:

Acquisition: CTR, CPM, CPC, and expenses

Funnel: Click-to-Reg, Reg-to-FTD, confirmed FTD and eCPA

Economics: ROI, repeat deposits, Retention, NGR, and LTV (if data is available)

Metrics are needed not just for a nice report. They should guide action: Change the creative, fix the registration, check the payment path, or review the source. A high CTR does not guarantee FTD. A lot of FTD does not guarantee profit. A strong campaign is one where the entire journey from click to profit is visible.