NEXT in Marketing – Performance marketing scaling: How to grow without losing quality
NEXT.io - The World’s iGaming Community
The World's iGaming Community
by Danylo Diachenko, CBDO at Devils
Performance marketing scaling isn't just about growing performance; it's also about maintaining sustainability.
Most marketers think scaling means 'more spend, more results.' But in performance marketing, scaling without precision often kills campaigns faster than underfunding ever could.
As volume increases, the ecosystem becomes more complex: traffic becomes less stable, the funnel fails, and partner trust can be at risk.
At Devils, we've gone through all stages of growth and built a system where scale doesn't hinder, but enhances results.
Main challenges in scaling up
The most frequent failures occur at the level of traffic sources and conversions. A campaign can produce a stable first deposits (FD), and the next day, with the same inputs, the FDs disappear, despite the presence of registrations.
In this case, it is vital not to waste time: promptly redirect traffic, adapt the funnel, and quickly interpret the data.
Stability is not about volume, but rather the ability to react quickly to change. Without this, scaling up may not strengthen the business and, on the contrary, it may disrupt internal processes.
How to maintain quality control with increasing volumes
Quality control is built into every stage of our operating model, including analytics, buying, support, and partnerships. Everything works as a single mechanism.
If we notice a decrease in traffic quality, we suspend the campaign ourselves, without waiting for feedback from the partner. As key metrics for evaluating effectiveness, we use:
The dynamics of these metrics reflect the level of engagement and relevance of traffic, allowing us to scale in an informed way while maintaining consistent traffic quality.
Automation and AI tools' role in operational processes
We are actively implementing neural networks and AI tools in analytics: from processing uploads to behavioural analysis and identifying key stages where there may be a loss of efficiency in the funnel. This reduces the team’s workload and accelerates the decision-making cycle.
But it is essential to understand that automation is only effective in a mature system. It will not produce sustainable results without mature processes, management experience and team expertise.
Why do we intentionally limit volumes, even when the potential is high?
Trust is not built from big numbers; it is built from the first 50-100 leads, which confirm that the traffic is of high quality, the team is on, and the process is under control.
Even if we have the potential to increase volumes many times over, we consciously choose consistent scaling. This approach reduces risks and forms a stable basis for further growth.
Not all approaches scale equally
The most consistent results are demonstrated by creatives for slot and live games. They attract an audience that is already familiar with the mechanics, understands the product and is consciously involved in the process. Such traffic shows high conversion rates and long-lasting lifetime value.
Crash games are a separate category with a different engagement model: fast activation, fast pace and less depth of interaction. We employ separate approaches here, from creative strategy to analytical metrics and funnel building. However, in both cases, the goal stays the same: predictable and stable results.
System over volume
Sustainable growth is not a matter of ‘maximising traffic at any cost’. It's about how the processes are structured: how accurate the analytics are, how flexible the campaigns are managed, and how quickly the team reacts to changes without waiting for them to become critical.
Our ambition is not to limit ourselves to delivering KPIs in the moment, but to build a partnership that can withstand scaling and show stable results in the long term.
Our systematic approach, mature infrastructure and a team for whom scale is a natural stage of development help us achieve this.
Key takeaways for sustainable scaling in performance marketing
Scaling isn't just about doing more, it's about doing it better, faster, and with systems that hold under pressure. Here’s what marketing professionals should take away from this approach:
1. Stability depends on speed, not size
Even with identical inputs, a campaign’s performance can drop overnight. The teams that win are the ones who can adapt in hours, not days. By rerouting traffic, adjusting funnels, and interpreting data on the fly.
2. Proactive quality control beats reactive cleanup
Don’t wait for partners to report poor traffic. Build internal systems that detect drops in traffic quality and trigger campaign pauses or adjustments automatically.
3. Focus on metrics that predict retention
The most reliable indicators of sustainable growth aren’t just first deposits or CPA. Metrics like average bill size, number and uniqueness of redeposits, and the deposit-to-payment ratio reveal deeper user engagement and funnel health.
4. Automation requires a mature system
AI and automation can accelerate decisions and reduce manual overhead, but they only work when built on strong data hygiene, clear processes, and experienced oversight. Technology doesn't fix chaos, it amplifies it.
5. Not every product scales the same way
User intent differs by game type or vertical. Slot and live game campaigns often perform better over time due to user familiarity, while crash games tend to drive short-term spikes. Creative strategies, funnels, and metrics must be tailored accordingly.
6. Trust scales slower than traffic
A high number of leads means nothing if trust erodes. Consistent performance over the first 50–100 leads lays the foundation for long-term scale and reliable partnerships.
Get involved with NEXT in Marketing
This blog is the latest in a series that celebrates the unsung heroes of marketing, both within iGaming and beyond.
Drop NEXT.io’s Stuart Crowley and GameOn ’s Sarah Blackburn a message if you’d like to see a topic covered or want to give us feedback on the blogs.
👉 Follow NEXT.io on LinkedIn for our regular marketing updates.
About Danylo Diachenko
Danylo Diachenko , CBDO of Devils, is an expert in strategic business development and scaling partnership networks.
Under his leadership, the company has attracted 600+ advertisers and built an efficient partner management system.
His expertise includes process optimisation, automation, and developing structured growth models.
Scaling while maintaining quality is a challenge we tackle every day. Thank you, NEXT.io, for giving us the platform to share our insights and practices.