How to choose a product for Tier-1 GEOs and work with these markets specifics? What really affects revenue and how to avoid mistakes and losses when launching a campaign at early stages? Which payment models actually work?

In the first N1 Product Voices article, you will be able to look at the product from the inside: Anastasiya Bakhantsova, N1 Chief Revenue Officer, answers these and other relevant questions in as much detail as possible. 

In this series of materials, product experts share their experience in the first person: N1 Partners raises important topics, while partners receive practical benefits and insights from the inside.

Role of the CRO as a product decision-maker

Products choice for Tier-1

In Tier-1, a good offer does not guarantee anything. The main question is whether the product is able to retain the player after the first deposit and scale without drawdown in the economy.

We look not only at the conversion rate but also at the user behaviour: their return, repeated deposits, and the cohorts’ stability. It is important to keep in mind the main risk — scaling fast cash flow that can lead to audience quality decrease.

Therefore, we evaluate not only the initial payback but also the player's behaviour at a distance: retention, ARPU dynamics and LTV stability after 30/60/90 days. If a product lacks trust, fast payments, or a seamless user journey, marketing alone won’t be able to sustain results for long.

Product solutions with the highest revenue growth

The most noticeable growth usually comes from working on audience retention, not from changing the product.

In practice, the strongest growth is seen in brands where the product, analytics, and CRM are  connected with each other. When users are guided through a clear post-registration journey, receive personalized offers, and experience smooth interactions, the results tend to be more stable than with aggressive traffic acquisition alone.

The maximum effect is achieved when the product, CRM, and segmentation are synchronised.

Tier-1 markets specifics

Tier-1 audience behaviour

A Tier-1 user is used to a high level of digital services.

Here, speed, a clear interface, convenient payments, and a sense of reliability are extremely important.

Short list of important factors for Tier-1 users:

• speed and stability
• simple onboarding
• terms transparency
• payments reliability
• trust in the brand

Mistakes in Tier-1 GEO

From my experience, the main mistake is trying to “buy” Tier-1 users with bonuses.

Partners underestimate UX, the product itself, and retention, relying on aggressive bonus policies and short-term ROI. This leads to high traffic costs and weak user return rates.

Changes in Tier-1 economics

It is important to note that Tier-1 means more expensive traffic, longer payback periods, and higher LTV.

It is harder to see quick results here, which is why decisions cannot be made based only on the first week's data. The quality of cohorts, retention stability, and long-term profitability are much more important.

Products choice

How to evaluate a product's potential: CRO insights

I look at a product as a system, not just a set of metrics.

What matters is not only the amount of users that make the first deposit but also what happens next: how often the player returns, their activity changes over time, and the economic sustainability during scaling.

Products with the best ROI 

The most effective products are those that are convenient to use every day. First of all, these are mobile-first solutions, strong sportsbook products, and platforms with good CRM and personalization.

If the user experience remains convenient and clear over the long term, the product wins.

Signals to change the product

The main signal is when growth is sustained only by increasing traffic volumes or bonus expenses.

If there are no audience engagement mechanics and the economics worsen during scaling, the model reaches its ceiling. Sometimes changing the product earlier is far more profitable than continuing to scale a weak product.

Revenue losses

How to recognize revenue losses and where they start

The main losses usually occur during the first days after the deposit. This is exactly the moment when the product-using habit is formed.

If the user does not understand what to do next, does not receive clear communication, or encounters difficulties in the interface, the probability of churn increases sharply. Another alarming signal is when bonus expenses grow, but users do not become more valuable to the business.

This means that the product either retains the audience poorly or attracts the wrong traffic.

Mistakes that hurt the revenue most 

The most common mistake is investing only in acquiring new users while doing almost nothing with retention.

If the product does not build long-term interaction with the player, bonuses begin to work only for the first deposit. As a result, the company spends more and more money on acquisition, while profitability does not grow.

Monetization models: CPA / RevShare / Hybrid

Choosing a monetization model for a specific product and market

The choice of model always depends on traffic quality, product maturity, and how effectively the product is able to bring the player back over time.

• CPA works well where fast return on investment, clear unit economics, and aggressive scaling are important. But if the user remains active for a long time, a fixed payout begins to limit the partner’s earning potential.

• RevShare is more profitable in products with strong retention and high audience engagement. Yes, this model requires more time to pay off, but it allows partners to earn from the player’s entire lifecycle.

• Hybrid model is especially effective in Tier-1 markets, where traffic is expensive and ROI takes more time. The CPA component helps recover investments faster, while RevShare maintains stable long-term earnings.

As a result, the key question is always the same — if the product is able to engage the user and turn traffic into a stable income.

Work with N1 Partners — scale under top-tier conditions:

• 14+ casino and sportsbook brands with high Reg2Dep
• 10+ Tier-1 GEOs
• CPA up to €700 and RevShare up to 55% + NNCO for top partners

Be number one with N1!