The mobile gaming advertising market captures 3.9% of total ad spend, according to eMarketer, despite commanding 10.6% of mobile usage time and a reach comparable to that of advertising giants TikTok and Meta. The ratio is even lower, in fact, much lower, for the U.S. Hispanic advertising market. A new study reveals the massive, untapped opportunity for brand marketers to reach the elusive but critical audience of Hispanic mobile gamers. The report examines advertising effectiveness in popular mobile games such as Candy Crush and Pac-Man, compared with leading social media platforms. The study was commissioned by Portal Latino, the female-owned multicultural gaming leader. Portada talked to Co-Founder Carolina Bernal.
Hispanic Mobile Gaming Advertising: The Key Takeaways
Conducted by the Cultural Inclusion Accelerator, a division of urVETTED, the statistically significant custom study benchmarked the performance of various ad types in mobile games against social media environments. It surveyed 2,988 adults—approximately half Latino and half non-Latino—with a ±1.8 percentage-point margin of error at the 95% confidence level.”
Among the main takeaways, the research found over-indexing across several areas:
- Captive Audience – 8-in-10 Hispanic consumers play mobile games at least once per week, and on average, are playing for 56 minutes per day.
- Engagement – the same advertisements generated 30% higher attention and engagement among Hispanic consumers in mobile games than on social media.
- Brand Recall – Hispanic consumers are 60% more likely to correctly recall a brand after seeing an in-game advertisement vs. a social feed.
- Purchase Intent – Hispanic mobile gamers are 20% more likely to purchase a product they saw advertised in a mobile game vs. social media.
The market the study examines is the casual mobile gaming advertising market. In other words, not the ‘nerdy’ online gaming market. Casual games include Candy Crush, Pac-Man, and Solitaire. These are casual games played from GenZ to the families’ ‘abuelitas’ and ‘abuelitos.’ Their users don’t consider themselves gamers. According to Bernal, “casual gaming aligns very well with the Hispanic market. It is part of our daily routine. Latinos play games for an average of one hour a day.”
“In an increasingly fragmented media environment — where marketers confront more platforms, more formats and more noise than ever before — consistently delivering performance is challenging,” says Carolina Bernal. “Gaming has emerged as the sleeping giant of attention, combining massive scale with deeply immersive engagement. This report underscores that effectiveness isn’t just about the ad or even the audience — it’s about the environment and consumer mindset. When a user chooses to watch your ad, it’s not an interruption — it’s permission. And when that converges with the exponential growth of the Hispanic segment, it shifts gaming from a tactical channel to a strategic growth imperative.”
Mobile Gaming Advertising is Not Interruptive
Bernal explains that 90% of mobile gamers play for free, while 10% pay to avoid advertising. Typically, the user chooses to see an ad in exchange for something. E.g., time to play, points, currency, speed. “The game is not interrupted; advertising happens during natural breaks, ” Bernal adds. The format is also 100% opt-in.
“When a user chooses to watch an ad, it’s not interruption — it’s permission.”
In-Culture Advertising
In terms of the creatives used in Hispanic mobile gaming advertising, Bernal asserts that her team ensures “they align with our culture by considering cultural nuances across different layers. We can access games with Latino music or those played in Spanish. These are cultural nuances that the advertising can be tailored to.” Portal Latino partners with creative teams and developers to create ads and games. The different formats include video, banner, and audio. There is also Roblox and Minecraft-branded content through immersive experiences. Another option is to create games directly for brands. The value proposition offered by most creatives is not available through programmatic advertising: “It’s not just buying impressions but connecting with audiences that pay attention.”
“It’s not just buying impressions but connecting with audiences that pay attention.“
Bernal sees huge potential for brands in QSR, entertainment, and retail. Automotive is another category with significant potential for mobile gaming advertising. Bernal concludes “that gaming should not have to prove itself anymore. Often brands and agencies see it as something risky, but that is not the case. They need to try it and see it by themselves.”
“”Gaming should not have to prove itself anymore. Often brands and agencies see it as smth risky, but that is not the case. They need to try it and see it by themselves.”.“
Feature image by SAIYED IRFAN A from Pixabay
