But First – What Exactly is Gamification and Why Do Casinos Need it?
By definition, the term gamification refers to the addition of video game elements across industries and businesses that belong to a non-gaming vertical. Many online casino operators seem to think gamification is unnecessary for online casinos since it is already all about gaming, but they couldn’t be further from the truth. While it is true that casinos are premised around gaming, gamification is still necessary to drive growth and develop a base of loyal players. So, how does gamification enhance the overall online casino experience for a player? Well, it has the ability to leverage the competitive nature in all players. It transforms the online gaming experience from being a mostly solo adventure into a community activity. Further, the core essence of gamification is to award players for gaming, and so it results in players gaming even more than they would have otherwise. This year has seen many online slots with gamification top the popularity lists. This trend is set to continue. Here’s a quick summary of various gamification features seen across modern online casinos as of 2022. Let’s take a look at some of the most common forms of gamification used by present-day web casinos.
Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs which are also referred to as VIP clubs are arguably the most common form of gamification seen at online casinos. The way these works is pretty simple, players receive points for making wagers and/or deposits. These loyalty points will then determine the VIP status or level of the player. Players can acquire higher VIP statuses by acquiring a higher number of loyalty points. Most casinos have around 4-6 different VIP levels and the higher the VIP level of a certain player, the better their benefits. But in some cases, casinos can have up to 20 VIP tiers or more. What’s more? Most VIP benefits are exclusive to VIP players which is a great way to show loyal players that they are special. This boosts loyalty and gives the player a good reason to stay at a certain casino and continue playing there.
Weekly Races
Another gamification element used to boost gaming activity on an online gaming platform is tournaments. The most common form of a tournament at an online casino is a weekly race with a real-time leader board. Basically, certain games are nominated as being eligible. The race starts at a certain point during the week and lasts for a week. Players gain points for playing the eligible games. The more they wager on these games, the more points they pick up. A leader board on the website displays the various rankings at any given time. At the end of the week, players that take up certain top ranks on the leader board when the race ends will receive various rewards that include but is not limited to handsome cash prizes. Since players can see their ranks on the leader board throughout the duration of the race, it gives them an added reason to wager more and climb up the leader board so as to become eligible for prizes.
Tasks and Missions
Many online casinos have certain themes that perpetuate across the entire website. For example, some online casinos have an outer space theme. In accordance with the theme, the operator may also come up with certain tasks for players to complete in order to receive or unlock certain rewards along the way. For instance, logging in to your casino account every day for 7 days consecutively could be listed as a mission and you might receive 100 loyalty points for doing so. In this way, casinos can motivate players to stay more active on their websites, which in turn boosts revenue for the operator.
Avatars
The use of digital avatars and characters is widespread in the video gaming industry, but there seems to be room for it in the iGaming sector as well. Many online casinos now allow players to choose from a set of predesigned characters with varying backstories. Certain avatars may have certain strengths and weaknesses and players can choose their avatars based on their gaming patterns and personal gaming styles/preferences.
Social Media Integration
Most online casino websites will display their various social media handles on the footer section of their respective websites. This way, players can connect with the casino operators on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. This too makes players feel like they are a part of the casino and can further bolster loyalty toward the brand. It is also a good way to keep players updated on upcoming games, features, tournaments, and bonuses. Casinos can even incentivize players to follow their social media accounts by providing certain rewards like free spins and free casino chips for doing so.
