How Gamification and Internal Purchases Generate Casino Income

About the Concept

Gamification is the introduction of achievements, awards, and contests, thus making casino products more interesting and motivating customers to spend more time on the website.

History of the Solution’s Development

The rise of gamification took place in the 2000s when entertainment locations began to offer level systems, VIP statuses, and rewards for activity (such as cashback or special prizes).

The 2010s were marked by the introduction of mechanics from classic video games. The popularity of the free-to-play model led to the emergence of ranks, quests, and collectables. At the same time, providers started to release slots with plots, where players also completed various tasks, earned progress, and discovered new digital worlds.

Key Gamification Mechanics

Let us consider the most effective solutions in the niche:

1. Level and progression system. Clients earn experience points (XP) or improve their skills by spinning reels, placing bets, or completing missions. Reaching each new stage brings bonuses, free rotations, and additional features.
2. Quests and missions. Operators offer users the ability to complete tasks and receive rewards for this. To get a prize, people need, for example, to make 50 rotations or win several bids in a row. Among the incentives, there are extra spins, increased cashback, etc.
3. VIP programs. Customers can participate in loyalty systems where points, statuses, and exclusive privileges are awarded for being active.
4. Achievements. This can be the unlocking of trophies by gamblers (for example, a series of wins or rare combinations) and receiving bonuses. It is also possible to collect cards, artefacts, or symbols and then exchange them for real incentives.
5. Competitions. These are tournaments with a time limit and various rewards (money, free spins, and exclusive items).
6. Wheel of Fortune. Players can spin it for free or use special digital tokens and receive random gifts, daily payments, or surprises.

Internal Purchases in Online Casinos

The concept can be described as the ability to buy virtual goods or bonuses for real money inside entertainment sites.

The main types of such solutions include:

1. Special currency. This category includes digital tokens, credits, cards, and chips that are used for placing bets in table games.
2. Exclusive tournaments. Gamblers can pay to enter closed contests with an increased prize pool or gain access to unique bids and incentives.
3. Boosters and win accelerators. Operators often offer temporary bonuses. They can act as multipliers or provide additional chances of success regardless of the size of the initial deposit.
4. Loot boxes and cases with rewards. Clients buy or receive chests with random payouts, free bets, or exclusive chips. The mechanics are often used to create the effect of surprise and motivate the audience to play more.
5. Personalised elements. Many platforms offer unique avatars, interfaces, and skins.

Benefits of Gamification and Internal Purchases

Such solutions help entrepreneurs attract and retain customers, increase revenue, and scale the business. They also turn the placement of bids into a more attractive and safe kind of leisure, not just games for money.

Increased Engagement and Retention Indicators

The main task of the tools is to make entertainment more dynamic and motivate people to stay on the website longer.

Core gamification principles:

• Frequent returns. This is achieved through levels, missions, and other functions that create the effect of long-term progress and make clients spend more time on the digital portal.
• Habit formation. Daily incentives and loot boxes cause the desire to visit the platform regularly.

KPIs Improvement

Key performance indicators determine how successfully a casino project operates. There are several metrics that entrepreneurs should monitor.

Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR)

It is calculated as the sum of all bets minus prizes.

Special mechanics affect the profitable part of the metric — the increase in the average check. Users are more willing to spend money if they see real rewards and bonuses. Achievement and reward systems that motivate consumers to play more also serve as an excellent incentive.

Let us consider how internal purchases can increase GGR:

1. Flexible monetisation. Project owners benefit not only from bids. They also earn on sales of VIP statuses, avatars, boosters, exclusive design themes, etc. This reduces dependence on the users’ losses and helps to form a balanced budget.
2. Increase in the average check. VIP levels, unique offers, and customisation encourage gamblers to spend more money in a casino.
3. Stimulation of repeat sales. Among the most effective solutions, we can name limited promotions, subscriptions, and FOMO mechanics. Their goal is to motivate the audience to make regular transactions on betting sites.

Lifetime Value (LTV)

It is the benefit brought to the casino or bookmaker by the user throughout his activity period on the portal. Gamification increases the indicator by extending the duration of sessions, a flexible reward system, and personalisation of offers for each client.

Churn Rate (CR)

The outflow of customers is the opposite metric to LTV. Competent motivation of the audience (via achievements, quests, or in-app purchases) reduces this parameter. People feel more involved, so they are unlikely to want to leave the entertainment site.

Detuning from Competitors

Businessmen can create original mechanics (PvP tournaments, account boosting, and exclusive digital worlds). With their help, operators stand out among other brands and attract a solvent audience.

Today, the betting industry is highly competitive and has a huge number of young startups. Therefore, it is important for entrepreneurs to offer a unique experience, which is achieved thanks to the introduction of new mechanics.

Effective Marketing

It increases the attractiveness of promotions due to:

• replacement of typical bonuses with individual challenges;
• the use of in-game currency for incentives;
• provision of rewards for activity, just for making a deposit.

Gamification makes advertising more personalised and targeted, allowing project owners to stand out against competitors and improve the selected marketing strategy.

How Market Leaders Use Such Mechanics

Let us consider the practices of reputable software vendors.

Evolution

A European provider of live casino content is one of the pioneers in this field. The company focuses on entertainment and multiplayer experience, which are achieved, among other things, through gamification.

Key features of the brand:

• addition of show elements to common live products;
• use of the mechanics of the wheel of fortune, multipliers, and bonus rounds;
• introduction of chats, bets on rewards, or personalised offers.

Popular live solutions from Evolution:

1. Crazy Time. This is a unique release with 4 bonus rounds and random multipliers.
2. Monopoly Live. In this case, classic roulette is combined with elements of board entertainment. The product contains a system of support bids and a built-in chat where participants and dealers can communicate.
3. Lightning Roulette. It is supplemented with random multipliers, which makes the betting process more engaging.

Pragmatic Play

The company has developed a branded collection of Drops & Wins promotional tools, which are implemented into the provider's slots.

The main components of such solutions include:

• a proprietary tournament system;
• daily and weekly leaderboards with prizes;
• challenges and missions integrated into the games.

Pragmatic Play also provides flexible marketing tools, as well as an effective leveling system.

Play'n Go

The feature of the vendor’s content is the presence of unique digital worlds. They are characterised by well-thought-out and high-quality storylines with incentives, artefacts, and exclusive items.

Popular products from the supplier:

• Reactoonz 2. The protagonists accumulate energy and turn it into bonus symbols.
• Rise of Olympus. Customers unlock new levels with mythological gods by spinning the digital reels.
• Moon Princess. The slot machine contains a mechanic for levelling images up, which affects additional rounds.

NetEnt

The Swedish brand has supplemented the original content with built-in mini-sessions. Players can buy bonus rounds and exclusive functions by making an extra payment during the spinning of reels.

The most popular games released by the provider:

1. Gonzos Quest Megaways. At the first encounter with the slot, people already have the right to buy a special mode.
2. Dead or Alive 2. Users can acquire free spins with different levels of risk.
3. Divine Fortune Megaways. The product stands out thanks to the implementation of random jackpots.

The Main Things about Useful Tools in the Gambling Niche

Their use is one of the latest trends in the entertainment industry.

• These solutions make betting more interesting thanks to the addition of various elements. These are levels, missions, competitions, achievements, and other original options.
• The described instruments increase the projects’ profitability. They also help operators retain clients, receive stable income, and win a competitive advantage.
• NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play'n Go, and Evolution are considered leaders in the implementation of such mechanics.