Online casinos are always looking for new ways to make their customers feel more engaged. The more customers like playing at a casino, the more money they will usually invest. The same, of course, applies to online casino slots themselves. If they are not entertaining and exciting enough, most will simply turn to other slots that might be.
Online casinos usually are not so much in the slot-machine creation business. Instead, the way they compete is by trying to make their casino interface, theme, and features stand out as much as possible. Gamification is one of the rare things where a good online casino might really try to shine. In this article, we look at the ways how gamification can be used to drive more traffic and increase deposits at online casinos.
What Is Gamification?
Most of the readers on this website probably already know about what gamification is. Even then, repetition is said to be the mother of learning.
Gamification is essentially the act of creating a game out of something that is not traditionally a game. For instance, physical exercise can feel more rewarding when a person is tracking their steps. This way, a person can feel a certain sense of accomplishment looking at how they managed to score 8425 steps during a random Monday. Without this gamification element, taking and collecting steps would perhaps not feel as rewarding.
In online casino terms, gamification usually means adding a new layer of gameplay on top of the usual slot-based gameplay. This can be done, for example, with the inclusion of an experience level-based system where players can earn experience points during their gambling. For example, every euro wagered may earn players one percent of a new experience level. Then, after wagering 100 euros, the player can rise to a new level with a new perk waiting for them.
Leveling up can be rewarded in a variety of ways. Some of these include giving players new deposit bonuses, free spin packages, cashbacks, or some online casino-specific currency to be used in the casino’s own shop.
Online Casinos In Finland Especially Love Gamification
The more competitive the country’s casino market is, the more likely its customers are to appreciate good gamification elements. In Finland, the website Britekasino is focused on listing the best casino brands with the greatest gamification features. A lot of these casinos have level-up systems that offer lasting value for customers.
Finnish people are known as some of the most active online casino customers in the world. Thanks to the country’s relative affluence, Finns are also known for making larger deposits than most other people in the world. With these larger deposits, gamification elements, as well as deposit bonuses, can often be even more lucrative and rewarding.
Why Is Gamification Driving Traffic For Online Casinos?
As previously noted, the competition in the online casino industry can be rather fierce. With new online casinos popping up every month, all casinos, both new and old, are constantly dealing with the pressure of having to try and make themselves relevant.
For the longest time, the online casino industry seemed to revolve around welcome offers. Basically, every casino under the sun is giving its players some kind of a welcome bonus on their first go-around. This welcome bonus can be anything from deposit bonuses and free spins to their own versions of cashbacks, as well as other various rewards.
The problem with today’s welcome bonus-centric approach is that online casinos are often only as good as their welcome offer. What is more, after the welcome bonus has been used, players will often jump to another casino brand, looking to take advantage of yet another welcome bonus.
With gamification elements, online casinos can try to make a more lasting impression on their customers. Instead of immediately getting the urge to leave after the welcome bonus is used, gamification may leave players feeling hooked to stay in order to receive the next shiny reward that is waiting for them. This can be especially effective with more experienced players who do not necessarily even want to keep jumping from one casino to another. For them, giving them a reason to stay put might be just what the doctor ordered.
Conclusion
Most online casinos in the world feature similar game and payment method offerings. Because of this, it is often the welcome bonuses as well as other promotional elements that will make or break a casino. Understandably, this makes gamification a vital feature for many online casinos across the globe.
