Incentivisation Systems and Loyalty Schemes in the New Age of iGaming

An utterly truthful characterisation of the iGaming industry would define it as a method of monetising luck as a form of entertainment. However, the complexity of this domain is just much more than a simple method of providing a black-and-white relationship between winning and losing.

This is why the online gambling phenomenon understands that creating a truly comprehensive experience can be an enhancement. Despite being simplistic in nature, gambling as a form of entertainment uses a stripped fundamental to turn itself into something that is worth considering as a more complex phenomenon.

One of these methods is to show that gambling platforms can be service providers that care about their customer base and are willing to do their utmost to emphasise this fact. Naturally, technological advancement plays a very important part in this endeavour, but it’s also a matter of attitude.

This article will explore and showcase various methods of player incentivisation as adopted by online casinos, betting platforms, and other parties involved in the unprecedented growth of online gambling in recent memory!

Gamification Is On Everybody’s Lips – Why Is It So Hot?
The true hotness of gamification is engagement. However, we should take a step back and analyse the definition and fundamentals of gamification as a practice in new-age media, entertainment, and its purpose in relation to the concept of player behaviour.

By definition, gamification is the practice of adding elements akin to gaming to an endeavour or platform that is not a game in nature. As such, this added layer creates a sense of purpose, direction, and significance that allows the user to feel like their time spent interacting with said platform is leading towards something.

Online casino platforms are coming in quite hot in the realm of gamification due to their potential to create engagement. In this sense, engagement is simply the act of gambling, with continuous gameplay being the metric that drives forward progress. Gambling at said platforms would generally require continuous investment, while the gamification elements create a secondary purpose beyond playing for the sake of playing.

There are various implementation methods that you can see around iGaming. The most popular would be the loyalty points system, which we will explain below. However, there are even more elements.

The first would be the use of missions. Achievements, trophies, and mission rewards are staples of video games, especially within the live servicing era of gaming. As such, casinos try to tie the idea of meeting all kinds of objectives for the sake of obtaining all kinds of rewards that include bonuses, badges of recognition, and many more.

Tournaments and the associated leaderboards are also methods of bringing gaming-based competition within this context. Their primary purpose is to showcase that while luck-based, gambling (and its results) can be a comparable metric that has the value of competition. Since the idea of purpose is a key component of gamification, gambling brands try to harness this feeling even when there is skill involved.

Old-Fashioned Points Systems Are Still in Place
We should be mentioning the fact that loyalty points and the upscaling of one’s status is a natural method of showcasing one’s value. Obtaining benefits and boasting a higher status is a desire that every player innately desire. Obviously, this feeling grows stronger individual by individual, showing that one’s personal competitiveness plays a large factor.

The point system is very simple: you invest in casino credits, wager them, and take advantage of a casino-specific exchange rate with the sole purpose of advancing in rank. The rewards are similar to any other gamification methodology, this system only being arguably the oldest to penetrate the casino market.

However, one would be outright ignorant to ignore the downsides of this type of loyalty system. Depending on the exchange rate (money deposited/spent to points obtained), the uphill drive requires a significant effort that may turn into a herculean task.

This prolonged and intense exposure to gambling is a very steep road that can easily devolve into addictive behaviour. A National Library of Medicine-posted study of loyalty programs in Australia has already suggested the downsides of such intense exposure.

Data-Driven Personalisation – The Vector of Innovation
Big data is already a highly potent tool that joined the gambling industry quite a while ago. Its purpose was mostly to detect fraud, but it does not seem to stop here. Data analytics and its many uses appear to move towards the idea of providing player personalisation.

The purpose is simple and very easy when the correct approach works, such as joining at the hip with a large database: determining player behaviour patterns. Collecting and using such data aims to determine the betting preferences of players, their favourite games, and the general grade of investment in deposits and create tailor-made rewards.

Given that 3rd party outsourcers and internal divisions can farm this kind of data, its use around the industry is likely to rise in the coming years. As such, receiving rewards specially identified as being to your taste would definitely prove the next level of loyalty identification and incentivisation.

Don’t Underestimate the Familiarity of Casino Bonuses
This is a tried-and-tested formula that has paid dividends throughout the entire run of the online casino industry. It requires little context, explanation, or even exemplification. A player whose registration benefits from a no deposit bonus would definitely find themselves more attracted to joining a platform with such a reward.

This principle is almost the same in the case of deposit bonuses and their capacity to raise the profile of an investment and multiply its rewards. As such, this method of loyalty-farming remains the familiar choice for most gambling platforms.

Conclusion
The main idea to extract from this article is that data-farming, personalisation, and gamification are the main factors that spell the name of progress in the iGaming business. By joining the old-timer bonus concept, they create an increasing number of opportunities for players to feel appreciated. However, any form of loyalty does not exceed the importance of safety, so play responsibly!