Absence of synchronised gamification tools across content providers

Choosing gamification solutions that work harmoniously together is a game in itself. Figuring out how to make various reward tools drive the same strategic goals, or even just complement each other, is a pain point for operators.

It doesn’t have to be like this, says our Casino CEO, Stian Enger. The loyalty and gamification expert offers advice on the core qualities to look for in your reward system to maximise retention, engagement and LTV.

Rewards and perks are the cornerstone of modern igaming. Without them, operators would struggle profoundly with acquisition and retention in the very competitive igaming space. Ensuring you have well-fitting rewards functionality is therefore essential to boosting these business-defining metrics.

In the never-ending battle for attention in igaming, the rewards sector has grown from simple deposit bonuses and free spins to become much more engaging and varied. An array of suppliers has blossomed to cater to the demand for more tailored and diversified tools, with a myriad of solutions now available catering to sportsbooks and online casinos.

However, as technological innovation in the sector has advanced, vast differences have emerged between suppliers – any old reward solution won’t do anymore.

One of the core challenges encountered by operators choosing loyalty solutions is finding gamification tools that work well together, according to Enger. Many operators use different tools for various forms of engagement.

However, systems that don’t work together lead to fragmented player journeys that fail to maximise retention and engagement amongst players. If a player is only ever offered free spins, for example, the experience will become mundane.

Incentivising players to stay in your gaming ecosystem and try out other products is one of the best ways to boost retention. But doing so effectively requires a synchronised, intelligently planned rewards system that builds towards a specific player journey.

Building engaged and compliant customer journeys

EveryMatrix’s EngageSuite is an example of an all-in-one engagement solution that solves for this challenge, according to Enger.

The solution offers a comprehensive suite of loyalty and gamification tools that interlink rewards across a variety of touchpoints, ensuring players are incentivised to try the full array of gaming verticals across an igaming site.

With EngageSuite, customers are exposed to a unified, pre-defined, customisable journey that EveryMatrix assures can unlock opportunities to enhance acquisition and retention, optimise marketing costs and ensure players enjoy a secure gaming environment.

This works particularly well in markets with restrictive bonusing regulations, Enger claims.

“At EveryMatrix, our focus is on regulated markets, and our 17 years of experience has led us to become the first igaming supplier to be awarded World Lottery Association (WLA) Safer Gambling certification.

“We developed our solutions with regulated markets in mind, therefore designing them to be viable for restrictive regulated markets, such as European ones.”

“Players today seek a unified, seamless experience that transcends individual games, providers and even igaming verticals”

In these markets, bonusing can be restricted by regulations such as bet amount caps, but restrictions can also impact game mechanics, such as not allowing Buy Features.

That’s where gamification and loyalty solutions really shine, offering alternatives to traditional bonus cash and other restricted rewards. By leveraging solutions that strengthen the bond between players and operators’ brands, gamification is made easy, and customers can be retained.

Enger gave the example of EngageSuite’s JackpotEngine, which adds an extra layer of excitement on top of casino games. “Available across an operator’s entire portfolio of providers and games, this solution offers the possibility to create operator funded jackpots that will not tap into player wagers, or let the player pay for a chance to win fully customisable jackpots, or a mix of the two.”

The jackpot solution can be connected to other engagement features to create seamless player journeys, such as challenges, tournament participations, mini-games, and a tiered loyalty system with a built-in shop for non-monetary prizes.

Loyalty levels and shop purchases can be tied to personalisation, unlocking different games, avatars, nicknames, UI changes, and non-monetary achievements such as trophies or badges.

Such features mean gamification across a player’s journey is viable even for operators in highly regulated markets – when done right and with the proper tools.

Features of EngageSuite

In order to cater to all aspects of loyalty and gamification, EveryMatrix’s EngageSuite includes six distinct tools in its ecosystem. BonusEngine is the cross-vertical bonus system which offers functionality for a variety of bonuses such as bonus money, free spins, free bets, cashbacks, odds boost and more.

LoyaltyEngine is a cross-vertical loyalty tool where players earn experience points and coins, while levelling up through any number of fully configurable levels. The coins can be used to purchase bonuses, challenges, perks and special access, and more in a configurable shop.

JackpotEngine is a jackpot management tool allowing operators to create, configure and control jackpots across their entire gaming portfolio, regardless of gaming content provider or player segment, with precise control over probabilities, contributions and seed behaviour.

PrizeEngine is a minigame tool with engaging minigames like LuckyWheel, MysteryChest and Dice, with options for monetary and non-monetary prizes.

Tournaments offer competitions for any selection of sports events or casino games, complete with real-time leaderboards for maximum excitement. Meanwhile, Challenges gives players tasks to complete which boost engagement, ranging from single objective quests to multi-level lifetime loyalty journeys.

The concept, Enger says, is simple yet transformative. Each tool integrates seamlessly with the others, creating a fully interconnected ecosystem. Once you configure the desired framework for your journey, the player takes the reigns, personalising the experience by selecting the benefits they value most, and using them to enhance their user experience.

“Players today seek a unified, seamless experience that transcends individual games, providers and even igaming verticals. An ecosystem keeps players engaged by providing continuity and familiarity, whether they are sports fans or casino players.

“Cross-vertical achievements become a universal currency which can be achieved through gamification solutions such as challenges, tournaments, a unified bonusing system or a loyalty program, and that consistency enhances retention.”

Such ecosystems enable more complete insights, helping operators better understand their players and optimising their journeys for enhanced experiences, Enger explains.

“Lacking a unified loyalty and gamification ecosystem creates blind spots in predicting player behaviors. When data is fragmented across different platforms, operators miss valuable insights into player journeys, preferences, and pain points.”

He adds that the most critical business goal is maximising lifetime value (LTV). While acquiring new players is essential, LTV ultimately drives profitability. The key driver of LTV is retention; that thrives when loyalty and gamification elements are interconnected.

Making an informed choice

With so many loyalty and gamification tools on the market, it can be difficult to settle on a choice. According to Enger, the key is to opt for one ecosystem of complete loyalty and gamification tools that operators can mix to fit their business objectives.

“It all boils down to the markets the operator is present in. In markets where bonusing is restricted due to regulations, building loyalty requires innovative, non-monetary strategies.

By aligning loyalty strategies with local regulations and emphasising non-monetary rewards, operators can build sustainable player engagement and maximise LTV, even in markets with restrictive bonusing rules, Enger concludes.

When the right tools work together seamlessly, operators can benefit from a truly synchronised loyalty system which rewards players for their allegiance, keeping them engaged and active across an operator’s entire portfolio – making the challenge of a lack of unified loyalty and gamification options across content providers a thing of the past.