Taking jackpot personalisation to the next level

The company’s proprietary casino platform, CasinoEngine, provides operators with a comprehensive library of gamification tools such as its latest launch, JackpotEngine, enabling brands to add a jackpot layer to any game, on any platform and any device.

Below, Stian Enger Pettersen, Head of CasinoEngine, EveryMatrix, tells us more about JackpotEngine.

What was the inspiration behind JackpotEngine?

JackpotEngine is a continuation of our BonusEngine product strategy. BonusEngine offers gamification and differentiation through various cost-effective, real-time bonus features, such as challenges and tournaments. Adding JackpotEngine provides a further layer of excitement, a game on top of the game, which encapsulates exactly what gamification is all about.We have taken jackpots as a gamification feature to the next level by incorporating numerous features into a fully customisable, unique jackpot solution that gives operators complete control over all jackpot properties. There was market demand for personalised jackpots, but we also developed it in anticipation of future trends in consumer behaviour, such as the high demand for gamification features that enhance standard casino products and experiences. Equally, by creating this product, we will drive further demand in numerous jurisdictions, including MGA (Malta) licensed operators and in Greece, two markets where JackpotEngine has recently been licensed.

What iGaming pain points does JackpotEngine solve for operators?

One of the main pain points JackpotEngine solves is differentiating brands from their competitors. Operators can create any number of jackpots and map up to three jackpots simultaneously for any one game, multiple games or all games, creating more chances to win and catering to a wide variety of player preferences. Frequent and small wins or long-running massive jackpots? Why not have both at the same time.

For jackpots where players contribute a percentage of funds, we recently improved their control over participation giving them maximum flexibility. Whenever a game is launched, they can opt into precisely the jackpots they want if more than one is offered. This adds a further personal touch to their experience. So, if a game features three jackpots, a player can opt in to one, two or all three. The jackpots are presented to the player as ready-made, in-game widgets displaying jackpot pools, updated in real-time. The widget is configurable and can be styled to suit any branding.

The widget is displayed in the game on any platform or device: desktop, mobile, or tablet. It displays up to three in-game jackpots simultaneously. Players can also minimise the jackpot widget if they feel it takes attention away from the gameplay. It’s completely up to them how they play. JackpotEngine also incorporates company-level jackpots which help businesses that operate multiple brands to further differentiate, creating substantial prizes for their players, while keeping costs at a minimum.

For example, an operator may have 10 brands. In this case, it means that players from across all 10 domains will contribute to the progression of the jackpot and attract more individuals while also spreading the value across each brand. Global, shared jackpots can reach enormous levels; however, these could be won by a competitor brand. Company jackpots, meanwhile, are owned by one operator that reaps all the benefits.

How configurable is JackpotEngine for operators?

JackpotEngine allows operators to create, configure and control jackpots for any selection of games across any casino vertical and player segment. Operators have complete control over all aspects of jackpot behaviour. In short, they can set the seed amount, hit probability, contribution funding and distribution, can create fixed or progressive jackpots and set player eligibility, each of these eventually reflecting in players’ experiences.

For example, if an operator generously seeds a jackpot, it often gains more traction from the get-go. The jackpot contribution can come from the operators themselves, players or a combination of both, while the collected contribution can be split between growing the jackpot, funding the current seed and funding the next seed. Jackpots can be configured to be available for any player segment, or all players.

In terms of hit probability, we also offer a simulation tool that can calculate the time that will pass before the jackpot is won based on traffic or games included in jackpot. This is, of course, a theoretical simulation, as the jackpot itself is random within the defined hit probability framework. Operators can also configure the contribution cap, which gives high rollers a chance to participate in the jackpot while not spending as much. For example, a jackpot is set with 2% contribution and a player likes to bet €500 ($533) per spin; €10 towards a jackpot might seem like a stretch. If the cap is set to €3, then the player’s contribution is €3 when betting €500.

However, because the contribution is broken down into ‘tickets’ in a real-time jackpot draw handled by JackpotEngine’s RNG, the chances of winning are proportional to the size of contribution; therefore, the more the player contributes, the more chances they have to win. What’s more, operators can also create recurring jackpots in which they can configure the contribution amount distribution: they can select an active jackpot to seed one or more upcoming jackpots.

How does JackpotEngine impact the included games and vice versa?

While JackpotEngine is based on casino game bets, it is completely isolated from any game and its math. No matter what the outcome of a player’s game, they can win prizes with JackpotEngine. This is another benefit because if a player goes on a bad run within a game, they still have a chance to trigger the jackpot(s).

The contribution towards JackpotEngine does not come from a player’s bet placed in the game, no matter if the jackpot is set to be funded solely or partially by players. Participating in JackpotEngine jackpot is a separate, parallel transaction on top of the bet.

How has JackpotEngine performed for its clients?

While it is still early days, JackpotEngine has shown very promising results in initial trials. A comparison of game session metrics, for two like-for-like EveryMatrix customers examining games before and after they were assigned to a JackpotEngine-powered jackpot, saw the number of rounds per session increase by 25%, game session length increase by 11%, and average bet amount climb 30% and 50% respectively.

What is next within the JackpotEngine roadmap?

While JackpotEngine is feature-rich, it is our latest product and the roadmap reflects that. There are many powerful features in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond including:

Personal jackpots offer every player their own jackpot pool that grows the more they play and, most importantly, only that one individual can win it. This takes stickiness of jackpots and the loyalty of a player to the next level.

Community Jackpots distribute jackpot wins across multiple players as per criteria set by the operator. Let’s say the winner receives 60%, while the last 200 players to have participated in the jackpot share the remaining 40%. Long gone is the annoyance of someone else running away with a jackpot as you can now also get a piece of the pie.

We are also planning to integrate JackpotEngine with BonusEngine, another of our gamification solutions. This will enable operators to create jackpots that offer multiple, configurable non-cash prize rewards such as free spins, tournament entry or challenges – a great tool to further boost retention. JackpotEngine is the ideal marketing tool, allowing operators to promote specific content or new launches and prolong game lifecycles. It can make any game more exciting.

The original version of this interview was published by Gambling Insider.