The iGaming industry is constantly evolving, driven by fierce competition and a relentless pursuit of player engagement. In this dynamic landscape, gamification has emerged as a cornerstone strategy, transforming traditional online casino and betting experiences into captivating, interactive journeys. Beyond mere points and leaderboards, providers are now deploying sophisticated promotional tools and products to foster deeper player connections and cultivate lasting loyalty.

This first of this two-part special examines the latest innovations in promotional tools and products, as well as assessing their effectiveness in enhancing engagement and retention.

Katarzyna Pysz, Head of Gamification at 3 Oaks Gaming, Reda Vosyliute, Marketing Manager and Adam Lahouiri, Head of Product at BetGames, Alex Naspe, Head of Marketing Intelligence at Blueprint Gaming, Dr. Eyal Loz, Chief Product Officer at RubyPlay, and Andrzej Hyla, CEO of Wazdan, reveal all.

iGaming Expert: What are the most innovative and effective gamification tools and strategies emerging in the iGaming sector today, beyond traditional loyalty programs and leaderboards?

Katarzyna Pysz, Head of Gamification at 3 Oaks Gaming.

Katarzyna Pysz: What players find innovative and exciting does not always align with what proves most effective. Research shows that users often need to encounter new features multiple times before they feel comfortable using them regularly. Innovative gamification experiences, such as treasure maps that players can explore by completing challenges, are highly effective.

This concept not only delivers an adventure-style experience but also allows brands to weave in strategy and even introduce mascots in a playful way. Also, collectable symbols earned through spinning have proven popular; once enough are gathered, players can trade them for Buy Bonus entries or other features, adding an extra layer of engagement.

As for the most effective tool, jackpots remain unmatched. They are simple, widely understood, and come in many forms, from capped prize pots to time-limited drops. Jackpots that act as multipliers of a player’s bet are especially compelling, as they introduce strategic control and the potential for elevated rewards.

At 3 Oaks, we are rolling out three types of Must Drop JACKPOT promotions, as part of our 2025 roadmap, including integrations in our classic 3×3 slots. Players can now choose between traditional gameplay or jackpot-enhanced versions for added excitement.

Alex Naspe: I am noticing a growing trend of gamification through promotional missions or tasks, which players seem to really enjoy. These promotions are typically presented as a sequence of wagering missions, such as ‘achieve a win 5x your bet or more’ or ‘bet £10’ and offer a variety of fun tasks for players to complete in exchange for extra rewards, including free spins.

Players get to experience more elements of a game or multiple games, which is an effective way to encourage continued play on a title. I believe it has added much-needed variety to the traditional promotional offers players have been receiving for many years.

Of course, you need a smooth mechanism to deliver these promotional journeys, and I am proud that our Blueprint Engage tools, developed over the past few years, include chained bonusing as one of their key features.

Adam Lahouiri, Head of Product at BetGames.

Adam Lahouiri: Drawing inspiration from various forms of entertainment, social media, and video games, simple, exciting, and rapid mechanics are highly attractive today. Gamification has become a crucial part of modern loyalty programmes, especially features with social elements that enable players to compete and display their achievements.

Personalised offers and tiered rewards that encourage steady play and help partners build long-term engagement are particularly effective. Our Hero tool supports all of this.

Dr. Eyal Loz: The most interesting strategy we see emerging revolves around funding of gamification flows. Suppliers and operators already identified that gamification tools are extremely effective in the context of engagement and player retention. The real challenge is how to attach significant monetary rewards to these tools, so players see value – ‘or what’s in it for me?’.

The total budget operators and suppliers can put aside is strictly bounded – in reality, only a tiny portion of the GGR. On the other hand, when using opt-in and ante-bet strategies, or even directly selling gamification flows to enhance deposits, a much larger budget can be allocated.

Andrzej Hyla, CEO of Wazdan.

Andrzej Hyla: Gamification has evolved far beyond simple leaderboards and VIP schemes. At Wazdan, we have embraced innovation by integrating gamification directly into gameplay mechanics. Tools like Mystery Drop and Mystery Multiplier Drop exemplify this; they operate seamlessly in the background to deliver surprise rewards without interrupting the game flow.

This approach harnesses core principles of behavioural psychology, surprise, choice, and player control, to enhance motivation and player engagement.

Our proprietary Freedom of Choice suite empowers players with real-time control over their experiences, featuring Volatility Levels that allow them to choose the frequency and size of potential wins. The goal is to make each gaming session feel uniquely tailored, empowering players while boosting retention and player engagement.

iGX: How are game developers concretely measuring the success of their gamification initiatives in terms of player engagement, retention, and overall commercial performance?

Reda Vosyliute, Marketing Manager at BetGames.

Reda Vosyliute: Some KPIs will focus on increasing loyalty, which should ultimately lead to a rise in overall lifetime value and brand loyalty. Our tool has been designed to give players freedom and choice in shaping their play experience, thereby increasing the time they remain loyal.

Simply put, we monitor ARPU, LTV, and playtime as key indicators, but the main emphasis should be on the player—rewarding them and offering opportunities to responsibly try new products and experiences in a secure environment, especially targeting our recreational player base.

AH: The success of our gamification tools is measured using clear, performance-based KPIs. We look beyond surface-level engagement and focus on metrics such as session duration, retention rates, average bet size, and player conversion. These indicators help us assess how each feature influences behaviour over time and whether it drives meaningful uplift.

All tools are tested using real operator data, with results evaluated to ensure they deliver tangible commercial value. Our back-office systems provide partners with full visibility, offering detailed reports that track player interactions, campaign performance, and engagement trends.

Dr Eyal Loz, Chief Product Officer at RubyPlay

DEL: The data doesn’t lie. Gamification tools are generally easier to measure than many other CRM tools, because they often compliment the core experience for the players. That is, you can see the impact of running a gamification-based campaign on the performance of a slot and even run A/B test more naturally.

This is drastically different than running such analysis on the core product which require certification and cannot be easily turned on and off. The metrices to measure are the same as always and revolve around engagement and wallet share.

KP: With each new game release and promotional event, we analyse how gamification features contribute to the success of the games. For example, in examining the Must Drop JACKPOT family of games, we compared key performance indicators between the standard version and the jackpot version.

After launching the first Must Drop JACKPOT Hot Fire Fruits, we measured the number of players, the amounts bet, and the lengths of play sessions, comparing these metrics to those of the standard version of the game.

Our findings revealed that even traditional players who enjoy classic fruity slots prefer the gamified jackpot version, which allows them to win additional rewards for the same betting amount.

Alex Naspe, Head of Marketing Intelligence at Blueprint Gaming.

AN: At Blueprint, we assess gamification success by frequently reviewing KPIs around player engagement, retention rates, and monetisation. Blueprint Retain tools like Chained Bonusing and Supermode Drops help track their impact on user activity. A/B testing and real-time analytics assist in refining features for peak performance.

Operator feedback is key plus churn analysis and segmentation further steer product improvements. Ultimately, effective gamification enhances both user satisfaction and commercial results, leading to higher conversion rates, improved monetisation, and sustained loyalty in a highly competitive market.

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