Gamification of gambling: How gaming mechanics improve the online casino experience

Before our eyes, the world of games is slowly seeping into other areas of reality. Virtual game characters are becoming pop culture icons, while game-inspired gadgets are making companies millions. Franchises such as Roblox, Genshin Impact or Minecraft are now worth tens of billions of dollars!

One of the less obvious aspects of this revolution is gamification. We encounter it in online casinos, among others. Our article introduces the basic concepts. We will also illustrate how the various mechanics used in video games are being successfully applied to the gambling industry and what results from this.

What is gamification?

Who doesn't love games? Competition with other players is not everything. Plot, character construction, achievements and quests, loot boxes - these and other mechanisms in video games not only co-create the world, but also contribute to making the gameplay itself a source of growing excitement.

Gamification has its origins in games and, in a nutshell, consists of borrowing various mechanisms and applying them to other aspects of our lives.

In recent years, various areas of our lives have benefited from gamification, including those that have little to do with entertainment (such as education, training, HR or human resources management). This includes, as the experts at https://casinorix-pl.com/ emphasise, online casinos.

From the world of games to virtual casinos

Casinos are invariably associated with great excitement. These are naturally generated by betting on blackjack, baccarat, slots or roulette. However, that is not all. Operators of online casinos are keeping a close eye on the latest innovations in the gaming industry and are successfully using gamification to make every minute spent playing by millions of users more interesting.

Standard on modern iGaming platforms today are loyalty programmes, where you advance from level to level. Added to this are leaderboards, achievements or tournaments with prizes.

Creative solutions even allow players to build their character (from avatar to completing quests and missions) and compete with other users in social casinos. Gamification thus contributes, on the one hand, to raising the profile of the game itself (not just winning money, but following a set path).

Increasing engagement

In the traditional online casino model, we simply register, make a deposit and play it out, hoping for a stroke of luck. Gamification adds a whole new dimension to our stay at the casino.

From a psychological point of view, we are dealing here with classic mechanisms: success in the game plus overcoming further challenges releases even more dopamine. Also helping to stimulate the reward area of the brain are feelings of fulfilment and self-fulfilment after completing a mission. According to the researchers, player engagement can be up to 35% higher when gamification is used compared to casinos that do not use it.

Examples of successful use of gamification

The creativity of operators is best illustrated by concrete examples. Spin Samurai is a legal gambling service that has been in existence for years, based on samurai themes. Here, the player assumes the role of a master fencer, overcoming successive stages of initiation. The development path includes a total of seven levels, including Ronin, Genin, Chunin and Jonin. On each of these we can gain new skills, while building up a collection of free spins. The latter will be used on Asian-themed slots.

Mr.Bet Casino, on the other hand, has prepared points and rewards for players for unlocking various achievements. The benefits are associated at this casino with firing up the mobile version of the site, logging in for several days in a row, playing promoted slots for the stakes specified in the terms and conditions, etc. Mr.Bet combines casino and sports betting, gamification solutions offer benefits for gambling and bookmaking fans.

Negative consequences of gamification

Analysts agree that gamification not only contributes to greater engagement of visitors to a gambling site, but can also have negative consequences. Most of these revolve around addiction.

The operator benefits doubly, as players stay in the casino for longer and deposit cash more often, but from the player's point of view, the extra boost of dopamine comes with the risk of uncontrolled spending and consequent serious problems.

These can be prevented by implementing tools for responsible gaming (limits, timers, self-exclusion, etc.) and by following good industry practices. The responsibility for their implementation lies with the industry itself, fortunately there is additional pressure from regulators on this matter.

Conclusion

Casinos are drawing handfuls from the world of video games and current trends in iGaming show that gamification will certainly be present for a long time to come. As long as the players benefit from this, we need not worry, as the casino experience will ultimately benefit.