Gamification in casino games like poker is nothing new. The trend goes way beyond adding interactive video elements to attract customers and make their experience more rewarding. Leading poker platforms have shown how gamification can significantly boost user engagement and loyalty. With emerging technologies like AI, ML, Blockchain, Augmented, and Virtual Reality, the industry is all set to explore new horizons of growth.
In this blog, you will learn how gamification is helping casino games and popular strategies used by poker platforms to retain players for long. Keep scrolling!
How Gamification Packs the Punch for Casino Games?
We know how addictive casino games can be. However, with an increasing number of online casino platforms, it is necessary to keep players hyped and engaged. That’s where gamification comes in with multiple perks.
Increased User Retention
Gamification for casino games is a surefire way to motivate players for in-game challenges. As they complete a range of tasks, they unlock system-generated rewards and also get to share their accomplishments—no wonder a player returns to play the same game at regular intervals.
Promoting LoyaltyIt’s quite likely that a satisfied casino game player would refer the same game to other people. For the brand, it means added exposure and an opportunity to expand its reach. Take a poker game, for instance, that grabs eyeballs from all corners of the world. As more players emerge on the scene, it automatically boosts the earning potential of a business.
Access To Vital User Insights
Identifying certain gaming skills and player achievements is a must-do for a casino gaming business. And that means working with a lot of data. With gamification, a casino business can gain access to vital user insights and design a customized gameplay experience. Further, gamification also helps in developing personalized strategies to achieve the desired user retention ratio.
Generating Additional Revenue Streams
As gamification leads players to take on new challenges, it also boosts the chance of monetization. There are multiple ways to consider, from in-app purchases to subscriptions. Thus, for a casino gaming company, it helps maximize profitability and guaranteed returns every single day.
Profitable Gamification Strategies Used By Leading Poker Platforms
With the social gaming explosion, the classic online poker vertical took a backseat. As a result, real-money operators couldn’t help but turn envious towards makers of Zynga Poker and similar social games. The dearth of fresh recreational players drove the operators to rethink gaming models.
Finally, they came up with incentives and rewards programs to entice new players. Brands like Unibet and 888 showed the way with side missions, rich table themes, leaderboards, and daily challenges. In a few months, others followed suit. Here’s a closer look at some of the best gamification strategies used by popular poker platforms.
- Hosting special events, like theme-based games during holidays and festivals
- Exclusive giveaways like trios, cash rewards, and gadgets
- Offering real-time updates using social media campaigns and push notifications
- Regular promotions to keep the excitement alive, retain existing players, and attract new players
- Allowing players to share their achievements, like wins and milestones across social media
- Opportunity to play with friends using private tables
- Chance to live-stream gameplay
- Highlighting the top winners across leaderboards
- Using AI simulation to help players hone their skills
- Using AI algorithms to prevent cheating and establish fair play standards
- Offering daily bonuses and rewards, like free spins and chips
- Rewarding all high-value players with facilities like exclusive tournament access, faster withdrawals, and personalized support
- Boosting existing player retention with attractive incentives
- Ensuring cross-device compatibility
- Designing a smooth and user-friendly interface for seamless navigation
- Implementing advanced coding to lower latency and lags
- Hosting more sit-n-go tournaments to attract first-time, casual players
- Designing free-to-enter events that offer real cash
- Progressive jackpots for added thrill and excitement
- High-value tournaments with access to exclusive prize pools
- In-game chats to communicate seamlessly with friends and families during real-time gameplay
- Real-time and instant feedback on player performance, like winning probabilities and preferred betting patterns
- Using customized dashboards and personalizing interfaces using avatars, table settings, and themes
- Skill-based recommendations in the form of suggested tournaments and tables
Reimagining the Future of Online Casino Games Through Gamification
A poker game, like other casino games, is pre-designed to be provocative. However, provocation can get a tad boring in the long run unless you’ve got your entertainment chops in. As online casino games continue to remain in vogue, minding the skill gap between existing and new players becomes more important. That’s where gamification comes in.
While gamification is fast picking up, there’s a lot more left to embrace for online poker platforms, especially the user-retention mechanism. Ask any new poker player trying to improve his hand in the game; it’s no better than hitting your head on the wall. One might have started playing poker as a recreation. Still, without any success or encouragement, he’s bound to give up, which means a loss for the business.
Here, the popular foreign-language learning tool DuoLingo makes an excellent case-in-point. As a freemium app, Duolingo has turned the pain of learning a new language into an addictive game. Delightful gamification inclusions like streaks, daily points, and level-ups are something that online poker platforms can replicate to keep players motivated throughout. Besides offering badges, achievements, and leaderboards, free poker education can also be a great way to make a player return to the game despite no early wins.
Looking for the perfect platform to win real cash playing a live poker game? Place your bets on MPL. As India’s no. 1 online gaming platform, we’ve got the best poker variants to try out-Texas Hold ’em, Omaha Poker, 7-Card Stud Poker, and Head-Up Poker. Feel free to take your pick.
