Gamification and online casinos: raising your game to the next level

When it comes to playing at online casinos, it is all fun and games and if you are lucky a little bit – or a lot- of money. The internet has fundamentally changed the way we live and also how we play. In the last century playing casino games meant you would dress up to leave the house and go to a brick-and-mortar casino where you would have a drink, a gamble and engage with other people. Online casinos have not only given us the possibility to play casino games in the comfort of our own home or on the go wherever we want, it has also added an extra layer on top of our gambling experience. That extra layer is called gamification.      

What is gamification?

The standard definition of gamification is the application of game elements and/ or game design in a non-game context. In general, the aim of gamification is to increase user-engagement. Through more engagement the user might become more productive, efficient, a better and happier learner and/ or adapt to a certain behaviour with more ease. Gamification techniques aim to maximise people’s natural desire for achievement, learning, socialising and/ or self-expression.

What does gamification at online casinos look like?

Traditionally, gamification is used in a non-game context. Gambling at online casino obviously involves playing games. In a gambling context the concept of gamification is taken a step further beyond the level of ‘just playing casino games’. Gamification is slowly but surely making its mark on online gambling. In online gambling gamification techniques tend to appeal to a player’s sense of achievement and getting a certain status and also, but to a lesser degree, to socialising.

A big step in this gamification process is the emergence of the so-called adventure casino of which more and more are entering the market. At an adventure casino your game is considered more than just wagering money on certain games. It is seen as an exciting journey during which you can complete assignments to get you to the next step of your adventure. Assignments may consist of playing a number of rounds on certain games. Some adventure casinos award you after completing assignments in the form of free spins or bonus cash.

There are online casinos that have created a mythical realm in which you can take on a certain character, who fights the adversary or adversaries of the other-worldly online casino realm. On your adventure to beat your adversary in several stages you get rewarded. The idea of adventure casinos is that you not only just play casino games, but that your game has a broader purpose; progressing on a certain journey and/ or beating the adversary of the mythical online casino world you have entered giving you a sense of achievement and pride. There are online casinos that might not be labelled as adventure casinos, but that still apply an element of gamification in the gambling experience they offer. This element of gamification can be applied on an online casino’s loyalty programme, online casino shop or otherwise.

What does gamification mean for online gambling

As the online casino sector is a competitive market, many providers to their best to stand out, to draw players to their site and to keep them engaged so they come back for more. A strong tool to achieve this is gamification. Technology seems to be developing at record speed and developments in the digital realm even faster than that. As online gambling is a digital service online casinos constantly use and apply new technology. Often this is not directly noticeable, and it only draws attention when this technology is not working as it should. On another level, more adventure casinos are launched and existing adventure casino deepen their level of gamification. Furthermore, virtual reality aims to make the online casino experience ‘more real’ and perhaps even more intense than the ‘real deal’ of visiting a brick-and-mortar casino.

Even more player engagement: Online Casino Virtual Reality

In addition to adventure casinos and other visible elements of gamification in online gambling, more and more online casinos are introducing virtual reality to their experience to stimulate further player engagement. Virtual Reality or VR is a computer generate interactive experience, which, as it is computer generated, takes place in a simulated environment. Depending on the quality of the simulation this VR experience feels ‘real’. At the moment VR online casino games are not widespread (yet), but we expect a fast growth in the offering of VR online casino experiences. Currently some casinos offer VR games and/or a VR live casino experience. With the help of a virtual headset you can get fully emerged in these VR casino games and get an experience that might comes closest to visiting a brick-and-mortar casino.

Using Online Casino Gamification to your advantage

As a player of online casino games, you might feel the need for more engagement and you would like your favourite online casinos to work harder to keep you entertained. You might also wonder what all the achievements-driven experience at other-worldly online casinos is all about. Gamification and other tools to increase player engagement are here to stay. Learning more about gamification and virtual reality can give you a better insight into the latest development on the online casino market. You might also develop better awareness on online casinos’ strategy to keep you engaged. You can use this knowledge to your advantage. It could help you beat the house, and/ or, if you like to play less online casino games rather than more, help you to control your game in a better way.

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