Online casinos have been on the rise for the last couple of years and it’s clear that gamification has had quite an influence on that. Other than the easy accessibility and great bonuses they offer, people flock to online casinos because of the different types of games they have. While traditional brick-and-mortar casinos aren’t going away anytime soon, the online gambling industry has had some great advantages when it comes to infusing new tech with what they can offer players.
A lot of this is thanks to the advancements in mobile gaming. Since more and more people are turning to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets for entertainment, a lot of what this industry has gained has also worked out in the favor of online casinos.
What Is Gamification?
Gamification in online casinos simply means that what is regarded as a classic casino game is no longer the only option. Many online casinos are implementing things that are referred to as video game elements into their games and platforms. This means that things like levels, leaderboards, quests, missions, completion bonuses, and other treats are now becoming an essential part of some of the most popular casino games out there.
Why Is It Happening?
This might be surprising to some but the online gambling industry has been a thing for quite a while now. The first online casinos launched around 30 years ago and were very simplistic. With technology advancing and the gaming industry growing, online casinos saw a need to advance as well. Players were getting used to better quality, better graphics, options to play on different platforms, and different devices.
This stirred up competition between online casinos. An all-out war erupted where they tried their hardest to add new features and improve what they already had, all with the intent to capture the attention of the ever-evolving players. This was a good thing since the quality of games and services went up quite a lot, making the online gambling industry very popular. It’s easy to see that both players and the industry can benefit from gamification, so as long the outcome is positive, we hope to see more of it.
The demand for growth and change is ever-present. As video games advance more and more the cycle continues. People want new features and improvements to what’s already out there. In essence, they want a challenge, which is understandable. If things had stayed the same, online casinos might not have been the go-to entertainment sources they are today. No one wants to stick with something when they know there’s something better out there, so gamification was a big wake-up call for today’s gambling industry.
How Is It Happening?
Gamification is quite diverse and adding video game elements and features into online casino games can sometimes be a bit tricky. The main goal online casinos have is to make the games interesting and the user experiences pleasant. This means that too much too soon could be something that makes or break a game. In this regard, online casinos and game developers stick to a couple of gamification elements that seem to be doing a great job as of now.
Some of these elements include leaderboards, social media, and mission-based accomplishments. These added features are used to better immerse the player in the game and allow them to compare themselves to other players. The friendly competition these elements stir makes things more interesting by adding a social aspect to what are often single-player games. Social media is another big plus. It’s good for both ends, allowing players to share their accomplishments with their friends while providing casinos with exposure to wider audiences.