The online casino industry is pretty competitive. That’s excellent news for players as it leads to creativity, innovation, and improved best practices. They are constantly adapting to become the best online casino. With so many casinos looking to have the edge over the competition, what does that mean for new features?
While software and technology are developing, they are shaping the possibilities of online casinos. We’re sure to see many advances and changes to what we play and how we play it. The evolution of online casinos is ongoing, and we’re likely to see the introduction of virtual reality, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence.
One aspect that is shaping the games we play at online casinos is gamification. We hear that it is taking over the casino industry. That leaves us with a lot of questions. What is gamification, and is it a good thing?
Help is at hand. We took a look at gamification in online casinos and what it actually involves. Here are the answers.
What is Gamification?
Well, you might have guessed from the name, gamification is turning anything that is not a game into a game. There are two elements of a game that gamification adds to any activity. It adds a sense of fun to things that would normally be a boring or basic task. It also adds a sense of competition or achievement to the activity at hand.
This concept isn’t exclusive to online casinos. Gamification has been used to adapt a number of tasks in all areas of life. It can be used to great effect, making the mundane tasks in life more interesting and encouraging us to take action. We can achieve more when we feel like it is a game, whether that is sticking to a routine or forming healthy habits.
How Does Gamification Work?
An extra element of fun or entertainment is added. For online casinos, of course, the main purpose is to play games. That means that gamification is taking place outside of the games, enhancing the other things we do as players when online.
This means you might encounter progress bars, competitions against your previous performance, or other players, leaderboards, and loyalty points. All of these aspects come straight out of video games. They give us a way to measure our success, compete, and want to improve. This comes in the form of clearly set out goals to achieve.
A common way for this to be used is in a mini-game, so instead of straight forward selections, you might spin a wheel, or answer a quiz. When we reach our targets or if we are loyal customers, we receive a reward.
Types of Gamification
In online casinos, there are a few typical methods of gamification to look out for. We’ve seen a few of these already:
- Leaderboards – one of the top gamification features seen at online casinos. They give a sense of progress and satisfaction when players move up the board. It introduces a competitive element with the goal of beating the other players.
- In-game currency – a reward that can be earned for completing certain actions and then exchanged for bonuses.
- Experience points – similar to in-game currency these help players to check their progress, collecting a certain amount will bring rewards and bonuses. They can also be compared to other players’ points.
- Progress bar – This engaging feature is an enticing visual aid. It fills up when a player places bets. With the satisfaction of seeing it full, comes the reward of free spins and other prizes.
- Characters/Avatars – A way for players to express themselves and feel responsible for their actions. Everything they do can be attributed to their online character, which means achievements and experience points.
- Player battles – Taking on fellow players adds a new competitive element to online casinos.
- Maps – Players’ tasks become a journey, and the map is a visual aid for progress – This time is measured in distance and key points of interest on the map. New areas can be unlocked by completing missions in the form of wagers or other actions.
Gamification as a Player
It might seem simple or trivial, but gamification has benefits for the player. Essentially it makes everything more enjoyable and fun. It brings out our competitive sides, and that isn’t a bad thing. We all like to win. We are talking about online casinos, after all, a place we go to play and win. Gamification enhances these elements making us try harder and giving a sense of satisfaction at our achievements.
Often gamification helps us to connect to the task in hand. One way that works in our favour is customization. The game feels personal to us, we can express ourselves, and it becomes an extension of our personality.
What Next?
Gamification only recently arrived on the online casino scene. It has developed a little over the first year or two, but there is potential for further development. The features mentioned above were fewer in number and more basic. Over time they are becoming more detailed, more intricate with enhanced storylines and multiplayer battles.
We will likely see gamification combined with the other new attributes coming to online casinos. Virtual reality seems to offer the most possibilities. We think the software developers are working on innovations in this area right now, so it is a case of watch this space to see what comes next.
Explained
Gamification adds an element of fun to otherwise practical or mundane tasks. It makes things entertaining and competitive and helps us to track our progress. When it comes to online casinos, these gamification features are designed to keep us involved and engages, as well as making the whole experience more enjoyable. Responsible gambling information takes into account the gamification aspect. As we are often reminded, when the fun stops, stop. This all still remains true with gamification aspects, so while we won’t stop being cautious, we don’t have anything to fear. Gamification offers exciting ways to enhance the user experience of online casinos and has the potential for great things.
