Jarvis Buck 
Gamification occurs whenever betting experience is made more like a game, making betting seem more like play. Although gamification may have negative side-effects, it can also be highly effective at drawing in new audiences.
Sportsbooks have taken note of the growing demand for gamification in recent months; SoftSwiss recently reported that it’s what their market requires now.
Video Gaming
Gamification refers to the incorporation of gaming elements into non-gaming areas or products. This could involve point collecting, winning rewards, competing with other players or fantasy betting for sports. Such concepts can bring newcomers to sports betting while making it more appealing and exciting for existing fans.
Gaming and gambling have traditionally been considered separate activities. However, a recent study conducted by University of York professor David Zendle has demonstrated the connection between certain video game practices and real money spending on social casino games like 888poker as well as opening loot boxes online – two factors linked to potentially harmful forms of problem gambling.
Though the distinctions between these activities may seem clear, their convergence creates difficulties for classification, screening, diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, digital games which incorporate gambling-like features may become complex by their capacity for monetisation; such games might offer virtual currencies that can be traded and redeemed for money as well as offering bets on virtual events.
Online Casinos
Online casinos stand to benefit greatly from the recent Supreme Court decision that created a legal loophole between iGaming and sports betting, creating the opportunity for cross-selling casino games and sports betting services – two activities enjoyed by most players.
Gamification in sports betting ecosystems also holds promise to promote stability through social features and competition, such as tournaments or slot races that enable players to showcase their success and earn recognition and rewards for doing so.
As ownership becomes a key driver of engagement for consumers, smoothing its path becomes key to engagement and consumer retention. Indeed, simulated gambling such as social casino games and esports betting have blurred the lines between gaming and gambling, necessitating researchers to monitor temporal associations between problematic gambling behavior and video gaming, especially as more digitalized forms of gambling emerge.
Sports Betting
Introduce gaming elements into sports betting to add extra fun and engage your viewers, such as adding points systems, rewards programs, competition between users and even special celebrations when someone reaches a milestone or achieves their objective, such as winning a certain number of bets or celebrating an anniversary of registration.
Gamification to create a better user experience can help attract and retain players, maximize entertainment value, and drive profitability in an iGaming operation. However, operators must use appropriate techniques carefully; otherwise gamification may take over completely instead of complementing it by catering specifically to specific demographics.
Social Betting
Gamification is an essential tool for iGaming operators, helping to maximize user participation and retention. However, for long-term success this strategy must be carefully planned out, adjusted as needed and supported with insightful data analysis.
As betting on sports has become more and more popular, a number of companies have attempted to gamify it through social features such as leader boards and ratings. Although these digital games bear structural similarities to gambling activities, they lack financial payouts required by legal betting and therefore should not be considered gambling activities.
Apps offering lottery ticket purchases via virtual currency have also emerged recently, supported by professional sports ownership groups and venture capital, with the goal of expanding state lotteries through interactive gaming-like experiences.
