Online casinos are always inventing new ways to keep players engaged. One of the best approaches so far is to offer bonuses via gamification.
Table of Contents
In this guide, we give you an inside look into online casino gamification and bonus offers.
There are three objectives to help you understand this concept clearly:
- Make you aware of gamification at online casinos
- Give you examples of gamification online casinos use
- Add examples of casino bonuses you can claim using these gamification extras
Let's jump right in!
Wheel of Fortune / Bonus Wheel
The first gamification tool used by online casinos is also one of the oldest methods in the book. Yet, despite its simplicity and the fact it's a tool we've seen on most sites, it is still effective.
How to earn your spins on a casino's Wheel of Fortune gamification tool
- Earn loyalty points you can use to spin
- Some casinos will give you bonus wheel spins after every deposit. The spins are usually also part of your first deposits via welcome bonuses.
What can you win from a wheel of fortune?
- Free spins
- Bonus Money
- Cash with 0x wagering
- High VIP levels can win merchandise like iPhones or trips overseas
Image courtesy of Joo Casino
Bonus Wheel Pros and Cons
| Pros |
|---|
| On occasion, you can win cash with 0x wagering |
| You have the chance to win a complimentary bonus |
| Some bonus wheels offer the potential to win huge jackpots |
| Cons |
|---|
| Free spins still come with wagering requirements |
| Bonus money also has wagering requirements |
| You could win nothing from your spin |
Missions and Challenges
Missions and challenges can be a fun way to win bonus money or free spins.
Some online casinos will have a section dedicated to challenges you can choose. Others use interactive bonus maps where you complete missions and/or challenges.
How to earn bonuses via missions of challenges
- Choosing a Challenge: Some casinos let you choose your mission. For example, choose an online slot, play for real money, and meet the challenge. This could be a challenge to win a 3,000x multiplier within 100 spins for a 50 free spin bonus.
- Missions: You can also choose missions. For instance, spin on a designated online slot for 500 spins at $0.20 per spin. Once you complete the mission, you could earn loyalty points, an increased VIP level, or a bonus.
Interactive Maps - Challenges and Missions
One of the most popular gamification tools used by many online casinos is a map. Some maps are challenges only, other missions only, and some are a mix of both.
- Map Prizes: You pick up bonuses and prizes to progress on the map. The further you get, the higher the bonus rewards.
- Challenges: To get to the next step of a map, you may need to complete a challenge. This could be winning a certain level of multiplier or reaching a targeted number of spins.
- Missions: Another way to progress on the map is to complete a mission. This could be accumulating a certain number of multipliers or spins to progress and win a bonus.
- Map Completion: The rewards for fully completing a map can be quite substantial. Some casinos will accelerate your VIP level, while others will award a cash prize win with 0x wagering.
Missions and Challenges Pros & Cons
Image courtesy of Joo Casino
| Pros |
|---|
| Missions and challenges can be fun to complete |
| They add another interactive way to earn free bonuses |
| Missions and challenges add variety to your casino gaming experience |
| Cons |
|---|
| There is a risk of over-gambling to complete missions |
| Bonuses don't always complement the amount you bet |
| There is usually a real money minimum bet to participate |
Bonus Maps & Games
Continuing from the challenges and missions section, we thought this particular game is worthy of a mention. It comes as a result of the Soft2Bet aggregator platform provider thinking outside the box.
All online casinos connected to the aggregator can access a 'Bonus Dice' game. Players deposit or win dice rolls on a game with a map. It is actually very similar to playing Monopoly. If you have played Monopoly Big Baller or Monopoly Live Wheel of Fortune games, Bonus Dice is also similar to the bonus game, which plays out on a Monopoly map.
How to earn bonuses on SoftBet online casino bonus dice game
- You can earn rolls on the game board by making deposits or win rolls playing designated online casino games.
In fact, the idea behind writing this guide to online casino gamification came thanks to the Soft2Bet Dice game. You can about the bonus dice map in more detail here - Soft2Bet Adds Bonus Dice Gamification.
Bonus Shops Via Loyalty Points
Bonus shops are not exactly a form of gamification, but they are worthy of a mention in this guide. When you earn loyalty points or coins, you can buy bonuses.
How to buy bonuses using points or coins
- Visit the bonus shop: Yes. It is as simple as opening the bonus shop and browsing bonuses.
- Buy Free Spins: Use your loyalty points to buy a set number of free spins. Usually this will be on a designated slot game.
- Buy Bonus Money: Again you use loyalty points and swap these for a bonus money balance.
- Buy Merchandise: Not many casinos offers this facility. However, there are some that will allow you to swap points for items. They can be sports match tickets, accessories, or trips overseas.
How to earn points to spend in the bonus shop
The way in which you earn points or coins differs from casino to casino. Some are straight-forward and a little bland, while others can be quite inventive.
- Real Money Bets: The most common way to earn points is by betting real money. The best loyalty points programs are those that require a low real money bet requirement per point.
- Challenges & Missions: The previous section covered challenges and missions. Some of them will give you loyalty points when completed.
- Leaderboards/Tournaments: You can earn points by finishing in one of the top spots on custom leaderboard promotion. These promos will pay out in points or coins.
- Map Completion: When you are progressing on an iterative map, some stages will pay out in loyalty points or coins.
Bonus Shops Pros & Cons
| Pros |
|---|
| You get to choose the promotions you want to play |
| Offers a diverse route to earning bonus money and free spins |
| A more personalised way to claim bonus deals |
| Cons |
|---|
| Some casinos set high thresholds to redeem bonuses |
| Wagering requirements are sometimes higher than other bonus deals |
| Risk of over-gambling to redeem coins or points to spend in the bonus shop |
Interested in casino with bonus shops? The Casinoplusbonus team has created a guide dedicated to helping you understand how to use bonus shops. We also have a list of online casinos with bonus shops you can test out.
More Ways Online Casinos Incorporate Gamification
In the sections above, you have a list of the most common ways online casinos use gamification. However, we have only touched on just some of the ways online casinos keep players engaged with bonuses and cash.
Below are two more
Real Money Leaderboard and Prize Drop Promotions
You can play designated casino games and win real money with 0x wagering. Rather than cover the topic again, we already have a guide dedicated to prize drops and leaderboard promotions here.
Bonus Crab
Bonus Crab is an interactive feature that gets its idea from the claw machines found in amusement arcades. Each time you make a deposit, you can use the claw to grab hold of a bonus.
You will find some casino build in an interactive game where you grab the bonus available. The advantage to this is that you get to choose from a variety of bonus deal on offer.
Prizes from the interactive bonus crab feature can include:
- Real cash: Cash with 0x wagering
- Bonus money: Earn a bonus money balance, which will come with a wagering requirement
- Free spins: Earn free spins. In most cases, free spins winnings will have a wagering requirement.
- Loyalty points: Increase the number of loyalty points you have.
As with most bonus offers, always look at the terms and conditions to make sure the wagering requirements are fair. Also, if you are gambling using bonus money, read the Casinoplusbonus guide to avoid making bonus mistakes.
Any questions?
There you have it. This guide gives you a comprehensive list of gamification online casinos offer players to make your casino gaming experience more entertaining.
Perhaps one of the best and latest developments is the introduction of Mega Dice on Soft2Bet platform. It takes gamification to another level by giving you an interactive game on a Monopoly style map where you can win instant bonuses.
As the iGaming industry evolves and online casino promotion experts brainstorm, you can expect more inventive gamification ideas to hit online casinos.
What's more, gamification is legal under most jurisdictions. Whether you are from the UK playing at a UKGC casino or from South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Ireland or India playing a Curacao or Malta Gaming Authority casinos, you will find platforms using a variety of gamification tools to keep your casino gaming experience fun!
If you have any questions, or would like us to add more details about online casino gamification, please leave comment or start a topic in the Casinoplusbonus forum.
FAQ
Are gamification features at online casinos free?
Not often, no. Most gamification features require you to play casino games for real money to earn bonuses. Alternatively, some casinos will offer a gamification feature along with deposits, as part of a VIP program, or sometimes at random.
Which is the best gamification feature at online casinos?
The decision on which gamification feature you prefer is down to you. However, we can point you in the right direction with one simple tip. Always look for those that offer the best value for money.
Which online casino offers the best bonus shop?
As the idea of a bonus shop is to exchange loyalty points or coins for free spins or bonus money, the best bonus shop casinos are those with the lowest real money bets to loyalty point conversion. If you get 1 point for $100 at one casino, but the other offers 1 point for $20, then the second option offers the best value.
Are online casino missions and challenges worthwhile?
It depends on the value you are getting from the mission or challenge—for example, a challenge to spin 150 times at $0.03 per spin will cost you $4.50. Yet, with most online slots averaging a theoretical RTP of 96%, you should win most of that money back. Therefore, it is up to you to weigh up the prize/reward versus the money spent completing the challenge.
How do I avoid over-gambling while using gamification tools?
This is an excellent question because such is the nature of gamification being fun. This can lead to having too much fun, which can lead to losing track of how much you are spending. The best way to make sure you don't over-gamble is to have a sound bankroll management strategy and use responsible gambling tools if available.
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