Game On: How Solitics Helps Operators Build Retention with New Gamification Widgets
Online sportsbook and casino operators go to great lengths to stand out from their rivals, but given the fiercely competitive nature of the market, this is much easier said than done, writes Lauren Harrison.
Most brands table a very similar player experience. From the games stocked and the odds and markets offered to the bonuses used to entice players and the payments available for depositing and withdrawing, very few offer a unique iGaming immersion.
Because of this, player churn remains high.
And why wouldn’t it?
Players are simply not incentivised to stick with a brand. After all, there’s more value in shopping around for sign-up bonuses than remaining loyal to a book or a casino. But this is costing operators dearly: Acquisition costs are at an all-time high, hurting already squeezed margins.
So, how can operators bring more value to their players and encourage them to stick around for longer?
iGamingFuture’s Curtis Roach spoke with Tomer Baumel, Founder and CEO of Solitics, to learn more about why his company believes gamification is the key to unlocking the ultimate player experience with the help of its just-launched Gamification Module.
Tomer, you recently launched a Gamification Module. Tell us more about the product and how it can help online sportsbook and casino operators?
“Our Gamification Module is a game-changer for acquisition and retention while boosting the overall experience offered to players. At the moment, players receive a very vanilla experience because operators find it incredibly hard to do anything different to their rivals. Our Gamification Module, which includes Gamification Widgets, allows operators to level up the entire player journey in a way that is unique and perfectly aligned with their brand, identity and values. How? Let me explain.
“Our Gamification Module includes different features such as Widgets, which give operators access to a selection of highly customisable mini-games that can be used to engage, educate and entertain players, boosting loyalty and fostering a deeper connection with the brand.
“Each game is customisable so that operators can align themes, styles and colours with their branding. Games include Spin the Wheel, Pick’em, Instant Win Scratch Cards and others.
“Customisation is quick and easy, with no need for development or IT support, and games can be deployed at various touchpoints across the user journey.
“It’s also worth noting that our solution is built on top of the operator’s Data House, which allows marketers to be incredibly granular in terms of who gets the game, the accompanying bonus, the communication that goes with it and the channel via which it is deployed. This is all done through a single platform and UI.”
What makes mini-games so effective when it comes to retention?
“They are incredibly fun, deliver added value and reward the player, especially when combined with promotions and bonus offers. They help the operator to connect with the player in a way that is authentic which in turn builds trust. Once this trust is established, operators can use mini-games to drive players to take certain actions such as claiming a promotion, making a deposit, playing a specific game, et cetera.”
Why is it important for operators to be able to personalise the gamification experiences they offer to players?
“Personalisation is another tool that allows online sportsbooks and casinos to deliver unique experiences to players and ultimately stand out. Brands are looking for any way they can to differentiate, so we wanted to be able to offer this through our Gamification Widgets and the retention campaigns and activities it can be used for.
“Personalisation doesn’t have to be comprehensive; it can simply be aligning a game with a player’s favourite football team or a slot game. Of course, Gamification Widgets allow for deep personalisation, with operators able to create games around any theme they wish and use games they know will appeal most to their players.
“When it comes to it, personalisation is about ensuring the player knows that the sportsbook/casino fully understands the experiences they are seeking. And for the brand, it means that they can deliver these experiences in a way that ensures the deepest connection with the player.”
Are operators focusing enough on retention? If not, what opportunities are they missing?
“Retention is certainly coming more into focus as operators look to drive the highest possible value from the players they have spent money to acquire.
“The economic landscape is shifting, and industries, companies and people are facing strong financial headwinds. In times like these, every penny counts and marketers are under pressure to extract the highest LTVs from their players.
“But this needs to be done in a way that is authentic so the player doesn’t feel like they are being squeezed hard by the operator, or that the operator’s retention activity crosses the line into being irresponsible.
“This is why mini-games are so effective. By rewarding players for their continued engagement in a way that is fun, operators can drive significant incremental value from each customer in a way that is ethical and responsible.”
How else does Solitics support operators with their CRM activity?
“We help operators with all aspects of customer lifecycle optimisation, via a single platform that covers visitor conversion, retention, gamification and advanced analytics.
“Visitor Activation allows operators to win more customers by targeting non-registered users based on anything they do or don’t do on their website or app. Through dedicated campaigns and user engagement journeys, operators can guide anonymous users towards registrations and conversions at an unrivalled scale.
“Our Retention Module, which includes our Gamification offering, then empowers operators to deliver hyper-personalised customer journeys in real-time based on precise segmentation capabilities that ultimately guide players towards further activity with the sportsbook or casino.
“Our Analytics module lets operators make informed decisions based on all of their data. They can also build dashboards to feed their teams with the information they need to take conversion and retention to the next level. That they can do this without writing any SQL queries or hiring a dedicated data scientist, means any operator can maximise the potential of its data and use it to drive growth.”
What does Solitics have in store for the coming 12-months?
“We are really excited to see operators make use of Gamification Widgets and to see how creative their marketing teams can be when it comes to launching mini-games to their players. We also have additional products and solutions in development and will continue to enhance our core Visitor Acquisition, User Retention & Gamification and Analytics offerings.
“It’s a really exciting year for us and the operators that we support.”
Editor’s Note:
Tommer thinks it’s time for gaming operators to move away from “vanilla” gaming experiences and focus on retention through brand building and fun.
How can operators do this? By the simple expedient of employing Solitic’s leading-edge Gaming Model.
The model allows operators to enhance the player’s journey through product personalisation and customisable mini-games, bonuses, and rewards, thus increasing satisfaction and retention.
Tommer believes that mini-games are about more than just extra entertainment. They are a powerful tool for building trust with players by rewarding them for brand engagement in a non-intrusive and responsible manner.
This “ethical and responsible” approach, alongside other areas of product personalisation, creates an authentic gaming environment, enhancing brand reinforcement and spending-per-player.
And that’s not all Solitics offers. The company creates solutions to optimise the entire customer journey –from activation to retention rates and data analysis via single platform integration.
