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Sponsored: Gamification in the Gambling World

by on August 4, 2014
 

The world of online gaming has seen an exponential increment in recent years. Thanks to advances in smartphone and tablet technology, more and more people are turning to going online to get their gaming fix rather than playing on traditional console games.

Indeed, while console giants Sony and Microsoft continue to enjoy success through their respective PlayStation and Xbox models, it could be argued that their online components are a key factor in this. Meanwhile, one console company that are trying to rise again are former retro favorites Atari, who have taken a completely different path – to invest in the gambling industry.

It may be a hard nut to crack for Atari, but it’s certainly well worth it – the online gambling industry has taken off in the last ten years, and while this is largely down to user access, it’s also down to one clever marketing method: gamification.

Gamification, by definition, denotes the practice of using gaming techniques to help users solve problems. It takes something traditionally mundane and turns it into a game, making the activity all the more appealing.

Today, the world’s most well known brands and pop culture favorites, for example Marvel Comics, are capitalizing on gamification through the online gambling industry. As interest in land-based casinos continues to dwindle and markets for online casinos continue to grow, iconic figures such as superheroes are being used in branding and game strategy.

A traditional slot machine, for example, could be deemed as mundane to the more modern gambler. Gamification, however, gives the goal an exciting third dimension – it is far more fun to try and beat a Marvel villain that to tediously flick through images of cherries and Liberty Bells. The process gives the user more of task than just to match symbols, with an added element of competition that cannot be seen in traditional casino games.

Moreover, gamification has given gambling games developers the opportunity to broaden their horizons in terms of themes – there is a type of “gamified” casino game for every type of person, whether it’s popular television shows like Deal or No Deal or even games based on nationality. For example, Coral have Irish themed lottery games, and patriotic spirit was certainly the focus of many online casino games throughout the World Cup.

Today, the online gambling industry is a multibillion dollar industry, and with the depth of games available to us at present, this is a figure which can only grow.