Incentivizing games has long been a foundational tool for online gambling, with various platforms offering free spins, loyalty programs, cashbacks, and deposit bonuses. Online casinos retain players and encourage them to spend more time on the platform by offering limited promotions and using gamification strategies.
For example, the discasino welcome bonus entices players to enjoy a certain matching amount offered by the platform on their first deposit. Providing such incentives in cryptocurrencies is another added value to already authentic offers, tech-wise. Now, a similar pattern is emerging in esports. Competitive online gaming is quickly adopting similar mechanisms to iGaming incentives, including bonuses, limited-time offers, and freebies.
These offers are designed to stimulate engagement and monetize the industry. The trend isn’t just surface-level, either. It shows a convergence of gambling and gaming ecosystems. An example of how esports and other popular games are adopting incentives includes how players could get up to 25% extra virtual coins by paying using certain methods.
Roblox lets players get more Robux if they buy with a gift card or computer compared to buying Robux through mobile phones. The driving force of this shift is the gamification of player acquisition. Esports platforms, streaming services, and tournament hosts roll out reward systems similar to online casinos to retain players and increase session times.
Esports platforms give players virtual currencies, loot crates, and XP boosts to welcome them to the game or to unlock new adventures. These rewards hold tangible value. Some rewards allow players to gain access to exclusive badges, premium skins, or VIP passes, enhancing the player’s status in the community.
Other esports platforms entice players to test new games. For example, the rare Skulls and Bones welcome Firework had players actively participating in beta tests. The use of limited-time bonuses and rewards is another tactic esports borrowed from iGaming platforms. Online casinos love to encourage players to stay online with limited-time offers.
Esports games now mimic the time-sensitive deposit matches and flash promotions through event-based incentives and exclusive drops or bonus XP for added views. Twitch reinforced this model with games like Apex and Valorant. Players could earn in-game rewards by watching streams, which directly finds inspiration in the iGaming play-to-earn (P2E) culture.
Loyalty programs are another borrowed concept from iGaming that is currently rising among esports developers. Online casinos reward frequent players with tiered VIP programs. In contrast, esports games introduced progressive ladders. Developers integrate ladders into games to rank players based on daily gameplay, not just tournament results.
These progressive systems engage players consistently, often rewarding players for reaching certain ranks and allowing them to spend the rewards on specific in-game items. The system mirrors how loyalty tokens work in online casinos. Monetization models are also evolving with incentives, with esports platforms now exploring hybrid engagement strategies.
Players can pay to accelerate rewards and unlock exclusive content. The microtransactions are structured in tiers like an online casino that scales bonus packages according to deposits. The ability to create perceived value through exclusivity certainly motivates players to aim for the goalposts.
Advertising strategies have also evolved in games, with Sony Patent PSVR adverts having been launched in 2020. Esports games enabled the monetization of games by advertising reward systems, while iGames promoted limited-time rewards. Many similarities exist between online casinos and gaming platforms today.