The iGaming industry is highly competitive, with so many different options for online casinos, betting platforms and digital lotteries. iGaming providers are constantly working on innovative marketing strategies to attract new players and one such tactic is to convert video gamers into iGamers.
There is a significant cross-over in many of the traits and interests of video game players and online casino players, which is why targeting video gamers can be more effective than trying to convert the general population into iGamers. For example, players are driven by dopamine loops – the same player who enjoys the thrill of progressing to the next level in a video game, is likely to get a similar sense of excitement by winning bets or casino games.
By tapping into an audience that already matches many of the typical traits of online casino players, marketing to this ready-made audience can leverage higher success levels.
If you are wondering where to get started with creating a pipeline of video gamers to iGamers, these are some of the important stages:
Raising Awareness and Engaging with Video Gamers
It is important that the way you create awareness is done with a gentle approach. Trying to hard sell real money games will usually put players off, so you have to cater to the preferences of video game players. A good place to start is by offering casino games that are designed around the themes of their favourite video games. This provides familiarity and does not feel like a complete leap into the unknown.
Offering games that are free to play will give video gamers the opportunity to see whether they like playing the games before they consider making deposits or completing a registration process.
Identify the digital spaces where video gamers spend time and advertise in these spaces, using promotions that appeal to their video gaming passion and behaviour traits. These spaces could be in Discord communities or at esports events, for example.
Promote Free-to-Play Casino Games
Providing a gaming experience that is aligned to the same features and emotions that video gamers love is the best way to appeal to them. If they enjoy playing platform video games, offering games built around the same themes will feel like an extension of what they are already playing, rather than a completely new type of game.
These are known as ‘bridge products’ which use virtual currency rather than real money to get players into the habit of playing casino games. It is a good idea to offer games that have simple rules and strategies so as not to overwhelm players. If they have to spend time learning game rules then they are less likely to play.
Incorporating in-game rewards that deliver the buzz that players seek from video games, such as loot systems, will help to maintain the player’s attention and motivation to keep playing. Video game players are used to playing skill-based games, so providing a game experience that feels like there is a high level of skill involved, rather than potluck, will appeal more to their nature. Hybrid games that are a combination of skill and chance will also be closer to the gaming experience video gamers are familiar with.
At this stage of the pipeline you have the opportunity to build the player’s trust in the casino platform, so providing the same level of customer support and features that registered players enjoy will be important for gaining trust.
Free-to-play games are a huge draw for online casino players, which you will see when you read the likes of Onlinecasinoreview.co.za. It provides a soft launch with no financial commitment to familiarise players with the new styles of games.
Use Gamification
Gamification such as progression paths and badges is another technique that will motivate video gamers. Gamification features built around the same concepts used in video games, such as achieving new levels will help to convert video gamers into iGamers.
Introduce Real Money Games
Once players have had the chance to play casino games for free and they are comfortable with the rules and strategies, you can then offer them registration bonuses and low-stake games. For example, if they have been playing slot games, offering 100 free win spins on the games that they like is more likely to secure the conversion.
Use low-stake games so that players are not worried about investing a large sum of money and make sure that minimum deposits are relatively low. This is the most difficult stage of the pipeline to master and you need to remove any financial or psychological barriers that may concern players.
Retaining Players
Once video gamers have successfully converted into real money iGamers, the next challenge is to retain them. Providing loyalty rewards can be a huge part of this to keep players returning. For example, providing daily cashbacks or free bets on certain events will keep players interested.
Like all types of conversion pipelines, video gaming to iGaming pipelines need to be continually reviewed and tweaked based on successes and failures. However, these are the basic stages involved in the conversion processes for successfully attracting the target audience of video gamers.
