Leon Thomas, chief commercial officer at IWG, explains how instant-win mechanics are bringing a new genre of games to the online gaming industry.
Innovation from within the instant-win games sector is driving a new wave of gameplay that is not only appealing to players, but also helping operators to sharpen their cross-selling strategies and to successfully retain their customer base.
The mechanics of the popular lottery game format are being utilised to transform content from within the casino and sports betting sectors to great effect.
As a result, we’re now seeing a growing number of online casinos offer instant-win versions of popular slot games.
This new genre is an effective tool that can aid cross-sell into other categories, providing a strong retention strategy that is considerably more cost effective than incentivising a player with a straight cash bonus offer.
With regulatory changes sweeping across the globe and making it harder for operators to target their customers with promotional offers, content that grabs the attention and keeps players engaged will play an even greater role in the coming months.
Similar to lottery and bingo, instant-win games successfully attract high volumes of players with a lower value transactional spend, paving the way for online casinos and sportsbooks to tap into a player segment they may previously have been unable to target.
It’s an area that IWG has been exploring for some time now, working with slot providers and sports betting suppliers to create an entertaining gaming experience that enables operators to cross-sell its players from one vertical to another.
Instant spins
In the casino environment, traditional slot games that have been redesigned to incorporate instant-win mechanics have added another dimension to popular releases with a strong fan base.
However, in order for these games to have an impact and help operators tap into a new audience, they need to combine the key features of a slot while also bringing the qualities of instant wins where results are confirmed within seconds.
At IWG, we’ve worked with the likes of Blueprint Gaming and Microgaming to transform a range of their popular slots, leveraging our expertise to provide operators with new gaming solutions that aim to broaden their market appeal.
Games such as Genie Jackpots Instant have been well received by new and existing players because they keep the storyline of what made the slot so successful in the first place, while evolving the gameplay to create something different.
Virtual play
It’s not just casino games that are benefiting from instant-win mechanics, with virtual sports also being adapted to bring a new experience for consumers.
Predetermined instant-virtual sports games brings the best of the instant-win formula together with the exciting gameplay that has made virtual sports grow to become an important product for lotteries and operators around the world.
The Michigan Lottery were the first to go live with this new concept, with Endzone Payout launching ahead of the Super Bowl. The game, which is a result of a collaboration between IWG and Inspired Entertainment, uses a video clip of a single football play as an engaging way to reveal the outcome of a simple symbol match lottery game.
The short-form betting opportunities are sure to appeal to new customers and provide instant win, sports betting and virtual fans with an exciting and immersive alternative.
Instant-win mechanics that are incorporated into popular betting products are proving to be an effective tool in cross-selling players from one vertical to another.
