Jackpots, just like slot titles, have evolved throughout the years as operators and suppliers look at various ways to rejuvenate jackpots and come up with fresh and more modern mechanics in an attempt to keep players more engaged.
In this week’s SlotBeats Spotlight we asked five game developers for their views on jackpot trends and what’s being done to keep the jackpot feature up-to-date.
SlotBeats: We’re seeing more and more online casinos run daily jackpot giveaways through slots. What’s driving this current trend?
Carl Ejlertsson, Red Tiger: When a supplier or an operator comes up with a concept like daily jackpots it takes a little time for the rest of the industry to catch-up and capitalise. We came up with them around four years ago and have been evolving them ever since, naturally the competition wants a piece of that success.
There are other time-based functionalities, such as the hourly jackpots, which we also introduced, and others are trying their own versions. Some are funded by the supplier. Ours are driven purely by the user and therefore self-funded. What that requires is good liquidity – and that is the challenge with which anyone wanting to get in on the action will be faced.
Arcangelo Lonoce, Habanero: I see it as a form of non-aggressive marketing that can be used while harnessing existing databases. In effect, jackpots are certainly the safest avenue for promotion under the current regulatory spotlight, offering a win-win for the operator / regulator relationship while driving player acquisition and retention.
Not only is it a ‘healthier’ way of engaging players, but it also ensures that the rewards are kept within the playing experience, rather than externalising the return via cashbacks or bonuses – which is being increasingly well-received by both players and regulatory authorities alike.
Vsevolod Lapin, Playson: As a promotional tool, daily jackpots provide a win-win situation for operators. Not only do they help increase brand loyalty, but players also learn quickly as to whether they have been successful in scooping the prize.
The smaller pots on offer have a psychological effect too, as players aren’t too disheartened when the prize is won by another player, but equally take great joy in winning an amount that’s larger than your typical return from a single spin.
Our research has shown that players seem very happy with the daily jackpots and tend to enjoy playing them on their preferred slots.
Jo Purvis, Blueprint Gaming: Jackpots have been a great acquisition and retention tool for operators over the years and the daily giveaways which dominate the market today are equally as effective.
We know there’s a generation of online players who love the adrenaline rush of triggering a bonus round, modifier or a progressive jackpot. The excitement and anticipation of large sums of money dropping every day appeals to a wide segment of players.
Daily jackpot giveaways now form a key component of an operator’s marketing strategy, helping to drive play at certain times of the day and month.
Many operators have shown the effectiveness of driving traffic to their offering through these daily jackpot giveaways. Casinos are always aiming to find a competitive advantage and offering bigger and better prizes will always be a key sales point.
Yuriy Muratov, Booongo: The online casino market continues to evolve at a lightning pace. Now, with the influence of millennials and new players demanding new experiences, the mechanics of jackpots have begun to change, which has led to many operators introducing daily giveaways.
While the amount of winnings may be smaller with certain jackpots, players are incentivised by the increased chance of success. That unforgettable feeling of winning the jackpot increases their involvement in the game – the result of which has seen these new trends emerging.
