Enhancing Player Engagement Through Intelligent Nudging
Article by Marija Djenic of iGwire.com
Did you know that every single day, hundreds of the decisions that we think we’re making for ourselves are actually being influenced by discreet behavioural cues? Very often these subtle prompts seem so natural and unobtrusive as to be almost undetectable in our everyday lives, but trust me when I say they really exist – and they can have a major impact on the decisions we make.
I refer, of course, not to some shadowy conspiracy to guide our thoughts and erode our free will, but rather to the far friendlier concept of Nudge Theory. From the typography of the last webpage that you read to the little picture of a fly on the urinal in your favourite bar, modern life is full of little nudges that can influence your behaviour in many different ways without you even noticing.
The key thing about these nudges is that they’re never instructions or mandates. Instead, they take the form of simple interventions that guide and encourage certain choices – and this is precisely why they’re so powerful. By suggesting an action rather than outright demanding it, a nudge can steer us towards a desired outcome without us ever feeling like we’re being controlled.
The idea behind the theory, which was popularised by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein in the book 2008 Nudge, is that small changes can prompt significant behavioural shifts, so it’s little wonder that companies are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of research into using Nudge Theory – and no more is this evident than in the competitive world of mobile gaming.
With the business models that underpin the majority of today’s free-to-play mobile games being focused on in-app purchases, the use of nudges has become an increasingly important part of driving revenue. While only 1.83% of mobile gamers ever actually make an in-app purchase, if a nudge can boost this figure by even a fraction of a percent, the impact is potentially monumental.
Win streak systems and social catalysts like enabling players to see how their performance rates against other users are just two examples of how nudges are being incorporated into mobile gaming. Both help providers motivate players into making performance-enhancing IAPs that can maintain their run or improve their standing – and all while giving the player something they want.
So – what´s in it for iGaming?
As understanding of the theory has deepened and the technology surrounding it has improved, businesses have increasingly explored ways to implement nudges on a more granular level. Now, rather than targeting large swathes of their database with a generic cue, companies are instead utilising AI and ML to focus their nudges on smaller demographic slithers or even individual users.
For a company like Golden Whale that specialises in these areas, the implications Nudge Theory has for the iGaming space are significant. As any iGaming business – be it sportsbook or casino – has access to masses of data on its users, our models can process even the smallest behavioural signs and use them to recommend personalised nudges on a player-by-player basis.
While a certified slot game is less freely adaptable than a mobile game due to regulations and responsible gaming considerations, there are still a number of ways we can utilise nudges to improve interactions between the player and the gaming system. This in turn can help increase overall customer satisfaction and aid operators with both their engagement and retention efforts.
To give an example of how a behavioural nudge might be used in an iGaming context, let’s say we have a player who we know enjoys the competitive aspects of tournament slot play. Here, not only can we use targeted communications to “nudge” them towards upcoming events, but we can also deliver real-time updates on their current leaderboard standing in relation to other users.
Similarly, a player who focuses primarily on jackpot slots might be steered towards a featured title when we inform them that the progressive jackpot has reached a certain level, while those interested in the gamification side of things might be encouraged to try and unlock specific achievements when they receive a notification telling them how close they are to their next goal. Overall, this is freeing the operation from simply being based on historic events!
Of course, the data required to deliver this kind of personalised guidance is far too complex for the human brain alone to handle, but through AI and ML, we can analyse every interaction the player has with the platform and use this information to make small suggestions that can improve the experience and keep them happy – and more happy players means more happy operators too!
goldenwhale
