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In today’s competitive landscape, gamification in iGaming is no longer a promotional add-on, it’s becoming a structural retention strategy. As operators face increasing regulatory pressure, higher acquisition costs, and more demanding players, traditional CRM campaigns alone are no longer enough.
We spoke with Yuval Mechoullam, Co-Founder of Smartico.ai, about how combining CRM and gamification is transforming player engagement, retention metrics, and long-term lifetime value (LTV).
Before launching Smartico.ai, Yuval and his co-founders identified a structural problem across the industry.
“In 2019, my co-founders and I watched iGaming operators wrestle with a Frankenstein collection of tools that barely talked to each other. The whole setup was expensive and clunky, and sending a decent email campaign required a computer science degree.”
Operators were working with fragmented systems, disconnected data, and siloed engagement strategies. CRM and gamification were treated as separate verticals — often managed independently.
Yuval explains:
“Here’s what got us: everyone treated CRM and gamification like distant cousins at a family reunion. But player engagement doesn’t happen in silos. When someone hits a jackpot, that’s not just a data point for your analytics dashboard but the perfect moment to invite them into their next adventure.”
The vision was to build a unified intelligence layer that powers a continuous, personalized journey with every interaction.
“We wanted to build one unified brain where every spin, deposit, and click creates a breezy, personalized journey that feels natural instead of robotic.”
To validate the model, Smartico conducted a four-month A/B test comparing traditional CRM with an integrated gamified CRM approach.
“We ran a four-month A/B test that convinced even our skeptical clients. Half the players got the usual treatment – basic CRM with no gamification. The other half experienced our unified approach, where every interaction fed into personalized missions and rewards.”
The results demonstrated the commercial impact of structured gamification:
“The gamified group didn’t just play more but also deposited 18-23% higher amounts and stayed in sessions 25-30% longer.”
Beyond financial metrics, behavioral patterns shifted significantly.
“People were progressing through meaningful challenges, battling it out on leaderboards, and building absolute loyalty to the brand. They were fully invested in their journey.”
One of the most successful gamification use cases has been sports-aligned quizzes — particularly powerful for sportsbook operators.
“Sports-aligned quizzes are pure gold. We automatically update answers based on live match outcomes, so when a player predicts ‘Who will score first in the El Clásico?’ – the engagement doesn’t end with the prediction.”
Instead, the interaction becomes ongoing:
“They’re checking back obsessively for results, watching their leaderboard position, and earning accuracy points.”
This creates what Yuval refers to as appointment gaming behavior:
“Players literally schedule their day around checking results and climbing rankings.”
For operators, this translates into higher session frequency, increased time on platform, and stronger brand stickiness — particularly during major sporting events.
Modern retention strategies require more than basic segmentation.
“We’ve moved way beyond ‘Hi [First Name]’ territory. Every player gets their own adventure story.”
In practice, this means dynamically assigning missions aligned with player preferences and behaviors.
“Each player unlocks missions in harmony with their interests – sports bettors get sports-related challenges, while slot fans receive slot-focused missions.”
This level of personalization creates deeper emotional engagement:
“This creates emotional investment that goes deeper than typical customer relationships. Players become the protagonists in their own gaming narrative.”
The ultimate indicator of success?
“When someone says, ‘I can’t wait to see what mission I get next,’ you know you’ve moved from transactional to transformational engagement.”
While revenue metrics remain important, Yuval emphasizes engagement depth as a more reliable long-term indicator.
“Revenue metrics are apparent, but we obsess over engagement depth indicators: mission completion rates, consecutive login streaks, cross-game adoption patterns, and how players accumulate points over time.”
However, one metric stands above the rest:
“The golden metric is the voluntary return rate – players returning without any promotional nudge.”
When gamification works, players return because they are invested in progression — not because they are chasing a short-term bonus.
Not all gamification strategies are successful.
“Oh, absolutely. We call it ‘engagement theater’, which is basically lots of clicks and activity that in the end means nothing.”
This often happens when gamification economies are poorly structured:
“Points are too easy to earn, rewards don’t matter, or progression feels meaningless.”
That’s why strategic architecture is critical before launch.
“Engagement without retention is just expensive entertainment. It’s like giving someone a slot machine that only pays out in Monopoly money – fun for five minutes, then completely forgettable.”
As operators expand into diverse markets — including high-growth regions such as Brazil — gamification strategies must go beyond simple translation.
“Partnerships taught us that localization goes far beyond language translation.”
Yuval highlights how gamification psychology varies significantly across markets:
“What excites players in Brazil might bore players in Sweden.”
To address this, Smartico built flexibility into its infrastructure:
“We’ve built our platform to support multiple brands under one instance while allowing completely different gamification strategies for each.”
Gamification is increasingly being integrated across the entire player lifecycle — from acquisition to long-term retention.
“We’re moving toward lifecycle-aware gamification where acquisition campaigns plant seeds for future retention strategies.”
The first interaction already shapes the long-term journey:
“A player’s first interaction creates their gamification DNA, influencing their long-term journey.”
Operators are also combining gamification with predictive analytics:
“By analyzing the behaviors of high-value players, they identify and target lookalike audiences that are most likely to become loyal, long-term customers.”
This approach allows for smarter acquisition strategies focused on lifetime value rather than short-term conversion.
One of the most exciting developments is the rise of social multiplayer experiences within operator ecosystems.
“We’re building a community where players can watch each other’s progress, driving involvement and healthy competition while increasing FOMO.”
This reduces reliance on external social platforms:
“This approach helps keep users engaged within the platform, rather than losing them to external social networks.”
Looking ahead, Yuval sees gamification evolving into something far more immersive:
“The future is hyper-personal, socially aware gamification – less like generic marketing automation and more like authentic interactive entertainment – powered by real connections and visible achievements.”
The integration of CRM and gamification in iGaming represents a shift from campaign-driven engagement to lifecycle-driven strategy.
When architected correctly, gamification is no longer a promotional tool — it becomes a core driver of player retention, engagement depth, and long-term LTV.
For operators navigating increasingly competitive and regulated markets, unified CRM and gamification may soon become not just a differentiator — but a necessity.
