Webinar Recap: How To Drive User Engagement For iGaming Apps

The global iGaming market is increasing rapidly, with projections indicating it will surpass $153 billion in global market value by 2030. This growth is being boosted by factors like the accessibility of mobile gaming, which made up 60% of the industry’s total revenue in 2023, and an expanding user base, which forecasts predict will reach 290.5 million by 2029.

Chief Analyst at AppRefinery, Kalle Heikkinen, and Christie Crable, Director of Global Sales at AppRefinery, recently hosted a webinar exploring different methods of driving user engagement in iGaming apps. The pair discussed what motivates users to download an app, promotional strategies marketers can use to boost user acquisition, and engagement features to build a loyal and active user base.

In this blog post, we unpack the biggest takeaways from Crable and Heikkinen’s webinar, Unlock the Secret to Winning Big: Driving User Engagement in iGaming.

Understanding Audience Motivations

Before we can examine the specific tactics iGaming apps can utilize to drive user engagement, it’s important to understand what attracts audiences to apps in the first place. 

In short, there’s no single answer: most people are driven by various wants and needs that affect whether they will choose to download an app. In iGaming apps, for example, some users might be motivated by the entertainment value and excitement generated by an app. Others might be particularly attracted to social features, which allow them to foster a sense of community. In contrast, some might prioritize personal safety and security if they’re placing bets online.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to understand audience motivations. Enter AppRefinery’s User Motivational Framework, which has been developed to break down the main factors that motivate users to download and keep coming back to an app. This framework is divided into seven main sections, each representing the primary motivational drivers that users experience on the mobile market. These are social, management, security, exploration, expression, escapism, and mastery.

Once you understand these motivations, you can use that knowledge to optimize app features, user journeys, and engagement strategies, which is key for driving retention and monetization.

The Competitor Archetype

To help users understand the User Motivational Framework, AppRefinery also applies these motivational drivers to several archetypes, which represent the main personality groups in the mobile market.

One of these archetypes is the Competitor. Users who fall under this Archetype are driven by their desire to win, improve, and show off their skills—whether that’s against other users, the odds, or even their own past performance. It’s arguably the biggest user archetype in iGaming, as most players tend to engage with iGaming apps for the thrill of winning.

However, users who fall under the Competitor archetype also score highly in other areas of the User Motivational Framework, especially social status and competition, achieving milestones, and efficiency improvement. In other words, these users respond well to features that recognize their accomplishments or allow them to tell others about them—such as leaderboards, achievements, and the ability to share wins in social feeds.

Case Study: DraftKings

Applying these user archetypes to an app can make a world of difference in attracting and retaining target audiences. DraftKings, one of the key players in the iGaming space, gives us a perfect example by placing a strong emphasis on competitive and social features.

DraftKings app users aren’t just placing bets but actively competing against, improving on, and engaging with others. Its social feed, BetFeed, encourages social interaction, which plays into the need for social status, and the app’s competitive nature satiates both the desire for competition and to achieve milestones.

iGaming App Promotional Strategies

iGaming apps rely heavily on promotional strategies to attract new users. New player and first-time deposit offers—where new users get a bonus to give them a head start on the app—play a huge role in convincing users to sign up and engage with iGaming apps.

There are several approaches to these offers, with the best promotions designed to reduce friction and create immediate value for the user. Bonus bets, for example, are a highly effective type of first-time deposit offer. These give users additional money in bonus bets if they make an initial bet themselves. This extends playtime for a user, encourages risk-free exploration, and helps users immediately engage with the app.

“It’s very effective, I would argue, for new users who may be hesitant to place large bets right away,” Kalle explained. “Giving them this buffer can increase the chances that they will explore different betting options and start developing betting habits and ultimately continue engaging beyond this initial deposit that they’ve made.”

Bet Safety Nets are another highly effective first-time deposit strategy—these target users who may feel unsure or nervous about making their initial bets. ESPN, for example, leverages this strategy with its first bet reset offer. This offer means that if a user loses their first bet, they get their stake back in bonus bet credits, allowing them to try again.

FanDuel’s Double Incentive Structure

FanDuel has differentiated itself by using a “double incentive” structure which, unlike standard bonus bets, pairs it with an added reward—three months of NBA league pass. This approach appeals to two user segments: sports enthusiasts who value access to live NBA games (creating a direct link between betting and sports) and savvy bettors who want to get the most value out of their bets.

BetRivers’ Prop Packs

BetRivers is another innovative example of interesting promotional offers with “Prop Packs,” a gamified approach to the prop betting system that moves beyond simple wagers. Instead of just placing a bet and waiting for the result, users receive tiered digital cards, each featuring a specific player. If that player achieves a performance target, the user wins a bonus, with the card tier dictating how good the reward is.

This draws on popular mobile gaming mechanics like gacha, creating excitement and encouraging return visits to track player performance and unlock rewards. It blends chance, performance-based bonuses, and gamification, enhancing user engagement by making each bet an exciting experience.

iGaming App Engagement Features

iGaming apps utilize a variety of engagement features to cultivate a loyal and active user base. These features go beyond the core betting or casino experience, strategically incorporating psychological triggers to encourage sustained interaction. Daily login rewards, for example, incentivize players to return to the app, while streak systems reward consecutive play to build player habits. These features are all carefully designed to make iGaming apps feel rewarding even when players aren’t actively placing wagers.

The primary objective of engagement features is to create a pattern of habitual engagement, with the app becoming a part of the user’s daily routine. In the fiercely competitive iGaming landscape, robust engagement features are vital for player retention and increasing user engagement, as fostering a sense of progress, competition, and social connection increases overall player value. Let’s look at some real-world examples.

DraftKings’ Bet Feed

DraftKings’ BetFeed feature supports social engagement by letting users see and interact with other bettors’ wagers in real time. This creates a social media-style news feed where users can discover trending bets, follow high-profile wagers, and use this information to guide their betting decisions.

“It taps into the concept of social proof, where users are more likely to participate when they see other users actively engaged with the platform,” Kalle explained. “BetFeed also enhances the sense of community, making the betting experience more interactive, rather than something you do on your own.”

FanDuel’s Daily Shuffle

Another example of engagement features in iGaming apps is FanDuel’s Daily Shuffle. This feature uses habit formation and progression mechanics to encourage users to return to the app daily, turning their experience into a week-long journey. Players select a random prop bet each weekday and earn bigger rewards depending on the number of successful cumulative bets.

Kalle added: “This is very effective, in my opinion. It creates daily habit formation and encourages you to check in regularly. You have this progression slash streak element, so users have an incentive and feel motivated to complete all five days because the more you complete, the better the rewards. 

“The shuffle feature lets them shuffle their pick if they’re not satisfied, adding unpredictability and keeping the experience fresh. And, definitely, this works as a retention driver. It builds a sense of commitment and helps to keep users returning to the app throughout the week. It gamifies engagement and makes betting feel less transactional and more like an interactive challenge you want to complete.”

For more information on how to engage users in iGaming apps, make sure you watch the full webinar here or by clicking on the button below.

Want to learn more about AppRefinery? Click here to request a demo.