Driving participation in online bingo with real, physical prizes

There’s no denying the size or impact of the online bingo industry. According to the most recent report from the Gambling Commission, in the UK alone remote bingo generated almost £190 million in gross gambling yield in 2020-2021. 

This marks a 17% increase since 2016 and a continued upward trend in the popularity – and value – of online gaming. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has certainly supported the growth of online bingo, but it was already becoming a dominant trend in the gambling industry. New free and paid online bingo games are launching every day. In 2021, Which Bingo recorded 252 bingo sites from 14 different software providers.   

There’s more and more choice for players… and more and more competition for gaming operators. 

Which is exactly why the industry is looking for new ways to drive participation and engagement. 

And why Gift & Go can help. 

The challenges with traditional bingo giveaways 

When it comes to attracting and retaining bingo players, the vast majority of operators take the tried and tested route: 

• Free games to demonstrate the playing experiences 
• Free cash incentives to encourage players to sign up 
• Freeplay prizes to keep players playing 
• Top cash prizes to generate anticipation and encourage engagement 

And they work. For now. 

They’re good at appealing to new players and convincing existing players to stick around. 

But are they good enough? 

They don’t stand out from the competition. 

When every other operator is offering the same, or very similar, freeplay incentives and cash prizes, how will your bingo game cut through the noise and encourage players to switch providers? 

They’re not very exciting

Similarly, for existing players, freeplays and cash prizes aren’t exactly an intriguing offer. Sure, a big jackpot is attractive, but the chances of winning one of those are few and far between. A smaller cash prize is nice, but it’s not unique. It’s not exciting. 

They don’t build loyalty 

Because freeplays and cash prizes are on offer from 250 other bingo sites, they don’t do anything to help your bingo brand make an impact. They’re not memorable. Cash gets spent and forgotten about, so there’s no association or loyalty with your brand. 

But when you can offer your players real, physical prizes as part of your online bingo offer, you’ll stand out. You’ll drive participation and engagement, you’ll increase player numbers and player spend. You’ll boost your profits. 

Because real, physical prizes: 

Help recreate a key part of bingo halls

One of the biggest joys in playing bingo in a brick and mortar site is the potential to win prizes you could walk away with then and there. Bingo halls pride themselves on having a wide selection of physical prizes of varying value to attract players in and keep them players. 

Now online bingo games can recreate that with real, physical prizes that are delivered straight to a player’s home. 

Gift & Go lets you select thousands of prizes – in multiple prize value categories – from Amazon Business’ extensive catalogue. You can offer millions of different gifts to stand out from competitors and drive participation at the click of button. 

Give your players the freedom to choose 

Better still, Gift & Go’s fully customisable, seamlessly integrated player reward sites give you complete flexibility to reward your players in multiple different ways. 

With a quick-to-setup microsite, you can give your bingo players the choice of prize they want. 

They get to browse a range of gifts in the prize category they’ve won, selecting whatever takes the fancy. It makes your rewards far more relevant and far more effective. 

Connect with your audience and build brand loyalty

When your prizes are more appealing and more relevant, you’re far more likely to attract more players and retain existing ones. 

Those physical prizes you offer are more personal, more memorable. You’re creating an experience when that gift is delivered to your player, an experience that lasts longer than any cash prize. That helps you create a stronger connection and build a stronger loyalty to your brand.  

Are easy to deploy and manage with Gift & Go 

Giving away real, physical prizes as part of your bingo games doesn’t need to be complicated or confusing. 

You don’t need to worry about carefully guessing your players’ preferences, buying in advance, stocking gifts in a warehouse and dealing with all the delivery complexities. 

You just need Gift & Go. 

One simple integration and a world of gifting, reward and bingo prize options. With no stock, no storage, no shipping worries, it’s no wonder so many new gaming providers are choosing Gift & Go’s award-winning software to drive participation.

Want to see how real, physical prizes could boost engagement with your bingo platform?

Apply for a free trial or book a demo and claim your free gift.