Sports betting supplier Softswiss has launched its Lootbox Bonus, a product that aims to enhance the gamification of its sportsbook.

The product, quite simply, allows sports bettors to win extra bonuses during the sports wagering process.

The supplier claims to be the first such supplier to add the engagement tool; how it works is players accumulate points while placing bets on sports.

Once enough points have been won, players can then choose a loot box that appears on screen, giving them the chance to win up to three free bets.

It's an interesting combination of sports betting and lootboxes, a popular concept within the esports and video game world.

Lootboxes are not without their controversy, of course, with many believing them to be a form of gambling, and subsequently arguing that children should not be allowed to pay money for randomised lootbox prizes.

In this case, however, players are already gambling, and picking a lootbox for a randomly selected prize is certainly a different way of going about awarding free bets; traditional examples of ways to win free sports wagers exist with Sky Bet Club, bet365 and other sports betting operators.

Alexander Kamenetskyi, Product Owner, Softswiss Sportsbook, said: "When developing new bonuses, we always pay attention to market trends and the needs of the players and operators. Gamification is what the market demands right now and it's one of the key goals for sportsbook.

"Lootbox Bonus is a great addition to the features we have already added to our solution. Moreover, it's a new bonus type for the betting market, so it's a double pleasure to offer exclusive tools for our partners and players."