Going beyond free spins

ggdrasil CEO Fredrik Elmqvist discusses how in-game promotional tools can add significant marketing weight to an operator’s product

Alongside its games development, Yggdrasil Gaming also helps operators find new, innovative and social ways to promote slots beyond the traditional free spins, with its in-game promotional tools. Gambling Insider caught up with Yggdrasil CEO Fredrik Elmqvist to discuss how great promotional tools can help operators and players.

Why are promotional concepts and tools so important in the online casino sector?

Competition is so intense when it comes to online slots, which makes it important to support slot games with promotional tools. Operators expect the full package, which includes seamless integration and innovative ways to promote the game. That’s why promotional tools ensure that slots gain the audience they deserve.

What are the advantages of Yggdrasil’s in-game leaderboard and in-game raffle tools? What’s in it for the operators?

We want operators to be able to run promotions without disturbing gameplay. For example, players are able to access our in-game leaderboard and in-game raffle within the slot, leading to greater levels of immersion and an opportunity to engage with gamification elements without the normal gameplay suffering.

Our operators have been extremely enthusiastic about the tools. Head of casino at Cherry Group Fredrik Sehlstedt has said the tools are very quick and easy to use, and have helped both acquisition and retention.

And what is the appeal for the player?

The main appeal is having access to great promotions which don’t disrupt the base gameplay. Players do not want to have to leave a slot to keep checking their position on a leaderboard because it ruins the experience. We offer a solution which adapts to the player’s language and includes full functionality in a manner which is easy to understand. It really improves the overall user experience.

You launched your Cash Race tool at the beginning of Euro 2016 – could you tell us a little about the benefits of that product?

The idea of Cash Race is to allow operators to offer short and sharp promotions with big cash prizes which can lead to large turnover increases. Operators can define a period during which any spin can be awarded with a mystery prize from the operator’s pool. It is a fantastic tool for converting sportsbook players to casino.

We demonstrated the tool with our own campaign across our entire network at Euro 2016. During half time of the opening match between France and Romania, Yggdrasil provided a €10,000 pool from which any player spinning during those 15 minutes could win up to €1,000 at random. It proved a big success causing a major spike in activity, which requires a great back-end to deal with the extra stress on the system.

Operators seem to agree, too. Thomas Hutchinson, head of casino at NordicBet, told me the operator used it extensively during the European Championship and it helped keep customers engaged.

How can operators increase their social media presence?

Our industry has talked a lot about tapping into the promotional potential of social media. Instead of just talking, we have delivered by developing a tool which actually allows operators to increase their social media presence.

This brand new social sharing feature called BRAG is an industry-first concept that allows players to watch the replays of winning spins and share them with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

From speaking to plenty of Yggdrasil players, we know there is a desire from users to be able to share their success with friends. Operators have also shown a great deal of interest in the tool since launch and we already have plans on how to best integrate it into marketing strategies. We have plans to expand the tool in the coming months, and we truly believe it will be a game-changer.