GBC Time has interviewed – Martin Collins, Chief Business Development Officer at Soft2Bet, a leading iGaming turnkey solutions provider that delivers high-quality products and services for online gambling operators.

What does gamification mean to Soft2Bet?

Gamification is at the core of Soft2Bet’s strategy, delivering measurable business results and transforming iGaming into genuine entertainment. While others are just getting started,  Soft2Bet leads through data-driven insights drawn from multiple industries, boosting engagement, loyalty, and player value.

Our unique blend of social casino features, real-money betting, and gamified content sets Soft2Bet apart. From real-time missions and tournaments to MEGA Builders and arcade-style games such as MEGA Chance, we create engaging, interactive experiences far beyond traditional gameplay.

Which gamified features have been most successful in iGaming and sports betting?

Soft2Bet doesn’t rely on generic rankings when assessing gamification mechanics. Instead, each feature is developed through careful analysis, player insights, and targeted data. MEGA’s segmentation tools enable operators to confidently tailor their gamification strategies, ensuring genuine engagement as opposed to relying on guesswork.

Today, the MEGA portfolio includes missions, challenges, tournaments, Monopoly-style games, and progression mechanics. Yet real success comes from tailoring these features to different player segments, markets, and brand narratives.

A great example is Soft2Bet’s MEGA Builder, an innovative feature combining traditional casino gameplay with the engaging appeal of casual gaming. Users not only enjoy their favourite games but also earn points to construct interactive stadiums, unlocking extra bonuses and cash rewards along the way.

This balanced approach motivates players to return, creating genuine emotional investment and a meaningful sense of progression. Features like these help form long-term engagement strategies, building authentic loyalty and enhancing the overall player experience.

How can gamification enhance the user journey without becoming a distraction, particularly in sportsbook environments?

Soft2Bet prioritises enhancing the user experience seamlessly, particularly important in fast-paced sportsbook settings. Soft2Bet’s design approach emphasises clarity, speed, and simplicity, with gamified elements intuitively integrated into the player’s overall journey.

By using data-led UX strategies, we at Soft2Bet are able to analyse user behaviour to identify precisely where features like challenges, missions, achievements, avatars, and real-time rewards will best increase engagement. Each element is personalised and thoughtfully designed to complement, not overshadow, the core betting experience.

This careful balance enables Soft2Bet to implement effective gamification strategies that deepen engagement and strengthen loyalty across both casino and sportsbook platforms.

How to balance engagement with compliance, particularly in tightly regulated regions like Sweden or Ontario?

Balancing engagement with compliance, particularly in strictly regulated regions like Sweden or Ontario, requires careful consideration.

Using advanced technology, we recommend games tailored responsibly to each player’s preferences. Compliance and responsible gambling features are integrated naturally into the platform, enhancing safety without disrupting user enjoyment. Simply put, a responsible gambling and an enjoyable gaming experience can coexist seamlessly.

Clear and accessible responsible gambling information ensures players remain informed effortlessly. Rather than promoting high spending, at Soft2Bet, we reward healthy gaming habits, reinforcing a balanced approach.

This alignment of enjoyment and responsible gaming practices builds trust, long-term loyalty, and a secure gaming environment. Compliance, player protection, and responsible gambling remain central to our operations, guaranteeing a safe, transparent, and engaging experience for every player.

Do different markets respond differently to gamified elements, such as those in Scandinavia versus those in Europe?

Regional preferences have a significant influence on player engagement with gamified features. Soft2Bet has observed distinct variations. For instance, Scandinavian users typically favour competitive elements like leaderboards and achievement systems, valuing progression and skill-based activities. Soft2Bets’ award-winning brands, Betinia and CampoBet, illustrate this well, having successfully built loyalty and strong engagement in highly competitive markets.

This insight underscores the importance of data-informed strategies. Soft2Bet adapts our gamification strategy to align with local player behaviour, crafting experiences that resonate culturally and personally in each market. MEGA’s distinctive mechanics and narrative approach help the platform stand out even in saturated markets. Ultimately, player retention solutions are most effective when innovative, strategic, and carefully customised.

Soft2Bet has won multiple innovation awards. How do you keep that innovation engine running in such a fast-moving industry?

Innovation drives our thinking. To stay ahead, we combine data-driven insights with responsive, agile development practices.

Our teams continuously experiment, refine, and roll out new features such as mission-based gameplay and interactive experiences that blend traditional casino games with casual gaming elements. Every development aims to boost user engagement and deliver measurable results.

Our guiding principle is simple: we listen to players, analyse their behaviour in real time, and develop products that address genuine needs. By transforming creative ideas into tangible outcomes, we remain at the forefront of a rapidly changing industry. This approach has consistently earned recognition from leading iGaming awards, including SBC, EGR, SiGMA, GGA, and WIG, as well as broader honours such as The European Global Banking & Finance and Sustainability & ESG Awards.

What role does data play in shaping and refining your gamification strategies?

Data drives every decision, informing our innovations and keeping our gamification strategies targeted, effective, and measurable. At Soft2Bet, we cater to our partners’ needs, whether they prefer complete control or automated solutions, by offering real-time Power BI dashboards, tailored reporting, intuitive workflows, and automated journeys tailored to their specific requirements.

These tools enable real-time analysis of player behaviour, instant strategy adaptation, and personalisation of every element, from missions to rewards, based on actual player preferences. This enables us to effectively transform insights into actions, consistently achieving strong engagement across all markets.

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How to coordinate risk management with the desire to implement new gamification features?

Integrating risk management when implementing new gamification features in gambling requires a careful balance of innovation, player protection, and regulatory compliance.

As operators aim to boost user engagement through features such as rewards, missions, and progression systems, it’s essential to embed risk management early in product development.

This approach demands close collaboration among product, compliance, legal, and data teams to ensure new features are engaging, transparent, fair, and consistent with responsible gambling principles.

• Potential risks, such as encouraging excessive play or obscuring the gambling aspect, must be identified through careful assessments. These risks can be managed through responsible design, including limits, cooldown periods, and clearly communicating odds and outcomes

• Once live, features should be continuously monitored using real-time data to detect risky behaviour patterns. Mechanisms should be in place to quickly adjust or remove elements that pose a potential risk of harm

Ultimately, a governance approach supporting regular testing, player feedback, and regulatory awareness helps operators innovate responsibly. This ensures gamification enhances entertainment without compromising player safety or regulatory compliance.

Which is more challenging: launching a brand-new gamified feature or scaling one that worked for a single brand across ten others?

When developing a narrative for a gamification mechanic, using data to understand your audience is essential. Without this understanding, your approach runs the risk of being ineffective and unlikely to improve your key metrics.

A good example of this occurred when Soft2Bet introduced the MEGA Builder feature with Betinia. Initially, we noticed it wasn’t resonating as strongly as it had with other brands. We soon realised this was likely because Betinia’s audience primarily focused on sports betting rather than casino gaming. Adjusting our approach to better align MEGA Builder with this specific audience led to a clear increase in engagement across the brand. For gamification to succeed, the narrative must resonate with the target audience.

Looking ahead, where is gamification headed in iGaming, and how is Soft2Bet preparing for this future?

Gamification is evolving beyond simple retention tactics, becoming central to the overall player experience. In the future, players can expect more personalised content and distinctive gaming interactions. Social elements, quick decision-making, and gameplay that responds intuitively to user actions will increasingly merge into unified experiences across both casino and sportsbook platforms. At Soft2Bet, we’re actively shaping this future through motivational engineering. Soft2Bet’s goal is to build scalable gamification solutions that immediately adapt to individual player behaviours and shifting market demands.

Additionally, through initiatives such as Soft2Bet Invest, we actively support and fund promising projects aligned with our vision for the future of iGaming. This proactive stance demonstrates our commitment to leading and shaping the industry rather than merely reacting to trends.

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