Read this month’s Headline Release and Market Watch
Progressions of Unlockable Bonuses Increase Retention
GSN Casino’s Holiday Haven follows a major trend of machines that sell bonuses, but it’s one of the first machines we’ve seen to also include an extensive progression of unlockable enhancements for those bonuses. This progression increases retention by requiring players to spin to unlock and earn a series of 15 unique bonuses.
Unlike other machines that sell bonuses, Holiday Haven sells its bonuses for machine-specific tokens rather than primary currency or cash. Because these tokens can only be earned from spins and the machine’s progression, Holiday Haven prioritizes engagement and sinking players’ wallets over driving spend directly.
For analysis of other machines that sell bonuses, check out our teardowns of Cash Frenzy’s Faerie Tale and Big Fish Casino’s Buffalo Gold Stampede Anniversary Edition.
Player Choice Bonuses Are Fairly Popular
Bonuses that allow players to choose from multiple options (like Holiday Haven’s bonus) make up 11% of all bonus features. In contrast, bonuses that include additional customization, like Holiday Haven’s bonus shop, are quite rare—but include a disproportionate number of player choice bonuses.
Read this month’s Headline Release for our full analysis of Holiday Haven, which includes an examination of the machine’s pricing strategy for its bonuses.
Market Watch: Purchasable Respins, Bonus Game States, and Makeovers
In Jackpot World’s Santa’s Surprise, betting up and completing 50 base spins unlocks an in-machine offer for four days. While the offer is available, players can spend primary currency to trigger respins at any time.
In Big Fish Casino’s Buffalo Strike!, a three-minute bonus triggers every eight to twelve minutes. During the bonus, landing a strike symbol awards up to three prizes displayed above the reels, including jackpots and other bonuses.
In Cash Frenzy’s Christmas Party, players spin a mini-stepper to earn outfit pieces for a character. Collecting four unique outfit pieces completes a set, which awards a prize and unlocks the next character in a progression.
Read our full teardowns of all notable releases in this month’s Market Watch.
