Bingo is so often associated with its traditional, land-based format that it’s easy to underestimate the appeal of advanced digital forms of the game. In fact, Bingo is currently one of the most popular community-based sectors in digital gaming.
In late March, the Norwegian state lottery, Norsk Tipping, went live with PlayBingo, the newly enhanced digital bingo platform from IGT, including a customizable version of Picture Bingo, allowing operators to tailor the game for relevance to their market. Notably, it’s the way that online communities tend to engage with one another while playing digital Bingo that makes it a powerful driver of crossover play to other games in the digital portfolio.
For example, the PlayBingo platform used by Norway includes IGT PlayCasino slot titles and a selection of mini-games that can be played for fun between or during rounds, while extensive chat features let players socialize with one another, all in a single window. “As players encounter other game categories in the same window as bingo, they often multitask in the game,“ said Hans Erland Ringsvold, Head of Gaming Operations, Norsk Tipping. “They spend time chatting and talking about games, supporting each other with tips on new functionality, congratulating one another on wins, and trying new games in other categories.” “We’ve seen the crossover value of digital Bingo again and again in various regions of Europe and North America, underlining the importance of providing a full suite of digital games to players,” said IGT’s Srini Nedunuri, Vice President, IGT PlayDigital™ Platform.
Nedunuri reports that proprietary data from the European market shows the potential to significantly improve a lottery’s overall revenues with the help of PlayBingo. “For example, the data for one lottery shows an average of 2.8 additional games played as a result of playing bingo, with the majority being sports betting, along with a high percentage of casino, poker, instant win, and lottery games. And, the cost per acquisition for bingo is lowest among all other digital gaming verticals.” In addition to crossover appeal, the vertical supports responsible gaming through its social aspect and low average player spend.
Since 2014, IGT has supplied Norway with a Flash-based interactive bingo solution. With Flash use waning, IGT developed the new PlayBingo platform with HTML5 to ensure universal playback, updated security, and richer features across all browsers and mobile operating systems. The platform gives Norsk Tipping and other lotteries a flexible and engaging addition to the digital portfolio, enabling them to generate interactive casino revenues on top of their bingo returns.
“One of the keys to digital gaming is keeping everything fresh and new,” said Nedunuri. “With a steady stream of fresh content, PlayBingo players keep coming back to try more.”
