Even if you've never heard the term FOMO, you've almost certainly experienced it.
A simple example: "Only today — the best discounts on our product." This kind of message creates a sense of urgency: "If I don't buy now, I’ll have to pay more later." That’s FOMO — Fear of Missing Out — a psychological trigger marketers use to encourage action: purchase, registration, deposit, etc.
We decided to test FOMO-based mechanics in the iGaming space and are ready to share real results.
A few notes before we begin:
All tests were conducted in A/B format;
Only the test group was exposed to FOMO elements;
We’ll focus on hypotheses and results, skipping the technical details.
🎁 Deposit Bonus
Hypothesis:
Adding a label like "Exclusive Offer" and a countdown timer to a deposit bonus will increase bonus activation through the FOMO effect.
Setup:
Both groups received the same bonus. The test group saw additional urgency elements. Participant groups rotated daily. Duration — 3 days.
Results:
— Day 1: test — 31%, control — 15%
— Day 2: test — 28%, control — 17%
— Day 3: test — 32%, control — 15%
🤝 Referral Program
Hypothesis:
Adding a countdown and CTA like "Invite your friend now and get an exclusive no-deposit bonus" will drive more engagement with the referral program.
Setup:
Both groups had access to the updated referral program, but only the test group saw the FOMO messaging. Duration — 1 week.
Results:
Test group: 11% earned the bonus, 65% visited the referral page
Control group:
4% earned the bonus, 29% visited the page
💰 Welcome Offer for Organic Traffic
Hypothesis:
Displaying a countdown timer on the welcome offer will increase conversion from visits to registrations and from registrations to deposits.
Setup:
For two weeks, all organic traffic was split into two groups. Only the test group saw a timer on the welcome offer. The offer itself was identical.
Results:
Test group:
— Week 1: Visit2Reg — 9%, Reg2Dep — 14%
— Week 2: Visit2Reg — 5%, Reg2Dep — 11%
Control group:
— Week 1: Visit2Reg — 8%, Reg2Dep — 15%
— Week 2: Visit2Reg — 7%, Reg2Dep — 13%
🫡 Conclusions
FOMO tools work especially well with active or previously engaged users. These players already know the platform, so limited-time offers trigger a sense of urgency and exclusivity.
For new users, FOMO is less effective. This audience is still exploring the product and can’t yet distinguish between standard features and truly unique opportunities. Their decisions around registration and first deposits are more likely influenced by overall trust, UX, reviews, and general terms — not by artificially created pressure.
We decided to test FOMO-based mechanics in the iGaming space and are ready to share real results.
A few notes before we begin:
All tests were conducted in A/B format;
Only the test group was exposed to FOMO elements;
We’ll focus on hypotheses and results, skipping the technical details.
🎁 Deposit Bonus
Hypothesis:
Adding a label like "Exclusive Offer" and a countdown timer to a deposit bonus will increase bonus activation through the FOMO effect.
Setup:
Both groups received the same bonus. The test group saw additional urgency elements. Participant groups rotated daily. Duration — 3 days.
Results:
— Day 1: test — 31%, control — 15%
— Day 2: test — 28%, control — 17%
— Day 3: test — 32%, control — 15%
🤝 Referral Program
Hypothesis:
Adding a countdown and CTA like "Invite your friend now and get an exclusive no-deposit bonus" will drive more engagement with the referral program.
Setup:
Both groups had access to the updated referral program, but only the test group saw the FOMO messaging. Duration — 1 week.
Results:
Test group: 11% earned the bonus, 65% visited the referral page
Control group:
4% earned the bonus, 29% visited the page
💰 Welcome Offer for Organic Traffic
Hypothesis:
Displaying a countdown timer on the welcome offer will increase conversion from visits to registrations and from registrations to deposits.
Setup:
For two weeks, all organic traffic was split into two groups. Only the test group saw a timer on the welcome offer. The offer itself was identical.
Results:
Test group:
— Week 1: Visit2Reg — 9%, Reg2Dep — 14%
— Week 2: Visit2Reg — 5%, Reg2Dep — 11%
Control group:
— Week 1: Visit2Reg — 8%, Reg2Dep — 15%
— Week 2: Visit2Reg — 7%, Reg2Dep — 13%
🫡 Conclusions
FOMO tools work especially well with active or previously engaged users. These players already know the platform, so limited-time offers trigger a sense of urgency and exclusivity.
For new users, FOMO is less effective. This audience is still exploring the product and can’t yet distinguish between standard features and truly unique opportunities. Their decisions around registration and first deposits are more likely influenced by overall trust, UX, reviews, and general terms — not by artificially created pressure.