We decided to run an experiment where we used a Fortune Wheel to boost player activity. The result gave us a clear insight: players respond much more actively to visualized progress than to a “hidden” reward.
Hypothesis
If we give a free spin on the Fortune Wheel for a certain amount of bets, this will increase deposits, turnover, and, consequently, GGR.
Test Description
We selected 500 active players who met the following criteria:
These players were divided into a test and a control group.
Test group: receives a free spin on the Fortune Wheel for every € 300 in real-money bets.
Control group: no changes.
📊 Result
After one week:
Deposits hardly changed (+0.5% in the test group)
❔What Went Wrong
Analyzing the results, we realized that our player communication was very weak. 67% of test group participants didn’t even activate their spins.
🛠 Improving the Idea
We kept the mechanic but changed the delivery:
📈 Results After Improvement
The experiment lasted 4 weeks. In the test group:
At the same time, the bonus-to-deposit ratio stayed at 14% — within our financial model.
🫡 Conclusion
Simply handing out rewards is not enough. The key is for the player to see how they are progressing toward the goal. Progress visualization and breaking it into steps create extra motivation and increase engagement.
Our initial concern that players might be distracted by the widget did not come true. On the contrary — it became a core UI/UX element that made the mechanic effective.
If we give a free spin on the Fortune Wheel for a certain amount of bets, this will increase deposits, turnover, and, consequently, GGR.
Test Description
We selected 500 active players who met the following criteria:
- Total bets over the past week > € 300
- Average bet: ≤ € 2.5
These players were divided into a test and a control group.
Test group: receives a free spin on the Fortune Wheel for every € 300 in real-money bets.
Control group: no changes.
📊 Result
After one week:
Deposits hardly changed (+0.5% in the test group)
- GGR dropped by 1% in the test group
- Only 17% of players used at least one spin of the Fortune Wheel
❔What Went Wrong
Analyzing the results, we realized that our player communication was very weak. 67% of test group participants didn’t even activate their spins.
🛠 Improving the Idea
We kept the mechanic but changed the delivery:
- Broke down spin acquisition into 4 steps
- Introduced a progress widget in the game: "You've earned ¼ segments of the wheel"
- Made the first segments quick (25 + 50 + 75 EUR) and the final one longer (150 EUR) to trigger the FOMO effect: "just a little more to the prize."
📈 Results After Improvement
The experiment lasted 4 weeks. In the test group:
- Deposits increased on average by +9%
- Turnover — by +12%
- GGR — by +5%
At the same time, the bonus-to-deposit ratio stayed at 14% — within our financial model.
🫡 Conclusion
Simply handing out rewards is not enough. The key is for the player to see how they are progressing toward the goal. Progress visualization and breaking it into steps create extra motivation and increase engagement.
Our initial concern that players might be distracted by the widget did not come true. On the contrary — it became a core UI/UX element that made the mechanic effective.