Loya - A New Take on Betting Loyalty
Betting & iGaming
5 min read
2023
Overview
What if loyalty in betting went beyond free spins and bonuses?
What if loyalty in betting went beyond free spins and bonuses?
Loya is a gamified loyalty system designed for online betting platforms. It transforms standard player engagement into a dynamic journey — one that recognizes user behavior, rewards meaningful actions, and builds long-term emotional connection.
Loya is a gamified loyalty system designed for online betting platforms. It transforms standard player engagement into a dynamic journey — one that recognizes user behavior, rewards meaningful actions, and builds long-term emotional connection.
My Role
As a Senior Product Designer, I:
As a Senior Product Designer, I:
• Co-created the player engagement strategy with the product team
• Co-created the player engagement strategy with the product team
• Mapped out player emotional journeys and reward mechanics
• Mapped out player emotional journeys and reward mechanics
• Designed intuitive experiences for both players and administrators
• Designed intuitive experiences for both players and administrators
• Developed a scalable design system and interface logic for a complex admin panel
• Developed a scalable design system and interface logic for a complex admin panel
The Challenge
Most loyalty systems in iGaming are:
Most loyalty systems in iGaming are:
• Static (rewards feel generic)
• Static (rewards feel generic)
• Complicated (users get lost in point systems)
• Complicated (users get lost in point systems)
• Detached from user emotions
• Detached from user emotions
We needed to solve:
We needed to solve:
• Retention issues caused by disengagement after major wins or losses
• Retention issues caused by disengagement after major wins or losses
• Low motivation among returning users
• Low motivation among returning users
• Operational complexity in setting up and managing campaigns for different user segments
How might we keep players engaged and emotionally invested — while making the system flexible for operators?
How might we keep players engaged and emotionally invested — while making the system flexible for operators?
Process & Approach
1. Mapping the Player Journey
1. Mapping the Player Journey
We studied typical betting behaviors and plotted emotional highs and lows:
We studied typical betting behaviors and plotted emotional highs and lows:
• Wins triggered euphoria but often led to breaks
• Wins triggered euphoria but often led to breaks
• Losses caused frustration and churn
• Losses caused frustration and churn
• Boredom built up when users hit plateaus
• Boredom built up when users hit plateaus
Insight: Players needed short- and long-term goals tied to emotions, not just transactions.
Insight: Players needed short- and long-term goals tied to emotions, not just transactions.
2. Designing the Engagement System
2. Designing the Engagement System
We built Loya as a layered system:
We built Loya as a layered system:
• Levels & Badges — Visualize player progress
• Levels & Badges — Visualize player progress
• Missions — Time-bound challenges tailored to behavior
• Missions — Time-bound challenges tailored to behavior
• Tiers — Unlockables that trigger new rewards, content, or features
• Tiers — Unlockables that trigger new rewards, content, or features
• Streaks — Emotional hooks for consistent action
• Streaks — Emotional hooks for consistent action
We prototyped various reward mechanics, tested them internally with stakeholder input, and refined flows to reduce cognitive load.
We prototyped various reward mechanics, tested them internally with stakeholder input, and refined flows to reduce cognitive load.
3. Creating the Admin Experience
3. Creating the Admin Experience
Operators needed:
Operators needed:
• Granular targeting controls
• Granular targeting controls
• Custom mission and reward builders
• Custom mission and reward builders
• Visibility into performance data
• Visibility into performance data
We introduced:
We introduced:
• Step-by-step onboarding for new admins
• Step-by-step onboarding for new admins
• Tooltips and contextual guides for each content block
• Tooltips and contextual guides for each content block
• A modular design system to allow reuse of core elements across campaign types
• A modular design system to allow reuse of core elements across campaign types
Results
• +30% increase in daily active players (early beta group)
• +30% increase in daily active players (early beta group)
• Improved session time and repeat visits
• Improved session time and repeat visits
• Operators rated the admin system as 8.7/10 in usability (internal survey)
• Operators rated the admin system as 8.7/10 in usability (internal survey)
• Positive qualitative feedback:
"It finally feels like players are progressing with purpose."
• Positive qualitative feedback:
"It finally feels like players are progressing with purpose."
Reflections
This project taught me how powerful emotional design can be in high-stakes environments like iGaming. Building a loyalty system that felt both strategic and personal required close collaboration across business, tech, and design.
This project taught me how powerful emotional design can be in high-stakes environments like iGaming. Building a loyalty system that felt both strategic and personal required close collaboration across business, tech, and design.
I learned that loyalty isn’t just about rewards — it’s about storytelling, pacing, and user psychology.
I learned that loyalty isn’t just about rewards — it’s about storytelling, pacing, and user psychology.
Next Step
Want to see how this approach can scale to new verticals?
Want to see how this approach can scale to new verticals?
Designs That Drive Real Impact
Designs That Drive Real Impact
Designs That Drive Real Impact
End-to-End Strategic Product Design
End-to-End Strategic Product Design
End-to-End Strategic Product Design
