Beyond Bonuses: Building Player Loyalty in the Post-Bonus Era

For years, loyalty in iGaming was built on bonuses, but that era is ending. Across regulated markets, we’re seeing a clear shift: operators can no longer rely on giving money away as their core retention strategy. Regulatory pressure, changing player expectations, and the economic reality of high gaming taxes have forced the industry to evolve.

Itai Zak, Digicode’s Executive Director of iGaming,brings this into sharp focus. Drawing on his leadership experience, Itai thinks that building loyalty today is about connection, experience, and trust, not just promotions. The brands that win will be those that rethink retention for a world where bonuses are no longer the default answer.

Why Bonuses Are Losing Power

Operators in Sweden are limited to a single welcome bonus. Germany restricts both bonus frequency and size. The UK has cracked down on reverse withdrawals and unfair wagering terms. Globally, regulators are making bonuses harder  (or even impossible) to use.

But the challenge isn’t just legal. Players are more informed, and many are burned out by restrictive terms. High wagering requirements and limited value have led to skepticism, if not outright frustration. Rather than build loyalty, bonuses often attract “bonus hunters” – players who jump from brand to brand in search of short-term gains.

At the same time, economic pressure is rising. In high-tax markets, bonuses hit margins hard. The days of broad, untargeted campaigns are gone. Every euro must now bring measurable return, which means bonuses need to be used with surgical precision, or not at all .

What’s Replacing Bonuses?

The smartest operators aren’t just swapping cash for smaller perks – they’re rethinking how they create loyalty from the ground up. That means building emotional loyalty, not transactional loyalty.

1. Gamification and Progression Systems

Gamification gives players structure and purpose. Missions, challenges, and progression mechanics keep players coming back – not for bonuses, but to complete goals. Even small, symbolic rewards can drive return visits when paired with leaderboards, streaks, and unlockable content.

It’s not about big prizes, but about achievement.

2. Personalization That Feels Real

Most operators still underestimate how powerful personalization can be. Smart platforms adapt game lobbies, time communications based on login habits, and recommend content based on recent behavior. When a platform “knows” a player, engagement rises, even without bonuses.

3. Exclusivity and Recognition

Loyalty thrives when players feel seen. Early access to new games, exclusive tournaments, badges, or VIP tiers create a sense of belonging. Often, the feeling of status matters more than financial rewards.

4. Community and Shared Experience

Players increasingly want to be part of something: whether it’s a leaderboard, a team challenge, or a tournament with real-time rankings. Community creates stickiness. Operators who build social mechanics into their platforms give players a reason to stay that bonuses can’t replicate.

Gamification: More Than a Trend 

Gamification has matured beyond gimmicks. Today, it’s a powerful engagement tool grounded in behavioral psychology.

Players love progress. Daily missions, weekly challenges, and achievement streaks drive return visits and increase session depth. Leaderboards spark competition. Even small wins like unlocking a badge or leveling up create momentum.

The most effective systems are also personalized. A casual slots player might prefer light missions and surprise badges. A sports bettor may engage more with time-limited challenges linked to live events. Tailoring challenges by player profile multiplies impact.

Gamification is strategic. It builds routines, creates loyalty loops, and removes overdependence on bonuses .

Community: The Missing Loyalty Layer

Loyalty used to be a one-on-one equation: player + brand. Today, it’s social. Operators who recognize this are building features that connect players to each other, not just to the platform.

Leaderboards create competition and visibility. Group tournaments add a team dynamic. Chat features around live events let fans share the moment. For VIPs, invite-only tournaments or real-world events provide high-impact recognition that cash can’t match.

Community signals that the platform is alive, trusted, and engaging. It also makes switching harder, because players aren’t just leaving a game, they’re leaving a group.

Measuring ROI Without Bonuses

One of the biggest challenges in the post-bonus era is proving the value of non-financial loyalty strategies. Bonuses are easy to measure. But how do you quantify a great experience?

1. Engagement Metrics

Track session frequency, return rate, and average play time before and after launching non-bonus features. For gamification or tournaments, monitor participation and repeat entries. If players are coming back without extra bonus spend – you’re winning.

2. Player Value Over Time

Compare cohorts who engage with non-bonus features vs. those who don’t. If the former group shows higher deposit frequency or lifetime value, the strategy is working.

3. Bonus Spend Reduction

If you cut bonus usage and replace it with gamification or exclusives and retention holds steady or improves you’ve increased ROI while reducing cost.

4. Qualitative Signals

Faster support resolutions, positive VIP feedback, or rising community participation might not show up in revenue tomorrow. But they’re early indicators of long-term loyalty that pays off.

What Loyalty Will Look Like in 2–3 Years

The next generation of loyalty programs will be smarter, safer, and broader. Here’s where we’re heading:

1. AI-Powered Personalization

Forget static campaigns. Loyalty programs will adapt to individual behavior in real time. AI engines will decide what a player sees, whether it’s a weekend tournament, a weekday mission, or a non-monetary reward tied to their style of play.

This allows operators to engage with precision without over-rewarding or over-spending.

2. Responsible-by-Design

As regulation tightens, loyalty systems will include risk-aware mechanics. Players showing risky behavior won’t be incentivized with bonuses – they’ll receive gamified rewards, recognition, or access to content that doesn’t push further spend.

This isn’t just compliance, but obviously a sustainable loyalty.

3. Lifestyle and Omnichannel Rewards

Loyalty will extend beyond the platform. Think points redeemed for real-world benefits – travel, entertainment, hospitality. A gaming loyalty program will feel more like a lifestyle membership.

Tiers will evolve too. Instead of cliff jumps between bronze and silver, players will earn milestone-based perks at every stage.

4. Profitability Protection

Future loyalty systems will use behavioral models to identify bonus abuse, filter out low-value segments, and focus resources on genuine long-term players. Net value (not turnover) will drive reward levels.

5. Social + Gamified Loyalty

Expect loyalty clubs, team-based missions, social tournaments, and even friend-based referral ladders. Players will engage not just for rewards, but for recognition, belonging, and shared experience.

Final Takeaway: Loyalty Is a Product, Not a Promotion

The post-bonus era doesn’t mean the end of loyalty, it means the reinvention of it. The operators who succeed won’t be the ones giving the most – they’ll be the ones delivering the best experience.

Trust. Personalization. Recognition. Community.

These are the new pillars of player loyalty. And the brands that thrive in the next three years will be the ones that treat loyalty not as a marketing tactic, but as a full player journey.

At Digicode, we help future-focused operators turn that journey into a competitive edge, blending behavioral insight with experience design that players don’t want to leave. Because in the post-bonus era, loyalty isn’t given – it’s intelligently earned.