Stay and belong: The next era of responsible social engagement in iGaming 

In an industry in which success is often measured by hard numbers, operators could be forgiven for focusing on quantifiable, short-term results. There are good reasons for this apparent short-sightedness.  

With investors and shareholders keen to track an operator’s performance in a fiercely competitive space, it makes sense to feed them cost-per-acquisition or retention figures that are easy to compare – even if they tell only part of the story without a more difficult-to-calculate lifetime value. 

However, in betting and gaming (as in other consumer-facing sectors), times are changing – and forward-thinking executives are doubling down on efforts to build a more durable engagement strategy. Marcus Adolfsson, Vice President of Product at Keep.Social, believes iGaming platforms should be focusing on the essence of communities to drive business growth.  

The ‘big idea’ 

It was consultancy titan McKinsey that said in 2022 that “community… [was the] big idea” in 2020s marketing – basically by enabling consumers to express membership through active participation in a brand. 

Bestselling author and marketing expert Mark Schaefer echoed these thoughts in his 2023 book, ‘Belonging to the Brand’, which carried the subtitle – ‘Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy’.  

This concept, though, is hardly new. Indeed, while iGaming has only scratched the surface of such possibilities, the power of the ‘community’ has been nurtured by some of the world’s most iconic brands for years.  

Famously, Harley-Davidson was struggling until it launched its Harley Owners Group in the early 1980s. Nowadays the group has well over one million members worldwide. 

Since 2008, Lego has invited fans to submit ideas for future sets (and claim a slice of potential royalties), while Nike’s dive into fitness challenges and apps over the past decade has converted fans into a cult following. Then, of course, there is Apple, which created different communities of enthusiasts who were given the chance to voluntarily provide help, advice and answers to other customers. 

A new approach for iGaming 

Traditionally, few betting and gaming enterprises considered such an approach. Now, though, proactive operators are beginning to embrace the opportunities of nurturing dynamic communities and can see the results with their own eyes.  

“Today, players are looking for more than a transaction; they want connection.”

Moreover, there is a growing belief that success in the future will be gauged by the strength and quality of community connections and interactions – and not just by the sheer numbers of players that have been attracted or retained by an operator. 

“For years, iGaming has been about getting players to the table or the screen and keeping them there,” says Adolfsson whose company Keep.Social provides a suite of social tools designed to integrate with existing online platforms using client-based APIs. 

“Engagement was measured in hours played, wagers placed, and jackpots won. But as the digital world matures, so do player expectations. 

“Today, players are looking for more than a transaction; they want connection. For the industry, this means rethinking success. The next chapter isn’t about ‘play and leave’. It’s about ‘stay and belong’.” 

The business of belonging 

Keep.Social, which has fully embraced the ‘stay and belong’ notion, is focused on facilitating the natural social exchanges that have been at the heart of the gambling industry for years, but in an engaging digital setting. 

Authentic interactions fuel a sense of belonging – a powerful engagement tool for enterprises at the cutting edge of the battle to win and keep punters. 

“For operators, belonging is more than a feel-good concept,” Adolfsson says. “It changes the economics of the business.” 

Adolfsson argues that a trio of core benefits provides ample evidence of this financial uplift. 

Firstly, retention improves, he says, with players returning for the community’s conversations, relationships and shared experiences, and not just the game or product, demonstrating the importance of a socially connected ecosystem.  

Secondly, acquisition costs are minimised, with iGaming communities growing organically via referrals, word-of-mouth interactions and peer-to-peer influence. 

Thirdly, brand trust is boosted through a safe and engaged community supported by brand advocates, with sponsors, partners and regulators likely to respond positively when operators can demonstrate the presence of a positive gaming environment. 

Social proofing 

According to Adolfsson, whilst the old model of iGaming focused on isolated gameplay with limited player-to-player interaction, the future will revolve around interconnected spaces where players are co-creators, storytellers and contributors. 

Keep.Social is already endeavouring to leverage this opportunity through community-driven text and video-based content that bring to life real-time interactions through personalised feeds, profiles, posts and comments. 

“Communities are evolving beyond simple leaderboards or chat functions,” he says. “They are becoming living ecosystems where moments on the platform carry meaning long after the game is over.” 

With this in mind, ‘social proofing’ is a particularly striking example of the power of belonging. This occurs when players see peers share wins, celebrate milestones, or contribute to community goals to make them feel part of something bigger. 

“Social proofing isn’t about pushing players to spend more,” Adolfsson says. “It’s about reinforcing trust and connection. Players don’t just feel like customers, they feel like community members – and that shift turns casual users into long-term loyal players.” 

The ‘ketchup’ effect 

Of course, there is sometimes a first-mover reluctance among players. They may be reluctant to be the first to post a picture, share a bet or write a comment.  

However, with moderators and ambassadors taking the lead, it is possible to break the ice and get the conversations flowing. 

“Every community, especially in its early days, needs leaders and coaches to spark conversations and set the tone,” Adolfsson adds. 

“This is where the famous ketchup effect comes in: for a while, nothing seems to move. Then suddenly, after enough trust and momentum build up, everything flows at once. With responsible coaching and nurturing, communities grow organically, conversations multiply, and players take ownership of the space themselves.” 

Adolfsson adds that it is precisely at this point where the real value emerges for the operator, with retention days increasing as players return for the people and not just the game, and acquisition costs decreasing as players invite others into the community.  

Moreover, the community develops its own distinctive environment, which ultimately helps to convert first-time players into long-term members. 

“The ketchup effect doesn’t just transform the community experience. It transforms the business economics behind it,” Adolfsson explains. 

Social responsibility 

Such social engagement requires a duty of care from the operator, with responsible design at the heart of the approach.  

In practice, this means gamification that promotes balance with achievements, and milestones that encourage healthy play. 

Furthermore, peer support tools can be introduced to make it easier for players to help each other, and transparent moderation with clear labelling and visible rules will help to navigate potential hurdles. 

Additionally, sustainability and inclusion should be fostered, helping to create long-term value. A sustainable approach can be underpinned by user-generated content that extends platform life without high ongoing production costs, and this can be driven by contribution-based rewards that value creativity and collaboration as much as player spend.  

Meanwhile, optimised infrastructure can reduce environmental impact while maintaining performance – which may be an increasingly important factor, especially for younger players in the gambling community. 

In terms of the inclusive element of belonging, representation across avatars, events, and messaging, as well as accessibility for different levels of digital literacy is all important.  

Can you measure belonging? 

At the core of Keep.Social’s ‘stay and belong’ framework is its North Star metric that aims to put a value on the concept: the share of player interactions that are community-driven and responsibly moderated. 

This metric is supported by service delivery metrics that span key areas of focus and touch on various elements. These include retention rates linked to community ties and non-monetary touchpoints per player, the percentage of community-driven feature improvements, and a social wellbeing index that targets at least 95% of interactions being ‘toxicity-free’ and calculates peer-to-peer support volume. 

Therefore, whilst some operators may have assumed that ‘belonging’ is impossible to measure, Keep.Social’s efforts to quantify the concept in iGaming brings a fresh dimension to consumer-facing strategies.  

“Engagement can no longer be measured in play time alone,” Adolfsson says. “True value comes when players choose to stay because they belong.”