Gamification has become one of the most significant trends shaping iGaming today. In a crowded market, staying at the top increasingly depends on turning matchday energy into a reason to return, week after week, even between fixtures. 

That principle sits at the centre of Soft2Bet’s approach. Gamification is used to shape a structured player journey that feels personal, rewards consistency, and keeps players engaged by reflecting how sports fans naturally think about improvement.

That belief also sits behind Betinia’s campaign with Diego Simeone, built around a simple message: every fan can become a legend in their own right.

Studies examining how players improve at competitive games point to a simple loop. You participate, observe how others approach similar moments, review your own decisions, and return with a clearer plan. Improvement rarely comes through good fortune alone. It typically comes from feedback, repetition, and the feeling that your choices matter.

Sports fans already operate in that mindset. When the final whistle blows, they do not simply switch off from the game. They rewatch key phases, identify patterns, debate tactical calls, and consider how their team can improve for the next fixture. Designing the iGaming experience to mirror this behaviour builds greater long-term loyalty, as players are motivated to return by a clear feeling of progression. Effort is visible, goals are clear, and returning to the product feels like picking up where you left off.

When the iGaming experience is designed around that same behaviour, loyalty lasts longer because players return for a clear sense of progress.

Football’s progression model translates well to gamification

The manager is by far the most important person at a football club. He sets the standards, shapes the culture, and gives both fans and players something to believe in. Training, tactics, responsibility, and belief in the team shape results as much as moments of individual brilliance. The world’s most successful football clubs are built on structure and repetition, and it’s the same logic that makes player journeys stick.

When gamification is done properly, it follows a career arc. Players start with the fundamentals, build confidence through achieving early success, and then take on more complex challenges as they develop. MEGA 11, Soft2Bet’s football management-inspired gamification engine, applies that progression through a five-tier journey that moves players from Beginner to Amateur, Professional, World Class, and finally Legend. When players can see where they are, what comes next, and what they are working towards, their choices feel meaningful and their time feels well spent.

Localisation and design are what make the journey land in different markets. Soft2Bet positions MEGA as a standalone, API-ready solution with data-driven segmentation, a flexible UX/UI, and market-specific configuration, enabling operators to shape progression in line with local expectations rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all model.

Betinia’s structured player development inside the sportsbook

Betinia’s story is directly tied to the player’s actions on the platform. The brand has launched a new campaign featuring Diego Simeone as its ambassador, built around a manifesto that translates his elite football mentality into something fans can recognise and live by. The message is values-led, with a clear focus on commitment, disciplined decision-making, and the belief that progress is earned through consistency.

Soft2Bet frames the partnership as going beyond traditional sports sponsorship. It is rooted in a shared belief that success is achieved through hard work and character, and it reflects an ambition to invest in values and long-term connection, rather than visibility alone. 

Crucially, the campaign is supported by a proprietary in-platform football manager experience powered by MEGA 11. Players build teams, make tactical choices, and earn points that unlock rewards as they move through a journey from Beginner to Legend.

That connection between narrative and mechanics matters for retention. A typical matchday experience can be intense but short-lived. Once the final whistle blows, the reason to return often depends on the next fixture or promotion. A structured, football-native progression loop gives players another reason to return between matchdays because they build status over time, and each decision contributes to a wider journey.

Betinia also positions the experience as premium in its look and feel, with high-end design and deep personalisation that support progression rather than distract from it. The campaign leans into a mentality sports fans recognise, focusing on improvement, clear progress, and a match-to-match experience that feels personal.

Why Simeone embodies the Legend mindset

In a sector where ambassador deals can feel interchangeable, this one works because the person and the product speak the same language. Brand, powered by Soft2Bet, are considering Simeone as more than a sports icon. He is a leader who inspires strategic thinking, and his approach mirrors the mindset behind progression-led experiences.

Simeone represents a view of success built on structure, responsibility, and daily commitment. It is a philosophy football fans recognise, and it translates naturally into a product journey designed around consistent progress.

His career record reinforces why this alignment feels so credible. Since taking charge of Atlético de Madrid in 2011, Simeone has led one of the club’s most successful eras, delivering a trophy haul that includes La Liga titles, European honours and domestic silverware, while also guiding Atlético to two UEFA Champions League finals. He has also overseen more than 700 matches, a milestone that reflects his longevity and the standards he has maintained. Sustained performance at that level comes from systems, repetition, and an uncompromising focus on the details, which is exactly the mindset a well-built player journey is designed to reward.

Simeone’s influence is global, recognised far beyond a single market. In that sense, the partnership underscores Soft2Bet’s international ambitions and strengthens its positioning as a global technology player, with MEGA supporting scalable gamification solutions that can perform across markets.

Loyalty is built through meaningful progress

Long-term loyalty comes down to what keeps players returning when there is no major fixture, no headline promotion, and no external prompt. The answer is usually momentum. Players come back when the journey feels personal, when progress is easy to see, and when challenges evolve in a way that matches how sports fans naturally think about improvement. They want to feel that each session adds value.

Betinia’s approach brings those elements together in an easy-to-follow way. The product experience turns that message into a structured progression loop through the MEGA 11 football manager journey, and Diego Simeone reinforces those values through his role in the story.

For operators thinking about retention over the long term, the takeaway is clear. Journeys that respect the sport, give players a sense of direction, and reward consistent progress are the ones that build lasting loyalty, because every return feels like another step towards Legend.

Partner Editorial