Play makes programmes stickier
In an experiment, gamified versions of a café loyalty programme scored higher on programme loyalty and participation than non-gamified ones, driven by playfulness.
Hwang & Choi, 2020
Solution
Gamification in loyalty programsGamification in loyalty programs: make your loyalty program fun to come back to.
Add a Spin & Win wheel to your member portal for events, festive promotions and limited-time campaigns. Every spin registers a member, every prize lands in their rewards, and you control the odds and the stock.
Spin & Win built in
Weighted odds and prize stock
Custom games on request
You won a Free Iced Latte!
Spin & Win · saved in My Rewards. 2 spins left today.
Prizes left in stock
38 / 200
Low-stock alert at 10
Quick answer
What is gamification in loyalty programs?
Gamification in loyalty programs adds game elements such as chance, progress and challenges to how customers earn and win rewards. Pixalink includes a Spin & Win wheel with weighted odds, prize stock and spin limits, plus game-like stamp milestones, QR scan codes, tiers and referral slots. Custom games such as a mystery box or dice board are built on request.
Pixalink Sdn Bhd, Malaysia · Updated 8 November 2026
Gamification at a glance
Built-in game
Spin & Win wheel in the member portal
Prize types
Vouchers, points, credits, physical prizes, try again
Controls
Weights (odds), stock, spins per day, week or month
Best for
Events, roadshows, festive and limited-time campaigns
Custom games
Mystery box, dice board, missions and more, on request
The research
Why does gamification work in loyalty programs?
Research on gamified loyalty programs links game elements to stronger customer engagement. Four findings explain why, and each maps to something you can switch on.
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Uncertain rewards motivate
People worked harder for an uncertain reward than for a certain one of equal or higher value, when focused on the process of winning.
Shen, Fishbach & Hsee, 2015
Progress
Reward
Visible progress speeds people up
Coffee-card customers bought more often as they got closer to the free coffee, the goal-gradient effect.
Kivetz, Urminsky & Zheng, 2006
A head start lifts completion
Car-wash cards with two free stamps were completed more often than cards with the same effort and no head start, the endowed-progress effect.
Nunes & Drèze, 2006
How it fits together
How gamification, loyalty programmes and membership work together
Gamification is the use of game design elements in non-game settings. In retail it works best on top of a membership system and a loyalty programme, not as a stand-alone game.
Who the customer is
The member profile: phone number, birthday, consent, tier and purchase history. Without it, a game is a one-off draw and the prize goes to a stranger.
Why they come back
Points, stamps, vouchers and tiers give customers a reason to return. Rewards from games land in the same wallet and rewards list.
Why it feels fun
Chance, progress and surprise make the programme playful. Research links playfulness to stronger programme loyalty and participation.
A programme people play
A member spins, wins a voucher that is stored on their profile, and redeems it on the next visit. Every play is data, every prize is a reason to return.
Built in · try it
Spin to win: play the Spin & Win demo
This is how a Spin & Win campaign behaves in the member portal. Prizes have weights and stock; the prize table updates as you play.
3 spins left today
Press “Spin the wheel” to play. You have 3 spins for today.
Campaign: Mid-Autumn Spin & WinIllustrative set-up · 3 spins per customer per day
| Slot | Type | Weight | Odds | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RM5 voucher | Voucher | 20 | 20.0% | 50 |
| 50 points | Points | 25 | 25.0% | Unlimited |
| Free iced latte | Reward | 10 | 10.0% | 15 |
| RM10 credit | Credits | 5 | 5.0% | 8 |
| Tote bag | Physical prize | 3 | 3.0% | 3 · low |
| Try again | Try again | 37 | 37.0% | Unlimited |
Odds come from each slot’s weight among prizes still in stock. When a prize runs out, its share moves to the others, and staff get a low-stock alert.
What you control
Every Spin & Win setting you need for a campaign.
Set up a wheel in the admin panel, pick the prizes and decide how often members can play. Results and claims are reported per campaign.
Campaign: start and end dates, optional outlet, rich-text instructions and a cover image.
Spin allowance: spins per customer per lifetime, day, week or month.
Prize slots: two or more, each a voucher or reward, points, credits, a physical prize claimed with a code, or “try again”.
Odds and stock: a weight per slot, stock quantity with a low-stock alert and a win limit per customer.
Reach: a home-screen entry in the portal and an automatic WhatsApp “spin win” message.
K
Kopi Kita
Business accountHi Aina, the Mid-Autumn Spin & Win is live! You have 3 spins today. Tap to play in your member portal.
10:02 AM
Free Iced Latte
Tap to view in your portalCongratulations Aina! You won a Free Iced Latte. It’s waiting in My Rewards until 30 Sep.
10:05 AM
Illustrative brand and messages
When to use it
Spin & Win ideas for events and campaigns.
The wheel is the simplest game to run, and the most versatile. These are common ways brands use it.
Offline events
Collect members at every roadshow
Replace the paper lucky draw with a QR code at the booth. Visitors join, spin once, and leave as members you can invite back to your outlet.
One spin per visitor for the event (lifetime allowance)
Tag players by event to measure each roadshow
Physical prizes claimed at the booth with a code
Goal
New members with consent
Prize mix
Small instant wins, a few hero prizes
Event data capture
Turn every event visitor into a member you can reach again.
A paper lucky draw collects names you never use. Spin & Win at a roadshow registers each player as a member first, so the game ends with a customer profile, consent and a reason to visit your outlet.
Scan the QR
At the booth or on a poster
Join in seconds
Name, phone, birthday, consent
Spin & Win
Instant result on their phone
Prize saved
In My Rewards, or a claim code
Follow up
WhatsApp “spin win” message
Profile
Name, phone, birthday and custom fields you choose
Consent
Per-channel marketing opt-in stored on the profile
Source
Tag players by event, e.g. “Mid Valley roadshow”
Results
Spin, win and claim reports per campaign
Built in today
Game-like mechanics already in your loyalty program.
Gamification is not only games. These built-in features add progress, surprise and challenge without a custom build.
Built in
Spin & Win
A prize wheel with weighted odds, stock and spin allowances, for events and campaigns.
Play the demo
Built in
Stamp milestones
Rewards at any stamp, such as the 5th and 10th, and repeatable cards that restart after completion.
Digital Stamp Cards
Built in
QR scan codes
QR codes that give stamps or points, for a scavenger hunt around an event, a mall or your outlets.
Rewards & Vouchers
Built in
Social follow rewards
Reward members with a QR code for following your social accounts or leaving a Google review.
Rewards & Vouchers
Built in
Tiers to level up
Silver, Gold and Platinum with progress bars, multipliers and tier-only rewards to unlock.
Membership Tiers
Built in
Referral slots
Invite slots that fill up as friends join, each with its own reward, like levels in a game.
Referrals
Custom build · on request
Custom games we can build for your brand
Beyond Spin & Win, our team designs and builds custom game modules for campaigns that need something unique. These are scoped projects, not self-serve features, and they plug into the same member profiles, rewards and WhatsApp messages.
Custom
Mystery box
Members pick one of several boxes and reveal a surprise reward. Great for festive drops and product launches.
Custom
Whack-a-mole
A fast tapping game for events and kiosks. Score thresholds unlock prizes, with a leaderboard for the day.
Custom
Planting / growing game
Every visit or purchase waters a virtual plant. When it blooms, the member claims a reward, building a habit over weeks.
Custom
Dice board game
A Monopoly-style board: roll the dice, land on a tile and get a reward or a task, such as “buy any drink to move 3 steps”.
Custom
Missions & tasks
Rewards unlock after a mission, for example “make your first purchase to unlock the wheel” or “visit 3 outlets this month”.
Concept demo
Try it: pick a mystery box
An illustration of a custom game, not a built-in feature.
Pick a box to reveal your reward.
Have a game idea for your next campaign?
Tell us the goal, the audience and the dates. We’ll scope a custom game that fits.
Built in or custom?
Spin & Win vs a custom game module
Start with the built-in wheel. Choose a custom game when the campaign needs a unique mechanic or story.
Comparison of the built-in Spin & Win and custom game modules
Availability
In the admin panel today
Scoped and built on request
Set-up
Configure prizes, odds and dates yourself
Designed with our team
Game mechanic
Prize wheel
Mystery box, dice board, planting, whack-a-mole, missions
Rewards and member profiles
Yes
Yes
Odds, stock and limits
Defined in the project scope
Yes
Best for
Events, festive and limited-time campaigns
Flagship campaigns and brand experiences
Plan a campaign
Launch a Spin & Win campaign in five steps.
New members at an event, repeat visits in a festive season, or traffic on an opening day.
Mix many small wins with a few hero prizes. Set weights, stock and win limits per slot.
One spin per visitor for events; daily or weekly spins for longer campaigns.
QR standees at the booth or counter, the portal home screen and a WhatsApp announcement.
Check spins, wins and claims, then follow up with members who have not redeemed.
Sources (6)
What is gamification in loyalty programs?
It is the use of game elements such as chance, progress bars, levels and challenges inside a loyalty program. Instead of only earning points, members spin a wheel, complete a stamp card or level up a tier, which makes the programme more engaging.
What is a gamified loyalty program?
A gamified loyalty program is a loyalty program where members earn or win rewards through game mechanics. In Pixalink that includes the built-in Spin & Win wheel, stamp milestones, QR scan codes, tiers and referral slots, all connected to the member’s profile and rewards.
How does Spin & Win work in Pixalink?
You create a campaign with dates, prizes and a spin allowance per customer (lifetime, per day, per week or per month). Each prize slot has a type, a weight that sets its odds, a stock quantity and a win limit per customer. Members spin in the member portal; prizes go to My Rewards, points or credits, or come with a claim code for physical prizes.
Can I control the odds and limit prizes?
Yes. Every slot has a weight that sets its odds, a stock quantity with a low-stock alert and a maximum number of wins per customer. A “try again” slot keeps the budget in check.
Is Spin & Win good for offline events?
Yes. Place a QR code at the booth; visitors register as members with their consent and spin on their own phone. You collect member profiles instead of paper entries and can follow up on WhatsApp after the event.
Can customers earn spins by making a purchase?
The built-in Spin & Win gives each customer a periodic spin allowance, such as one spin a day. Purchase-based missions, for example “buy first to unlock a spin”, are available as a custom game module.
Do you build custom games like a mystery box or dice board?
Yes. Mystery box, whack-a-mole, planting or growing games, Monopoly-style dice boards and mission-based rewards are custom builds offered on request. Book a consultation and we will scope the game with you.
Is a spin-the-wheel promotion a lucky draw under Malaysian law?
Prize promotions in Malaysia may have regulatory requirements depending on how they are run, for example whether a purchase is required. Check your campaign terms with your legal adviser before launch; Pixalink provides the tools, not legal advice.
Does gamification really increase engagement?
Research suggests so. A study of café loyalty programmes found gamified versions scored higher on programme loyalty and participation, and other studies show visible progress and uncertain rewards increase effort. Results depend on your rewards and how you promote the campaign.
Works well with
Features that power gamification.
Loyalty Program
Points, rewards, CRM and WhatsApp in one platform
Rewards & Vouchers
Vouchers staff can validate in one tap
Loyalty Points
Every ringgit earns a reason to return
Digital Stamp Cards
Milestone rewards at stamp 5, 10 and beyond
Membership Tiers
Multipliers, tier-only rewards, invite-only tiers
Referrals
Three proven referral models
Omni-channel Marketing
Automated messages across the journey
Loyalty Customer Portal
Join in seconds by QR or link
See all 14 features
Ready when you are
Plan your next Spin & Win campaign.
In a 30-minute demo we set up a wheel for your next event or festive promotion, and discuss custom games if you need one.
