How Seasonal Games Drive Higher Player Spend. Insights from Bet on Games

Seasonal gaming content has always had a strong pull, and in iGaming this effect becomes even more noticeable. Across the industry, operators report that engagement can rise by up to 30% during festive periods or time-limited campaigns. In this article, our Sales Manager Viviana Aguirre explains why themed content consistently drives higher interest and checks per active player. 

1. Emotional connection with the holiday 

Players respond positively to what feels familiar. Holidays like Christmas, Halloween or Valentine’s Day create emotional momentum on their own — festive lights, decorations and social expectations all put people into a certain mindset. 

From a psychological perspective, this is known as emotional priming. When someone is already immersed in seasonal cues offline, games that mirror the same atmosphere feel more appealing. This creates a mood-congruent choice, where users naturally prefer content that matches their emotional state. 

As a result, seasonal titles receive more clicks, longer sessions and a higher overall likelihood of deposits during the festive window. 

2. Limited-time content increases urgency and spend 

Holiday games and promotions work so well because they are temporary. According to SDLC Corp in their analysis of holiday-themed slots, seasonal content strongly triggers behavioral mechanisms like scarcity and FOMO (fear of missing out).  

When players know that a certain game, mode or bonus is available only for a short period, they tend to: 

• log in more frequently 

• play more actively before the offer ends 

• make faster and often larger deposits 

• increase the average bet size 

Even minimal festive branding like a themed icon, holiday badge, or special sound is enough to influence decision-making and encourage higher spend. 

3. Fresh themes reduce content fatigue 

Seasonal rotations make a platform feel dynamic. When the lobby updates, players instantly notice the change and explore newly highlighted titles. This breaks content fatigue and shifts traffic toward the games that operators want to promote. 

Seasonal titles placed on the homepage consistently show higher CTR and outperform evergreen games during the festive window. 

4. More free time and stronger promotional response 

Holidays give players more time and more reason to engage with entertainment. A study by ReThink Gambling (2025) indicates that online gambling activity in Canada grows by around 25% during winter holidays, while Christmas and New Year together contribute nearly 30% of annual industry revenue. The same report notes a 15–20% increase around national holidays like Canada Day, largely driven by holiday promos and festive-themed games. 

Even conservative markets show the same seasonal uplift. Operators who support these periods with themed content see a significant rise in both total activity and average player spend.  

Seasonal Performance at Bet on Games 

After reviewing November’s activity across our partner network, one trend stands out clearly as we step into December: the seasonal shift in player behaviour is already strong. November’s performance, projected through the month-end, shows a sharp early acceleration in player activity. 

We started the month with 45K–52K Bets/day, but mid-November engagement climbed sharply to 272K Bets, with late-month projections nearing 390K Bets. That’s more than +200% growth as players naturally move toward holiday-themed content. 

Our Christmas titles surpassed 80,000 Bets in November and are already performing 50–70% above non-seasonal games: 

• Merry Christmas Mania 

• Merry Christmas Mania 2 

• Winter 7 

• 50 Happy Santa 

And December is set to push this even further. Seasonal titles can deliver up to +200% additional uplift when operators highlight them early and give them strong visibility. 

These games are already performing exceptionally well. Based on what I’ve seen with partners who moved early, seasonal titles in Top Positions consistently deliver higher CTR, more replays, and a clear increase in deposit frequency. Visibility becomes a true revenue driver during this period. 

December is a short but extremely powerful window, and partners who move early capture the strongest results. 

Practical Recommendations for Operators 

Seasonal games deliver fast, measurable results. Here’s how to maximize their impact: 

1. Integrate early 

Players react to festive themes weeks in advance. Early integration means more lobby visibility, more traffic, and higher cumulative bet volume before the peak even begins. 

2. Put seasonal titles front and center 

Highlight them in a holiday category and feature banners and short push/email campaigns. Top placement drives higher CTR and directly lifts the average check. 

3. Segment your audience 

Offer enhanced promos to returning users, push instant games to impulse-driven segments, and use missions or quests for high-frequency players. Targeted engagement always performs better during holiday peaks. 

4. Add simple revenue-driving mechanics 

Holiday tournaments, limited multipliers, festive jackpots, and daily rollover bonuses increase revisit rate and grow deposits naturally. 

5. Leverage fast, emotional gameplay 

Instant games from Bet on Games match festive behavior perfectly: quick sessions, fast results, and strong emotional feedback drive more replays and bets per user. 

In short: seasonal content works best when it’s visible, timely, and supported by simple but powerful mechanics. 

Final Thought: Don’t Miss the Seasonal Peak 

Seasonal behavior is predictable, and the revenue potential is significant. Numerous market studies confirm that holiday periods bring more traffic and higher spending across all player segments. 

With December already at its peak, now is the ideal time to integrate the Bet on Games seasonal collection and secure stronger results for the entire festive period. 

Our team is ready to assist with fast integration and setup. 

Reach out today and capture the holiday momentum with Bet on Games.