Brief:

• Lucktastic, a marketing company that runs mobile-based scratch-off games and sweepstakes, licensed Hasbro’s Monopoly brand for a contest that will give away weekly prizes and a jackpot of as much as $250,000, according to a statement made available to Mobile Marketer. The Monopoly-branded games within Lucktastic can be downloaded on Google Play and App Store.

• Lucktastic team is planning several events with each game. Monopoly-branded “fun pack” and “Go” cards each week will be released in the app with prize giveaways such as in-app promo codes and Lucktastic merchandise. Cash prizes of $2,500 and $1,500 are available monthly from cards that are running in conjunction with the contest.

• Lucktastic also will run special editions of its Facebook Live show, Lucktastic Live. Facebook bots will allow players to interact with the show and host in real time and receive clues for where to find game pieces that unlock access to additional prizes.

Insight:

Mobile games are considered one of the best ways to engage users and develop an affinity between brands and consumers. About three out of four people said they were in a good mood using a game app at the time they were surveyed, compared with only 61% of those engaged with a non-gaming app, according to a study this month by AdColony.

Marketers are weighing different ways to take advantage of mobile gaming, with brands like Hollister creating their own playable ads while Chipotle and others focus on mini games. Others seek out popular gaming apps whose audience crosses over with their own. This summer, the Major League Baseball Players Assoc. worked with Lucktastic on a promotion similar to the Monopoly one with scratch cards and Fun Packs. 

Mobile game usage tends to be concentrated among heavy users of the apps, the AdColony study found. More than 70% of mobile phone users have 1 to 9 games installed, suggesting that consumers are loyal to a small group of gaming apps. That focus shows that in-app ad placements need to emphasize quality over quantity in campaign targeting, AdColony said.

Lucktastic, which is run by developer Jump Ramp, in January awarded a player $1 million in cash, a giveaway that was streamed live on Facebook. The company claimed it was the biggest cash award in the history of free apps.