Traditional brand loyalty programmes are losing relevance as consumers demand immediacy over aspirational perks. Gaming’s instant gratification model offers a solution
The loyalty programme is dying; thousands of unused points expiring quietly in forgotten accounts, aspirational travel rewards that never materialise, and consumers increasingly indifferent to promises that feel both distant and disconnected from their lives.
Industry analysts estimate that at least 30 to 50 per cent of loyalty points go unused—what the sector calls “breakage”, says Kaveri Khullar, senior vice president, consumer marketing and sponsorships, Asia Pacific at Mastercard. For brands, this is often treated as a financial inevitability, but Khullar sees it as a missed emotional opportunity. “Breakage means you’ve lost your chance to engage, surprise or delight [the consumer].”
Enter an unlikely saviour: gaming. Across Asia-Pacific, which is home to an estimated 1.5 billion gamers representing nearly half of the world’s total gaming population, financial institutions are realising that there’s real value in converting everyday spending into in-game currency. “Gaming is not a subculture; it’s a superculture,” says Khullar.
Thousands of esports fans watch the 2025 ‘League of Legends’ Champions Korea finals at Inspire Arena in Incheon, Korea (Photo: Getty Images)
1 / 1
The global gaming industry is expected to reach US$363 billion in value by 2027, according to data gathering platform Statista, up from US$282 billion in 2024. But the real shift isn’t in the numbers; it’s in the psychology. Gaming represents immediacy, choice and real-time gratification—everything traditional loyalty programmes are not.
“Traditional loyalty systems are struggling,” says Khullar, because they are built on aspiration: accumulate enough points for that dream holiday. But modern consumers—particularly younger demographics—are operating under different assumptions. The post-pandemic “Great Reset” fundamentally altered how people think about time and choice. Why wait six months to stack 50,000 points for a flight when life feels increasingly uncertain?
“It’s a fragile world we’re living in,” Khullar says. "We don’t want to wait any longer. We want to live with intention and immediacy.” The gaming sector understood this instinctively. In-game economies operate on instant feedback loops: complete a mission and you unlock a reward.
