Gamifying Finance: Enhancing User Engagement and Financial Literacy through Digital Gamification

This research explores how intermediation within FinTech economies is evolving through the integration of video game elements into applications, rather than traditional games. First, we argue that gamification plays a key role in bridging the social and technical aspects of FinTech, highlighting expertise in areas such as behavioral science, digital marketing, and UX/UI design, which are becoming increasingly important for FinTech intermediation. Second, existing studies on advanced producer services (APS) and financial services and technology (FS&T) in the context of FinTech and financial intermediation overlook the specialized firms that are central to gamification. Third, certain game mechanics are being used to create competitive positions in the market, engaging users through continuous gameplay and guiding their behavior, which contrasts with traditional FinTech strategies that focus on simplicity, cost efficiency, and personalized access to products and services. To illustrate these points, we present three case studies of Asian companies that have successfully implemented gamified FinTech applications, a trend that is gaining momentum in the region.