The Cost of Reward: A Critical Reflection on the `What', `How', and `Why' of Gamification for Motivation in Sports

Sports is greatly valued both for its internal benefits (e.g., joy and fulfilment) and its external benefits (e.g., physical health). Still, many people struggle to find or uphold the motivation to practice sports. To ameliorate this issue, researchers in the field of SportsHCI have been actively exploring various gamification strategies. In this contribution, we critically reflect on the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ of gamification in sports. We argue against the use of gamification for ‘quick wins’, instead we argue that gamification can only be truly successful if it supports the spontaneous, self-sustained, and autotelic propensity in people to play sports.