User experiences count for a lot in the casino industry. On the part of the operators, a good user experience translates into more customer engagement, retention, and loyalty. And for the players, the better the user experience, the more fun, smooth, and rewarding their journeys. So, with all parties set to benefit, it makes sense that the user experiences in casino slots real money sites have been changing for the better over the years. But what makes one experience stand out from the other? We dive into the top user experience features in the digital age.

Which UX Features Result in Higher Player Engagement?

Casinos offer innovative products. But all their innovations would be for naught if their user experiences were subpar, as this would result in low player engagement. So, how do they ensure they keep players interested? Here are their top approaches:

1.    Gamification.

Previous casino user interfaces were pretty simple, such that players enjoyed the casino games and either won or lost money. So, they toggled between their earnings, wallet balance, games played, and so on. After a while, it became a bit predictable. Then, casinos came up with the unique concept of gamification. Alongside earning money from playing casino games, players could now earn points for different things, such as playing games, logging into their accounts, and making deposits. These non-monetary points allowed them to:

• Earn badges.
• Level up from one category to the other.
• Compete with other players on the leaderboards.

In so doing, the gamification allowed players to enjoy another game inside the game, which came with the perks of progression and added competition. And players were soon hooked on the idea of levelling up so as to rank higher on the boards.

2.    Optimization.

The more friction there is in a casino site, the less players are willing to play its games. But where does friction arise? It shows up in lags, ambiguity, and lengthy processes. That is why casinos have embarked on the following approaches:

• Ensuring their sites work across devices. In the past, casino pages were designed to work on desktop devices, as these were the standard when online casinos first started. But with the changing times, people got access to smartphones whose interfaces were quite different. And for a while, accessing casino sites on these devices proved challenging as the pages had slow response times and sometimes would not load. Now, almost all casinos have optimized their sites to load fast and reliably across devices, thus ensuring that device type is not a hindrance to a good game.
• Providing a simple menu. Have you ever looked at a site menu and wondered just where to start? The truth is that while offering a lot of information on a page is good, it can also cause too much cognitive load on players. Players do not want to spend time figuring out how to find a game or load money into their accounts. Instead, they want a simple menu that allows them to access their favorite games within seconds. Casino sites have taken this into account by creating simple pages which guide players on everything, from where to get support, play games, and access their money in just one or two clicks. What’s more, they offer search buttons for players who want specific games. The result is faster access, which satisfies their players.
• Simplifying payments. Another point of friction with previous casino sites was the lengthy withdrawal process. Players often had to jump through hoops to initiate these transactions, often having to set up their preferred payment options each time they made a withdrawal. Understandably, the time-consuming nature of this task was a deterrent to many players. But now, casinos offer their players several ways to make deposits and withdrawals, complete with their timelines and fees. Additionally, if players are using a payment option for the second time, the site does not require them to enter their information once again.

On top of this, many casinos are using artificial intelligence (AI) to offer their players personalized recommendations on games and bonuses so as to make their experiences even smoother.