Digital games were traditionally played on dedicated consoles, then later also computers. However, many of us are now playing on our smartphones, giving us the freedom and flexibility to game on the go. In fact, the mobile games market is projected to surpass £2 billion this year in the UK alone!
Many gaming companies are operating exclusively on mobile platforms in response to this shift, or building mobile-first websites like the Mr Q phone casino where the games are specially formatted for smartphone screens and controls. Other aspects of these websites are also adapted for smartphones to ensure a smooth experience for players across the board, which is where UI design comes in.
1. Personalisation
Central to every aspect of customer relationship management across all industries, personalisation is enhancing our connection with brands we love. Companies are able to provide better service, focused on unique customer needs, which in turn fosters loyalty and drives growth.
Players make an account to access games on mobile casinos, which records their gaming history. Websites are developed to analyse this information and provide tailored game recommendations and exclusive special offers, within the account dashboard and individual games and on the casino homepage.
2. Compliance
Online gaming in the UK is regulated by the Gambling Commission, and compliance with these guidelines is driving the UI design of mobile casinos. Games include built-in breaks between rounds and players are forced to take mandatory pauses after a set period. Features like autoplay are being prohibited in games like online slots ensuring conscious commitment to each game cycle.
The best online casinos also give you the option of customising safety features so you can play within your personal parameters too. This might include setting spend limits or time limits.
3. Accessibility
Like personalisation, accessibility has been a core focus for companies in recent years. In UI design, this involves ensuring easy navigation through the site and focusing on readability and visibility in general with high-contrast modes.
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons, enlarged to avoid mis-clicks, are a common feature of mobile casinos. You’ll also see well-structured menus that makes it easy to find what you’re looking for. Parent pages group games by type, and the most popular types of games such as slots often have their own section, accessible with just one click. The hover feature that’s so effective on desktop is less so on smartphone touchscreens, so menus are being reconfigured accordingly.
Many players will access the website across various devices from a desktop to a tablet or phone, so successful mobile casinos are formatted to work without glitches on every platform, providing a smooth user experience.
4. AI
As with all industries, the future is in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Able to learn the habits of every player, this is set to enhance personalisation for a truly tailored experience. Games are also likely to become more immersive through the adoption of smart technologies such as virtual reality.
AI is already used in mobile casinos to help ensure player safety. Bots monitor live chat and chatroom functions, looking for behaviour that goes against the platform’s rules, is encouraging unsafe play or indicates attempted financial fraud.
Image at top of UI Design: Tranmautritam from Pexels via Canva