10 Trends in Tech-Forward Casino Website Design in 2023
While online gambling has made a big splash in the last several years, millions of players throughout the world enjoy playing at live, brick-and-mortar casinos.
Here in the U.S., from coast to coast, hundreds of casinos offer excitement, nightlife, and a sense of adventure that online gaming can’t quite duplicate. AI and Virtual Reality may help the online experience feel a bit more real, but nothing compares to being on the actual casino floor during the height of the action!
Today’s casino resorts are destinations that provide customers with more than just games of chance. They offer full-fledged vacation experiences that include world-class dining, hotel rooms, spa services, competitive bingo, bowling, amusement and water parks, and much more. Without a doubt, casino gaming is one of the most loved forms of amusement and recreation where players can enjoy themselves…and make money!
Top Design Trends in Websites for Casinos and Resorts
It seems that many mid-tier and smaller casinos are relying on websites that are stuck in the past which is not good for business and limits the customers that are attracted to a casino or resort. A lot of existing or current trends in web design for casinos are using static or flat design without movement, dated imagery, and just not conveying the fun and excitement that is associated with a casino floor.
With that in mind, we wanted to explore the best casino website design trends that we’re seeing in 2023 including some hospitality-related technology that users expect now.
10 Tech-Forward Trends in Development for Casino Websites
With web design trends in casino websites, everything from optimizing casino marketing to improving the guest experience depends increasingly on technology. If casino resorts want to continue growing in this competitive marketplace, having an up-to-date website using the latest trends and technology is essential.
Also, few industries rely as heavily on building and maintaining brand loyalty as the casino sector. For multiple reasons, casinos typically cluster together which is great for players, but increases competition for the casinos. This makes creating and perpetuating brand loyalty even more crucial.
Let’s take a look at the best tech website design trends for casinos that creatively use technology while being designed to promote brand loyalty and repeat play.
1. Player Portals
Players want 24/7/365 real-time information on their own personal kiosk that keeps them fully informed on their account leaderboard and winnings. But with casino websites design and development technology today, player portals can do so much more and do it in a fast and hyper-secure environment.
Casinos can build loyalty with gaming-specific information like point balances and statuses, progressive numbers, and next level enticements, plus also have information on qualifying deals and promotions on rooms and dining experiences, player messaging, discounts on everything from room rates to spa discounts to parking fees, reimbursements on transportation, and free check cashing and ATM vouchers.
Whatever loyalty enticements a casino prefers, their player portal can actively market to a targeted audience.
2. Online Booking and Reservations Platforms
For reservations and online booking, model your customer experience after Airbnb or VRBO that offer mobile-enabled room selection and booking, payments, and check-in and check-out without lengthy lines.
In addition, most casinos have at least one fine dining option where reservations can also be streamlined online through the website. And don’t forget, amenities like spa treatments and massage appointments can also be reserved via an online reservations API.
3. Sites Rich with Visuals
From a design perspective, casino websites need to be rich in high definition imagery, clear animations, movement, color, and excitement. Using visuals like swirling gold dust, stars, and shiny gold coins or chips lend themselves to creating a mood of magic and possibility.
Many websites focus on flashing lights and slot machines, but the romance is in what might happen—you could be a winner! So rich visual imagery can set the tone and create the ambiance before your guests even arrive.
4. Player Loyalty Platforms
Drive traffic and increase visits with player loyalty programs that offer players incentives through targeted rewards that can be redeemed on an online merchandise redemption platform. This can be an ecommerce site selling actual merchandise or a virtual site offering player-specific discounts and credits.
This also creates a secondary reason to continue playing; sure you want to win money, but you also want to get more points towards that great sweatshirt emblazoned with the casino logo.
5. Progressive Jackpot Totals in Real Time
Using the latest in web design for websites in casinos, custom Application Programming Interface (API) technology can build an auto-updating feed for current progressive jackpot totals to incentivize players and encourage engagement. Keeping an eye on the totals is a great way to get repeat visits from players who might not otherwise return as quickly.
With progressive jackpots, or grand prize payouts, the numbers can be staggering and watching those figures scroll across your screen can create a high motivation to not miss out.
6. Automated Guest Messaging
Integrated management systems for automated guest messaging are a great way to deliver messages and to market to your players about things like room discounts, dining or spa specials, and any sort of deal or prize. IMS messaging can be used when players at on-site or away from the resort.
With an automated two-way chat system, you can also use guest messaging to handle early guest needs or requests, receive food and beverage orders, address housekeeping questions, provide instant answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs), and send surveys or ask for reviews once the visit is concluded.
7. Online and Contactless Payments
Whether you book hotel rooms, sell casino-specific merchandise, or allow online gaming, contactless payments on your site and within your resort allow customers to rest easy in the knowledge that their financial information and payments are handled securing.
8. Mobile Responsiveness, Advanced Speed, and Security
Today, because over 65% of all internet users access online sites using a smartphone, all casino websites need to be mobile-friendly and responsive, as well as fast and secure.
Not only does Google gauge your page load time, but it can also penalize your site if it is deemed too slow or worse, not rank your site at all on the search engine results pages. When you are having your new site designed, be sure your development team understands the importance of speed and how to select CMS plugins, optimize and compress images, reduce CSS and JavaScript files, and minimize external scripts.
9. Chat Bots
People love Chat Bots—who doesn’t rely on Alexa or Suri for a multitude of tasks and questions? They are an easy, effective way to get the information customers want before they get frustrated and bounce to another site.
Chat Bots are a form of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and can be a great addition to websites where customers might have questions or need clarification. Perfect for handheld devices or PCs and laptops, Chat Bots are best when you give them a name and a personality through animated graphics.
There’s no reason a customer can’t smile while accessing your site and engaging with ‘Bob’, your trusty guest concierge!
10. Casino Webcams
Indoors or outdoors, webcams are a great enticement tool because they catch the excitement of the gaming experience and give loads of information about how busy the casino is, what’s the progression of a particular game or event, or even the weather outside for local travelers.
A good example is the webcam at The Lodge Casino in Black Hawk, Colorado. Denver locals and tourists can tune in and check if it’s snowing or if the roads have been plowed before heading up into the Rocky Mountains. Rumor has it that the webcam is used by locals too.
There you have it—the top 10 tech-related topics in web design for casino websites. Now let’s take a look at what a website redesign entails.
What Are the Latest Technologies in Web Development in Casinos and How are They Being Implemented?
We’ve taken a look at what is trending in technology on casino websites, but how do you make it work when you are redesigning a site?
First, you want to work with an experienced design and development agency that understands the casino industry as well as the best technology for casino websites. This includes the creative and technical aspects of design and development, but also the experience in dealing with state gaming commissions and their myriad expectations.
When working with a professional design and development team, expect these things:
World-Class Design
Going from a staid, run-of-the-mill site to one that truly reflects the excitement and magic that your casino resort offers requires working with a design team that brings fresh ideas and brand know-how that can tell a unique story and capture your customers’ imaginations. From the site layout to how the customer journey flows, a top-tier design team can add tons of interest and repeat business opportunities.
Latest IT Developments for Casino Websites
A strong development group has the technical savvy to conceive, write code, and implement your casino website with all the tech-forward trends we have discussed here. They will also have a strong background in achieving solid SEO results, plus experience in developing for site responsiveness and speed.
Strong Project Management and Communications
Your casino website design and development project will benefit from a project manager that values and facilitates strong communications and understands liaising with clients and their IT departments, the design and development teams, and the state and local authorities.
Without good project management leadership, your website could fall behind schedule or run over budget.
What Will Be the Casino Websites in the Future?
As advances in technology continue to change our lives, you can expect casino websites to also evolve. Some of the latest IT technology trends in casino websites seem very futuristic now, but there is even more coming in the not too distant future.
The future of web development for casino websites will include:
- Virtual Reality – One of the biggest trends in online gaming, and sure to follow in bricks-and-mortar casinos, is the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for immersive experiences in gaming.
- Cryptocurrency – The use of cryptocurrency has gained tremendous popularity in the last few years with its decentralized and anonymous footprint. It makes an ideal currency for the gaming industry and encourages repeat play.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) – As with online gaming and many other industries, AI is having a profound influence on the business landscape. Not only does it allow you to customize and personalize your user’s experience on your site and player portal, but it can now be used to help prevent cheating and fraud.
Moving Forward
Casinos must stay current with emerging trends and technologies to stay competitive as the online gaming market expands and gains a greater share of the market. The trend-adopting casinos are more likely to succeed in the market and draw more customers in the future.
If you are looking for a design and development agency that has the experience, expertise, and the skill to pull it all together, contact Lounge Lizard to learn more about capturing your customers’ imagination through a casino website redesign.
