Online casinos have come a long way in terms of features in the last two decades. Gaming platforms not only have large catalogues of games, but they also incorporate subtle widgets that are designed to make the user experience that little bit better. After all, player engagement is crucial to the long-term success of the online casino.
For instance, what might encourage you to stay on a gambling platform after claiming one of their no deposit casino offers for signing up or as a birthday reward? Naturally, it comes down to the variety of games and features available, but also the overall usability of the site or app. In this, smartly integrated widgets can play a significant role and help set one casino apart from another. Let’s take a look at a few examples — some of which are already in use, while others are well worth adding to any platform looking to improve usability.
Search Tool
A user could simply keep scrolling through an endless page of game thumbnails until they find one eye-catching enough to click on. But there’s a much better, more efficient way to get to a specific game or type of game, and that’s by using the search widget.
This isn’t just a basic bar stuck at the top. It’s a fully functional, embedded widget—a user interface element often found on mobile and web platforms—that lets users input search queries directly on the site. It could work just like the Google search bar on your phone’s home screen.
Searching terms like ‘progressive’ or ‘cascading reels’ for particular game mechanics will produce quicker results than just randomly scrolling. This can be done for any term, perhaps ‘NetEnt’ (or any other of your favourite game providers), ‘roulette’, or even ‘leprechaun’ if that’s the particular game theme wanted. These can also lead you to see appealing games that you would just never come across while trying to scroll through hundreds of options.
Personalised Page
Having a little widget that shows your favourite games right on the homepage makes things a whole lot easier. Instead of hunting through endless categories every time you log in, you get a tidy, ready-to-go section with all the games you actually play. By building your little library of games, you can carve out your little personalised corner of the casino.
Additionally, this is a process that’s ultimately getting more and more automated because of AI analysing playing patterns and history to put games of certain types and volatility in front of players. This leaning towards a more enhanced user interface introduces new games effortlessly, so use the time-saving tool to your advantage.
Jackpot Tracker
Another really handy widget on a casino site is a jackpot tracker. This handy tool tracks the current status of all (or selected) progressive games on the site. As a progressive jackpot game sits on a network and is played by people on different casino platforms, they all contribute to the constantly changing prize pot total.
So a tracker is a great way to know the current value of progressive jackpots in real time. The visibility gives players a convenient opportunity to pick the one they want to play, which they think will give them the best opportunity of a payout.
AI Gaming Buddy
An AI gaming buddy would be a tremendous widget addition to an online casino platform. Having an AI friend sit alongside you and recommend the next move in blackjack, or giving real-time feedback of results at the roulette table to help you make your decisions, could make gaming more interactive and aid with learning as well.
It could also give feedback on your gaming strategy, like whether or not you were sticking to optimal strategy at the blackjack table. A gaming buddy could also recommend different games that they believed would fit your playing style, and give real-time feedback on chance and odds.
Session Statistics
Another great feedback option for an online casino widget is a current gaming session status box. This could show you how long you have currently been on the site for and the length of time and total wagered on a current game.
It could also incorporate a wide range of other statistics from your average bet size to the number of rounds or spins in a session. Importantly, too, this is something that could help promote responsible gambling, because the session statistics could show details of the starting balance and net profit/loss for the session.
Look a Little Deeper
It’s easy to get pulled into a game as soon as you land on an online casino site. But take a little pause to look a little deeper at some of the smaller features that exist there. There may well be innovative yet overlooked aspects of the gaming experience that could take it up a notch or two.
I used to write about games but now work on web development topics at WebFactory Ltd. I’ve studied e-commerce and internet advertising, and I’m skilled in WordPress and social media. I like design, marketing, and economics. Even though I’ve changed my job focus, I still play games for fun.
