How to develop the best casino games
Developing a successful casino game requires more than just understanding the basic rules of blackjack or roulette. It demands strategic planning, advanced technology, and a deep insight into the player’s experience. The global online casino market has grown tremendously, driven by the appeal of games that blend chance, strategy, and immersive design. With trends pointing toward mobile-first games, blockchain integration, and highly interactive elements, this guide walks through essential steps to create engaging, reliable casino games that stand out in a competitive landscape.
The beginning of casino games
Ancient games of chance
One could argue that games of chance are as old as recorded human history… and this could still be considered incorrect! Similarly to alcohol, most cultures have developed this form of gaming at some point. The earliest dice that were found come from Mesopotamia and Egypt, and date back to around 3000 BCE. However, it has been determined that they were based on a earlier concept dating much further back in history. Interestingly, The Metropolitan Museum of Art owns probably the oldest recovered 20-sided die, originating from Egypt, 304-30 BCE.
The emergence of playing cards
The first playing cards supposedly come from China, though different sources provide different time periods. Some go as far as the ancient times, while others point to either 9th or 12th century. The clear historical sources point to the 13th and 14th centuries as the time when card games appeared in Europe, and the modern card icons (hearts, spades, diamonds, clubs) are usually credited to the French (15th century). Poker is based on a Persian game from the 17th century.
What about slot machines? They are a relatively recent invention. The first casino game of this type appeared at the end of the 19th century and was invented by Charles Fey, a mechanic from San Francisco. In 1898, he created the “Liberty Bell Slot Machine” and placed several copies in the city’s saloons.
The invention of slot machines
The first gaming-oriented organizations were established in China during the Tang Dynasty (7th-10th century), while the first western establishment we could refer to as a casino was called Ridotto, and was opened in 1638 in Venice. The oldest casino in Las Vegas is the Golden Gate, which opened originally as Hotel Nevada in 1906.
When it comes to the creation of the first online casino games and iGaming establishments, the general consensus is that they began to appear in the mid 1990s.
Everything in an online casino
While casino games form the foundation of iGaming establishments, the key to success lies in skillfully combining various elements that work together flawlessly.
Variety of games
A successful online casino should offer a diverse range of games from the outset. This typically includes a blend of classic games such as roulette, blackjack, and dice, alongside vibrant slot machines. Additionally, creating an originally designed game can provide a unique experience for visitors. Partnering with reliable game providers and well-known brands is crucial to ensure a smooth experience for both players and platform managers.
Customer support
When issues arise, swift support is essential. Most successful online casinos provide 24/7 customer support to address player concerns promptly. In today’s social media-driven world, even one dissatisfied player can significantly impact your platform’s reputation, potentially driving others toward more reliable entertainment options.
Rewarding loyal players
To retain dedicated players, online casinos often establish VIP clubs or premium membership programs for high spenders. Benefits may vary between casinos but often include perks like free spins, exclusive offers, custom gifts, access to premium features, VIP customer support, and special promotions for member anniversaries. These rewards encourage loyalty and enhance the overall gaming experience.
Importance of a blog
An engaging blog is a must-have for any iGaming platform. Not only does it provide content for users, but regular updates indicate an active platform, encouraging repeat visits. High-quality articles can also improve search engine rankings, making it easier for potential players to discover the casino. Suggested blog topics include:
- platform announcements regarding special deals and new games,
- information on tournaments, prizes, and events,
- rankings of anonymous top winners,
- updates from the broader iGaming world,
- rules for traditional casino games.
When considering online casino development, it’s essential to approach it with a strategic mindset. This involves not only the technical aspects of building the platform but also understanding the market and player expectations. Incorporating user-friendly design, mobile compatibility, and robust security measures are key components that contribute to the overall success of the casino. Collaborating with experienced developers who understand the nuances of iGaming can help create a platform that stands out in a competitive landscape.
Multiple payment options
There are two major subjects connected to casino games and payments, namely – the type of currency and payment gateways/providers.
When it comes to how players can pay for entertainment provided by a platform, most casinos offer standard currency, usually USD and/or EUR, with some also using platform-specific custom currency. The options might be limited by legal regulations.
Accessibility
When discussing casino game and platform accessibility, there are several crucial factors – desktop and mobile performance, dedicated apps, and adaptation to local legal regulations.
Optimization for various devices
First, let’s briefly discuss optimization. Your casino games have to be perfectly playable on both personal computers as well as smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices. Different devices have different screens, which means the resolution of the platform has to be flexible. Clickable elements have to be big enough so they are comfortable to use with touch screens. When people have desktop computers in big cities, their machines often have both the power as well as the internet speed to comfortably use online casinos. However, when we’re on the go or in remote areas and using mobile devices, the transfer of data has to be optimized and the use of less powerful hardware has to be taken into account. This means that your platform’s assets should be using optimized elements, for example, all images should be converted into WebP or AVIF instead of JPEG or PNG. Tools such as PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse greatly help to evaluate platform performance, and they are also SEO-oriented, so following the recommendations will not only make a platform “faster”, but it will also help improve its position in Google search results pages, helping the online casino attract more users.
Dedicated mobile applications
Some platforms opt for a dedicated application to run their casino games on mobile devices. One of the advantages of this solution is the option to provide popup notifications to users who have the app installed. This will help maintain player interest and remind them there is something special to look out for at their favorite iGaming platform. Having an app at the Google Play store or App Store will also increase the brand’s credibility… if the reviews are positive of course. As with most businesses, you usually get one shot to make things right, if the launch of an app is terrible, some brands will never recover, especially in such a sensitive niche as iGaming where user trust is paramount to achieving success. Being able to access slot games from the comfort of a smartphone means that users will be able to enjoy iGaming wherever they are, even during their daily commute to work. It’s easier to click an icon to launch an app than to use a smartphone’s browser to access casino games.
Compliance with local regulations
Lastly, accessibility also means the casino and its games need to conform to local regulations. Some games, or even entire platforms, may have to be blocked for specific regions. Sometimes, the laws are very strict, as is the case with Australia whose government institutions geo-block a lot of iGaming options for their citizens.
Bonuses and promotions
One of the best and most popular ways of attracting and maintaining player attention is through special deals. Every reputable online casino offers an attractive welcome package. It usually includes a certain number of funds to use on the platform – either in regular currency or in platform-specific tokens – to spend on games, a number of free spins for a specific game, etc.
Most regular casino players also expect some form of seasonal events. It is normal for iGaming establishments to change their theme and offer special deals during Christmas, Chinese New Year, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. The fresh, seasonal coat of paint offers a break from the otherwise regular visuals the site usually has, and there are players who wait to play slot machine games on special occasions because they expect to get better offers. They are often willing to spend more too.
However, special deals should not be limited only to seasonal events. Regular promotions for specific games will encourage players to try something new and make them aware there is always something to try out. A popular recurring special deal is, e.g., the “game of the month”, which can offer discounts, free spins, or better multipliers for a specific title.
Tournaments and championships are another good example. They require more resources and organization than promotions for individual games, but they can help spread the word about your platform further.
Also, we already mentioned VIP memberships with benefits for the most dedicated players.
Types of casino game software and systems
A successful online casino is more than a simple website. It’s a platform that successfully integrates a lot of different systems. Let’s have a look at those briefly:
- different game types – casino slots are just one type of popular casino entertainment, but there are many other. For example, card games will require completely different software and there are competitive games that require multiplayer functionalities or live streaming. Variety is important to gain the attention of as many players as possible, but it also means investing in a number of different game systems.
- different currencies – iGaming establishments currently use standard currencies, such as USD or EUR, but also premium, platform-specific currencies, and sometimes crypto. All of these require different software, including special payment gateways.
- different languages – players like it when websites “speak” their language, but this means some resources need to be devoted to translation.
- different regions – legal regulations may require your platform to have different functionalities available to players depending on the regions they connect from. For example, some games may be prohibited in specific areas (Australia is very strict with its iGaming laws), or you may be unable to try a game for free without prior registration.
- updates – the way the platform is created should allow for easy updates.
- crypto – Bitcoin, Ethereum and other cryptocurrencies can be one of many or the only payment method at a casino, but they need integration into the platform’s systems.
- VIP clubs/loyalty systems – as mentioned earlier, the most dedicated players that apply for membership in a casino’s VIP club should be rewarded. Special membership functionalities need to be integrated.
- tournaments – this is a major feature. Tournament systems will require functionalities related to participant enrollment, the organization of games with their descriptions and rules, the implementation of a ladder system, and more.
- application – many successful casinos have their mobile version of the platform, which is usually a major undertaking for the business and will also require post-release maintenance, updates, and support.
- shop – popular content management systems often feature dedicated plugins for shop functionalities that can be integrated into a platform, making it easier to introduce this feature.
- bonuses, special deals – these two will also need the right systems in place, especially if some promotions are to be automated.
- affiliate system – special software will be needed to enable an affiliate program that would pay partners, e.g., for every player they generated in the casino.
- live chat – this common website functionality is also popular at online casinos, providing a link between the platform and its players, especially in terms of support. Chat has to be implemented with special care – if done incorrectly, it can have a serious impact on site performance
- mailing and notification systems – whenever important information is supposed to reach the user, a suitable notification should appear on the platform. This requires a separate system covering the conditions for displaying a notification, automated notifications, text, visual and/or audio cues, etc.
- CMS – one of the most important decisions to make is the selection of the most suitable content management system. The choice will determine many other functionalities and how they will be implemented on the platform.
- desktop and mobile versions – proper resolution adaptation, optimization for less powerful hardware, a good UI for mouse and keyboard as well as touch-screen users – these and many other factors have to be considered and developed to provide a smooth experience for all devices.
Most popular casino games
It would be hard to point out the single most popular entertainment form at gaming establishments. Casino slots games may seem the obvious choice, but then again you’ve got other classics such as poker, blackjack, roulette and many other games as well. Instead of trying to say which one is at the top of the list, let’s have a look at a few of the popular names.
Online slots
In traditional casinos, they are as much a game as they are a decoration. In online casinos, slots often fill up most of the available gaming portfolio. This is proof of their popularity among players, their huge variety, and the ease of implementation. After all, they don’t traditionally feature a competitive element, so there is no need for multiplayer functionalities, nor do they need any special LIVE features.
Dice
If you ask anyone, most people that play offline games would probably say they enjoy rolling dice, regardless of whether we talk about board games, tabletop games, or the ones we usually see in casinos. One of the most popular games of chance that uses dice is called craps and is several centuries old. However, dice can be traced much further back in time, the oldest 20-sided die ever found dates back to 4th-1st BCE and is from ancient Egypt. It is now kept in The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The true origin of dice games is not known, but they have been used since before recorded history.
Crash
This card game is particularly popular in bars and pubs across the UK. It is known to have many variations, and whether or not games of chance are involved and how they look depends on a particular establishment.
Hi-low
A simple card game to understand, but a difficult one to actually win. In offline casinos, it involves one player and the dealer, but in online versions, the dealer isn’t usually present. In general, the aim of the player is to guess whether the next card that is dealt is higher or lower. That’s basically it, meaning that it is very easy to get into, especially for new players.
Blackjack
One of the great classics, the most widely played casino banking game in the world, present at most respectable casinos. This card game involves more than one player, but each participant competes with the dealer, not against other players, and it is a popular casino tournament game. Alongside baccarat, blackjack is one of the most common casino games for tournaments. Blackjack belongs to a group of traditional family games played throughout the world, and it has many variants, some of which are not designed for casinos.
Roulette
The famous spinning wheel of roulette is recognized worldwide. In this game, the player chooses where he wants to place his bet, e.g., on a specific number or a combination of numbers, one of the two colors, even or odd, or on a range of numbers. Roulette is frequently played online, frequently through a live stream with a croupier.
Casino game development process
A solid game concept is the foundation of any successful casino game. This stage should start with thorough market research to understand popular genres and features in existing games, as well as any emerging trends or player demands. Here are some of the key steps:
- Market research and competitive analysis – begin by studying top games in the genre. Analyze which themes resonate most with players – whether it’s classic slot machines, interactive poker, or themed roulette. Looking at popular game mechanics and player preferences will give a clearer idea of what features to prioritize.
- Identifying the target audience – determine who your ideal player is. Different age groups and demographics may prefer various styles, from highly interactive slots to strategy-heavy poker games. Knowing your audience will guide every subsequent development choice, from theme to gameplay mechanics.
- Defining unique selling points (USPs) – with hundreds of casino games on the market, identify what will make your game unique. Think about what could differentiate it – exclusive bonus systems, a high-quality visual style, or innovative game mechanics. This USP will serve as your game’s primary appeal to players.
Building a prototype
Before diving into full-scale development, building a prototype is crucial to test and refine the core elements of the game. Prototyping can highlight areas that need improvement and help avoid costly fixes later in development:
- Creating initial sketches and wireframes – designers start by sketching out the user interface layout and gameplay flow. These wireframes provide a basic look at how players will interact with the game, showing key screens like the main gameplay area, menu navigation, and reward display areas.
- Developing the minimum viable product – once the wireframes are complete, the development team creates a minimal version of the game that includes core mechanics and basic UI. This MVP allows for early testing and feedback, helping refine gameplay, identify potential usability issues, and gauge player interest.
Game design – creating the visuals and audio
In the casino game industry, an attractive visual design can significantly impact player retention. Game aesthetics aren’t only about looks; they affect the feel and intuitiveness of the game:
- Art and graphics design – start with choosing a cohesive theme and visual style that aligns with the game’s concept. For slots, this might mean selecting a fantasy or adventure theme with eye-catching colors and symbols. Detailed graphics, including character design, animations, and even background elements, should be engaging without overwhelming the player.
- Sound effects and music – sound is equally crucial in creating an immersive experience. Thoughtfully designed sound effects can make actions like winning spins or successful bets more exciting, while a well-chosen soundtrack enhances the game’s ambiance. Balancing sound volume and quality is essential, especially in mobile games where players may use headphones.
Programming and development
Once the visuals and gameplay mechanics are finalized, the programming phase begins. This is where developers bring the game to life, ensuring it operates smoothly and securely:
- Choosing the right technology stack – selecting an appropriate game engine is crucial. Popular options for casino game development include Unity and HTML5 frameworks. Unity is well-suited for both 2D and 3D games and provides a robust asset store and extensive community support, making it easier for developers to find resources and troubleshoot issues. HTML5, on the other hand, is ideal for creating web-based games that run seamlessly across various devices without the need for downloads.
- Implementing game logic – developers need to code the game mechanics, rules, and user interactions. This often includes setting up Random Number Generators (RNG) to ensure fairness in games like slots or roulette. The logic should be thoroughly tested to guarantee that it behaves as expected under various scenarios.
QA of casino game
Testing is a vital part of the development process, ensuring that the game is free of bugs and provides a smooth user experience:
- In this stage, a comprehensive testing strategy is implemented – this includes various forms of testing, such as unit testing, integration testing, and system testing. Additionally, User Acceptance Testing (UAT) plays a vital role by allowing real players to interact with the game prior to its launch. Their feedback is invaluable for identifying usability issues and ensuring that the game meets player expectations.
- Performance optimization is another critical aspect of QA – the game must be fine-tuned for speed and responsiveness, which involves minimizing load times and ensuring smooth graphics. Special attention is given to optimizing the game for various devices, particularly mobile platforms, where performance can vary significantly.
- Despite rigorous testing, some bugs may still emerge after launch – therefore, it’s essential to have a dedicated QA team that monitors user feedback closely. They should address any issues promptly, ensuring that the game maintains high-quality standards and player satisfaction over time.
How we can help you in developing casino games
With over 5 years on the entertainment market, more than 10 casino brands in our portfolio, and nearly 2 decades providing software development and digital marketing services, we have everything you need to create your own slot machines and other casino games. See what we can do for you and contact us using your preferred method. We will be happy to answer any questions.
