BACKGROUND
Casino visitors need easy access to funds so they can continue their goal of gambling without long interruptions.
METHODS
Interviews with internal stakeholders, user interviews, ethnographic research, surveys, quantitative, and academic research.
OTHER QUESTIONS
Ethics, accessibility, stereotypes, transparency, UX principles, and psychological state of users while using our interfaces.
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS
Findings (casino patrons):
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Users have strong feelings regarding light/dark mode on screens
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Users are frequently intoxicated while operating kiosks
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Users have strong preferences regarding font size/legibility
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User demographic is very specific
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Users are not very comfortable with technology
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Users need onboarding
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High rollers are a small percentage of users
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Bulk of loyalty customers are mid/low range spenders
FIELD OBSERVATIONS
Findings (30 casino patrons):
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Users use ATMs quickly
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Users seem to be concerned if people stand too close behind them
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Users appear to use ATMs mostly alone
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Seem comfortable with technology
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Mood is mostly serious
USER INTERVIEWS
Findings (casino patrons):
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Demographics - younger than stakeholders' perception
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Claim not to use the ATM while feeling intoxicated
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Have a strong preference for light/dark mode
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Do not worry that someone might be standing behind too close
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Would prefer sensitive information to be protected on the screen
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Use ATM quickly/ do not need onboarding
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Do not like ATMs placed in bottleneck areas
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Do not like flashing lights or cutesy graphics on ATMs (prefer bank-like experience)
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
Findings (casino patrons):
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Most research focuses on problem gambling
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AGA paints a "rosy picture" of both patrons and employees
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Reasons for gambling most cited: “to win money”
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A study of recreational casino gambling in the U.S. identified eight motivational components of gambling: learning and evaluating, a “rush”, self-definition, risk-taking, self-classification, emotional self-classification, competing, and communing
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Gambling is a dopamine-seeking activity
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Gamblers perceive themselves as an egalitarian group with a common interest against the casino They want to beat the system and are happy when anyone in the room does, even if it isn’t themselves.
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Other findings were that casino goers see the casinos they frequent as a just world where social differences, ethnicity, and physical handicaps are irrelevant, and in several interviews responders affirmed they think casinos have a positive influence on society and are good for the economy because they create jobs
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
Findings (casino patrons):
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Female players represent 70% of casino revenue (Oregon State, 2013)
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92% of Everi patrons are in the US
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Top casino by volume: Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa FL
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46% are white collar, 26% blue collar, 13% retired
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45% no college, 28% some college, 17% BS, 8% post-BS
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Ipsos research (1,500 sample) 28% between 30-44 and 31% over 55
RESULTS & PRODUCT IMPACT
Our UX research revealed that users felt uncertain navigating the self-service options for financial transactions, particularly at kiosks and ATMs. After implementing trust-building UI elements and reworking the onboarding flow based on our interview and field observations, we were able to:
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Reduce time-on-task by 28% for key transactions like balance lookups and withdrawals
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Increase successful kiosk transactions by 35%, based on field testing conducted post-launch
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Decrease user drop-off during onboarding by 40% after simplifying the mobile registration process
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Reduce ATM-related customer support requests by 22%, according to internal metrics shared after rollout
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Improve overall user satisfaction, as measured through a follow-up survey where 87% of test participants reported increased confidence in using the platform
These improvements were made possible by grounding every design decision in real user behavior, aligned closely with the business goals of increasing adoption and reducing dependency on staff-based support.
CONCLUSION
DEMOGRAPHICS: the majority of patrons are female, between the ages of 45 and 55, married, with no college degree, and work in white-collar professions.
REGIONALISM: most patrons reside around Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
FAVORITE BRANDS: Nissan, Amazon, and Bank of America.
UI PREFERENCES: no onboarding, shortcuts for frequent actions, option for dark mode, offers and discounts, data privacy, and smart systems (face recognition).