Top eInstant design considerations for responsible gaming

Bradley Johnson, Director, Digital Games Studio at Pollard Banknote, oversees the Pollard Digital Games Studio which offers a diverse portfolio of eInstant games that deliver high-quality, entertaining experiences to players. With nearly two decades of multidisciplinary experience in the gaming industry – from game design mathematician to games studio director – Bradley shares the top considerations for designing games that encourage responsible online play:

1. Provide Value

“One of the most important design considerations is to ensure players feel they receive adequate value for the time and money they invest in a game,” said Bradley. From a responsible gaming perspective, it’s critical that players feel that if they have spent $20, for example, they have received sufficient value in return so that they are not left unfulfilled and tempted to chase more winning experiences. In this context, value includes not only monetary wins, but also the enjoyment and entertainment players experience during gameplay.

2. Celebrate Wins Moderately

Another crucial design consideration for responsible play is the use of celebratory effects for wins. These visual and sound effects – such as engaging animations and rewarding sounds – enhance the player's gaming experience by creating a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. However, repeated celebrations of wins may unintentionally encourage more play, therefore it is important to manage these effects carefully. Bradley shared, “In our games, we put emphasis on celebrating larger wins to acknowledge the excitement, and limit celebrations on lower value wins to minimize the frequency of stimulus.” While smaller wins certainly contribute to the perceived entertainment value and are recognized when players see the win added to their balances, the animations and sounds are deliberately toned down compared to bigger wins.

3. Create Realistic Expectations

Creating realistic expectations of a game is important to prevent players from playing longer and pursuing unattainable outcomes. In game design, this begins by ensuring that the demo mode version of the game plays exactly like the real money mode, providing players with an accurate representation of the game. In demo mode, players learn what to expect in terms of dynamics, animations, and prizes before spending real money. As Bradley puts it, “We design a game in a way that promotes a clear understanding of how to play and what to expect, such that we minimize the potential for players to chase wins or attempt to ‘game’ the system.”

Experience shows that less than 5% of players read the game rules. At Pollard Banknote, we design our games to be highly intuitive, allowing players to understand how to play without needing to view the rules page. Clear and accessible information, such as prominently displayed win amounts, ensures that critical details are easily understood without hindering the gameplay. Moreover, our designs avoid over-inflating potential win amounts and carefully moderate the display of near wins. “Near wins” – instances where players almost achieve a winning combination – can create excitement but must be balanced to prevent fostering unrealistic expectations and impulsive behavior.

Furthermore, maintaining consistency with real-life experiences is critical. If a game involves dice rolls or wheel spins, ensuring that the outcomes reflect real-world probabilities helps players develop genuine expectations about their game experience.

Focusing on clarity throughout the game experience – from demo mode to intuitive design, transparent information display, moderation of near wins, and alignment with real-life probabilities – ensures that players develop informed expectations and engage in responsible gaming practices.

4. Design, Test and Improve

To ensure a game performs as intended and aligns with the parameters of responsible play, the design process relies on in-depth mathematical modeling and statistical analysis. Running and monitoring comprehensive simulations can ensure the game meets the requirements set out during design. Bradley added, “We rely heavily on our expertise to put our games through extensive play testing to observe outcomes firsthand and adjust performance as needed, and to develop new games that perform better and balance responsible play with entertainment.”

Looking ahead, gathering data on player behavior by segment will be increasingly important to identify where features for responsible gaming are working most effectively on a broader scale, and then applying those learnings to game designs. For example, when comparing games, play data might suggest that one game triggers more player self-exclusions than the others. Bradley concluded, “By assessing the differences between each game, we can discover the elements that promote responsible play and apply them to future games. As the role of data in game design grows, so will the opportunity to apply machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to the process.”

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