Figure 1 Apps have Revolutionized the Betting Industry
If there has been one industry that has completely changed in the last 20 to 30 years, it is the gambling sector. This is especially true in the US, where the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018 effectively gave individual states legal control over sports betting. Unsurprisingly, many immediately made the practice legal.
That change in the law came at a time when technological advances also made the act of betting much easier for users. Mobile apps had been around for a fair while by then, of course.
But the easing of restrictions also made it possible for many in the US to bet on their phones. Many customers downloaded the MyBookie app and others onto their devices as part of a revolutionary development for betting.
Although sports betting is hugely popular – and is now a multibillion-dollar industry in the US – that doesn’t mean that everyone can become successful. The industry is also hugely competitive, and the big sportsbook operators need to stand out from the crowd in some way.
Creating and designing a popular app is one way that they can do this – and we are going to take a look at what needs to be considered for the app to be a success.
Simple Interface
With so many betting options open to customer account holders these days, there is a lot of information that needs to be provided onscreen. There are hundreds of betting markets available for every single soccer game, for example, so the challenge for any designer is to ensure that users do not get a sense of information overload.
There is no need for distractions and blocks of impenetrable text. Everything should be laid out simply and allow the user to find their way around with ease. There are so many other options when it comes to choosing a betting operator that you do not want the reason yours isn’t chosen to be the design of the app.
Generic Design
It is somewhat ironic that there is a desperate need for betting apps to stand out from the crowd, yet if you were to take a look at a selection, you would find it difficult to tell them apart. There is definitely a set way of doing things when it comes to how betting apps look – and customers expect as much.
As much as individual sportsbooks would probably like to do something a little different, users expect to see the live betting options first, with a number of promotions and highlighted betting markets also within sight. It is a tough balancing act to perform, designing an eye-catching app while also conforming to the accepted norms of the industry.
Easy Payment
Another area of betting app design in which developers absolutely have to stick to unwritten norms and ease of use is the payment section. We have largely ignored the business side of betting, assuming that all regulations and licensing requirements have already been met. But payment security is a must.
Being able to deposit and withdraw funds – as well as actually place bets – needs to be incredibly easy to do, as well as be completely secure. Users will not want to go through the bet selection process only to have trouble with their payment selection. So designing an app with the complete novice in mind is best.
Added Extras
It may seem up until now that the job of designing a successful sports betting app is a demoralizing, restrictive venture. We have talked a lot about what features you must include – and how to set out the pages of your app – with seemingly little room for maneuver, design-wise.
But it is exactly because of those tight design parameters that any added extras are so important. Customers will expect a certain kind of product but there is room to include animations and transitions that make the user experience more pleasurable. This is where a sports betting app can really stand out and UI and UX design should be prioritized.
Learn From the Experts
As with any kind of creative design work, taking inspiration and doing your research is vital. As much as we have highlighted some of the areas that need to be addressed for a sports betting app, you will learn a lot from immersing yourself in mobile betting app design and gaining inspiration that way.
Brand recognition is a huge deal within the betting industry and many of the top-rated apps are connected to the biggest names in the business. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the apps are of the highest standard – but it is usually the case. Customer loyalty does play a part but discovering why the best-loved apps find themselves in that position will help any designer trying to join that esteemed community.
Figure 2 There is Some Room for Creativity in Design
Clean and Simple Wins Every Time
For anyone wanting to break with convention and start anew, sports betting apps are perhaps not the place to be. This is an industry that relies a lot on brand recognition and ease of use. Apps are there to make things more convenient for the customer account holders, so breaking the mold is not part of the remit.
But there is no reason why a designer cannot bring their own touches to a new sports betting app. UI and UX design is vitally important and clean and simple graphics and layout are always encouraged. From there, it is really down to the individual to how he or she can achieve the goal of standing out from the crowd.