A terrible design is typically the result of laziness, mistakes, or dozens of new foolish errors. Antipatterns are the name given to these patterns. However, if we dig deeper, we’ll discover that there’s another type of terrible design pattern, one that’s been designed with great care and a thorough sense of human psychology to persuade users to do activities they wouldn’t have done usually. Dark Patterns are a term used to describe the dark side of design.
Gambling websites are notorious for utilizing bad designs, such as black patterns, which encourage clients to visit the sites more frequently and spend their own money, further increasing the casinos’ revenue. Below are a few examples of how gambling websites employ dark UX patterns to manipulate their customers psychologically.
The user experience and the user interface highly contribute to the psychological aspect
In the construction of websites and apps, the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are two areas of design that are heavily examined. Industries that have included these in their design phase have seen a significant enhancement in their goods or services, as well as their interactive features.
The increased usage of UI/UX layout has caused a spike in research in the field by industry professionals. A substantial amount of study has revealed how social media employs gambling strategies such as slot machines that are subtly incorporated into our screens. These commercials also lead to psychological addictions to various gambling games, allowing people to try their luck at the games they play.
A combination of gaming and social media
Almost everyone in today’s society is a member of at least one social media network. As a result, gambling companies perceive it as a benefit and come out to promote their games somehow. So, when you’re browsing through the posts on your social media or playing game, you’ll generally notice an advertisement promising that if you play their game, such as bingo, slots, or any other jackpot game, you may win a large sum of money.
You will be readily enticed by those offers and will register and spend money on their website. This demonstrates how they control your psyche to get you to spend your hard-earned money on unnecessary and overpriced games.
Alluring players with bonus offers
Suppose you just want to play the free games available on the gambling websites, you visit the website, and as soon as it gets opened, you see these huge windows promising you free bonuses when you register on their website. These are indeed a way to play with and trap your psychological mind. Looking at those bonuses, you will feel that you are earning extra money. However, you are not. Instead, you are just making your way into spending more money because once you fall into the trap of gambling websites, it is difficult to get out of it.
Final Views
Customers’ psychological behavior is a factor to consider when running a business. Gambling websites do the same thing, tailoring their sites to their clients’ needs and psychological tendencies. As a result, it is critical to take precautions when participating in the gambling games presented to you on purpose.
