Game Design in the Casino Industry

Decide on a game genre. Will it be a card game you've devised, where players can learn some strategy and become more adept, or will it be a game of pure chance, where anybody has the opportunity to win or lose?

Choose wisely; if you're not willing to put some serious research and effort into creating your game, it's not wise to try and create an entirely new game from scratch.

Create the rules, including paths to success, failure and "draws", if necessary.

If your game is one of skill, be sure to account for all possible loopholes in your rules so you can avoid players exploiting them. If your game is one of pure chance (like slot machines or roulette), make sure it is truly up to chance and not slanted in anyone's favor, including yours.

Calculate the odds of success and failure in your game, taking into account long periods of play by the same person as well as short bursts of play by separate people.

This is important to know, as odds stacked in the player's favor are not in the house's best interest, while odds stacked against the player will discourage people from playing.

If the game is one of some skill (such as poker), your odds will need to be calculated based on hypothetical skill levels. For games of pure chance, the odds are much easier to calculate, as there are no variations of skill to consider.

Design the look of your game. This could be the color of the players' pieces, patterns or illustrations on the cards or the images displayed on the slot machine screens.

If your game is electronic, consider adding sound effects and/or a voice to announce to the player that they've won, lost or drawn.

Aesthetics are often what pull people into playing a casino game, so make yours exciting and eye-catching.