Design of the second-largest online casino in the Netherlands
Product overview - Responsible Entertainment
FAIRPLAY is the 2nd largest land-based Dutch gambling operator. The company brings more than 35 years of experience in the gambling industry to the online market.
Starting with physical casinos, the company's goal was to become a major player in the online sector, combining innovation with a rich tradition.
FAIRPLAY wants to keep gambling enjoyable and occasional, to improve the online gaming experience, and to create a more socially responsible and entertaining platform.
01
Empathise
Stakeholder workshops translating business goals into scope for a licensed Dutch-market casino. Legal framework and limitation identified.
02
Define
All user journeys were mapped, including unhappy and secondary paths. Where necessary, interactive prototypes and user testing was conducted.
03
Design
MVP scoped and backlog created with all use cases and high fidelity designs linked to deliverables.
04
Implement
Annotated screens, micro-animations and assets exported with design documentation for implementation.
05
Test
Post launch analytics and SEO optimisation. Further post-launch optimisation as per quantitative findings.
The challenge
Dutch online gambling has been regulated more tightly every year for the past decade. When we started discovery, new requirements were landing almost weekly, covering promotions, bonuses, permitted content, and more. Any of them could invalidate a design mid-sprint, or worse, during implementation. I had to get the approval from legal on all the designs plus every time new change has been announced.
I built the sequence around that risk. I identified every screen and journey with a high probability of changing before launch, then moved legal text, promotions and bonuses, and the KYC process to the back of the queue. Stable areas were designed and shipped first. The volatile ones were designed last, against the most current rules available.
Problem statement
Intentions
Understanding player trust in a regulated market
Analysing what makes Dutch players feel safe moving from physical branches and grey-market sites onto a licensed online casino, to tailor the UX around confidence and legitimacy.
Understanding player expectations across the first session
Employing user research to grasp what players expect from sign-up, first deposit, and first game, thus informing UX decisions aimed at reducing early drop-off.
Identifying pain points during sign-up and KYC
Conducting user journey mapping to uncover friction points during registration, identity verification, and first payment on Fairplay or analogous regulated gambling platforms.
Goals
Communicate licensing, safety, and fairness clearly enough that players choose a regulated platform over grey-market alternatives.
Move new players from signup through KYC to their first successful deposit with as little friction as compliance allows.
Make responsible gambling tools feel supportive rather than punitive, so players stay in control and stay on the platform.
Findings
What they Think & Feel
"I just want to know my money is safe and that I can actually get it back out."
- The Cautious Newcomer
"If the ID check had been explained up front, I wouldn't have panicked halfway through."
- The Weekend Player
"I trusted the branch on the corner for years. The app has to earn that same trust."
- The Returning Branch Regular
"A bonus shouldn't feel like a trap I can't read my way out of."
- The Bonus Hunter
What they Do & Say
Secure
- They deposit a small amount first to test whether the casino actually pays out before committing more money.
Abandon
- They abandon signup the moment they are asked for documents they don't have ready.
Compare
- They compare withdrawal times, payment methods, and bonus terms across several casinos before deciding where to play.
What they Hear & See
- They view withdrawals as the real proof a casino is legitimate. A slow payout reads as a scam.
- Despite a smooth deposit flow, verification requirements surface late and unexpectedly, souring an otherwise positive first impression.
- Bonus and wagering rules vary greatly between casinos and are rarely explained in plain language.
Pain points
Delayed Payouts
Players expect withdrawals to be as fast as deposits, but cash-outs are often held up by manual review or late document requests. The wait reads as a red flag, and players start to feel suspicious or scammed.
Surprise Verification
Identity checks tend to arrive late, after a smooth deposit and a good first impression. Being asked for documents they didn't know they needed catches players off guard and breaks the trust the platform just earned.
Opaque Bonuses
Wagering requirements are rarely explained in plain language. Players accept an offer that looks generous, then feel trapped by rules they couldn't read, unsure which games or bets even count.
Proposed solution
Build Trust Early
Make licensing, security, and payout reliability visible before the first deposit, not buried in the footer.
Front-Load KYC
Tell players exactly what verification they will need at sign-up, so the ID check never arrives as a surprise.
Explain the Bonus
Show in plain language which games count toward wagering, and what the requirement means, before a player opts in.
Keep Control Visible
Surface deposit limits and responsible gambling tools as everyday features, not settings players have to go hunting for.
Product scope
Account & identity
Casino product
Payments
Bonus & wagering
Responsible gambling
CRM & marketing
Results and final design
Primary Colours
- #E2B031
- #C3A348
- #232323
- #F9F9F9
- #f0f0f0
Final Designs
Design & Marketing Collateral
Outcome & Business Value
Fair Play Casino went live for Dutch players in October 2021, following its licence from the Dutch Gaming Authority. The platform launched as a full-featured online casino - built on almost a year of design work, from the first sketch to a live, regulated product in one of Europe's most tightly governed online-gambling markets.