How Do Casinos Cater for Colorblind Players?

A chunk of the global population is colorblind, with 8% of the male population being colorblind and 0.5% being female. Strangely, games of all shapes and sizes haven’t catered to such a large proportion of society.

Many games in both land-based and online casinos rely on players’ ability to distinguish between different colours. The main issue that colorblind people face in almost any casino is that most games use color to convey vital information, such as game dynamics and wagers.

This is especially true for chips, as online and offline casinos can often depict their value simply by changing their color. Many symbols and bonus rounds in slots rely on players’ ability to distinguish one color from another, making them unsuitable for colourblind customers.

What Can Be Done?

It’s one thing to recognize the problems that colorblind casino players face; it’s another to figure out how to solve them. What steps can the gaming industry or the casinos take to make the games more accessible to this subset of the population?

Running screenshots of an online game through a color blindness simulator is a good start. Game designers and providers can use programs like Coblis and Pilestone to determine if elements of the game they have designed are friendly to colorblind people. Game designers can then use this to generate ideas for future game design.

Some ways to improve a game’s accessibility include using clear and concise language that colorblind people can easily understand instead of colors.

Croupiers and live dealers can also be trained to be more sensitive to the needs of colorblind players. After all, some casinos go to great lengths to accommodate physically challenged visitors, so why not do the same for the visually impaired?

Why Inclusivity is Crucial for Casinos

The casino industry is a crowded marketplace, whether online or offline, and having games that unintentionally exclude meaningful proportions of the player base can be the road to ruin for a provider or platform.

One in twenty-five people—the percentage of people suffering from some form of colourblindness—may not seem like much in the grand scheme. Still, casino executives understand what a significant percentage it is to lose daily. As a result, whether at live casino table games or online slots, they must do more to accommodate colorblind players.

Another thing that both land-based and online casinos should be aware of is legislation that requires both to be accessible to all potential customers. If they do not comply, they may face the wrath of those whose job it is to ensure that gaming facilities follow the rules of a state, county, or country.