Discovering what loyalty means to J&J Gaming and its users

UX Research Case Study: J&J Gaming Loyalty App

Overview

J&J Gaming, a leading Illinois-based gaming and gambling terminal operator, sought to enhance its customer experience with a redesigned loyalty app. However, they faced unique challenges: patrons desired discretion in their gaming activities, Illinois gambling laws restricted data collection, and business customers had vastly different operational needs. Our goal was to conduct a comprehensive UX research sprint to identify pain points, understand user behaviors, and propose design solutions that balanced these competing concerns.

Operating within a four-week sprint and a modest $150 budget for participant incentives, our small UX research team conducted user interviews, surveys, and competitive analysis. The insights gained directly influenced the app’s redesign and ultimately led J&J Gaming to invest $1.5 million in building the new app.

Research Challenges

• Diverse User Base: Patrons ranged widely in age and technical fluency, requiring an intuitive design that accommodated all demographics.

• Privacy Concerns: Many patrons wanted to minimize tracking of their gambling habits, limiting available user data.

• Business Variability: J&J customers operated different types of establishments (bars, restaurants, gaming lounges), making a one-size-fits-all management solution difficult.

• Regulatory Restrictions: Illinois gambling laws constrained how J&J could collect and store patron data.

Research Approach

Methods

1. On-Site Workshops

• Collaborated with J&J executives, including the CEO and CMO, to align on business goals, define success metrics, and create user personas.

2. Surveys

• Distributed brief, 10-question surveys to patrons and customers.

• Designed to gather insights while maintaining discretion due to gambling sensitivities.

3. User Interviews & Usability Testing

• Conducted 12 customer interviews (in-person) and 5 patron interviews (remote) to explore motivations, frustrations, and experiences.

• Used a rough prototype to test usability and gain real-time feedback.

4. Competitive Analysis

• Examined competitors Accel Entertainment and Universal Gaming Group to benchmark industry best practices and identify opportunities for differentiation.

Key Findings & Insights

For Business Customers (J&J Operators)

• Desired a “pit boss” experience, allowing them to oversee customer activity, manage staff, and track financial performance.

• Concerned about replacing high-touch interactions with a digital interface, especially for high-roller patrons.

• Hesitant to relinquish control of their business operations to an app.

For Patrons (Gamblers)

• Found the existing point redemption process confusing and cumbersome.

• Wanted a simplified, intuitive navigation for better ease of use.

• Distrusted digital interactions due to privacy concerns but valued seamless reward tracking.

• Felt overwhelmed by J&J’s disjointed communication channels (emails, in-app messages, SMS alerts).

Recommendations & Proposed Solutions

1. Simplify Point Redemption

• Streamline the process with clear, guided steps and intuitive UI elements.

• Add tooltips and visual indicators to enhance user understanding.

2. Enhance Business Management Tools

• Implement a dashboard with real-time patron activity tracking.

• Allow customizable access levels so business owners can delegate tasks to employees.

3. Improve Navigation & User Experience

• Create a unified, consistent navigation structure.

• Conduct A/B testing to ensure usability across different demographics.

4. Personalization & Communication Consolidation

• Introduce tailored recommendations based on patron behavior.

• Unify J&J’s multiple communication channels into a single, user-friendly system.

Impact & Results

• Executive Buy-In: J&J Gaming approved a $1.5 million budget to develop the redesigned app based on our findings.

• Enhanced User Engagement: Research insights guided an app design that simplified operations for business owners and improved usability for patrons.

• Stronger Competitive Positioning: Addressing key pain points gave J&J a significant edge over competitors in user satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusion

By combining in-depth user research, stakeholder collaboration, and iterative testing, our UX team delivered actionable insights that led to a fully funded app redesign. The findings ensured that both business customers and patrons received a seamless, efficient, and user-friendly experience while maintaining privacy and regulatory compliance. This project exemplifies the power of user-centered design in driving business decisions and securing executive buy-in for large-scale digital transformation.