Fairness, Choice and Player Psychology: What Cashless Data Reveals About Player Behaviour

by Simon Barff

As cashless technology continues to shape the way people pay, the amusement and low-stake gaming sector faces a familiar challenge: balancing convenience with trust. While retailers, pubs, and entertainment venues across the UK have embraced contactless payments, the psychology of players tells a more nuanced story.

CLMS data, drawn from more than 35,000 connected machines across the UK, provides a clear picture of how payment options affect behaviour. For example, on pool tables, introducing contactless payments alone led to an average 30% increase in cashbox performance, demonstrating how frictionless payments can drive spontaneous play.

At the same time, we have seen app-based play on jukeboxes buck the wider payments trend, with a 25% increase in usage where apps are live. When technology enhances convenience without removing choice, engagement rises.

However, data also shows that offering both cash and contactless options performs better than going fully cashless. Only in certain areas, predominantly within the M25 and the South East, did contactless-only payment models achieve similar or better results. Elsewhere, removing coins altogether can introduce subtle resistance, reducing engagement and perceived accessibility.

Why Choice Still Matters

Choice sits at the heart of player psychology. While younger demographics may favour convenience, many players still associate cash with control, privacy, and fairness. In low-stake environments, particularly pubs and AGCs, that sense of familiarity runs deep.

The transition from analogue to digital machines provides a useful analogy. Early digital slots were viewed with suspicion; players felt physical reels were “fairer,” despite identical randomness. Over time, habits adjusted — but gradually. The same applies today: behavioural change benefits from transparency, time, and flexibility.

Currently, contactless is not permitted for gaming machines, but two forms of cashless play are accepted: TITO systems and e-wallet apps. Both work effectively but introduce additional steps - just enough friction to potentially discourage casual players.

Among these, TITO remains the most popular in AGCs because it preserves a sense of anonymity. For many low-stake players, this isn’t about secrecy — it’s about comfort, control, and separation between leisure activity and financial identity.

Decades ago, when AWPs paid out tokens, some players believed token wins reduced jackpot odds. Today, similar perceptions may linger: some players may quietly wonder whether a card or phone creates a “different” outcome. It doesn’t, of course - but perception shapes behaviour as much as reality.

Where Does This Leave the Industry?

The message is clear: players adapt, but not overnight. Remove choice too quickly and revenue — and trust — can dip. The path forward lies in maintaining flexibility while improving the cashless journey through simplification and education.

At CLMS, we continue to monitor behavioural trends to help operators make evidence-based decisions that support long-term sustainability and player satisfaction.

CLMS Managing Director Simon Barff will be exploring these themes further this week at SIGMA Europe during the panel “Future of Slot Machines: Innovation and Trends Shaping the Industry,” alongside Andrew Sackey (Aristocrat) and Stephen Crystal (SCCG Management).

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6 November 2025

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