iGaming Software Localization – Issues and Solutions
When trying to localize iGaming platforms to fit a different target market from the one your company usually operates in, there may be challenges that arise. This can include barriers like language, geographical constraints, and even restrictive laws. This article explores some of these challenges, as well as how your company can adapt and overcome them by picking the right iGaming software development provider.
Table of Contents
1. Language & Culture
1.1 Mistranslations
1.2 Local Events
2. Local Preferences
2.1 Take Notes of What Locals Like
2.2 Competitor Research
2.3 Adaptive Customer Service
3. Technical challenges
4. Regulations & Finance
4.1 Data Protection
4.2 Payment methods
5. Conclusion
Language & Culture
The first thing your company needs to worry about when localizing your platform is the language, especially if your original market uses a totally different language (for example, Finnish vs Vietnamese).
It’s not enough for your company to just pop the website text into Google Translate. Your company also needs to make content that fits the local flavor, and is sensitive to the culture you’re targeting. Ideally, if your company can find a provider that helps out with good localization, like Nautilus Games, that’d be ideal.
Mistranslations
As mentioned, some igaming software development provider companies think it’s enough to just use machine translations, which is a very, very bad idea as these translations usually miss the nuances of language. And of course, there are some terms that you should never rely on a machine to translate literally. For a non-gambling example, HSBC launched a marketing campaign in 2009 with the slogan ‘Assume Nothing’. But due to a lack of research, the message was translated in some countries as ‘Do Nothing.’ These mistranslations can be baffling, and possibly even offensive to locals. It’s also important to research local culture, which a blind translation won’t tell you about.
Local Events
Speaking of local culture, another challenge under this umbrella would be understanding important local holidays and events that inform customer behavior. When planning marketing campaigns, your company can adjust promotional campaigns to suit these holidays. Bear in mind though, that some of these holidays are also deeply rooted religious events. Again, it’s vital to do research to avoid offending locals. If you choose to work with an igaming software development provider, pick one that’s well-established.
Local Preferences
Culture informs more than just language and significant holidays. It also may have an effect on local preferences for different types of online casino games, or even how much they bet. To improve engagement, it’s a good idea to cater to these preferences.
Take Notes of What Locals Like
Your company’s research should always be up to date on what the local audience likes. For example, the variant of baccarat known as punto baccarat is highly popular amongst American, British, and Australian players.
Some iGaming casino software development providers even use blacklists of specific games, where games unpopular in a specific region aren’t available to players there. This creates the impression that they only offer the best to their players.
Competitor Research
One method your casino company can use to get a handle on the local market, is to study the tactics of rival companies or iGaming software development providers who are already in the market. Watch how they go about it, and where they succeed or fail.
Adaptive Customer Service
Aside from making sure your company’s iGaming products suit the market, another challenge is dealing with customer complaints as well as the overall user experience. A language barrier will certainly complicate matters, so be sure to hire customer service staff who are familiar with the local language and culture, to increase player trust.
The user interface design should also be adapted to local tastes, while still being intuitive and user-friendly in terms of its layout.
Technical challenges
Culture is one thing, but it’s also important for your company to consider the technical challenges that come with a new market. This means issues like compatibility of available devices and platforms, as well as internet infrastructure. All of these can have a major impact on the experiences of your online casino players through issues like latency, or security on certain devices.
Depending on where an igaming casino provider company is located, physical distance can also be an issue. Even though all your casino’s games are online, a vast physical distance may impact the quality of network connections, causing problems for players. Some igaming casino providers have struggled greatly with this issue.
Regulations & Finance
And of course, regulations and financial issues are a very major concern for igaming casino providers as well. Even if an igaming software development provider is operating in a ‘white iGaming market’ where gambling is fully legal, there are still strict laws to adhere to.
It’s important to understand and follow these laws. Not just because your company is trying to stay out of legal trouble, but also because it builds a positive reputation amongst your players.
Data Protection
Data protection is always a challenging task, especially in a vulnerable field like online gambling which is subject to lots of attacks from malicious actors. Make sure your company adheres to local data protection laws, as well as the privacy regulations, to gain user trust by keeping their data safe.
Payment methods
The US dollar may be an acceptable worldwide standard, but it’s still a good idea to offer your players the option to conduct transactions in their local currency. This keeps transactions simple, and improves user experience.
Conclusion
When dealing with iGaming software localization, it’s never easy due to all the roadblocks in the way. This is why your company needs to partner with a reliable igaming casino provider that can help you localize your software well. Nautilus Games is worth checking out, if you’re looking for a provider like that.
