The importance of genre-specific iGaming localization

The iGaming industry has carved out a unique place for itself in the world. Every genre has its own passionate subculture, and it often exists on the periphery of mainstream culture. This makes iGaming localization as challenging as it is important.

4 minutes – read

Every gaming niche comes with its own unique collection of habits, jargon, and values, so ordinary translation simply won’t do. iGaming translations must incorporate the precise language of their iGaming niche, not just from genre to genre, but country to country as well.

Working with genre-specific iGaming translations

iGaming enthusiasts are a passionate demographic with their own terms and strategies.

• In blackjack, there are bust cards, double downs, and hard hands.
• In poker, there are antes, rivers, and checks.
• In eSports, there are AET odds and ante-posts.
• In slot games, antes are more likely to be called bets.

The moment your iGaming translations use Blackjack jargon in Baccarat games or sports betting terms on slot pages, your brand loses its credibility. Your attempt to localize will fail as your captive audience moves on to a site that truly understands their gaming pursuits. In effect, you must translate both mainstream language and gambling culture, so your translation company must have a working knowledge of their demographic. In short, a native speaker can’t localize your site without comprehensive knowledge of every gaming niche.

iGaming translations can scale your business across national borders at a rapid pace, but every new territory must be thoroughly localized. Effective iGaming localization will drive your profit goals by connecting with gamers on a deeper level.

The benefits of iGaming localization

The online casino industry is soaring on a global scale. It’s become a US$63 billion market that’s expected to grow by almost 12% per year until 2030. The USA represents only the second- largest online casino industry in the world, so English can only take you so far. China, Japan, and South Korea occupy top spots in terms of online casino revenue, so if you localize to the top 10 nations on earth, you can access 80% of global iGaming revenue. That’s a massive chunk of the market.

As a remote industry, online casinos can cross any border and absorb any nation, so iGaming localization has become a key marker for success. Players are less likely to play a game if its language is unfamiliar, but substandard iGaming content services can do more harm than good.

Sloppy translations not only create distance between you and your users, but also destroy your brand integrity. They look unprofessional and can even breed distrust. If you want to gain a loyal, long-term user base, iGaming specialised translations are the only way to succeed . If you’re fully prepared when you scale into a new country, you’ll reap the benefits of early hype and add oomph to your audience retention numbers.

Translation differences for iGaming sectors

iGaming genres like Baccarat and Hold’em are complex and challenging. They often take an hour to learn and a lifetime to master. As new players enter the market, they rely on your localized site to educate themselves. Game-specific terminology gives players a way to communicate, connect, and learn.

For example, you can’t understand Texas Hold’em unless you know the psychological effects of a “bad beat.” You can’t adjust your strategy unless you know what a blind is, and you can’t play at all unless you know what a flush or full house looks like. Baccarat and Texas Hold-em might both use the term “burn cards” but their betting terminologies are completely different.

These terms will need to be integrated into your design and user experience or the game will become completely unplayable. Your game mechanics will become impossible to understand, and your users will have negative gaming experiences. These principles apply to every niche in the industry from sportsbook translations to slots design. iGaming content services are thus highly specialized. Your language modification professionals must be fans with first-hand knowledge of their sector. As with all forms of translation, it’s best to hire native speakers who are experts in their niche.

Localization versus translation

Online casinos must adjust to their audience preferences before they even enter the market. If your user numbers drop below a particular threshold, your captive gamers won’t be able to find rivals and your ambitious attempt to scale will fail, so you only get one chance to succeed.

Mainstream translation cannot address the complexity of the gaming sector, but localization takes it a step further. It requires absolute immersion in the gaming industry so that terminology is up-to-date with local language trends. The best solutions for iGaming growth involve understanding the gamer as well as the game. If your casino translations are done by gamers who are passionate about gaming intricacies, you’ll have no trouble holding onto your user base. Speak with us about your iGaming translations today!

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How to use iGaming localization to increase your market share

The global iGaming industry was valued at almost 60 billion USD in 2021. That number is expected to grow to $145 billion by 2030, but it becomes less impressive when you break the industry into localized chunks. The US iGaming market produced just $5 billion, so no developer can afford to approach their profits on a national level. It would cut your revenue in half as well as expose you to liability.

4 minutes – read

Understanding iGaming localization

At its simplest, iGaming localization entails adapting your games and terms of use to a specific state or country. The process allows you to seamlessly move into a new region without losing your captive audience. iGaming translations are certainly a crucial part of this process, but a simple translation isn’t enough on its own. iGaming localization covers a far broader scope, including:

• Cultural adjustments
• Graphics and character design
• Local regulations and laws
• Technical compatibility
• Ethical standards

iGaming services will raise your revenue, increase player engagement, and improve your customer service standards. More importantly, it will keep you compliant with the regulations of each nation you operate in.

Localizing regulations

The iGaming industry is exposed to thousands of complicated regulations that vary across the globe. Every time you cross a border, you must adapt to an entirely new set of laws. In Ohio, gamers must be 21 years old, whereas many European countries have banned iGaming entirely. Online casinos are illegal in Australia (only sports betting and lotteries are allowed), while New Zealand permits casinos to operate as long as they follow the national gambling regulations.

If you’re going to offer your iGaming services to a new nation, your app or site will need to adapt to that region’s laws. Professional translations for iGaming might be integral to your success, but if you don’t comply with local regulations you r site will sink before your potential user base ever creates an account.

Professional translations for iGaming localizations

iGaming translations are the first and most overt step in localization, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy to do. This isn’t something a simple automated translation service can handle. You’ll need to translate your terms of use, descriptions, keywords, and logos.

Your user interface and technical documentation will need just as much attention. You might even need to change the name of your casino, so a little marketing expertise will greatly enrich your professional translations for iGaming.

Culture and iGaming localization

Your players won’t stay if they can’t relate to your themes and characters. You only get one chance at a successful first impression, so your customer retention rates need to be at their highest the moment you launch. An iGaming localization service will assess your cultural references and character design to ensure that they meld seamlessly into the new landscape.

Every country has its own cultural sensitivities. Localization will ensure that your site doesn’t offend your new user base or break foreign laws. At the end of this stage, your iGaming services will maintain their tone and intent without distancing their users.

This stage of iGaming localization requires a profound understanding of your target market’s habits, dialects, and values. It also requires an entirely new definition of your target demographic. If your new users are avid slot machine players with little interest in poker, it doesn’t pay to make Texas Hold’em the most dominant game in your casino.

Technical compatibility

Mobile penetration is at an all-time high, but in countries like India and Nigeria, only 20 – 30% of residents own a smartphone. Localization will modify your code and graphics to your new biome so that you can grab a larger market share. You might need to develop a browser-based casino or adapt to a larger iOS user base. Your graphics might need to be simplified, and your code may need adjustment.

Using the wrong keyboard can mess up your commands, so your input problems will need to be assessed. This is a complex and challenging process, but every time you widen your technical compatibility, your foreign potential increases exponentially.

Linguistic quality assurance

Mobile game translations will refine your adjustments through linguistic quality assurance, which must be carried out by native human editors. During this stage, workers will perform linguistic testing and UX evaluation. They will also test platform compliance and overlong strings.

Corrupted or misleading codes will be smoothed away, and numeric formats will be checked. iGaming localization is an incremental process, but you can make it easier by:

• Creating a clear timeline and budget
• Writing your code strings in a way that’s easy to translate
• Hiring linguistic professionals
• Using culturally-sensitive themes and symbols
• Creating a content style guide to improve your consistency

iGaming is captivating audiences all over the world. Its immersive powers have turned it into a global revolution, but you’ll lose a player every time you expose your foreigner status. Localization allows you to introduce your product at its best, no matter the cultural differences.

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