Thinking local: Why localisation is becoming iGaming’s next competitive advantage

As regulated iGaming continues its rapid expansion across new jurisdictions, operators face a content challenge alongside concerns over licensing, compliance and market access. Success increasingly depends on understanding what local players actually want to play.

Entering a new market without a clear localisation strategy can prove costly. Language barriers, unfamiliar game concepts and even payment preferences can all undermine player engagement. In an increasingly competitive landscape, operators have little appetite for lengthy periods of trial and error. First impressions matter, and the ability to resonate with players from day one can have a significant impact on acquisition costs and long-term market share.

For Greentube, the Digital Gaming and Entertainment Division of Novomatic, localisation has become an integral part of portfolio planning as the company continues to expand across regulated markets worldwide.

According to Markus Antl, Greentube’s director of global sales & marketing, understanding local player preferences begins with recognising that not all successful games are created equal.

“Over the years we’ve experienced that there is an appetite for specific content in certain markets,” Antl explains.

“For us, a global hit is defined by the game’s KPIs across all our markets, while we produce, certify and launch a localised game in one or a selection of markets only and therefore measure its success by checking respective market KPIs.”

Local heritage still matters

While online casino has become increasingly globalised, player preferences often remain deeply rooted in local gaming traditions.

Many of today’s strongest-performing localised titles can trace their origins back to land-based gaming environments that shaped player expectations long before online casino emerged. In the USA, for example, stepper-style games continue to resonate with players due to their familiarity and straightforward gameplay.

Even in markets without a particularly strong land-based legacy, certain mechanics or themes can gain traction among local audiences.

“It really depends on the market,” Antl says. “Often localised content is growing out of the content’s land-based heritage.

“In Germany it is Book of Ra, in the Netherlands it’s game titles from old AWP machines such as Random Runner, and in Eastern Europe it is all kinds of fruit games.”

Knowing when to localise

Understanding local preferences is one thing. Determining whether they justify the development of localised content is another.

One common misconception is that localisation occurs after a game has already been developed. In reality, leading developers such as Greentube increasingly make localisation decisions at the earliest stages of production.

For Greentube, localised games typically begin with identified market demand rather than being adapted later in the development process.

“We do not develop a game first and localise it after,” Antl explains. “As the localisation of a game is not only theme and graphics, but often also maths and mechanics, we already develop a game keeping the market in mind.”

Localised content might help more in terms of player acquisition, especially if games are known from land-based environments

This reflects a broader shift towards data-driven product development, with player behaviour, market performance, historical preferences and operator feedback helping determine whether a localised title is warranted.

“I would say that around 15%-20% of Greentube’s portfolio consists of localised content,” Antl says.

Once a decision has been made, the localisation process extends far beyond translation. Greentube combines in-house expertise with specialist external partners to adapt content across multiple languages, while successive rounds of proofreading, testing and QA ensure language, gameplay information and on-screen presentation remain accurate before release.

Localisation as a market-entry strategy

Once a game has been localised, the next challenge is ensuring that effort translates into commercial success.

Players entering a newly regulated market frequently gravitate towards familiar concepts, brands and gameplay experiences. Localised content can therefore act as an important bridge between established player preferences and new online offerings.

Greentube has witnessed this dynamic across several jurisdictions. Antl highlightsd titles such as Random Runner in the Netherlands, Super Cherry in Switzerland, Diamond Cash in the USA and fruit-themed games in Romania and the Balkans as examples of products that have benefited from strong local affinity. 

“Localised content might help more in terms of player acquisition, especially if the games are known from land-based environments,” Antl says.

The enduring power of global hits

Despite growing interest in localisation, reports of the demise of the global blockbuster may be premature.

Some of the industry’s most successful titles continue to generate strong performance across multiple jurisdictions, offering suppliers significantly greater scalability than market-specific products.

“I’d say global blockbusters still make a difference,” Antl notes.

Not only do global hits offer a faster route to return on investment, but they also create broader brand exposure and provide opportunities to build successful game families and franchises.

While a localised game may perform exceptionally well within a single market, its audience is inherently limited. A successful global title can generate revenue across dozens of regulated jurisdictions simultaneously.

“It is way harder to achieve the return on investment with a localised title than a global one,” he says. “This is simply due to the limited exposure and brands the game is live on.”

Finding the right balance

As more regulated markets emerge across Latin America, North America and other regions, the debate around localisation is likely to intensify.

Yet Antl does not foresee a future dominated exclusively by either global or local content. Instead, he believes the industry will continue to operate with a healthy blend of both approaches.

For operators, portfolio construction remains crucial. While requirements vary significantly between jurisdictions, Antl suggests that a balance of approximately 80% global content and 20% localised content often provides a strong foundation, complemented by branded games where appropriate.

Antl says: “There will continue to be a healthy mix of localised titles and global content.”

As the industry expands into an increasingly diverse range of regulated markets, success will depend on striking the right balance between global scale and local relevance. Suppliers that can blend internationally proven brands with experiences tailored to individual player audiences will be best positioned for long-term growth.

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