Andrew Morgan, International Director at Independent Content Services, says that translation is the most important factor when it comes to localising gambling products and services.

The global online gambling industry is going through a period of marked change. Markets that were once grey are now turning white as lawmakers embrace licensing and regulation and deploy frameworks and rules for operators to adhere to.

This presents tremendous growth opportunities for gambling brands that can meet the requirements set out in these new and emerging jurisdictions, and deliver a product and service offering that meets the needs of players in each.

This, of course, is no easy task. Player requirements and expectations differ from market to market, meaning operators must localise all aspects of their sites from the design and layout used to the games offered via payments, bonuses and customer service.

Nailing the basics is vital if brands are to engage players and build genuine and long-standing relationships with consumers. Trust is vital in markets where online gambling is new, but it is tough to earn and easy to lose.

Those that can deliver in this regard, and from the get-go, will be able to leverage the first mover advantage and build a substantial player base of happy customers that will continue to wager with them over time.

But this requires more than a well-designed site that offers a good selection of games, local payment options and top-notch customer service. Operators must also take into account content and in particular the translation of that content.

This is certainly the case for international brands that are looking to enter new and emerging markets for the first time. In most cases, they will offer a fine-tuned version of their global proposition, so it is vital for the entire site to be professionally translated.

A poorly translated product – or marketing collateral, for that matter – that is littered with errors can have a negative impact on how the brand is perceived by local players. Indeed, it can set off alarm bells and see them wager elsewhere.

It is all well and good offering localised games and payment options, but if the site itself has not been written in the local language – and accurately – it will fail to engage players and build that all important trust.

Just think about how you would approach an ecommerce website aimed at UK consumers – whether an online gambling brand or other – that was full of grammar and spelling mistakes. Most would simply click off the site and go elsewhere.

So, in an industry where credibility is everything (particularly in new and emerging markets), how can operators ensure the accurate translation of their sites?

The first thing to do is to avoid using automated translation tools such as Google Translate. They may be good enough for basic translations to aid understanding, but they are simply not up to the job of translating an entire online gambling site.

The best bet is to work with knowledgeable human translators who a) are native speakers in the language of the country where the operator is active and b) are knowledgeable about the gambling sector. This is because one of the biggest translation pitfalls is terminology.

There are many terms used in gambling that simply don’t translate into other dialects. Human translators with market knowledge have the ability to dip into their vocabulary to find the best word or phrase to be used instead.

In addition, some words aren’t translated at all and the English word is the one that is usually used. This is certainly the case in Sweden with the word “spin” on slot games. These nuances are not picked up by non-iGaming experts.

All of this is especially important when it comes to translating terms and conditions and making clear any wagering requirements that may be attached to welcome offers, bonuses and promotions – not just for players but also for regulatory compliance.

In terms of best practice, you should always make sure that translated content is proofread by a second native reader to ensure quality. A third check should be done once the content is on site so that context and things like character limitations can also be taken into account.  

It is also important for operators to offer a wide range of content – and not just standard things like T&Cs, game descriptions, etc – to properly engage players. Again, this should be tailored to individual markets as what works in one will not necessarily work in another.

Translation is not usually the first thing operators consider when it comes to entering new markets with a localised approach, but it is perhaps the most important factor to get right if they are to engage consumers and build trust.

If translation is something of an afterthought, and not done to the highest possible standard, operators risk losing players to rival sites simply because they do not trust what is otherwise a highly reputable brand with a quality offering.