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Conferences in Europe

Speaking the Player’s Language: Promatic Group’s Take on Game Localization in CEE

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The Prague Gaming & TECH Summit 2025 brought together some of the brightest minds in the iGaming and tech industries – and the conversation didn’t stop when the curtains closed. As this year’s General Sponsor through its Promatic Games brand, Promatic Group made a powerful impact on-stage and behind the scenes. In a dynamic keynote presentation titled “Localizing Slot Games: Does the Central European Player Need Localized Content?”, Maciej Makuszewski, iGaming Director, and Luka Oblak, Head of Product Design, explored how cultural nuances shape player engagement and game performance across regional markets.

Now, post-event, we caught up with Maciej Makuszewski to delve deeper into the topic of localization, player behavior, and what makes content truly resonate in Central and Eastern Europe.

 

Maciej, your keynote at the Summit offered compelling insights into how culture and language affect game engagement. What do you believe is the biggest misconception about localization in the iGaming industry today?

It is that it is enough to hire a translator of a game to deliver localized content. This is not the end of the road – on the contrary – this is just the beginning. This may sound like saying the sun rises in the east, but I still would say there can be a lot more attention paid to giving games a local touch.

But coming back to translations, nowadays, even at this basic level, we can observe so many pitfalls and mistakes that could have been avoided if people really had the player at the core of their strategy. I guess we are past this time in history of globalization that unified products and content simply entered new markets with no tailoring whatsoever and there was demand for them, because there hadn’t been much of a choice of anything else. We’d like to see companies try harder when they enter new markets. I hope we will become one that actually gets the hyperlocalization just right.

 

You and Luka presented some standout cases on localized content. Could you share one example that truly surprised your team – either by outperforming expectations or revealing a cultural insight you hadn’t anticipated?

I guess that would be the transformation of a simple fruit game launched as Red Hot Jackpot in Poland, into a rich animations theme game it became in Nigeria. The nigerian version of Red Hot Jackpot is called Naija Wheels and it is the exact the same math model and game logic as Red Hot Jackpot, but what makes it appealing to the local customers of slot halls in Nigeria is its hyperlocal theme. Naija Wheels is a funny story of things you see in Lagos traffic. So instead of a Cherry symbol you have a symbol of a police officer. Instead of a plum symbol, you have an okada driver from Lagos etc.

Very different game themes, same logics, same business effects – the game is a great performing slot in Poland and a superb hit in Nigeria.

 

In your view, what are the non-negotiables when designing localized slot content for Central and Eastern European markets? Are there elements developers often overlook?

There are so many local markets in the CEE that it is really hard to unify this. But in a nutshell – we know in our region, highly volatile fruit themed games are very popular. Having said that, it is not a surfire way to success. You may want to localize the content even further through cultural and humor references.

 

The ROI of local-branded slots is often debated. Based on Promatic Group’s experience, when does it make strategic and commercial sense to invest in hyper-local content – and when is it better to focus on broader appeal?

It all depends why you do this and how you measure the ROI. If you measure a single game ROI this might be a trap. It will very much depend on the math model and features of the particular game. Apart from revenue stream, there are also costs to be considered. If we’re talking about a “game reskin” then certification will be something you can optimize and so on. There are numerous ways to tackle this issue. Sometimes you can come up with a hyper local game and just launch it somewhere else to test if it works, which will boost your revenue stream and the total ROI. All in all we are very happy with our local approach and we intend to stick to it.

 

Let’s talk about the future. With shifting player expectations and tech advancements like AI personalization, how do you see the localization strategy evolving over the next 2–3 years at Promatic Group?

I would expect this hyperlocalization becomes a commodity in the industry. This will also require a lot of human factor so that it is done the right way. AI will speed things up, but I believe that the human touch will be key. We already have amazing tools, but using them the right way is what will make a great difference.

The post Speaking the Player’s Language: Promatic Group’s Take on Game Localization in CEE appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Conferences in Europe

Avoiding black-market dominance? Get insights and remedies at next week’s GiH Conference!

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10 hours ago

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May 29, 2025

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As a result of growing regulatory pressure and increasing tax rates, black-market operators have made significant gains in the Netherlands in recent months.

The Netherlands Gambling Authority currently estimates that unlicensed operators have managed to capture more than half of total online GGR.

This year’s Gaming in Holland Conference – which takes place Thursday, June 5 – will feature many sessions specifically dedicated to understanding & avoiding (further) black-market growth:

  • Nederlandse Loterij CEO, Arjan Blok will discuss (among other things) his company’s ongoing civil proceedings against Costa Rica-based operator LalaBet.
  • Renske Fikkers, Head of Market Supervision at the Netherlands Gambling Authority, will further clarify the regulator’s approach to combating illegal gambling.
  • Josh Hodgson, COO of H2 Gambling Capital, will share the latest estimates of the current size of the offshore online market, as well as future growth projections.
  • Henk Willem Smits, investigative reporter at Follow the Money, will highlight ownership structures and methods of popular black-market operators.
  • Christian Heins, Director iGaming at Tipico, will outline how licensed operators can effectively hurt illegal competitors by pressuring B2B suppliers.

All this, of course, in addition to a loaded program that will cover the latest political developments, the impact of further tax increases, M&A, AI, marketing & much more.

Breakout sessions, networking & additional information

Besides an impressive main-stage program, the 2025 GiH Conference also offers five highly practical breakout sessions to help our attendees deal with their day-to-day business concerns:

  1. B2B licensing for the Dutch market? (Magno Neiva, Head of Compliance, Altenar)
  2. Bonuses, promotional games & player protection: Navigating the regulatory landscape (Joris Crone, Lawyer, Franssen Tolboom Advocaten)
  3. Elevating the player journey: Sustainable growth through responsible engagement (Janez Dovžan, Commercial Director PAM – Turnkey Solutions, Bragg Gaming Group)
  4. Platform technology in the Netherlands (Brian Forth, Commercial Director, Finnplay Technologies)
  5. Lessons learned from compliance testing in the Netherlands (Sander Hoogendoorn, Business Development Manager, Trisigma)

Lastly, don’t miss our traditional boat tour through Amsterdam’s picturesque canals, festive networking drinks at Holland Casino Amsterdam, and the opportunity to meet the key decision makers in the Dutch regulated gambling market.

Check out our full program here: https://bit.ly/GiHC2025_Agenda.

Or click here to register now: https://bit.ly/GiHC2025!

The post Avoiding black-market dominance? Get insights and remedies at next week’s GiH Conference! appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGT Digital at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025: Get ready to be fascinated

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6 days ago

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May 23, 2025

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On 27 and 28 May the Serbian capital will once again host Belgrade Future Gaming exhibition. EGT Digital will participate in it along with EGT for another year in a row. Both companies will expect their guests on stand E1.

EGT Digital will reveal its rich gaming world, including the jackpot bestsellers Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, and Single Progressive Jackpot, as well as over 140 casino games on different themes, which have presence in more than 50 markets worldwide. Visitors will also be able to learn more about the newest addition to the provider’s jackpot portfolio: the 4-level multi-denomination Gods & Kings Link. Currently including 2 games: Glorious Alexander and Ape of Luck, it will offer players an exciting experience full of great winnings, attractive bonuses, and a lot of fun.

The company’s iGaming platform X-Nave will also be on display. Featuring 4 main modules: Gaming Aggregator, Sport Product, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway, it stands out with great flexibility, thanks to which each of the modules can function as part of the turnkey solution or operate independently, as they allow integration with third-party developments.

The Gaming Aggregator will present its vast range of over 13,000 titles from more than 130 popular providers together with numerous functionalities for content customization. The Sport Product will demonstrate its rich sports and esports content across a number of markets globally. The CRM Engine with its player management tools and bonus features, as well as the Payment Gateway, covering a rich diversity of payment methods, will further expand operators’ options to create more personalized and engaging offerings for their clients.

“Participating in Belgrade Future Gaming has always been very rewarding for us and I have every reason to believe that this year’s edition will once again bring us excellent results,” said Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital. She added: “We can’t wait to meet with our valued current partners and potential future customers from the region and show them our latest innovations, that can make their business even more successful.”

The post EGT Digital at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025: Get ready to be fascinated appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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EGT’s high-potential novelties to fascinate operators and players at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025

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6 days ago

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May 23, 2025

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Belgrade Future Gaming 2025 is just around the corner. EGT will traditionally participate in the event, showcasing a well-curated selection of brand-new and top-performing products, which will be available at stand E1.

The company will showcase its latest series of slot cabinets Supreme, presented by the S 32-32 St and S 32-32 Up models. Powered by the Exciter IV platform, they will captivate visitors’ attention with their 2 high-resolution 32-inch UHD 4K monitors and a frameless UHD 4K display. The machines will dive players into the fascinating world of Supreme Selection multigames – Supreme Green Selection, Mega Supreme Fruits Selection, Supreme Red Selection, and Bonus Prize Bonus Buy Supreme Selection, offering a wide diversity of new games and well-known classic titles from EGT’s portfolio.

The guests will also be able to try out the Phoenix cabinets PH 27-27 St and PH 50 V St. These models will be among the highlights at EGT’s stand, standing out with their attractive design and numerous ergonomic features. They will be supplied with the jackpot bestseller Bell Link with its popular mixes Bell Link 1 and 2.

EGT will showcase its ETG solutions. The G R6 C roulette will be on display to provide visitors with an exciting gaming experience with its 6 27-inch HD touchscreen monitors and the option to choose between European and American wheels.

The company’s casino management system Spider will introduce its latest modules, allowing operators to make managing the daily activities in their gaming establishments easy and effective.

EGT Digital will also present its wide range of iGaming solutions. The provider will showcase its rich variety of instant and slot games, jackpot products, as well as the in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform X-Nave with its 4 main modules, giving operators everything they need to build and grow their online business.

Aleksandar Kliska, General Director of EGT Group d.o.o. Serbia, commented: “I am very glad that we will participate in Belgrade Future Gaming once again, as it is among the most important gaming exhibitions not only in Serbia, but also in the region. The event will allow us to showcase our latest products to the key players in the industry, strengthen our current partnerships, and start new collaborations.”

The post EGT’s high-potential novelties to fascinate operators and players at Belgrade Future Gaming 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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