Think globally, act locally

Think globally, act locally is a well-known mantra of the environmental movement, meaning that big worldwide issues like climate change can be fixed by starting at a local level in your own neighbourhood or town. The phrase was first coined by the town planner Patrick Geddes way back in 1915, when he was trying to demonstrate how local actions can change communities. These days we also think about it in terms of doing small things like litter picking, recycling or reducing how many new clothes or products we buy.

It is also a business theory and practice, whereby companies sell products worldwide by changing them to suit local tastes and cultures. A great example of this is one of the most recognized brands in the world, McDonald’s. Many people are unaware that the menu in their country differs from that in another.  While an iconic item like the Big Mac is available everywhere, Canadians can order poutine in-store, while the French find items like crudites, macarons, specialty cheese, and even a Croque McDo.

Growing a local audience on a global scale

Global gambling platforms also use localizations to grow their audiences, but the reasons are not always the same as for other brands. One of the things that sets online gambling apart from many other forms of digital entertainment is the level to which it is regulated. While the food and drink industry faces country- or region-specific regulation for things like the amount of sugar that can be added to a soft drink or the levels of additives allowed in processed foods, the gambling industry takes this to a whole other level. In many jurisdictions around the world, real-money gambling is banned; in others, it is restricted, or certain types of games are limited, while others are allowed.

Each jurisdiction, which could be a country, state, province or even a city, has its own arrangements.  Even where real-money gambling is welcomed, it is strictly regulated, and operators must be both licensed and adhere to strict frameworks to ensure fairness, safety and to prevent gambling harms. Age limits can vary, and in a market like the UK where it is legal for anyone aged 18 or over to access gambling sites, there are restrictions on how much can be bet according to age.

Not straightforward

To say that the hurdles to be cleared are onerous could be classified as the understatement of the century, and that is before we even tackle the business of local customs and tastes. For example, New Zealanders and Australians love the pokies (or slots to the rest of us), and while these are a driving force the world over, crash games are the passion of many Asian players.  Sports betting is popular worldwide, but different sports are dominant in different markets. Meanwhile, in the U.S, where gambling restrictions are very tight in some states, alternatives like sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets have filled a gap.

Canada case study

Canada is an interesting case study where each province goes about things slightly differently, but online gambling is legal and accessible. Most lawmakers here have taken the pragmatic approach that, since people love to play at online casinos, it is wise to do so safely. However, how that is put into practice depends on exactly where one lives. That could be confusing for a resident or visitor or a Canadian travelling between provinces. However, an expert, independent review service like Casino.ca takes the guesswork out of finding an online casino.  They compare and recommend sites available to Canadians.

Casinos that cater specifically to Canadian players are regarded as a priority when talking to a Canadian audience because they allow Canadians to make deposits in Canadian dollars without incurring conversion fees. In addition, Canada is not a mono-language culture, and great online casinos need to offer bilingual customer service and French language support. Canada also has popular payment services that are not available in other locations. A successful online casino needs to accept Interac payments because it is the go-to payment method for so many Canadians, despite being largely unknown outside the country.

However, it is not only specific technical details that are important, but the whole look and feel of a site also needs to reflect the market it is appealing to. While many countries around the world use English, they all use different versions and, as we all know, the vernacular can also change between provinces and states. The more a site feels rooted in its locality, the more people will feel comfortable and confident. However, it is also important to avoid being parochial (unless you are promoting a local lottery or raffle), as people feel confident with big brand names.

A tightrope walk

Ultimately, there is a tightrope that must be walked. Sites need to be local enough to feel accessible, trustworthy and approachable. They also need to reflect power and assurances that branding and marketing heft bring. Ultimately, however, no matter how big or small a site is, what matters is that it delivers what players want: a fun, entertaining experience that is relevant to the player. Regulation is also essential, and decent sites will be regulated by reputable authorities and have all the correct licenses clearly displayed.

Not everything works everywhere

The other thing that the commercial operators have had to understand is that they cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach.  When the US market started to open, there was a rush of commercial operators looking to make the most of the potentially enormous market. However, globally successful operators found the going harder than expected, as they could not achieve the economies of scale. The US was not one huge market after all but a patchwork of 50 states.

In addition, the insurgents were up against already established brands like FanDuel and DraftKings that already had a foothold and brand recognition from things like daily fantasy sports and other games that they had been operating. The likes of BetMGM had the advantage of physical casinos, which easily translated in people’s minds to mean reliable online platforms and operators like Entain saw the benefit of partnering with them. The American platforms were not just going to let European commercial operators take over. They outspent the new market entrants on acquisition and made it almost impossible for them to gain a foothold. Several European companies gave up on the American market as a result.

Localization really matters, but sometimes homegrown is what people want, and no amount of quasi-localization is going to cut through.