As the online casino games industry globally expands, game developers and operators face the challenge of creating content that appeals to players in different regions and languages. Localizing casino games is essential for maximizing revenue and creating a more immersive gaming experience. However, the question remains: should developers use machine or human translation for their localization efforts?

While machine translation offers speed and cost-effectiveness, it may not always produce accurate or culturally appropriate translations. On the other hand, human translation ensures accuracy and cultural sensitivity, but can be slower and more expensive. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of both approaches and help you decide which one is right for your company.

Advantages of Machine Translation

There are several advantages to using Machine Translation (MT) when translating online casino game content:

1. Speed: MT can quickly translate large volumes of content, making it a time-efficient option for game developers who need to release their content to market quickly.
2. Cost-effectiveness: MT is generally less expensive than human translation, as it requires fewer resources and can be automated.
3. Scalability: MT can handle a large volume of content, which makes it a scalable solution for game developers who need to translate their games into multiple languages.

Machine Translation can be a good option for game developers who need to translate a large volume of content quickly and cost-effectively. However, it’s important to keep in mind that MT may not always produce accurate translations and may lack cultural sensitivity, which can result in a poor user experience for players, especially if the content is creative or humor intended and the developer is looking to make that content stand out among a multitude of titles.

Advantages of Human Translation

Here are several advantages of using Human Translation (HT) for localizing online casino game content:

1. Accuracy:

   Human translators can better understand your product and the nuances of the source language and culture, ensuring accurate translations. They can also adapt translations to the target culture, including idiomatic expressions, slang, and humor, which machine translation may not be able to capture.

2. Cultural sensitivity:

   Human translators have a better understanding of cultural nuances and taboos, and can ensure that translations are culturally appropriate for the target audience. This is especially important in the online casino industry, where cultural differences can impact how games are perceived.

3. Quality assurance:

   Human translators can provide a high level of quality assurance. They ensure that the translated content is free of errors and omissions. They can also perform in-context reviews to ensure that translations are consistent across all game content and that the tone and style are appropriate for the target audience.

4. Customization:

   Human translators can provide customized translations tailored to the specific needs of the online casino company, such as using specific terminologies or adapting translations to reflect the brand voice.

5. Legal compliance:

   The online casino industry is heavily regulated, and companies must comply with local laws and regulations when operating in different countries. Human translators can ensure that translations are legally compliant and meet the regulatory requirements of each target market.

Are there any other options?

There’s a third option that brings the benefits of the two aforementioned approaches, and that’s using a mixed approach of Machine Translation and Human Post-Editing (PE). It involves having a human editor review and correct the output of a machine translation system. The aim is to improve the accuracy, fluency, and naturalness of the translated text. This while minimizing the time and cost involved in producing high-quality translations. Here are some advantages of using a mixed approach:

1. Speed and cost-effectiveness:

   The use of MT as the first step can significantly speed up the translation process. It reduces costs and provides a fast turnaround time for game developers.

2. Improved accuracy:

   PE done by an experienced human translator who is familiar with the online casino gaming industry can help ensure that the translations are accurate, culturally appropriate, and engaging for players.

3. Consistency and quality control:

   The use of a mixed approach can help ensure consistency in terminology and style. Moreover given that the final output will undergo a quality control check by an experienced translator.

4. Flexibility:

   A mixed approach can be tailored to the specific needs of game developers. For instance, machine translation can be customized and trained to specialize in casino gaming terminology. This can improve the accuracy of the initial translation output.

5. Better user experience:

   An experienced human translator can ensure that the translations are engaging. When they do the PE, they also make certain translations are culturally appropriate, and appealing to players. The result is a better overall user experience.

Overall, the use of a mixed approach can offer an efficient, cost-effective, and accurate solution for translating online casino game content while ensuring cultural sensitivity and quality. This approach can help game developers reach a wider audience, expand their market, and maximize their revenue potential.

How much will I save if I use MT instead of Human Translation?

The cost savings of using Machine Translation (MT) instead of Human Translation (HT) can vary depending on several factors. This includes the volume of content, the quality of the MT output, and the language pairs involved. In some cases, the post-editing cost may offset the initial savings of using MT.

According to industry estimates, MT plus a human step of post-editing costs 30-40% lower than regular HT. Therefore, if your company’s yearly Localization spend is $10k, the combined use of MT and PE would save almost $4k.

It’s important to keep in mind that the quality of MT output may not always be sufficient for the needs of the target audience. Additionally, post-editing costs can add up quickly, especially if the MT output requires extensive revisions. Therefore, AOS recommends to evaluate the quality of the MT output and the post-editing effort required before deciding on the approach for your casino game content localization.

If you want to know which languages would give you a higher ROI, check the following article.