African iGaming operators need to look beyond translated content and build local understanding into their products, payments and player communication, according to Dr Kolade Abisoye, founder and CEO of iGaming WriteNow.
Speaking to AfriGaming Bulletin for its magazine issue, The Next Chapter, Abisoye identified localisation, responsible gambling education and African-led technology as priorities for the industry’s development.
His argument centres on the differences between individual markets. Language matters, but so do payment preferences, cultural context, regulatory requirements and how players understand the products available to them. A strategy developed for one jurisdiction should not automatically become the operating model for another.
Localisation Should Reach Beyond Marketing Copy
Abisoye’s view places localisation across the player experience, from product design to communication and trust-building. For operators, that means examining the experience behind the message rather than limiting adaptation to campaign wording.
A locally familiar advertisement cannot, on its own, explain how a product works or make its payment journey understandable. The product information, supporting content and responsible gambling messages also need to reflect the audience being addressed.
For product and marketing teams, this makes localisation a shared responsibility. Marketing needs confirmed product information, while product teams need to understand the questions and expectations that communication must address. Translating the same material into another language leaves those decisions unresolved.
Responsible gambling education belongs within that work. Abisoye advocates communication shaped by local context, recognising that a uniform message may not address the differences between audiences and jurisdictions.
AI Can Support Production Without Replacing Human Judgement
Abisoye also sees artificial intelligence as a way to improve efficiency and support content production and decision-making. He maintains, however, that human judgement remains essential when cultural differences and player protection are involved.
That distinction matters when businesses adapt material across markets. Producing another version of an article or campaign does not establish that its terminology, assumptions or responsible gambling communication suit the intended audience. Those choices still require informed review.
The interview discusses the iGW App, BetKulture, and iGW Brain as initiatives through which iGaming WriteNow seeks to strengthen industry knowledge, content development and technology adoption. Abisoye places them within a broader effort to give businesses resources informed by African market realities.
African Expertise Should Inform Technology and Regulatory Development
On regulation, Abisoye supports greater alignment around compliance and responsible gambling standards while retaining flexibility for individual countries to address their own market conditions.
He also encourages investment in African-led gaming technology and partnerships. His position is that businesses can learn from established international markets without importing approaches that overlook local needs.
For operators and providers, the central question is where local expertise enters the process: before product and campaign decisions are fixed, or only when the finished material needs adapting.
iGW Market Relevance Opinion
Localisation needs an owner beyond the translation brief. Before your next launch, identify which product explanations, payment messages and player-protection information require local review.
Agree who supplies the evidence and approves changes. This makes market context part of production rather than a post-launch correction.
