- Cumbres
- Noticias
- Fundaci¨®n SiGMA
- Formaci¨®n y asesoramiento
- Tour de p¨®quer
- Sobre nosotros
V¨ªdeo: Harmen Brenninkmeijer habla sobre la adaptaci¨®n de productos de juego a los jugadores locales
Etiquetas:
In an exclusive SiGMA Asia interview, Harmen Brenninkmeijer, Managing Partner at NYCE International, unpacks more than three decades of gaming industry insights. With an encyclopaedic view of both the land-based and iGaming sectors, Brenninkmeijer explains why successful gaming products must be built from the ground up with local markets in mind, and why a one-size-fits-all approach is a recipe for failure.
¡°Gaming is becoming far more local, so it is not as global as people think.¡±
Local knowledge drives lasting success
Brenninkmeijer began his career in land-based gaming before transitioning into product development. His experience taught him a fundamental truth: tailoring content for local player preferences is not just smart, it¡¯s essential. He highlights how many operators erroneously assume that success in one market will easily translate into others.
¡°If you take a Taiwanese product and then you look at the Philippines, a lot of adjustments need to be made.¡±
The Philippines, in particular, is cited as a market where localised development has outperformed imported solutions. Operators who understand domestic preferences are thriving, while those who simply export existing frameworks often fall short.
The problem with platform promises
While many gaming platforms claim to offer global reach, the reality is far more nuanced. According to Brenninkmeijer, few platforms perform well across jurisdictions without deep customisation.
¡°Most platforms will tell you we do it all, but that¡¯s just not the case. Not everybody does the right job in every jurisdiction.¡±
He compares Brazil and Nigeria to illustrate the point: Brazilian users are known for playing to the point of exhaustion, while Nigerian users approach gaming more as a casual pastime. Such divergent behaviours demand entirely different platform experiences and player incentives.
Why iGaming margins are misleading
Brenninkmeijer warns against assuming digital equals easier. While land-based gaming may incur higher operational costs, it also yields more predictable margins. In contrast, iGaming operators must contend with affiliate cuts, compliance fees, and ongoing product licensing, all of which erode profitability.
¡°In iGaming, it is challenging because the affiliates take so much money¡ So you have to pay all of your infrastructure, your people, and then you have to pay for the product.¡±
This environment forces smaller operators into a corner, often prioritising marketing spending over product innovation. The result? Generic offerings that fail to differentiate.
Studios and the R&D treadmill
Game studios are uniquely positioned in this ecosystem. With ongoing demands to produce original content, their R&D budgets remain consistently high. While larger studios can afford to take more creative risks, smaller ones often operate with razor-thin margins until a breakout hit changes everything.
¡°An average new studio builds a game a month¡ it¡¯s continuous research and development money.¡±
AI is poised to change everything
The conversation eventually turns to artificial intelligence and its impact on player engagement. Brenninkmeijer likens future AI-driven platforms to Netflix, where user behaviour is constantly analysed to curate gameplay suggestions, manage bonuses, and optimise retention.
¡°AI will start to come in and completely change the game¡ It¡¯s going to go far deeper into how many bets I am placing? Is the AI recognising my player behaviour?¡±
AI won’t simply recommend games; it will adapt real-time incentives and pacing, enhancing both the user journey and operator ROI.
Regulated markets need realistic frameworks
An advocate for regulation, Brenninkmeijer champions frameworks that are enforceable and economically viable. Drawing from his consultancy work in Colombia, he highlights the importance of structured growth over punitive taxation.
¡°Bring it to a model that people can afford, that the business can exist, and that regulators understand.¡±
Without industry education and government cooperation, he warns, regulation risks stifling innovation and driving operators underground.
Global harmonisation remains elusive
Despite aspirations for global regulatory alignment, Brenninkmeijer is pragmatic about the challenges. Even the European Union failed to harmonise gaming laws under its original white paper, a telling sign of just how complex the sector is.
¡°Gaming was left out of the original white paper of harmonisation in the European Union¡ Nobody could [harmonise it].¡±
While regional efforts such as those in Eastern Africa may show promise, a universally regulated gaming environment remains unlikely.
Final thoughts
From market fragmentation and product localisation to AI disruption and regulatory complexity, Harmen Brenninkmeijer offers a refreshingly candid analysis of where the industry stands and what it must do to remain competitive.
¡°We as an industry do a terrible job in educating the outside world¡ Most regulators have no idea how to run this business.¡±
As the global gaming landscape continues to evolve, the operators and studios that succeed will be those who strike a balance between local insight and global ambition, backed by data, agility, and a clear-eyed understanding of the road ahead.
