THE CHALLENGES OF IGAMING LOCALIZATION IN GERMAN

The German language is by far the most widely spoken native language in Europe. It has been estimated that between 95 and 100 million people in Europe are native German speakers. It is not only spoken in Germany, but it is also an official language in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, and Belgium. Additionally, there are German-speaking minorities in northern Italy, eastern France, and in the south of Denmark as well as in various Eastern European countries. The fact that German is spoken in so many countries in different dialects is one of the reasons why iGaming translations and localizations of a German text can be quite challenging.

Another reason is the language itself. The German language is famous for its long words but it is the huge amount of words that can cause misunderstandings. In German, there are a lot of words that have a very similar meaning but differ slightly. This has to be taken into account when translating a German text, but especially when we are translating an iGaming text. One must bear in mind, that German speakers are using their money when they are enjoying the games and therefore the texts, which are displayed on a website have to give the German visitor a sense of trustworthiness. In this particular case, it actually is an advantage of the German language, that it has so many words. In German one can sound trustworthy and professional using the rather informal speech Du but one can also sound rather informal and laid back using the formal speech Sie. When it comes to iGaming translations the fine line between giving the reader the impression of being too friendly and unprofessional and over formal can indeed be thin.

What is very important to the German-speaking user is, that the iGaming website he is visiting is free of mistakes. It is essential, that German iGaming texts sound natural and fluent. An iGaming website, that displays a poorly machine-translated text doesn’t represent reliability and trustworthiness. Consequently, German-speaking players will most likely not sign up on this page, make a deposit, and start going after a big win.

Translating and localizing German iGaming texts can be difficult and even dangerous. There are not only cultural aspects one needs to pay close attention to but also legal challenges for example, when translating general terms and conditions or bonus terms and conditions. That is why the translator should not only be a native German-speaker but also a player himself. As an experienced player, the translator is familiar with typical iGaming terms. Additionally, because of his own experiences of playing the games, the translator possesses inside knowledge and knows important details about the reader, e.g. German players always prefer German terms instead of an Anglicism, even though a particular English term might be well known in the German iGaming community.

We at All-in Global not only pay close attention to such details, but we also listen closely to our clients` needs, wishes and preferences to make sure that all aspects like SEO keywords are taken into consideration. In such cases, our expert knowledge of German iGaming terms allows us to make additional suggestions to the choices you made. Sometimes that even means making a spelling mistake on purpose, simply for SEO purposes, like removing a hyphen.

When comparing the English language with the German language one of the first and probably most obvious differences one notices is the length of the text. The German language is famous for the lengths of some of its’ words. Did you know, that on average a text in German is about 30% longer than it would be in English? When it comes to Graphical User Interface translations, this can be particularly problematic for the translator. In this case, the translated text might be too long to fit English-sized tables forcing him to cut words or even entire sentences short which might have the consequence that a text sounds unnatural.

As you can see, the German language has its’ own particulars, rules, and characteristics and when translating a German iGaming text, it is of the utmost importance to respect them. We at All-In Global are always ready to assist our clients with our expertise when it comes to German iGaming related translations. Contact us today and let us help you address your German-speaking audience 100% correctly, the German way.