Scaling Casino Portfolios for Emerging Markets Without Increasing Costs

Everest
Jul 24
3 min read

Updated: Jul 31

Expanding your casino content in fast-growing regions like LATAM and Asia doesn’t have to come with higher infrastructure, licensing, or operational expenses. In this article, you’ll learn how operators and aggregators can scale strategically - while keeping costs under control.

Emerging markets are driving the next wave of iGaming growth, but they bring unique infrastructure and monetization challenges. Operators must balance content diversity, player engagement, and technical performance in areas where device power, internet connectivity, and ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) are vastly different from mature markets.

A recent H2 Gambling Capital report shows that over 60% of new iGaming players in 2025 will come from Asia and LATAM, making scalability in these regions a top priority for operators looking to stay competitive. But how can you grow your portfolio without escalating server costs or complex licensing fees?

Let’s break it down.

Challenge of Scaling in Emerging Markets

Expanding a casino game portfolio is easy in theory - just add more titles. But in practice, operators face three main challenges in emerging markets:

Infrastructure Limitations: Players often use mid- to low-end smartphones with limited processing power and memory. Heavy games lead to poor user experiences and high churn.
Connectivity Gaps: Mobile networks can be unstable, making large game assets and long loading times a deal-breaker for retention.

Cost Sensitivity: The ARPU in LATAM and Asia is often lower than in Europe or North America, so operators can’t afford high licensing or hosting costs per title.

These challenges force operators to rethink their scaling strategy, moving away from simply adding “more” games to adding the right kind of games.

Cost-Efficient Portfolio Growth

Here are four proven ways to expand your casino portfolio in emerging markets without increasing your operational costs:

Prioritize Lightweight, HTML5-Optimized Content:
Games under 10MB with fast-loading architectures perform better on low-connectivity networks, reducing bandwidth usage and server costs.
Choose Mobile-First Mechanics:
Games designed for quick sessions and vertical screen layouts increase retention on smartphones, which dominate emerging markets.
Work with Providers Offering Multi-Language & Multi-Currency Support:
This reduces the need for costly localization or custom builds, enabling faster time-to-market across regions.
Opt for API Integrations with Minimal Tech Overhead:
Avoid heavy SDKs or custom deployments. Single-API providers lower integration time, reducing both technical risk and operational expenses.

By following this framework, operators can scale smarter - not harder.

Real-World Use Cases

Several operators in India and Brazil have successfully implemented lightweight, localized bingo and lottery-style games to boost their portfolios while keeping costs lean.

For example:

Introducing mobile-first bingo reduced server load by 40% compared to traditional multiplayer titles.
Leveraging multi-language game catalogs cut localization costs by up to 60% for LATAM deployments.
Integrating via a single API shortened onboarding time from 8 weeks to just 2 weeks, accelerating revenue streams.

These examples show how the right content and technology choices directly impact operational efficiency.

Strategic Takeaways

To sustainably expand your casino portfolio in emerging markets, consider:

Focus on lightweight, mobile-first titles to ensure performance on all devices
Reduce licensing and operational costs by choosing providers with flexible pricing and ready-made localizations
Simplify integration workflows with API-first content delivery
Plan for long-term scalability by selecting games with proven retention metrics