INDUSTRY INTERVIEW | BETCORE

By Adrià Mas Rodríguez

A casino game can cross several markets without changing its rules or core mechanics — and still perform very differently in each one.

Culture is the obvious explanation for these differences, but rarely the only one. Round pace, potential rewards, familiarity, mobile habits, connection quality and product visibility can be just as important.

Even players using the same game may value it for different reasons. One audience may respond to large multipliers; another to simplicity, transparency or a faster rhythm. Sportsbook users may recognise odds and short betting windows, while casino audiences can be drawn more strongly to the studio, presenter and live experience.

BETCORE operates across three complementary verticals: TVBET's live TV games, BetOnGames' slots, crash and instant products, and ElCasino's live casino portfolio.

To understand how those differences appear in practice, East Asia Reports spoke with Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa, Deputy Head of Sales at BETCORE, about regional preferences, meaningful localisation, product positioning and the importance of testing assumptions against actual player behaviour.

Deputy Head of Sales at BETCORE | Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

East Asia Reports: Which aspects of a game create the greatest differences in player response?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: The multiplier ceiling, round pace, familiarity and perceived fairness are particularly influential. The size of the potential win is one of the characteristics players mention most frequently. Pace can be more divisive: analytical players may want time to examine statistics, while others find the same waiting period frustrating. Familiar formats reduce the time needed to understand a game. In live products, transparency is also essential because players expect the table and interface to show a clear and consistent outcome. In parts of Asia, connection quality adds another variable. A reliable low-bandwidth experience can matter more for retention than an elaborate stream.

East Asia Reports: Can age and digital habits matter more than geography?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: In some cases, yes. Geography remains relevant for language, regulation, payment behaviour, cultural references and financial capacity. However, younger audiences across different countries often share similar digital experiences, including mobile entertainment, short-form video, livestreaming and esports. These habits create common expectations around fast onboarding, visual content and short sessions. Device preference and the way people consume entertainment can therefore predict player expectations as accurately as nationality.

East Asia Reports: Which BETCORE products demonstrate how one concept can reach different audiences?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: Keno and Fast Keno are strong examples from TVBET. Keno combines simple rules with the anticipation of each draw. Fast Keno preserves those strengths while shortening the experience for players accustomed to more immediate digital entertainment. Chicken Live by ElCasino offers a different crossover. It combines crash-style risk-and-cashout mechanics with a live-hosted casino presentation. This allows it to appeal both to players familiar with crash products and to audiences attracted by live casino interaction.

East Asia Reports: What did Bario Jet's performance reveal about regional demand?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: We expected Bario Jet to attract international attention because of its crash mechanics, fast pace and aviation concept. Its performance exceeded those expectations, and it became the leading crash title in the BetOnGames portfolio. Its strong popularity in Asia was particularly interesting. The result showed that a product developed for an international audience can find an unexpectedly strong following within a particular region. Actual player behaviour can reveal opportunities that were not obvious before launch.

East Asia Reports: How can ElCasino adapt the player experience without rebuilding a game's core mechanics?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: One of our most flexible tools is the bonus-multiplier layer. The base product remains familiar — the same table, cards, dealer and round — but the reward curve can be adjusted for different audiences. Within ElCasino, our X line applies this approach through products such as Auto-Roulette X, Candy Ball X and Roulette X. We do not necessarily rebuild a game to enter a market. We can change the volatility on a table players already trust, while also adapting stakes, interface language and dealer audio.

East Asia Reports: What does meaningful localisation involve beyond translation?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: It begins with understanding what local players genuinely expect from the experience. Themes, mechanics, pace, device preferences, betting limits and product presentation can all influence whether a game feels appropriate for an audience. Direct feedback from local partners is especially valuable. The objective should not be to decorate an international product with superficial cultural references. Suppliers should test carefully, examine real behaviour and allow each market to define itself through evidence.

East Asia Reports: How much can lobby placement affect a game's performance?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: It can have a major effect. Even a strong title may struggle if players cannot discover it. Placement in featured sections, category rows or promotional banners directly influences initial traffic and game trials. Performance therefore needs to be evaluated together with visibility. Limited placement can prevent a product from reaching its potential, while prominent positioning can accelerate a launch. Close cooperation between supplier and operator is necessary to ensure that the right game reaches the right audience.

East Asia Reports: How does BETCORE help operators find the right product mix?

Danuta Janicka-Mierzwa: There is no universal portfolio that works equally well for every operator. We analyse indicators including unique players, betting frequency, session duration, retention and turnover. The most valuable information is not simply which games perform best, but why. Our single API allows operators to test TVBET, BetOnGames and ElCasino products through one integration. Partners can launch selected games, compare their performance across different audience segments and expand the portfolio according to real results. This makes product selection a continuous, data-driven process rather than a one-time decision.

Danuta's answers point to a simple conclusion: international performance is not a choice between globalisation and localisation.

Core mechanics can travel. Keno can be accelerated without losing its recognisable structure. Crash mechanics can move into a live-casino setting. A roulette table can retain the same familiar process while offering a different reward curve.

What changes is the environment around the game: player motivation, preferred pace, device, connection quality, visibility and familiarity with the format.

That also changes how performance should be interpreted. A weak result does not automatically mean a weak product: a title may be poorly positioned, shown to the wrong audience or technically unsuited to the conditions in which players encounter it.

The more useful strategy is therefore neither to rebuild a game for every market nor to impose one portfolio everywhere. It is to preserve what makes the product understandable, adapt the variables that can change without breaking it, and test those decisions against real behaviour.

The same game can cross borders intact. The competitive advantage comes from understanding why the response changes once it gets there.

BETCORE is a B2B gaming ecosystem bringing together TVBET, BetOnGames and ElCasino through a single integration.

Disclosure: This is not a paid or sponsored article. The author previously worked for BETCORE.

East Asia Reports

Web: eastasiareports.com
Email: [email protected]
Author — Adrià Mas Rodríguez