How have advancing technologies changed both attitudes and approaches to testing for operators in the last 5 years – especially with regard to market entry?
Over the past five years we’ve seen some major shifts from a handful of tech developments like AI obviously and blockchain, but the ones that have reshaped iGaming operators’ approaches to testing in emerging markets most directly would be faster network speeds and payment service diversity. Expectations are higher now, games must compete with mainstream entertainment options like Netflix and TikTok. The games have to load fast, play perfectly and the onboarding deposit and withdrawal processes have to be bug free.
When operators move into new markets, they have to consider all of these things more seriously nowadays. How seamless is seamless? Renting a movie on YouTube takes a couple clicks and is very cheap. For online gambling, how many pages and clicks does a player have to go through to signup, deposit, play and withdraw? The standards are higher and the variation from platform to platform is greater. In Asia, for example, it’s mobile only and on the gameplay side of it there are big differences between the 5G networks in South Korea and Japan verses the speeds you’ll find in the Philippines.
As a result, operators now focus on testing with actual devices in different conditions to make sure their products work well on all types of networks. Product development has to be proactive rather than reactive; it can’t be a bug-fixing mission every time you enter a new market. Operators come to Testa because they value getting their product tested and improved upon for each market before they enter.
... and how does this relate to the supply side?
For game providers, as well, localisation is important for content – but knowing the tech infrastructure is also key. ISPs, CDNs and devices vary around the world and if you know the landscape you can take steps in game development so that things are optimized for places with varying connectivity. Your crash game may be fairly light-weight, but you might be surprised to learn that it doesn’t fair nearly as well as your competitors’ in parts of India. Committing to user-centric QA with real people on the ground is a differentiator nowadays for better market entries.
At Testa, we’ve seen operators move away from purely automated testing toward our crowdsourced models, as real-user feedback provides more nuanced insights, especially for cultural preferences and usability – key for entering diverse markets. For instance, our testing in Thailand revealed live dealer game load times as a critical factor for player retention, guiding operators to optimise infrastructure before launch. This shift reflects a broader attitude change; operators now see testing as a strategic tool for compliance, localisation, and competitive differentiation, not just a technical checkbox, especially in emerging markets with complex regulations.
With your extensive experience in Southeast Asia – how would you advise operators looking at entering the Thai casino market, should regulation pass?
Entering the Thai casino market, if regulation passes, will require a hyper-localised strategy
There are unique cultural, technological and regulatory considerations that can be major roadblocks. First, prioritising mobile-first optimisation is key, as 90% of Southeast Asian users access iGaming via smartphones, with Android dominating at 80-86% market share. Operators should test extensively on real Android devices across urban and rural areas, where internet speeds vary due to limited Fiber optic reach.
Second, compliance is non-negotiable. Thailand’s paused casino legislation highlights growing regulatory uncertainty, so operators must prepare for strict KYC, AML and responsible gaming frameworks, learning from jurisdictions like the Philippines. Partner with local experts testing to validate UX, payment integrations and compliance on the ground.
What kind of long-term impact do you think the now resolved POGO issue will have on the Filipino iGaming market? Will they be keeping one eye on Thailand as a potential future competing market?
I think that the POGO ban really redirected the focus to the domestic iGaming market and aimed to curb illegal activity. Operators that stand out will be the ones that take action on player protection with better AML and KYC. This is great for the local market but with or without the changes, the Philippines is a mature market and possibly has the biggest edge in Asia because of its deep and experienced iGaming workforce. As things grow, local operations have the people that can handle everything, including the backend stuff. That said, Thailand – and even Cambodia – represent other talent hubs to certainly keep an eye on.
Long-term, this shift will strengthen domestic operators and attract more global investment
Testa is behind it all the way and is already working with a local affiliate to test registration, deposits, withdrawals and KYC and provide a “Testa score” that ranks local operators’ quality of service. We think that the recent changes are going to affect the player experience in a good way – providing safer transactions – unlike the, in our opinion, over-regulation situation in Germany where the user experience has really suffered.
Can you explain in what way face-to-face can help operators in the SEA region?
For us, it’s mostly down to the region’s deeply relationship-driven culture. Business flows from personal connections, not just brands or products. Meeting decision-makers at events or private gatherings builds real trust through real introductions.
For example, I’ve seen deals stall until operators join after-hours interactions, showing commitment beyond formal meetings through a more informal set-up. Unlike Europe or North America, where contracts might finalise a deal, in Asia, a signed contract is just the start of ongoing negotiations, rooted in the trust built face-to-face.
Having senior leadership present, as I said, sends a strong signal of commitment, especially when dealing with high-level decision-makers who expect it. To succeed, operators should invest in long-term relationships, not quick wins. This means having dedicated local staff or trusted resellers in the region, attending smaller community meetups, and being prepared to triple or quadruple timelines for building networks. Face-to-face isn’t just helpful – it’s the foundation for breaking into SEA’s complex, trust-driven iGaming market.
In parts of the world where loading latency is unavoidable, what can operators do to streamline their offerings and improve their UX elsewhere?
We’ve seen firsthand how latency challenges in regions like parts of Southeast Asia or Africa can make or break player retention. Operators have to prioritise lightweight game design to tackle latency for starters. In markets with spotty connectivity, like rural areas with 3G networks, smaller, data-efficient games load faster and keep players engaged. For instance, optimising slot games to use less bandwidth – by, say, reducing file sizes without sacrificing core gameplay – that prevents drop-offs when load times creep up.
Server proximity is another critical lever
By hosting servers closer to players, such as in regional hubs like Singapore for Southeast Asia or Nigeria for Africa, operators can slash latency and ensure smoother gameplay. This is especially vital for mobile-first markets, where 90% of SEA players use smartphones and expect near-instant access. Testing reveals how even a few hundred milliseconds of delay can tank UX, particularly for live dealer games that dominate SEA.
Finally, operators should tailor features to the digital divide. In urban areas with 4G/5G, richer animations work, but in rural Asia, compatibility with low-spec devices – often $100-150 Androids – is non-negotiable. Testa helps operators pinpoint these gaps, ensuring games perform across diverse infrastructures. By combining lightweight design, local servers, player-controlled settings and region-specific testing, operators can deliver standout UX even in latency-prone markets. Beyond technical fixes, knowing the benchmarks can be an advantage. Testa has data from this year and last for example that shows some ballpark figures for slot load times in Asia and Africa, where you’re going to run into some variability. In our testing in Asia, the average load time was around 15 seconds, whereas in Africa it was 24 seconds.
What can you tell us about Testa’s 2025 roadmap and what we can expect from the company moving forward?
Testa’s 2025 roadmap is focused on expanding the Testa Qrowd Platform’s reach and capabilities to provide better visibility on iGaming markets all over the world. This means refining our processes to scale faster and at the same time finding new testers and training them up. The Testa Qrowd Community is now active in over 600 cities globally but we’re always adding more.
Key initiatives have included enhancing our platform’s real-time analytics for faster feedback and greater capacity. We’re also launching a new benchmarking service to help operators compare key process metrics against competitors.
Brand-wise, we’re increasing our presence at industry events this year attending and exhibiting at all the major conferences. Moving forward, Testa aims to be the go-to QA partner for iGaming, we want to be the ones on people's minds when they consider what it takes to drive real player satisfaction and market success.
