The history of sports betting
As humans, we are constantly on the lookout for ways to live in the moment which is why betting was first created thousands of years ago. People seek out the rush of adrenaline and excitement that comes from not knowing what will happen, with no control over the outcome. And this is why betting still continues to this day.
In the past, whenever sporting matches took place in a town, people would go to a ‘bookmaker’ to place their bets. These facilities would have likely been run by powerful families who would set the odds for the bettors.
Today, the internet has pushed the boundaries of the sports betting industry, making it accessible to people all over the world at any time. From casual sports fans to sports experts, the betting industry now has its largest target audience ever and a market size of $203 billion. For those companies with sports betting websites, betting translation services have become the key to tapping into the limitless potential of new target markets.
The importance of accurately translating betting terminology
Like any industry, sports betting involves specific terminology and phrases which can be difficult to understand for people who are new to sports betting. This means that not all professional translators understand sports betting terminology. As such, betting translation services for sports betting websites must be done by subject matter experts. By choosing a native speaker who is an expert in sports betting translation, you can ensure that any industry-specific terms are translated correctly.
When placing bets on British sports betting websites, you will often see terms such as spread, over/under, odds boost and parlay. If we go over to a French betting website, we see a difference in the same technical terms.
English: spread
French: écart entre les équipes
Direct translation: gap between the teams
English: over/under
French: nombre total de points +/-
Direct translation: total number of points +/-
English: odds boost
French: cotes boostées
Direct translation: boosted odds
English: parlay
French: combiné
Direct translation: combined
These terms are very specific and must be translated accurately. While ‘combiné’ must be translated as ‘parlay’, a translator who is unfamiliar with the terminology might instead translate this term directly as ‘combined’. This would result in an unclear target text, which is why it is essential to work with experts in sports betting translation services. Doing so will allow all bettors to play as though using a sports betting website in their native country, delivering a great user experience.
Translating descriptive and explanatory sentences in sports betting
When it comes to sports betting terminology, terms in each language are standardised throughout the industry and anyone who bets regularly would be familiar with them. However, sports betting websites also feature descriptive sentences and explanations of terms that are not standardised.
When translating unique text like this, the translator must make sure that the concept is easily understood by everyone. The key, in this case, is to make the sentences as clear and simple as possible. Explaining the rules in multiple languages will protect bettors from losing money due to a misunderstanding over how things work. This will then inspire trust in your services, giving your customers the confidence they need to place a bet with your company.
Quality translations for a quality customer experience
Online casinos and sports betting websites are for businesses looking to make a profit, which all comes down to customer satisfaction. Translating your website is one way to ensure that speakers of all languages have a great betting experience. This not only broadens your target audience, but also keeps customers returning to use your services time and time again.
When translating your sports betting website, it is also important that you first identify both the target language and culture. You can then hire a translation agency that not only has sports betting experts in your language pair, but also experts in localising gambling websites. By localising the message, your website will be adapted to make it culturally and socially relevant to your target audience. This ensures that both the language and content itself are acceptable while inspiring trust in your betting services.
At Intertranslations, we only work with native speakers and subject matter experts. This strict translation process enables us to deliver high-quality translation and localisation services to companies throughout the gambling industry. From online gaming and online gambling to casino games and sports betting, we are here to help your company grow by delivering a great betting experience.
