Client Overview
Our client is a multinational iGaming company with over 600 employees and operations spanning Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Their platform supports millions of active users across sports betting, online casino, and live gaming verticals.
As their user base grew, so did the complexity of their backend systems and the need for scalable, compliant, and secure infrastructure.
Initial Engagement
The client approached us during a transitional phase: they were consolidating legacy systems and preparing for expansion into new regulated markets. Their internal teams were stretched thin, and previous outsourcing partners had failed to meet the technical depth and delivery speed required.
They needed a partner who could not only fill technical gaps but also architect and implement core engines that would power their next generation of gaming products.
Project Scope and Objectives
We were tasked with building and integrating several mission-critical components that would become the backbone of their gaming platform.
Core Sports and Casino Engines
Wagering, Settlement, and Voiding Mechanics
We developed a modular engine capable of handling complex bet types, dynamic odds, and real-time settlement logic.
Key features:
- Real-time odds calculation and updates
- Support for complex bet types (parlays, system bets, teasers)
- Automated settlement with voiding capabilities
- Risk management and exposure tracking
Wallet Engine & Integration
Delivered a secure, multi-currency wallet system with seamless integration to third-party payment providers and internal accounting tools.
Implementation:
// Unified wallet transaction handling
class WalletEngine {
async processTransaction(userId, amount, type, metadata) {
// Begin distributed transaction
const transaction = await this.db.transaction();
try {
// Update balance with real-time validation
await this.updateBalance(userId, amount, transaction);
// Audit trail for compliance
await this.logTransaction(userId, amount, type, metadata, transaction);
// Integrate with accounting system
await this.syncAccounting(transaction);
// Commit if all steps succeed
await transaction.commit();
// Real-time balance notification
await this.notifyBalanceUpdate(userId);
return { success: true, newBalance: balance };
} catch (error) {
// Automatic rollback on any failure
await transaction.rollback();
throw new WalletError('Transaction failed', error);
}
}
}
Results:
- Real-time balance updates across all verticals
- Automatic rollback capabilities
- Comprehensive audit trails
- 98% reduction in transaction errors
Compliance Features
Implemented responsible gaming modules to meet regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions:
- Deposit limits (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Session timers with mandatory breaks
- Self-exclusion workflows
- Reality checks and loss notifications
- Age verification and KYC integration
Third-Party Integrations
Built an aggregator platform to unify over 30 game providers and external wallet systems under a single API layer.
Architecture:
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Client Application │
└──────────────┬──────────────────────┘
│
┌──────▼──────┐
│ API Gateway │
└──────┬──────┘
│
┌──────────┴──────────┐
│ │
┌───▼────┐ ┌──────▼───────┐
│ Game │ │ Wallet │
│ Aggregator│ │ Aggregator │
└───┬────┘ └──────┬───────┘
│ │
┌───▼─────────────┐ ┌───▼─────────┐
│ Provider 1-30 │ │ PSP 1-15 │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────┘
Bonus and Promotions Engines
Flexible Bonus System
Designed and deployed a flexible bonus engine that supports:
- Free spins with configurable parameters
- Free bets with minimum odds requirements
- In-game currency awards
- Cashback and loyalty rewards
Real-Time Integration
Integrated the bonus logic directly into the core game mechanics, allowing for:
- Real-time triggering based on player actions
- Instant settlement and crediting
- Complex bonus combination rules
- Automated expiry and forfeiture
Marketing Backoffice
Developed custom backoffice tools for marketing teams to:
- Configure and launch promotions without developer intervention
- Set eligibility criteria and budget limits
- Monitor campaign performance in real-time
- A/B test different bonus structures
Gamification Features
Dynamic Leaderboards
Created dynamic leaderboards based on various milestones:
- Consecutive logins
- Total wagered amounts
- Game diversity and exploration
- Tournament performance
Integrated leaderboard management into the backoffice, allowing for:
- Recurrence scheduling (daily, weekly, monthly)
- Custom reset criteria
- Automated prize distribution
Loyalty Program Development
Cross-Channel Loyalty System
Engineered a loyalty card system linked to player KYC profiles:
Features:
- Points accumulation across all verticals
- Tier-based benefits and rewards
- Integration with physical casino loyalty programs
- Secure API connections for cross-channel rewards
Backoffice Control:
- Full loyalty tier management
- Point allocation rules
- Redemption tracking and reporting
- VIP player identification and management
Technical Challenges and Solutions
Challenge 1: Fragmented Wallet Architecture
The Problem:
The client’s legacy wallet system was fragmented across multiple verticals, leading to reconciliation issues and user complaints. Players would see different balances in sports betting vs. casino, causing confusion and support tickets.
Our Solution:
We redesigned a unified wallet engine with:
- Real-time balance synchronization
- Rollback capabilities for failed transactions
- Comprehensive audit trails for compliance
- Multi-currency support with live exchange rates
Technical Implementation:
// Event-sourced wallet for complete audit trail
class EventSourcedWallet {
async processEvent(event) {
// Store event first (event sourcing)
await this.eventStore.append(event);
// Update read model
await this.updateProjection(event);
// Publish to event bus for other services
await this.kafka.publish('wallet.events', event);
return event.id;
}
async getBalance(userId) {
// Rebuild from events if needed
return this.projection.getBalance(userId);
}
}
Results:
- 98% reduction in transaction errors
- Improved user satisfaction scores
- Faster reconciliation processes
- Better compliance reporting
Challenge 2: Promotion Engine Performance Bottlenecks
The Problem:
The previous bonus system couldn’t handle peak traffic during major events (World Cup, major tournaments). During these periods, the system would slow down or crash, causing lost revenue and poor user experience.
Our Solution:
We re-architected the engine using event-driven microservices (Kafka + Node.js):
Architecture:
// Event-driven bonus processing
class BonusProcessor {
constructor(kafkaConsumer) {
this.consumer = kafkaConsumer;
this.consumer.subscribe(['bet.placed', 'game.completed']);
}
async processEvent(event) {
// Parallel processing of bonus rules
const applicableBonuses = await this.findApplicableBonuses(event);
// Async bonus application
const promises = applicableBonuses.map(bonus =>
this.applyBonus(event.userId, bonus)
);
await Promise.all(promises);
// Emit bonus.awarded event
await this.emitBonusEvent(event.userId, applicableBonuses);
}
}
Results:
- 10x throughput improvement
- Zero downtime during high-load campaigns
- Sub-second bonus application
- Horizontal scaling capabilities
Methodology and Timeline
We followed Agile Scrum with two-week sprints and continuous delivery pipelines. The project spanned 9 months from initial onboarding to full deployment, with phased rollouts across product verticals.
Project Phases
Phase 1 (Months 1-3): Core Infrastructure
- Wallet engine development
- Payment gateway integrations
- Basic compliance features
Phase 2 (Months 4-6): Gaming Engines
- Wagering and settlement logic
- Game provider aggregation
- Bonus system foundation
Phase 3 (Months 7-9): Advanced Features
- Gamification and leaderboards
- Loyalty program integration
- Performance optimization
Tech Stack
Backend:
- Node.js - Microservices and event processing
- Java - Core gaming logic and compliance modules
- PostgreSQL - Primary data store
- Redis - Caching and session management
- Kafka - Event streaming and messaging
Infrastructure:
- Docker - Containerization
- Kubernetes - Orchestration and scaling
- REST/GraphQL APIs - Service communication
Team Composition
Our team consisted of 12 specialists:
- 5 Backend Developers (Node.js, Java)
- 2 DevOps Engineers
- 3 QA Automation Engineers
- 2 Technical Architects
Business Impact
Operational Efficiency
Reduced manual reconciliation efforts by 80%
The unified wallet system eliminated the need for manual reconciliation between verticals, freeing up operations staff to focus on higher-value activities.
Revenue Growth
Promotions and loyalty features contributed to:
- 22% increase in player retention
- 14% boost in average revenue per user (ARPU)
The flexible bonus system allowed marketing teams to run targeted campaigns that significantly improved engagement and lifetime value.
Compliance Readiness
Enabled entry into three new regulated markets, unlocking over €5M in annual revenue
Our responsible gaming features and audit capabilities met the strict requirements of multiple jurisdictions, accelerating market entry.
Client Feedback
“Your team didn’t just deliver code—they delivered stability, scalability, and innovation. We now view you as a strategic partner, not just a vendor.”
— VP of Product, iGaming Client
Conclusion and Lessons Learned
This project demonstrated the importance of deep domain expertise in gaming mechanics, compliance, and player engagement. One key lesson: there’s no need to reinvent the wheel for early alignment between product and compliance teams—something we now bake into our onboarding process.
What We Learned
The Value of Flexible Systems:
Building flexible systems that can adapt to market changes without major rewrites is invaluable. The gaming industry evolves rapidly, and rigid architectures become technical debt quickly.
Proactive Monitoring is Critical:
During development, we faced a critical issue where a third-party game provider changed their API without notice, breaking our aggregator. Our team responded within 24 hours, patched the integration, and implemented automated monitoring to catch such changes proactively in the future.
Event-Driven Architecture Wins at Scale:
The shift to event-driven microservices not only solved our performance bottlenecks but also improved system resilience and made it easier to add new features without impacting existing services.
Future Enhancements
We continue to enhance the platform with:
- AI-powered player segmentation for personalized promotions
- Real-time fraud detection using machine learning
- Advanced analytics dashboards for operators
- Mobile-first progressive web app for better user experience
- Cryptocurrency payment integration for new markets
Need to build scalable gaming infrastructure? Contact us to discuss how we can help power your next-generation gaming platform.
