What iGaming can learn From Netflix’s recommendation engine
September 11, 2026



Netflix has been tackling one of the most difficult challenges in digital entertainment for years: How to decide what to play for a user when there are thousands of options. What it has done is to make discovery very personal, based on viewing behaviour, completion rates, device type, language, and more; it determines what shows up first.

The same challenge is gaining in significance for iGaming players that provide casino games online. While a large game catalogue might impress, if players don’t know what to find there, then big isn’t necessarily better.


More Content Does Not Automatically Mean a Better Product

There are thousands of movies, shows, documentaries, and games in Netflix’s library, but no one expects users to sift through them all. The homepage is structured in personalised rows, and the choice and order of titles is adapted to the individual account.

This reasoning is very applicable to iGaming. The discovery problem exists on modern casino platforms on smaller screens as well, since they might offer thousands of slots and table games.

For example, there is a limit to how many titles can be added and have a positive impact. The lobby begins to look more like an unorganised catalogue than a personalised entertainment service when users repeatedly scroll past games they are not interested in.

Netflix Personalises the Order, Not Just the Content

One of the best lessons is that Netflix doesn’t just make a guess about whether someone might like a title. It also determines the location of that title.

The recommendation system takes into account past interactions, similar users, the amount of time spent viewing certain content, and the devices and languages used. The newer behaviour is more likely to be more heavily weighted than older preferences.

A similar approach could be used for an iGaming platform. A frequent live blackjack player shouldn’t necessarily be presented with the same homepage as the player who primarily selects short-form slots.

Personalisation may impact categories, search results, recommended games and order of content. The goal would be to minimise the delay between platform open and discovery of relevant entertainment.

Older Casino Games Should Not Simply Disappear

Netflix offers another valuable example of catalogue management. In the first half of 2025, almost half of all Netflix Originals viewing was of shows produced in 2023 or earlier.

That’s a demonstration of how recommendation technology can help prolong the commercial life of aging entertainment. If a topic is no longer in the new release section, it doesn’t mean that it is irrelevant.

Online casinos have a comparable chance. As game studios are churning out new games all the time, older titles can easily get lost in the shuffle.

A more robust recommendation engine would be able to bring a classic slot to the forefront if it has similar mechanics, theme, or volatility that a specific player has enjoyed in the past. That provides operators with more value from the content they already have, rather than relying solely on continuous catalogue expansion.

Recommendation Systems Can Help With Localisation

As Netflix has demonstrated, personalisation doesn’t have to stop at the borders. In 2025, approximately 70 per cent of Netflix viewing was by members watching videos from a country outside their own.

Localisation remains important at the same time. One of the indicators that Netflix uses when arranging recommendations is language preference.

That distinction is helpful for Irish operators. Although it may be tempting to assume that all Irish-facing customers are looking for the same content, an Irish-facing platform should certainly take into account local payment habits, regulation, sporting interests and entertainment preferences.

Thus, good localisation and good personalisation go hand in hand. The platform is aware of the market in general, as well as of individual behaviour, to influence the final experience.

Mobile Screens Make Discovery Even More Important

The quality of recommendation is especially crucial when users are using a smartphone to consume entertainment.

A desktop interface can display a lot of content at once. A mobile screen makes platforms have to make much more critical decisions about which content to give top billing.

In 2025, Netflix revamped its TV platform, focusing on more intuitive content discovery and tailored suggestions. This is especially true when it comes to mobile casino interfaces.

When the first few rows are not relevant, there is little reason for users to continue scrolling. So improving the rank can be as significant as getting new games.

The Algorithm Should Know When Not to Push

One critical area where iGaming can’t just emulate streaming is. Netflix’s recommendation engine is supposed to help users find more entertainment they’re likely to enjoy. Gambling platforms are regulated, and personalisation must also consider responsible gambling.

That means the best iGaming recommendation systems should not be solely about maximising time or money spent in a session. Behavioural information can also be used to identify significant changes in activity and to determine that the right answer is fewer prompts and fewer recommendations.

For example, this gives a new meaning to good personalisation. Player control and responsible product design must go hand in hand with relevance.

Netflix Shows Why Discovery Is Infrastructure

In the second half of 2025, Netflix saw approximately 96 billion hours of viewing worldwide. It currently has over 250 million active viewers each month on its ad-supported version, and over 80 per cent of its members use the service weekly.

At that scale, recommendation technology becomes a key piece of infrastructure, not just a nice-to-have. Netflix must be able to guide the user to make a decision quickly, as each second spent searching is a second a user could be away from the platform.

Although the regulatory environment is quite distinct, iGaming operators face the same basic product issue. Bigger libraries are only valuable if customers can easily find their way around.

The largest lesson from Netflix is not that every casino should mimic its homepage, though. But it’s the discovery itself that needs to be invested in.

Knowing what kind of games each user enjoys, intelligently curating content, and surfacing older games that are relevant can make a massive catalogue feel smaller and more helpful. That personalisation, coupled with relevant local context and responsible gambling protections, could prove a much more powerful differentiator for Irish-facing platforms than an extra 100 games.