What does it take to ensure thousands of games are seamlessly integrated into a global gaming platform?
At Betsson Group, our engineering teams play an important role in developing and maintaining the systems that support our operations. Jorge, Acting Engineering Team Lead at our Málaga Tech Hub, gives us a closer look at his experience since joining Betsson, his responsibilities, the role his team plays in our gaming operations, and how emerging technologies are transforming the way they work.
You joined Betsson less than a year ago. What were your first impressions of Betsson?
It has been a great experience from the very beginning. I work alongside highly talented people who are also genuinely nice, which makes day-to-day work enjoyable and collaborative.
I was also given ownership of my tasks early on, which comes with responsibility but also reflects the trust placed in my capabilities.
What attracted you to the opportunity at our Málaga Tech Hub?
Having previously worked in the iGaming industry, I was already familiar with its dynamic nature and the many opportunities it offers for learning and professional growth.
Around the time Betsson’s Tech Hub arrived in Málaga, I was looking for a new opportunity and heard about the opening in one of my favourite spots in the city. After doing some research and learning more about the company, it became clear that it was a great place to work, so joining Betsson Group felt like a no-brainer.
You’re currently working as an Acting Engineering Team Lead, supporting internal tools on the gaming side of the business. In short, what does your role involve, and what kind of challenges does your team solve?
My team is responsible for a key area within Gaming related to integrations with third-party providers. We ensure these integrations are reliable, scalable, and resilient so that our systems can communicate seamlessly with external partners.
As an Acting Engineering Team Lead, my main goal is to support the team in achieving those objectives. This involves coordinating the team’s work, aligning with other departments, helping define priorities, and removing any blockers that may impact delivery.
For someone who isn’t familiar with your area, what happens behind the scenes before a game becomes available to our customers?
Every time a game is published, we need to ensure it meets several important requirements, such as regional availability, regulatory compliance, and correct configuration within our platforms. Integrations with providers go beyond simply making games available; they also enable communication around campaigns, rewards, promotions, and other features that enhance the player experience.
How does the team manage high volumes of traffic while maintaining fast response times and high availability? Could you give us an example?
We provide a global service, so scalability is a key consideration. When balancing fast response times with data consistency, the approach depends on the application and the nature of the operation being performed. Some of the technologies and patterns we rely on include distributed caching, shared data stores, and stateless services.
As mentioned, the solution varies depending on the specific use case, but a distributed cache is a common example of how we can provide fast access to frequently requested data while reducing the load on underlying systems.
How do you ensure data is delivered quickly and reliably, and how do you measure whether the system is performing as expected?
As we discussed earlier, there are different approaches depending on the requirements and goals of a particular system. In addition to the technologies already mentioned, message queues are another key tool we use to ensure reliable communication between services and to handle workloads efficiently.
Monitoring is essential to ensure everything is performing as expected. We have real-time visibility into our services and operations through metrics, logs, and alerts, allowing us to quickly identify issues and ensure the system remains healthy and performant.
How are AI and other emerging technologies changing the way you work as a software engineer?
They are having a significant impact on the way we work, particularly by increasing productivity. AI tools help us prototype ideas faster, review code, identify potential issues, and accelerate many day-to-day engineering tasks. They are also valuable for activities such as generating documentation, creating reports, and improving knowledge sharing.
The impact is substantial, but maintaining a human-in-the-loop approach remains essential. These tools are most effective when they augment human expertise rather than replace it.
For someone considering their next career move, why should they consider joining Betsson?
If you want to be part of a challenging and fast-paced industry, work on impactful projects, and collaborate with some of the best professionals and genuinely good people in the business, Betsson is a great place to be.
Want to be part of the technology behind Betsson Group? Our Product Development teams work across multiple engineering hubs to build and maintain the systems that power our operations.
Learn more about our Product Development team and explore our current career opportunities.