Uplatform analysis: Squid Game finale and iGaming’s daily battle for survival

In this article, iGaming platform provider Uplatform explores the challenges that operators face in the highly competitive online gaming sector, drawing parallels to Netflix's hit show Squid Game.

Everything comes to an end. On July 27, after four years of heartbreak, betrayals, alliances, and that unforgettable Red Light, Green Light, Squid Game will air its long-awaited season finale.

What makes Squid Game so addictive isn't just the danger or the games. It’s the way ordinary people, when pushed to the edge, reveal who they truly are. It’s not so different from highly competitive industries where everyone claims to play fair, until they don’t. The masks may be different, but the stakes feel just as real. 

Every single day, operators step onto their own games: no guards in pink jumpsuits, no creepy animatronics, but the tension is still very real.

• Adapting to new regulations faster than competitors: When regulators drop a surprise rule change, you either pivot or you get eliminated. Just like the contestants nervously facing the giant animatronic Young-hee, waiting for the music to stop, one wrong move can cost you everything. Regulatory changes can hit at any time, and those who can’t adapt in time hear the metaphorical gunshot. The ones who survive are the ones who read the signs early, calculate fast, and make sharp, timely decisions.

• Entering emerging markets before it’s too late: Some operators hesitate. Others move fast, like the players who raced across the glass bridge. You want to step on the right tile. Just like a game in Squid Games, where you have to enter the door before the time runs out. Who didn’t make it - tough luck, you have to be better, faster and more agile to make it in this business. Opportunities don’t wait. Whether it's Latin America opening up or Southeast Asia’s booming demand, hesitation means watching someone else take your place.

• Balancing risk, engagement, and profit: Like the dalgona candy game: carve too fast, you break it. Move too imprecise, you're out. Life loves balance; you have to strategize and make precise strategies to rise to the top. The shape may look simple at first, but every detail matters. Marketing strategy, bonus structures, player segmentation — one careless decision and everything falls apart.

• Keeping up with players who expect perfection: Players demand flawless UX, personalized offers, and instant withdrawals. You're playing marbles against ruthless expectations. Just like Gi-hun and Il-nam sitting across from each other, one tiny mistake and you’re out of the game. Operators aren’t just competing for new players; they’re fighting to retain the ones they already have — and players have zero tolerance for imperfections.

In Squid Game, success wasn’t about being the strongest. It was about reading the room, understanding the rules, and playing the long game. The same applies to iGaming. Markets shift, regulations tighten, and competition never sleeps. But unlike Gi-hun, iGaming operators don’t have to do it alone. 

With Uplatform, you’re not guessing which shape to carve. You get the full blueprint. Sportsbook, localization, risk management, payment solutions, content aggregation, all the tools that let operators survive not just this round, but the next ten.

Because while Squid Game’s story wraps up in one week, your story is only beginning.

Uplatform. The only way to play the game without losing.