Building a portfolio for casino work is tricky. Three freelancers explain what matters.

Q: What do you include in your portfolio?

"Whatever I'm legally allowed to show," Lucia says immediately. "70% of my work is under NDA. I negotiate upfront for portfolio rights. If client won't budge, I build personal demo projects that showcase similar mechanics. Not as impressive as real launches, but proves I can do the work."

Anders takes a different approach. "I show process documentation instead of finished games when NDAs block me. Probability spreadsheets, wireframes, performance optimization notes. Serious clients care about methodology."

Q: What impresses clients most?

"Shipped games with metrics," both Lucia and Marcus say. Marcus elaborates: "Saying 'I built a slot game' means nothing. Saying 'I built a slot game that averaged 6.2 minutes play time and 38% replay rate' shows impact. I ask clients permission to share anonymized performance data."

Anders adds: "Technical depth. I include a case study showing how I reduced memory usage by 40% on a bonus round. Clients hiring experienced freelancers want to see problem-solving skills."

Q: Should you include personal projects?

"Only if they're polished," Lucia warns. "Half-finished demo with placeholder art makes you look amateurish. I'd rather show three solid professional pieces than six mediocre personal experiments."

Q: What about showing versatility?

"Mixed opinions," Marcus admits. "Some freelancers show slots, poker, bingo variants to prove range. I specialize in slot mechanics exclusively now. Market pays more for specialists. My portfolio deliberately focuses on one thing done extremely well."

Anders disagrees slightly. "I show variety within slot mechanics—different math models, bonus structures, visual styles. Proves adaptability without looking scattered."