Sink or Swim: How To Open Successful Online Casino In 2024? Brief Guide For Future Operators

Have you ever heard that online casinos bring fortunes to their operators? Opening an online casino can indeed be profitable for several reasons. First, online gambling has been experiencing continuous growth over the years. Second, online gambling platforms typically have lower overhead costs. Third, operating an online casino allows you to reach a global audience. Tempting, isn’t it? Let’s start a prosperous online casino together!

Guide To Starting Online Casino

Once you decide to operate an online gambling platform, you need a plan:

1. Research the market;
2. Create a business plan;
3. Obtain licenses;
4. Select an iGaming provider;
5. Integrate casino games;
6. Set up payment processing;
7. Elaborate on a marketing strategy;

Looks pretty clear and simple. Now it’s time to dive into the nuances.

Keep in mind that the following information represents a basic business outline. The setting up of a payment platform, in particular, requires advanced knowledge, especially when dealing with cryptocurrencies. 

1. Research the market

Analyze the industry. For that:

• Inspect the online gambling market: its size, growth trends, and projected developments.
• Describe key market segments: casino games, sports betting, poker, and lottery. Assess their growth potential.
• Explore emerging trends: mobile gaming, live dealer games, virtual reality, and blockchain-based casinos.

Then, establish your target audience. For that:

• Understand the preferences, needs, and motivations of online casino players: favorite games, preferred payment methods, and devices they use
• Consider geography: regional regulations and cultural differences that may influence player behavior.

Do not forget to identify existing online casinos and gambling platforms that operate in your target market. Gauge their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis) to find out gaps and favorable circumstances in the market.

2. Create a business plan

In your business plan, describe your online casino, its legal structure, ownership, and management team. Explain your vision, values, and long-term strategic goals. Define your target market segments and customer demographics, highlighting their preferences, needs, and behavior patterns.

Additionally, specify the range of casino games and services you plan to offer. Determine your competitive advantages, such as exclusive game titles, innovative features, or personalized player experiences.

Outline your marketing and customer acquisition strategies, including online and offline channels. Define your brand positioning, messaging, and promotional tactics to attract and retain players.

3. Obtain licenses

The best licenses for an online casino come from reputable regulatory jurisdictions with established frameworks. Examine several regulators and assess their suitability for your business. Consider their reputation, requirements, licensing costs, taxation, and the level of player protection.

The most respected regulatory licenses for online gambling are:

• Malta iGaming License (https://www.mga.org.mt/);
• United Kingdom License;
• Gibraltar License;
• Isle of Man License;
• Alderney License;
• Curaçao License;
• Kahnawake License.

Thoroughly peruse the requirements of your jurisdiction. Submit necessary documentation: business plans, financial statements, compliance policies, and background checks for key personnel. Maintain ongoing compliance with regulators and pay renewal fees to keep your license active.

It's important to understand that some gaming licensing jurisdictions change policy over time.  Case in point, Curaçao has stopped allowing sublicensing effective Spring 2024 while that Caribbean nation will focus more on established operators. 

Isle of Man has always been a tough cookie to crack.  Kahnawake does tend to provide easier access for newly established operators and those who offer their services in so-called "grey" markets, including the US.  This has been our experience here at Gambling911.com over the years at least.

4. Select an iGaming provider

Investigate various providers. Pay attention to their reputation, experience, portfolio of clients, and industry awards. Compare the functionalities and customization options they offer. Look for advanced features, like live dealer games, virtual reality experiences, sports betting integration, and multi-currency support.

Ensure your provider holds valid licenses from trustworthy jurisdictions, such as Malta, UK, or Curaçao. Verify that the provider's software meets industry standards for fairness, security, and responsible gambling, including certification from independent testing agencies like eCOGRA or iTech Labs.

Consider the pricing structure, licensing fees, and revenue-sharing arrangements. Scrutinize the terms and conditions of the contract: contract duration, termination clauses, and any hidden fees or additional costs.

5. Integrate casino games

Choose esteemed game providers with a diverse range of high-quality casino games: slots, table games, live dealer games, and specialty games. Acquire necessary licenses and agreements from providers to legally integrate their games into your platform.

Design and customize the game lobby on your website. Organize games into categories and provide filters for easy navigation. Ensure that casino games are optimized for mobile devices. Implement responsive design and user interface elements for mobile compatibility.

Understand the costs involved as the best casino platforms will charge X amount of dollars to incorporate their games. 

6. Set up payment processing

Firstly, pick reliable payment service providers with many payment options for your target audience. Think about transaction fees, supported currencies, geographic coverage, and integration flexibility.

Once you integrate your payment gateway, to protect sensitive financial information and prevent fraud, implement security measures. The bare minimum are the following protections:

• SSL encryption,
• Tokenization,
• Two-factor authentication.

Next, establish merchant accounts with the chosen provider to process incoming payments and manage funds securely. Merchant accounts enable you to accept payments from players and receive payouts from gaming transactions.

As noted above, the setting up of payment solutions does require advanced expertise.  Most payment options are only available in specific jurisdictions, for example (i.e. Zelle is only available in the US market at the moment).  Likewise, some credit card issuing banks still do not allow their cards to be used for gambling purposes. 

7. Elaborate on a marketing strategy

To advertise your casino and invite players, you need to spread brand awareness, acquire new players, retain existing gamblers. For that, define what sets your casino apart from competitors and why players should prefer your platform over others.

Use the most effective marketing channels to reach your target audience. Make a good use of online and offline channels:

• Search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing;
• Social media marketing (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn);
• Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising (Google Ads, Bing Ads);
• Affiliate marketing and partnerships with influencers or affiliates;
• Email marketing campaigns and newsletters;
• Sponsorships, events, and promotions.

Develop engaging and relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. Here come blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, and social media posts that tell about your casino games, promotions, and special events.

It is a good idea to incentivize new players with bonuses and promotions. To encourage existing gamblers, you can add weekly perks, loyalty rewards, and VIP programs.

What’s next?

Track and measure your performance. Enable tracking tools and analytics to monitor the efficiency of your marketing campaigns. Track KPIs, namely website traffic, conversion rates, player acquisition cost (CPA), and return on investment (ROI).

Continuously evaluate the potency of your marketing efforts and make adjustments based on data, industry updates, and user reviews. Test different strategies, messages, technologies, and instruments to reach success.

- B.E. Delmer, Gambling911.com