Having your online casino can bring many satisfactions. Still, there is a lot of work into it if you want to be relevant and attractive to gamblers. This article shows all you need to know to establish an iGaming platform and tips on maintaining it.
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Building the platform
There are three main types of iGaming platforms, and most people probably have no idea how they operate. Such aspects are explained in a definitive guide, from who creates the website to who manages the platform after it’s up and running.
Remember that the casino structure is only one aspect of many others that make a platform run and even prosper.
Create your casino from scratch
This means building the whole website, front-end and back-end. Ensure all the scrips work correctly, and no bugs or broken buttons are present. A casino made, operated, and owned by the same person or company is called standalone.
Keep in mind that this can take some time and requires hiring multiple professionals to help with the whole ordeal.
Let someone else do the work
There are two choices here, and both imply outsourcing the online casino creation; they are called turnkey and white label.
The turnkey solution provides, as the name suggests, an iGaming platform ready for use. The specialised company that builds it has contracts with payment operators, software developers, and licensing institutions. Thus, everything is ready for use, similar to buying a new car.
An external company that focuses on gaming platforms builds white label casinos. They also operate them on behalf of their client. Like turnkey, this service provides everything needed to operate an online casino, including customer support and marketing.
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Software providers
Having interesting and popular games is a must if you want to have a successful iGaming platform. For this reason, negotiating good deals with multiple software providers represents a crucial aspect.
The drawback is that the owner must talk with every provider and negotiate a contract. Discussing with each one can take some time since every casino has multiple game developers.
However, some services are called game aggregators that deliver games from different sources in one package without talking to each contractor separately.
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Payments
This is a crucial aspect of operating an online casino since gambling always involves money. Like game providers, the owner will have to talk with each payment service to use them on the platform.
However, there are alternatives known as payment aggregators or payment collection handlers. They provide transaction services from multiple financial intuitions. Therefore, making things easier since one can feature multiple methods without talking with each one.
Keep in mind that some payment providers do not want to work with online casinos since they are no strangers to controversy. One famous case was when seven online stores used the transaction laundering method to funnel gambling money, thus avoiding the rules imposed by card issuers.
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Acquire a license
All online casinos need a gaming license to operate in certain countries. For example, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission must approve any iGaming platform that operates in the UK.
It takes around four months for the UKGS to process all the necessary documents. Depending on the context, if some things do not add up, it can take even longer. Some necessary details are:
- Management structure
- Ownership structure chart
- Partnership agreements
- Articles of association
- Rules of play
- Etc.
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Use promotions
After everything is set and done, meaning the website, games, payments and licensing, the platform is ready to become live. But how does one attract new customers? If everything works smoothly, there’s one thing left to do: use promotions.
Online casinos use bonuses to appeal to new customers and keep existing ones. Before constructing a bonus, look at what the competition offers. The best way to go for new platforms is no deposit promotions since they do not require any financial commitment for players.
However, this aspect is no stranger to controversy. At one point, regulators pressured some platforms to change unfair rules like wagering their real money balance and modifying confusing terms and conditions. So, always be careful when following the guidelines to avoid possible problems.
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Maintaining your customer base
Suppose the website services work without any significant issues. There are a healthy number of promotions dedicated to new players. In that case, the casino will grow at a steady rate. But keep in mind that already existing gamblers appreciate offers targeted just for them.
Think of creating tailored promotions and more efficient services, like faster withdrawals for your long-lasting player. In this way, new players receive something for joining, and older ones obtain something for their loyalty.
Conclusion
Starting your iGaming platform is a costly and lengthy process. But, after this whole establishing ordeal, you can proudly call yourself a gambling industry entrepreneur.
Remember that having good services that provide a smooth user experience will undoubtedly make your casino stand out. But things are not constantly that straightforward in this competitive market. Anticipating your competitors’ moves is a crucial aspect of staying relevant.