It’s the dream of many people to own and run their own casino. But the investment needed to create a lavish and ornately decorated environment as well as to install the slots and gaming tables and employ a workforce of managers, dealers and support staff is beyond the budget of most of us.
It’s a different story, however, if we want to set up an online casino business. Yes, there are hurdles to overcome and expenses to be met. But this is a sector that’s booming, far more than its brick and mortar rivals. According to American Gaming Association figures iGaming saw a year on year rise of 28.7% from 2023 to 2024, generating a gross revenue of $8.41 billion.
This is all the more remarkable as only six US states currently allow online casinos, although several more are set to follow.
This all adds up to the fact that opening up an online casino could be a very sound business proposition if you follow the right seven step process.
- Research the market
Step One is going to be to make a thorough examination of the current market. Look for what the biggest and most successful online casinos are offering players. See what the typical welcome bonus looks like and try to work out which demographics are being well-served, and which aren’t. It’s the latter that’s going to be most important as it might demonstrate a gap in the market that you can fill.
- Obtain a licence
Without a licence you may not be able to operate legally in any market. But you do have a choice about where you obtain it from. For example, in the UK it’s the Gambling Commission that grants them and there are other authorities everywhere from Malta to Gibraltar and even in the Isle of Man. To obtain a license you will have to fulfil certain requirements including showing that you are a fit and proper person to run an online casino. It will also be necessary to prove that you will have the cash reserves to pay players when they win.
- Branding and design
Next comes the first creative element of the business. You will want your site to have a distinctive look and feel rather than just being a “me too” business. This will involve everything from thinking of a memorable and unique name for the casino to choosing the colours that are going to feature. It’s also important to consider the user-experience here to make sure that your website is easy to navigate.
- Build the back end
Not to get too technical, any online casino is going to need the software to make it run properly. This is where the so-called back end design comes in. This will make sure that the site not only looks good but works well. The most economical way is to buy an off-the-shelf solution from one of the many iGaming developers out there. A more expensive, but tailor-made, option would be to get a developer to start from scratch. Whichever route you choose, arguably the most important element is going to be the random number generator you use. It’s this that will ensure that all your games are demonstrably fair to play.
- Add the games
Once the skeleton of your online casino is in place it’s time to populate it with games. There are a huge range of slots out there to select from a wide number of providers. You will also need to decide where you are going to get your table games like roulette and blackjack along with any others you might want to include.
- Choose the payment systems that you’ll use
Today there are many more ways for players to deposit and withdraw money than ever before. Alongside the traditional methods of cards and bank transfers a whole host of digital wallets are available. Big names include PayPal, Neteller and Skrill so you might want to feature these. If you really want to be leading edge then you could join the growing number of online casinos that accept cryptocurrency payments.
- Set up customer support
A small but very significant detail of any online casino is the customer service and support it provides. Having a comprehensive list of FAQs, organised into distinct categories, is essential. AI-driven support is now also readily available and is becoming more and more sophisticated all the time. So it’s a good idea to earmark a proportion of your budget for this too.
So, after following these seven steps you should have an online casino site that’s ready to go. Then it’s just a question of sorting out your marketing activity and making sure you’re ready for lift-off on the day that it finally goes live!
Cassia Rowley is the mastermind behind advertising at The Bad Pod. She blends creativity with strategy to make sure ads on our site do more than just show up—they spark interest and make connections. Cassia turns simple ad placements into engaging experiences that mesh seamlessly with our content, truly capturing the attention of our audience.