Opening a Casino Business: Comprehensive Guide

More entrepreneurs consider entering the gambling business world and creating an online casino. As lots of people participate in the industry, the sphere offers various lucrative opportunities.

Smart Money specialists have prepared a detailed guide that will help you create an online casino with minimal time and effort.

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How to Start an iGaming Project

Developing a web gambling business step by step foresees:

1. Preparation of a business plan. This is a stage that determines how the casino will be developed.
2. Obtaining a licence. With the official document, you can open a digital establishment in your country or the international arena.
3. Choosing the right software. This includes selecting and installing slots, payment modules, security plugins, and other programs for a successful result.
4. Launching the ready project.

Operators can require help from guide companies since it is difficult for novice entrepreneurs to open an online casino without assistance. Both software development and paperwork take a lot of time.

Creating a web establishment requires effort, skills and money. Operators can borrow strength and knowledge from external contractors. This may be software providers and legal advisers who understand the intricacies of the gambling market and have first-hand experience with opening the business. Ordering a turnkey product is also a fitting option.

There are many methods of creating an internet gambling platform. Some of them require less financial outlay, but more time. Others involve development without investment at all. Each variant has its pros and cons.

Creating a web casino should start with choosing your path as a gambling business owner. Let us see which way is better to go.

Turnkey Casino

This is probably one of the most common ways to set up an iGaming platform. Entrepreneurs resort to it when they understand what a huge amount of work is behind the launch of a gambling project.

That is why there are so many offers on the Internet regarding creating a turnkey establishment. Many companies offer not only the "backbone" of the casino, which is its software component, but also all kinds of services in addition: marketing support, connection to a large call centre with experienced support staff, etc.

Smart Money states that the service is very popular. Competition directly affects the cost of a turnkey project. The independent development of an online casino is almost more expensive than simply buying it.

The cost starts from $20,000, and there is no upper ceiling. In a package, managers get everything they need for a successful start of the project at any time.

Franchise

The second most popular method is working with a web casino franchise. The essence of this approach is that you open a land-based casino or create a slot machine site with the help of a famous and successful brand.

The main advantage of the franchise is that the name of the parent company is well known among gamblers and they easily trust you. There are also other benefits:

• you get all the necessary software from the franchisee, which is repeatedly tested, proven and 99% working without failures;
• you do not need to obtain a licence to open an online casino, because creating it on a franchise basis involves working under a "mother" permission to operate;
• all player requests are sent to the support team of the main company and you do not need to handle them yourself;
• like in the case of buying a turnkey project, you can open an online casino with significant savings in time and energy.

However, this method of opening a business is not for everyone since it has several drawbacks:

• franchisees develop someone else's network, not theirs;
• in the future, you will not be able to develop the business as you want, as you will be limited by the terms of the contract;
• you will have to make monthly deductions, a certain per cent of earnings for using the package.

This means that the more you earn, the more you give to the franchisor each month. At the same time, you pay taxes and a commission for payment operations separately. The cost of such an agreement differs depending on the franchisor. Each of them has its list of conditions.

A franchise is a good solution for a new entrepreneur, especially if you do not want to bother with licences, programs and the development of an unknown brand.

Script for a Casino

The engine is considered the easiest and cheapest way to open a digital business. This is a ready-made gaming code that can be integrated into the site. Slot machines can be built on top and this entire construction can be put into operation.

In practice, it is not always easy to create an online casino in this way. The script is a raw product that needs refinement. Only entrepreneurs who understand programming can do it qualitatively. You can outsource this task, but then the cost will be comparable to buying a finished casino.

There are plenty of supposedly free scripts on the Web. But who and why distributes this software? Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for such an engine to be harmful. It can start transferring the financial and banking data of players (and the owner) to third parties after being launched.

Buying or Renting a Casino

A gambling club can be bought. But the price will be high because you acquire established customers, partners, and advertising channels with an ongoing, profitable project.

Another interesting option offered by web casino development studios is the opportunity to rent a ready-made project for several days. This is a good chance to imagine that you have already completed the creation of an online casino and are the owner of an active club, to evaluate attendance, profit, and prospects.

You can learn more about these opportunities from Smart Money specialists who will help you choose the appropriate option, estimate costs and select software.

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Programming

This is the longest-term option for opening an online project. You will need to put a huge amount of time, effort and programming knowledge into development.

After you prepare the gaming engine, you need to create a casino site. Usually, this is done by a team of specialists: designers, programmers, content managers, marketers, etc. You will have to master all these directions on your own.

Independent Development of a Casino: Where to Start?

If you are interested in how to create a casino without involving specialists, then you should first evaluate the amount of knowledge required to develop each element of a web gambling club.

What knowledge is needed to elaborate on an online casino:

1. To create a gaming system, professionals use programming languages ​​such as PHP, HTML5, Java, and CSS3. It is also desirable to understand how to make the platform secure, reliable and resistant to external and internal threats.
2. A casino needs slots and other entertainment. They are created on HTML5 technology. Master the basics of design, because unpleasant games will not attract players to the site.
3. You have to understand the principles of building sites, SEO optimisation, and MySQL and JavaScript operation since it is impossible to create a slot machine portal without them.

Look at the sites of your competitors, how they work, what languages ​​the software is written in, and what technology is used in the slots. Based on such analysis, you can gradually create the project yourself.

Business Plan and Funding

The main secret of how to make a web casino profitable is to draft a business plan. A detailed strategy makes it possible to spot mistakes “on paper” and correctly allocate funds.

How to open an online casino using the business plan:

1. Calculate how much traffic and how many bets you need to receive every day to make the online casino pay off.
2. Work on the project until you are sure that creating an online casino was a good idea. With a promising plan, you can safely go to investors and try to get excellent funding for a powerful start.
3. A well-written business plan will come in handy when applying for a licence since, in some jurisdictions, it is impossible to run a project without a thoughtful strategy for the next 3–5 years.

It does not matter how you plan to open an online casino (with or without investor funds), you will need a powerful concept. The plan must set out a detailed financial part: the authorised capital, the prize fund, the expected payback period and other relevant data.

The cost of launching a casino is highly dependent on the path you choose and can range from 0 to more than $100,000. Let us look at the main financial costs when creating a business.

Gambling Licence

If you open an online casino without a permit, you have to face 3 unpleasant aspects of illegal work:

• solvent players will not trust you with their money;
• software developers who care about their reputation will not agree to cooperate;
• regulatory authorities will try to ban you.

It is much easier to create a slots site with all the necessary work permits.

Where to Get a Licence to Open a Digital Casino Legally?

It all depends on which market you plan to work in. If you are interested in the internet space of a particular country, just obtain its licence. If you want to create an online casino known to the whole world, then you have to enter the international market with a corresponding document.

Such licences are often obtained in the EU or offshore countries. Among the most demanded are Curacao, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Costa Rica, the Isle of Man, the UK, etc.

An offshore document will cost $15,000 or more. This option is suitable for projects that are aimed at many years of work, have strong financial support and have a large human resource. For more modest businesses, we recommend buying a franchise or programming an online casino yourself.

Casino Site Development

Creating a slot machine portal can be a challenging, yet rewarding task. Here are the main components:

1. Attractive site. Its creation is best left to a specialist. You can use a template but such an interface will not help your portal stand out from other casinos.
2. CRM system. It helps manage all the content on the site. Modern offerings are easy to use even for beginners. To combine a design and CRM, you will need an experienced front-end specialist.
3. Gaming software. Integrate it into the site and test for errors. At the same stage, you can deal with the connection of payment systems. Buy the largest software packages with additional services to open an online casino much faster.
4. SEO. The development part takes a lot of time, but it is useless without effective promotion on the Web.
5. Advertising. Create well-thought-out campaigns, special offers and discount systems for your customers.

Casino Platform

This is the foundation of a casino. Without a high-quality system, you cannot hope for stable and long-term work or constant profit.

Experienced business owners recommend using casino platforms from well-known manufacturers. They are rather expensive but you can be sure of the code of such a platform.

What characteristics should a casino system have:

• stability;
• the security of payment transfers;
• the safety of financial and personal data;
• functionality and flexible configuration;
• openness (the ability to add new software and modify it to suit the needs of the casino).

The development part is always easier if you do it together with a major provider who can customise the platform to the state you need.

When choosing a manufacturer or a supplier, pay attention to such factors:

• the company knows exactly how to open a web casino and can confirm it with successful cases;
• the brand cares about its reputation and always meets the needs of the client;
• it is easy to find reviews of the work on the Internet;
• the name of the supplier is well-known in the gambling business;
• the firm proposes to create a casino comprehensively and can take on related tasks.

The software of each manufacturer has its specific characteristics. You need to decide what functions are required in your case.

Seek advice on the selection of software from Smart Money specialists. We will tell you in detail how to open an iGaming site and not spend a fortune.

Win&Win Casino

The platform from this brand has become the most popular in the Ukrainian internet segment in the last couple of years. This is a great product with flexible settings and a huge pool of features. With Win&Win, you can create an online casino in one day.

The company is very friendly towards start-up entrepreneurs. For those who doubt their abilities or are not sure that the casino platform is worth the money, the provider offers a demo version. Using it you can create your project and evaluate the result in practice, and only then pay the developer.

Gaminator

This is a large gambling company, ready to create a web casino from scratch and provide good software for existing projects. One of the main advantages of Gaminator is partnerships with many major slot developers, including Novomatic, Igrosoft, Realtime Gaming, NetEnt, Playtech, etc.

Gaminator customers get access to a database of more than 400 high-quality slot machines. It is twice as easy to open your casino with such a partner.

Superomatic

The company’s gaming system was created for the owners of online casinos and gambling clubs with terminals. The system helps overview the state of the business at any moment.

Superomatic quickly and efficiently sets up the operation of slots, which makes the gaming conditions comfortable for both players and employees. The brand supplies HD entertainment that looks very similar to old-style slot machines, as well as beautiful games with a modern design. The company provides support 24/7.

You will find more high-quality gaming platforms and information about reliable manufacturers on the Smart Money site.

Slots and Other Games

Usually, casino content is created using HTML5 technology. Why is this so beneficial?

1. Such games can be opened on any device: PC, tablet, or smartphone, regardless of screen size and gadget power.
2. HTML5 is a more modern language. It is actively developing and is considered almost ubiquitous.
3. Flash games are not working anymore. You will lose all players with this outdated technology.

You can learn HTML5 for free by finding relevant information on the Internet. It will help you create an online casino with interesting slots.

Where to Buy Games?

Large manufacturers of well-known casino content rarely make contact with people and companies that have just decided to open an online casino. They prefer to outsource sales to intermediaries. These conduct all negotiations on software purchases. Usually, they have very balanced and proven packages with a platform, slots, and other necessary programs.

Some business owners do not understand which games are popular and profitable enough. This is the main advantage of the package offer: experts with statistics and analytical data make a selection of the finest slots.

Look for suppliers of licensed games. For example, Smart Money is the official representative of well-known manufacturers Microgaming, Amatic, NetEnt, Novomatic, Playtech, etc. Also, the company helps to develop a digital casino from scratch.

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Payment Systems

Operators should choose financial plugins only from well-established brands. Otherwise, the funds of players and yours will be in danger. Think not only about how to create an online casino but also about how to protect it.

Reliable payment systems will help you with this. These are special programs designed to make monetary operations quickly, accurately and safely.

Di-Pay

It is a large payment operator known for its transparent policy and soft conditions. The brand has become popular among casino operators. Di-Pay is a company that always fulfils its obligations, thanks to which the organisation receives a lot of positive feedback.

The Di-Pay payment module was created back in 2007, but its functionality is improving every month. Over the past decade, it has become insanely popular among operators and gamblers. Developers often resort to it when deciding to create a casino site.

Di-Pay products are used by about 1,000 companies. Clients often note the focus on customers, transparency and an attentive approach to any issue from the provider’s side.

Finstrum

One of the most interesting payment programs operating these days is the Finstrum electronic check system. Almost 400 poker rooms, web casinos and other entertainment resources, as well as online stores, use it.

Finstrum allows operators to receive payments from customers who do not have bank cards or do not want to disclose additional information about themselves. By connecting the program, you attract an audience that bypasses most gambling clubs.

By purchasing Finstrum, you receive a powerful payment module with which you can open an online casino or create an add-on site for a land-based establishment.

Security Systems

Responsibility for the safety of data and money on the players' accounts lies on the casino operator and software creators. It is up to you how everything will be implemented.

Here are several recommendations:

• Use secure 256-bit SSL encryption for every transaction.
• Install licensed software. People who make money by hacking casino accounts quickly distinguish cheap software from a well-developed platform.
• Connect a security module. This is a special product that analyses the behaviour of players and can automatically protect you from unwanted visitors.

Before opening a casino for visitors, it is necessary to test the site for vulnerabilities. Make sure everything is working well.

Casino Marketing

It is difficult to promote a gambling project on the Internet without proper knowledge and experience. Advertising laws in some states make it more complicated since there are a whole set of rules and restrictions. Resort to specialists to make this task easier.

Most often, casinos are promoted using:

• free spins or multiplication of the deposit;
• bonuses for active play;
• loyalty programs;
• e-mail newsletters;
• affiliates, etc.

Partnership Programs

This is a special module that tracks the number of clicks to your site and collects data about where visitors came from, how much money they left in the casino, etc. Based on this information, you transfer part of the proceeds to the partner who brought people to your site.

As for affiliate programs as a method, their essence is as follows: a webmaster creates a site for the casino, gathering a gambling audience with video reviews of games, descriptions of mechanics, etc. Here, you can buy advertising space. The partner receives a percentage of the money lost on the casino site or a fixed amount for each referred player.

The difficulty lies in choosing the optimal payment terms that are beneficial for both the casino and the webmaster. Good software solves this problem by offering balanced conditions.

The Main Things about Creating a Casino with Smart Money

To open a casino, start by looking for a reliable partner that can handle legal issues, install good software, and take care of solving problems.

From Smart Money gambling experts, you will learn how to create a web casino, start a betting business or open a lottery with minimal investment of money and time.

Here is what we can do for you:

• develop a project concept that is interesting for players in a certain region or around the world;
• select and install the software in a package with games, payment services, security systems and other necessary products;
• create a casino site, which will reach key positions in search engines in a few months;
• set up an effective advertising campaign taking into account the psychology of gamblers;
• take over the player support, the solution of emerging problems and technical nuances.

Contact our experts to receive more information and lucrative offers.

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