With every passing year, more online casinos are entering the already saturated market. The competitive nature of this industry means that it is really difficult for online casino owners to stay ahead of their competitors. Below we are going to teach you the basics of building your own online casino.
Choose a Great Software Developer
This is one of the biggest decisions that you will be required to make as you will be entering into a long relationship with the software provider that you opt for. This is something that you really do not want to be rushing into. You need to select a software developer that knows this industry like the back of their hand and has plenty of experience when it comes to helping to build successful online casinos. In our view, you should be looking for a software creator that can provide the following:
- A game management system that is advanced
- Plenty of table games and slots
- Plenty of different methods of payment
- A front-end that you can customize easily
- Very good customer supporting
- A gambling license from a reputable regulator
If you come across a software provider that is able to offer all of this and are happy to work with you, then it would be very wise of you to form a partnership with them. The likes of Microgaming, Evolution Gaming, NetEnt, Yggdrasil Gaming, and Play’n Go are some of the most respected and best developers out there at the moment.
We should stress here that you do not have to choose on one software creator. There are many online casinos out there that have a partnership with many different software creators, while there are some online casinos that are happy to stick with one. There is no wrong or right decision here, but we must add that the more you work with, the more variation you will be able to provide your players with.
What Would You Like to Provide Your Players With?
Once you have found your software developer of choice, there are a number of questions you need to ask yourself when you are building your online casino.
- What is the best software platform for your online casino?
- Are you going to offer up games like roulette, blackjack, poker, baccarat, and slot games?
- Is there going to be a live casino?
- Will there be other features such as player stats, chat rooms, and slot tournaments?
- What type of customer support will there be? Is there going to be email, live chat, and phone?
There is a lot at stake, so you have to think long and hard about the above questions. If you just jump right in, you will cause yourself an awful lot of issues in the near future.
Get a Gambling License
When you have your own online casino, there are a number of strict rules and regulations that you have to follow. Before you can start accepting new players, you need to possess a gambling license from the country that you have set your business up in. This can take a while to get sorted, so it is best to start thinking about it right away.
When you are choosing your jurisdiction, there are some important things that you need to think about. We have listed these below for you:
- Taxes and other costs
- The licensing requirements
- Reputation
- Application process length
Once you have received that coveted gambling license, you should get a license from a reputable gambling authority as potential players will be more willing to sign up if they see that you have a license from a respected gambling authority. Some of the most respected gambling regulators include the likes of the Malta Gaming Authority, the Curacao Gaming Commission, and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission.
Choose a Payment Provider
When you are building your own online casino from scratch, you need to choose a payment provider so that your players can deposit money and start to gamble with you. To make things a lot more convenient for your players, we recommend that you select more than a handful of payment providers. The more payment methods that you offer, the more likely it will be that new players will join you.
Pay Close Attention to the Design of Your Site
You might not think it, but the way your online casino looks is really important. You need to ensure that your online casino looks nice, or you will not get many people opening an account with you. We humans, after all, are very visual beings. There are hundreds of different online casinos out there, so people do not have to settle for second best.
Below you can find some great tips that you should remember when you are building your site:
- Do not add too many graphics or elements as too many of these features will slow your site down and lead to a rubbish gambling experience
- There is no need to get too clever and add integrated graphics or movies to your site
- Ensure that the front-end of the online casino is easy to interact with
Select a Marketing Strategy
When you have all of the above taken care of, the next thing you need to do is market your new casino. You should have a look at your competitors as this will give you an idea as to what works and what does not work. The main aim that you should have is to get your new online casino to become known as a place that offers a top-quality gambling experience and one that is trustworthy. This will be tough at first due to the competitiveness of the industry, but if you ensure that you have a good looking site that offers plenty of games and payment methods, then you will be a long way towards getting your first players through your virtual doors.