The United Kingdom online gambling market is the largest regulated online gambling market in the world. This makes it incredibly profitable and attractive for anyone looking to start their very own online casino in the nation.
However, launching an online casino can actually prove to be quite complicated and confusing, which is why the experts at www.smartphonecasinos.co.uk have shared their advice and knowledge to help you achieve your dream.
Obtaining an Operator License
Before you can do anything, the most important thing you should do is obtain a license from either the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority.
Online gaming services operating in the UK are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and must possess a license from the firm in order to accept UK-based players and to promote themselves on the market. A valid license is also important when it comes to partnering up with a software provider such as NetEnt, Playtech or Microgaming, but more on that later.
The UK Gambling Commission
To obtain a license from the UK Gambling Commission, you must submit an application to the firm and provide all supporting evidence. The entire process generally takes around 16 weeks to complete, though you can consult a lawyer to speed the process up.
The UK Gambling Commission will approve your license if you meet a strict set of guidelines called the License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). Some of the guidelines include:
- The person must offer fair and open gambling
- The person must never exploit, harm, or otherwise use children in any way, and children are not allowed to partake in the gambling activities
- The person must offer assistance programs, 12-step or otherwise, to help gamblers who develop an addiction or other gambling problem
In addition to the above, you’ll need to undergo a DBS check and, as a gambling operator, you’ll be required to help stop criminal activity that is connected to gambling such as money laundering. This means that the person who owns the online casino will need to keep accurate and detailed records of all transactions and must make effort to spot and stop any criminal activity.
You’ll also need to pay an annual fee which is due around 30 days after the license has been issued.
Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
You can also obtain a license from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) which will allow your online casino to accept players from some EU countries. An added benefit of obtaining an MGA license is that the jurisdiction is on the “white list” issued by the UK Gambling Commission, meaning that operators with an MGA license can advertise their services to UK players.
To obtain a license from the MGA, you must provide documental evidence that you can legally and professionally run an online casino. For example, casino operators looking to obtain an MGA license cannot have a criminal record and must provide a business plan, details of gaming software systems and much more.
In addition to this, the hosting of the game’s servers must be in Malta and operators must pass a “Fit and Proper” test. You’re also required to pay a license fee as well as gaming tax.
Build Your Casino Site
While applying for your online casino license you should think about your website. What do you want the website to look like, how do you want games presented and what might be the overall theme? They’re all important questions to ask yourself.
You should also look at which software provider you want to partner with. The software providers basically provide your website with their games and services and it’s important to decide which one you’d prefer to work with. Some of the most popular include NetEnt, Microgaming and Playtech.
However, it’s important to remember that the software provider you chose to partner with must meet the guidelines of either the UK Gambling Commission, GMA or both. The gambling operator must also decide which types of payment systems they want to include, as well as the customer service options. Much of this can be arranged with the software provider, so it’s important to have an idea of what you want to offer before contacting different providers.
White Label Websites
Rather than building your own website from scratch, you can actually purchase a white label website which is designed to look and feel like a company or brand but is operated by a different company.
When you buy a white label you’re essentially buying a ready-made casino site. You won’t need to partner with a software provider as it’s already done, you won’t need to apply for games license because it’s already done and they sometimes even come with their own customer support team.
You’ll be in charge of marketing the website to build traffic and can change the branding to your own, but the white label provider will essentially run the entire backend for you including games, payment services and much more.
Purchasing a white label website generally involves a one-off initial payment as well as a continuous payment of a percentage of your annual or monthly earnings. Many operators choose to set up their own company with white label providers because it’s easy and simple.
Getting Traffic
In order to survive and make money, you’re going to need players. This means you’re going to need to reach out and attract them through either social media or other means.
You can use SEO to boost your position in Google’s or other search engine’s results. To do this, you’ll have to rank high with important search terms and beat out some of the more popular competition. However, this will provide you with a steady flow of customers.
As mentioned above, you can also use social media to market your site by using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram advertising. Or you can advertise your online casino in print or on other websites.
Operators also entice new customers with special promotions and regularly offer bonuses or other rewards to long-term players in order to keep them. This can also be something to consider when it comes to marketing your casino website.
Doing this can be quite hard as there’s already plenty of competition in the online gambling industry, but it’s not impossible.
Launching an Online Casino
All in all, launching your very own online casino in the UK can be an extremely daunting task. But if done right, it can also be highly profitable. We suggest you research the laws regarding online casinos, the different software providers out there and the different gambling licenses. In fact, you should aim to have an idea of what you want your online casino to be like before doing anything. Research popular competitors and see what they’re doing and what you can do better and differently.
As we mentioned above, it’ll be hard to beat out the competition immediately and you won’t be able to overtake some of the more recent casino sites overnight. It’ll be a long journey, but it will be rewarding.
