The growth in the online gambling industry has been supported by the growing population and rising internet connectivity across the world. In addition, the relaxations of rules in countries such as Singapore, Brazil, Argentina, Ghana, and Australia have also pushed market expansion. Coherent Market insights have estimated that the global online gambling and betting market may rise from $46.9 billion in 2017 to $123.5 billion by 2026 with a CAGR of 11. 4% during this period.
The online gambling landscape underwent transformation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting casino operations. With the pandemic prompting players to shift from land-based casinos to online platforms, this trend persisted even as physical casinos reopened. As a result, the future of online casino development appears promising. This article delves into the essential aspects of creating top casino websites, covering licensing, design, and functionality
1. Obtain a gaming license
Getting a gaming license still remains as one of the utmost requirements for any company willing to enter the sphere of activity of operators of online casinos. A license allows an entity to operate legally as a gambling business, provide banking services, and engage in business relations with casino software developers, which will improve the level of customers’ trust. In many countries around the world, the operation of online gambling establishments is legal, and the most frequently used licensing countries include Gibraltar, Curacao, Malta, and the United Kingdom, and so on. One should note that each license has different conditions and fees. For example, licensees in Gibraltar need to prove that they are financially viable and have to submit a percentage of their annual turnover, and the Curacao licensing authority has low fees and remarkable processing times but has certain limitations on the operation. The UKGC charges fees calculated on GGR and demands high financial audits and other business documentation from applicants. In the same way, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission allows for online casinos to operate within Canada and offers licensing with certain fees and regulations. When choosing a license, the company should take into account the validity period, proper licensing costs, time for the license review, and compliance with the necessary legal regulations, which depend on the country and legal status of online gambling activities. Though some countries discourage online casinos, through legislative amendments in different states in the USA, the scenario is changing and offering new opportunities for gambling.
2. Rely on reputable casino software suppliers
There are many factors that determine the success of an online casino but a common thread for all of them is access to a wide range of games such as poker, roulette, baccarat, bingo, slots, and blackjack. These games can be incorporated into the site of a casino by using any of these two approaches. The first alternative entails collaboration with licensed casino software developers that supply APIs necessary for connecting games. Some of the well-known suppliers such as Vivo Gaming, NetEnt, Ezugi as well as Pragmatic Play have got different games that have been designed for both the desktop platform and mobile platform to make sure that the players have got a fun gaming experience from different systems. For example Evolution Gaming offers more than 40 games that are optimized for desktop computers and laptops and also tablets and smartphones with the security of the site guaranteed through the use of SSL protocols. On the other hand companies can go for the 2nd option which involves hiring 3rd party companies who are responsible for designing exclusive games for such company’s online casino platform but this alternative comes at a more expensive cost. This development path can be uniquely tailored to the client to offer a product with more immersion, increased security, and the possibility of using blockchain technology to strengthen cybersecurity and boost the company’s operational efficiency. Custom game development not only encourages efforts for bringing scalability and fault tolerance but also helps in retaining the website up and running for continuous gaming.
3. Select content revolving around casino gaming
As it has been mentioned above, a lot of users are interested in a possibility to play different games, and, therefore, a company is to provide varied gambling content. Thus, the games offered by an online casino platform should include popular games like poker, roulette, and baccarat. But to match the expectation of the customers it is advisable to do an analysis of the target audience before deciding to create a casino website. When thinking about providing a customer with the opportunity to develop new games, it might be better to begin with 3-5 games and add more small portions of new content. In choosing the right casino software provider, the considerations of available gaming content, company certification, partnership terms, and technical support can be critical.
4. Create a website for a casino
At the outset of developing a casino website, the most important aspect is the UI and UX designing. The visual design directly impacts customer interactions and affects the overall ROI. One of the studies conducted by Adobe shows that 38 percent of users are ready to drop a web solution just because the design is not appealing. Design makes the first impression, which is emphasized by SWEOR, as 94% of visitor’s first impressions are design-related. Studies indicate that users always report negative experiences with things such as difficult site menus, tiny text, intricate search capabilities, information overload, and pop-up ads. On the other hand, a thoughtfully designed UI/UX increases user satisfaction by 94% as negative feedback is associated with website design. Thus, focusing on the convenience of the site’s interface for an online casino platform is critical.
The major elements are: developing an interactive design which will prevent the user from feeling lost; providing a comprehensive UX with seamless page browsing and a logical site menu structure; providing cross-platform and cross-device compatibility; creating a distinctive style for the channel that will help to distinguish it from competitors; using colors effectively: the major parts of a site should correspond to psychological perceptions (e. g. and even use different colors to signify one topic (such as using blue for trustworthiness), and work with a professional UI/UX design service provider. The experts implement a comprehensive competitor analysis to determine their focus areas, pain points, customer reach strategy, and other factors to help a business stand out in the industry with personalized and adapted UI/UX design tools for casino websites.
5. Construct and evaluate a casino website
In preparation for the development of an online casino, a gambling entrepreneur should reassemble the main functions of the online casino for the first version of the product. This means that there is a need to provide a closer look at the needs of the viewers.
After the completion of online casino development the following important stage of quality assurance or QA is held to check whether the website corresponds to the specified project. QA provides the client with solutions that demonstrate high utility, functionality, availability, and suitability. Testing and debugging help in finding possible bottlenecks in applications and provide an opportunity to eliminate any security threats.