To start an online casino business you need four things in place before the first deposit: a licence valid for the markets you target, a platform with certified games, payment providers willing to process for you, and a compliance function that can run KYC, AML and safer gambling from day one. Marketing comes after, and is usually where most of the money goes.
This guide works through the decisions in order, with the regulator fees and vendor price ranges that are actually published. Everything was checked on 4 November 2026. It is a planning guide, not legal advice.
Step 1: Choose the market first
Everything else follows from where your players will be.
- Regulated national or state markets (Great Britain, Ontario, US iGaming states) need a local licence or registration. Expect higher fees, higher taxes and stricter rules, in exchange for access to payment rails and a legal market. Great Britain’s Remote Gaming Duty has been 40% of profits since 1 April 2026 (HMRC). Ontario’s regulator charges C$100,000 per gaming site per year (AGCO).
- Multi-market licences (Curaçao, Kahnawake, Anjouan, Malta for some markets) cost less, but do not open the regulated national markets, and each target country’s own law still applies. Curaçao’s licence conditions require licensees to follow “the applicable laws and regulations of the jurisdictions in which they offer” games (CGA).
Markets also close. In October 2026 Brazil’s government issued a Provisional Measure banning online sports betting and iGaming, which led Flutter to close its Brazilian operations, per its Q3 2026 results; Evolution temporarily closed its Brazilian studio (Q3 2026 report). Build a plan that survives losing one market.
Step 2: Pick the licence route
Two routes:
- Own licence. You apply, you hold it, you answer to the regulator. Needed for a turnkey or in-house platform.
- Provider’s licence (white label). The platform provider holds the licence and your brand runs under it. Faster and cheaper upfront, but fewer markets accept it. SOFTSWISS notes that the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands do not allow these umbrella set-ups (SOFTSWISS).
Our licensing guide covers the application stages and what each regulator asks for.
Step 3: Set up the company and the people
- Entity. Malta requires an EU/EEA company. Curaçao requires a company established under Curaçao law with its registered office there.
- Capital. Malta sets minimum paid-up share capital of €100,000 for casino (Type 1) licences.
- People. Regulators approve named individuals: Malta’s key functions (CEO, compliance, MLRO, DPO, technology and others), Great Britain’s personal management licences, Curaçao’s compliance officers, Kahnawake’s key person permits.
- Money. Expect a source of funds and source of wealth review on every significant owner.
Step 4: Choose the platform model
| Model | Licence | Upfront (vendor-published estimate) | Ongoing | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White label | Provider’s | ~€20,000 to €60,000+ (SOFTSWISS) | Higher revenue share | Testing demand where the provider’s licence works |
| Turnkey | Yours | ~€60,000 to €100,000+ (SOFTSWISS); $40,000 to $150,000 planning band for ready-made platforms (NuxGame) | Flat fee or revenue share | Regulated markets, multi-brand plans |
| In-house build | Yours | ~€100,000+ (SOFTSWISS); $200,000 to $500,000+ (NuxGame) | Your own engineering | Large operators with product ambitions |
Sources: SOFTSWISS knowledge base (updated 15 October 2026) and NuxGame’s cost article, which describes its figures as “planning bands, not fixed quotes”. Most other vendors price on request. Our white label cost explainer goes through the drivers.
Step 5: Line up the games
Content arrives through an aggregator bundled with the platform, or through direct studio integrations. Check two things:
- Certification for your market. In Curaçao every game must be certified by a CGA-approved lab, and operators must disclose their game suppliers.
- Commercials. Content is usually priced as a revenue share on GGR, and SoftGamings says well-known studios “significantly increase costs” (SoftGamings).
Step 6: Payments and player funds
Expect payment providers to ask for your licence, ownership, AML policies and processing history before onboarding. Plan for:
- Several providers per market, so one closure does not stop deposits.
- Reserves. NuxGame’s budget guide lists PSP reserves and payout reserves as separate working-capital lines; ask each provider for its reserve terms.
- Segregation. Curaçao requires player funds in a segregated account, and payments only through the player account. Malta licensees file player funds reports.
- Crypto, if relevant. Curaçao allows virtual currencies that trade on regulated exchanges but bars converting between virtual and fiat currencies for players.
Step 7: Build compliance before launch
The minimum stack:
- KYC and age verification at registration, with enhanced checks on risk triggers (vendors compared in our KYC providers list).
- AML: business risk assessment, customer risk scoring, transaction monitoring and suspicious activity reporting.
- Safer gambling: deposit limits, self-exclusion and staff intervention.
- Player terms and complaints, with an ADR route where the regulator requires one.
- Reporting to the regulator on its calendar. Curaçao requires incident reports within 24 hours.
Step 8: Plan acquisition
The usual acquisition channels are affiliates, search and paid media where the market allows it. Affiliate deals are revenue share, CPA or hybrid, calculated on terms you set in your own programme. Our affiliate marketing explainer shows how operators structure those programmes. Budget bonuses as a cost line: in Gibraltar, for example, promotional incentives cannot be deducted from gross gaming profit for duty.
A first-year budget skeleton
Fill in your own quotes. Published regulator figures are shown where they exist; everything else is a line to price.
| Line | Published reference point |
|---|---|
| Licence application (own licence) | €4,592 Curaçao; €5,000 Malta; £5,250 Isle of Man; £30,000 Gibraltar; £8,185+ Great Britain |
| Annual licence fees | €47,450 Curaçao; €25,000 plus compliance contribution Malta; £36,750 Isle of Man; £50,000+ Gibraltar; £7,000+ Great Britain |
| Platform setup | Vendor estimates above, or quote |
| Platform and content revenue share | Quote |
| Payment processing and reserves | Quote |
| KYC, fraud and AML tools | Quote, per check or subscription |
| Legal, audits, system testing | Quote |
| Staff: compliance, MLRO, support, CRM | Salaries |
| Marketing and bonuses | Your plan |
| Gaming taxes | Market rates, e.g. 40% RGD in Great Britain, 5% on Malta players |
Regulator sources: UKGC, MGA, Isle of Man GSC, Gibraltar LN.2026/065, CGA.
Launch checklist
- Target markets and the licence each requires
- Licence route chosen (own or provider’s) and confirmed in writing
- Company, capital, key people and source of funds evidence ready
- Platform contract signed, with exit and data terms
- Games certified for each target market
- At least two payment providers live
- KYC, AML, safer gambling and complaints processes tested
- Regulatory reporting calendar owned by a named person
- Affiliate programme terms published
- Contingency plan if a market closes
This guide is for business readers aged 18+. If gambling is harming you or someone close to you, our responsible gambling page lists support, including the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133.