Before colourful slot machines start filling up your online casino, it is imperative to acquire an online gambling licence from the right licensing authority. The choice will determine the course of your gambling business, including the types of entertainment you will be allowed to provide on your platform, any potential gaming taxes, the annual fee, the people that can visit your site, etc. Legal regulations tend to be very complex, and in the case of online gambling sites, they necessitate certain approaches and procedures even before the development phase begins. createIT, as a provider of online casinos and sports betting platforms, has a few tips on how to prepare the systems of gambling businesses for challenges of conforming to the regulations of online gambling licences.
Start with the right mindset
Your gambling platform has to be built in a way that it can embrace change without issues. Certain elements should be made modular so they can be quickly adapted if legal regulations change. At some point, you may want to expand your online betting platform or casino to another gambling jurisdiction, and that will require it to conform to new regulations, and possibly - the establishment of a 'regional' version of the website just for that country or state alone. Your platform will also grow through the introduction of new games, every one of which is like a separate system, so the site has to be built in a way the process goes smoothly without negatively impacting other elements.
Protect what you already have
Sometimes, one small alteration – even to a seemingly unrelated functionality – can affect multiple systems within the website, and you wouldn't want to spoil your users' fun with broken links, malfunctioning payment gateways, error codes, low performance, etc. At best, your support line will get overloaded with help requests. At worst, you will lose your credibility and users will transition to another gambling establishment. To prevent regression, every online gambling operation should incorporate automatic tests so that new functionalities do not break the existing ones, especially those that are required by the gaming licence.
Flexibility is the key to success
Make sure all of your systems are interconnected and work well with each other, but at the same time, the structure of the website should allow you to switch specific elements on and off. Certain jurisdictions may allow for similar functionalities. As such, being able to simply "flip the switch" will not only make your platform easier to adapt, but it will also save the resources you would otherwise spend on writing new lines of code.
Let the tech work for you
Monitor in real time whether licence requirements are met by using websockets as effectively as possible. You can use them to display specific information, or block games. For example, in one of our projects, when a user plays a game, we display real-time information for him, such as: how high is the bet; how much he has won/lost in the session; how much is left until he reaches the limit that he selected. This is one of the requirements of the Spanish licence.
Make sure it's fun
There are a lot of discussions today about the importance of creating a positive User Experience. In the pursuit of conforming to the necessary legal regulations, we should not forget about what lies at the core of the entire concept – providing enjoyable entertainment. A UX specialist observes the changes necessitated by the licences and ensures functionalities are adapted in a way that does not negatively impact the fun. Fewer clicks, less information overload, easier access to specific sections of the platform – these are just some of the aspects that are in his spotlight. A UX-focused approach does not consume a lot of resources, but can improve conversions, which directly translates into more income.
Conclusion
The acquisition of one or more online gaming licences is a major step towards establishing an online gambling business, one that determines - at least to some extent - how the final version of your platform and its systems will look like. The licensing process and system adaptation will seem much less daunting with the right team of professionals at your side.
About us
createIT is a 120+ developer team providing cutting edge, turnkey entertainment solutions for over five years. With more than 10 successful casino brands in our portfolio, over 15 years of experience in software development and digital marketing, and 20+ developers specialised in gambling – rest assured your dream project is in the right hands.
Disclaimer: Play responsibly. Players must be over 18. For help visit https://www.gamcare.org.uk/.