How to start an online casino in the UK is a question frequently asked by casino operators already working for other markets, as well as by those who are completely new to the industry. The United Kingdom online gaming market is known to be one of the world's largest markets, and thus one of the most attractive and profitable for remote gaming service providers. However, entering this market represents quite a challenge because of the rigid internal regulation and rules one has to observe in order to operate legally and have an opportunity to promote services among UK players. Let’s have a look at some key facts to be considered while getting started with an online casino in Great Britain.
Market
According to the Gambling industry statistics April 2013 - March 2016 Report of the UK Gambling Commission, remote gambling services provided to local clients (online casinos included) made a total GGR of £4,47 bn from April 2015 to March 2016, which is 33% of the total gaming industry GGR. Online casinos generated 57.5%, and remote betting 35.1% of the total GGR, thus making a total of 92.6% of the remote gaming revenue. The remaining share belongs to bingo, betting exchange and pool betting.
The number of active player accounts across all online gaming platforms within the described period reached a handsome 22.87m, and 24.65m new accounts were registered. Remote operators held funds equal to £607.04m within these accounts.
Legality
How to Start an Online Casino in the UK | SOFTSWISS from the UKGC in order to be able to accept players from the UK and promote themselves on the local market. Getting a UK remote licence is also important if you are planning to cooperate with large game content providers because they are only providing their games to licensed operators to be further spread among UK customers.To obtain a UK remote gaming license, you need to submit an application to the UK Gambling Commission and provide all necessary supporting documents. Before doing so, it is important to learn the strict technical standards and security requirements to make sure that your casino platform meets all of those. The license is usually granted within 16 weeks from the moment of application. It is highly advisable to consult a local lawyer to make the application procedure quicker and smoother.
It should also be noted that casinos which target other parts of the world except the UK shall take care of a gambling license from another reputable jurisdiction, such as Malta or Curacao, because the UK licence only permits operation on the local market.
Casino Software
As mentioned above, the UK Gambling Commission pays special attention to the technical parameters and security standards of a casino applying for a license. Those cover information on player accounts, financial transactions, game rules and the probability of winning; auto-play functionality and time-critical events; certified RNG and clear definition of game results; possibility of interrupted gambling; setting money limits; responsible gambling information; time limits and reality checks, etc.
Thus, when choosing a software provider for the operation, it is necessary to make sure that the online casino platform you are going to use meets all of the UKGC requirements. For example, we at SOFTSWISS have paid attention to learning the specific UK standards and adapted our platform accordingly to make sure our software is 100% ready for UK remote license application.