Direct answer
Starting an online casino in 2026 costs a platform setup fee plus a share of revenue, and then a set of costs that depend on your licence route, markets and content mix. On Casino Platform the published entry point is the Starter plan: a €10,000 setup fee with a revenue share of up to 60% for you and 40% for us, on our Curacao white-label licence, with 3,000+ games and a crypto payment package included. Growth is a €50,000 setup fee with a fixed platform fee and a revenue share that decreases as volume grows. A turnkey casino on your own licence is quoted on scope. On top of the platform you carry payment processing fees, premium content minimums, your own licence if you choose turnkey, and a marketing reserve for the months before player cohorts pay back. Nobody can give you one honest total without knowing those four, which is why a written quote follows a demo within 48 hours.
The six cost lines in every online casino budget
| Cost line | What it is | How it is priced on Casino Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Platform setup | A one-time fee to configure the platform, brand and lobby. | €10,000 on Starter, €50,000 on Growth. Enterprise turnkey is quoted on scope. |
| Platform fee and revenue share | What you pay the platform provider as you operate. | Starter: revenue share, up to 60% for you and 40% for us. Growth: a fixed platform fee plus a share that decreases as volume grows. Enterprise: one-time setup plus a flat platform fee. |
| Gaming licence | Permission to operate, and the markets you can accept players from. | Included on white-label plans (Curacao; an Anjouan route is also available). Turnkey uses your own licence, and we support the application and technical certification. Additional licences are added on request at extra cost. |
| Game content | The supplier share on every game in the lobby. | Provider revenue share is passed through at the rates we hold with providers. Premium studios may carry minimum monthly commitments. |
| Payments | Per-transaction fees from PSPs and acquiring banks. | Charged by the provider per market and always shown separately from platform fees. The operator signs directly with the PSP; we integrate it. |
| Custom work | Bespoke front ends, custom APIs and BI integrations. | Quoted as one-off projects with a fixed scope and timeline. |
The plan-by-plan detail, including what each plan contains, is on the pricing page.
Costs that are not on the platform invoice
The platform quote is the part of the budget you can get in writing. These four are the part you have to plan yourself.
- Marketing and player acquisition. The largest ongoing cost of a casino and the one most often under-budgeted. Affiliates, content and CRM all cost money for months before player cohorts pay back.
- Compliance operation. Documented KYC and AML processes, a named responsible person, responsible gaming procedures and the record-keeping your licence requires. The tooling is in the platform; the people and the policies are yours.
- Corporate setup and banking. On a turnkey casino with your own licence, company formation, ownership disclosure and bank onboarding run in parallel with the build and depend on third parties responding.
- Brand, localisation and content. Design, translations and market-specific content arrive from your side, and arriving late is one of the most common causes of a delayed launch.
White label or turnkey: which costs less?
A white label costs less up front and gets a brand live in 3 to 6 weeks, with our fastest launch at 21 days, because the licence, platform, games, payments and compliance tooling come bundled. A turnkey casino on your own licence costs more time and more operational effort up front, typically 3 to 4 months including licensing, and is the right answer when you intend to build a long-term asset, when you need custom APIs and raw data from day one, or when your regulator requires the licence holder to operate the platform. We compare the two routes side by side in white label vs turnkey casino.
What drives the total up or down
- Licence route. A white-label plan includes the Curacao licence; your own licence adds application, corporate and legal work.
- Markets and currencies. Each market adds payment onboarding, localisation and compliance configuration. Multi-brand and multi-currency setup sits in Growth.
- Verticals. Casino only, or casino plus sportsbook. The sportsbook stack is part of Growth and above.
- Content mix. Provider share is passed through at the rates we hold with providers, and premium studios may carry minimum monthly commitments.
- Payment coverage. PSP and acquiring fees are set by the provider per market and shown separately.
- Custom work. Bespoke front ends, custom APIs and BI integrations are quoted as fixed-scope projects.
- Volume. On Growth, the revenue share decreases as volume grows.
How to get an exact number
- 1.Decide your target markets, because licence, payments and content all follow from them.
- 2.Choose your licence route: white label on the Curacao licence to launch fast, or your own licence for a turnkey casino.
- 3.Pick your verticals: casino only, or casino plus sportsbook.
- 4.List the game studios you need for those markets and ask which carry minimums.
- 5.Book a 30-minute demo. You receive a full written quote within 48 hours, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start an online casino?
On Casino Platform the published entry point is a €10,000 setup fee plus a revenue share of up to 60% for you and 40% for us, on the Starter white-label plan. Growth is a €50,000 setup fee with a fixed platform fee and a revenue share that decreases as volume grows. A turnkey casino on your own licence is quoted on scope. Payment fees, premium content minimums, your own licence and marketing come on top, and they depend on your markets.
What is the cheapest way to start an online casino?
A white-label casino on the provider's licence. The licence, platform, games, payments and compliance tooling come bundled, so there is no separate licence application, no infrastructure build and no integration programme. On Casino Platform that is the Starter plan: a €10,000 setup fee plus revenue share, live in 3 to 6 weeks.
How much does a gambling licence cost?
It depends on the jurisdiction and it changes often, so we do not publish licence fees here. On a white-label plan the Curacao licence is included and there is no application of your own to pay for. If you apply for your own licence for a turnkey casino, budget for the regulator's fees plus corporate, banking and legal work over several months, and take professional advice before committing.
Do I pay for games separately?
Provider revenue share is passed through at the rates we hold with providers rather than negotiated studio by studio. Premium studios may carry minimum monthly commitments, which is the one content cost worth asking about before you choose your lobby.
What do payments cost?
PSP and acquiring fees are charged by the provider per market and are always shown separately from platform fees. The operator signs directly with the PSP; we integrate it. Coverage matters more than headline fees: a player who cannot deposit with a method they trust simply leaves.
How much should I keep for marketing?
More than most first-time operators plan for. The most common reason a new casino fails is running out of marketing runway: operators budget for the platform and licence but not for sustained player acquisition and retention. Assume acquisition costs money for months before cohorts pay back, and hold a reserve for payments, bonuses and compliance work after launch.
How long does it take to launch?
A white-label brand can go live in 3 to 6 weeks once onboarding documents are in place, and our fastest launch took 21 days. Turnkey projects with custom design and your own licence typically take 3 to 4 months.
Related pages
- /pricing
- /guides/white-label-casino-solutions
- /guides/white-label-vs-turnkey-casino
- /guides/how-to-start-an-online-casino
- /guides/curacao-gaming-license
- /partners
