Online betting has grown a lot since 2002, with the advent of the internet snatching away the business of physical shops and casinos to the digital world and into the personal computers of bettors at home. Back then it was thought this was the end of bookies and their business, but 15 years later it seems the odds keeper and the internet have made their peace to grow together on a scale never before imagined.
The market volume is said to hit $56.05 billion in 2018, double of what it was in 2009. Online gaming had a lot to do about that, but now smartphones seem to be dwarfing that market growth with a leap growth. In 2017 mobile betting accounts for one third of the business, by 2020 it is said to surpass 50% with an estimate of $100 billion in wagers placed.
Casinos and sports betting sites have been quick to adapt, first with downloadable platforms into their computers, then with online flash play, and now with mobile friendly sites and apps, which have been a late comer into the market not thanks to Apple and Android policies of non-gambling apps. To know more click here.
But they market is hungrily asking for betting apps and they can still be developed even if the main online stores for apps will not take them, although Android has already tested with fantasy sports betting apps in 2016 which can be an indication that soon the market will change.
Big name sportsbooks like William Hill have developed their own app downloadable only from their own site, they even give instructions of how to bypass Android security settings when it detects the app was not downloaded from their own store and displays a “warning” message since it wasn´t reviewed by their own staff. If you want to try it and wager, visit this page to see all William Hill Apps available for your current device!
Basics on Building an Online Betting App
Basically you will need to develop a customer-facing front end, and back end to handle transactions and bet setup. Users should be able to register and manage their accounts, safely deposit and withdraw funds with multiple services like e-wallets, and track results.
As an industry standard there should also be bonus offerings like first time deposit bonus, free bets and cash-backs. A customer service program should be in place, with an online chat being the best and ticket system the minimum to offer. A FAQ section should also be available to answer all frequent questions.
Platform
Many of the newest online gambling platforms are mainly designed for mobile use only; this can be determined by the design. But they should also be accessible via online from any device like computers. A modern website is needed with the availability of placing bets via SMS and in USD.
The app should be developed at least for Android devices but is also recommend to do so for iOS. As said before the app cannot be openly offered in the iTunes or Android stores, so you will need to offer it on your own site and provide the instructions to installation just like William Hill does.
Safety
There must be a secured payment method as well as information encryption with superior SSL and privacy policies. A very secure hosting must be in place with extra security settings to protect from a strong wave of hackers and bots.
Responsible Gambling
Depending on your company established location, mainly if its USA, Europe or catering to any of those markets, you will need to be credited by a third party. This is not a must, must, but experienced players and review websites look for these as a major safety sign. eCogra and Gamaware and two agencies in Europe that group responsible betting websites.
The USA has its own complex array of monitor systems as well as taxing. This is why many companies decide to localize off-shore on places like Panama, Costa Rica, Caiman Islands for the US; and Isle of Man and Gibraltar for Europe.
Customization
This focuses on the hard aspects of development, like managing real-time odds, bet tracking, payouts and online support. The management system will require continuous improvement and evolution while avoiding downtime. It would be best to focus on just one geographical market during the early beginning, say for example Spain or USA. Then open up when you have everything ready as this will help manage the customer support times and system down time.
Payments
The deposit and withdrawal system are a critical aspect. Most bettors will be worried about your payment reputation considering all the tricky small sprint online casinos and sportsbooks use to block withdrawals from clients once they claim a bonus. Most importantly is account verification, this will require a fast and efficient process from your staff.
For payment gateways begin with the one most widely used by your focus market, an e-wallet like PayPal or Skrill. Bitcoin is in big use nowadays but the amount of users are still small. Bank wire and credit cards are also a must.
The portal should be compliant with PCI Security Standards.
Should you Develop?
There are a number of third party providers that will lease a professional betting platform for your purposes with different plans according as to how much services you will need. Some even take care of your payments and support platforms.
