“How much does a white label casino cost?” is the first question every future operator asks, and the answers online are either sales brochures or guesswork. Here is the real budget: the platform, the licence, and the costs that never appear in the brochure. Casinos run in the family for Rene-Philippe: his great-uncle founded the Casino de Divonne-les-Bains, which the family owned and which was for years the leading casino in France, and he has since obtained a casino licence in Cambodia. This guide is written from that side of the table.
White label, turnkey or your own licence
There are three ways to launch an online casino, and they cost very different amounts:
- White label. You run your brand on a provider’s platform, under the provider’s licence and payment set-up. Fastest and cheapest to start; you depend on the provider for everything, and you pay it a share of revenue for as long as you operate.
- Turnkey. You buy the platform but hold your own licence and company. More expensive and slower, but the business, the players and the licence belong to you.
- Own platform and licence. Only for groups with a technical team and a seven-figure budget.
Most first-time operators should start with a white label, test the market, and move to their own licence once the numbers justify it.
What the white label platform costs
A white label package typically covers company set-up, a bank account, the branded casino website, the back office (CRM, affiliates, player and risk management), KYC and anti-money-laundering tools, and payment integration. Our packages are:
| Entry level | Mid-tier | Top tier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company set-up | €2,500 | €2,500 | €2,500 |
| Bank account | €6,500 | €6,500 | €6,500 |
| Platform | €79,000 | €99,000 | €129,000 |
| Total set-up | €88,000 | €108,000 | €138,000 |
Then, every month: platform maintenance of €5,000 and a provider share of 17% to 20% of gross gaming revenue (GGR). Before signing any white label contract, check whether game-provider fees and payment processing are included in that share or charged on top.
What the licence costs
With a white label, the licence is the provider’s. With your own licence, these are the main offshore and European options in 2026:
| Jurisdiction | Regulator fees (indicative) | Time | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Curaçao | Application €4,592; B2C annual fee €47,450; no tax on GGR | 3–5 months | New LOK regime since 24 December 2024. Local company, local managing director, compliance officer; physical presence now required. |
| Anjouan | Annual fee around €17,800; no tax on GGR | 2–4 weeks | Cheapest and fastest, but the least accepted by banks and payment providers. |
| Kahnawake | Client Provider Authorisation around US$40,000 the first year, US$20,000 renewal | A few months | Long-established Canadian regulator, good reputation with suppliers. |
| Malta (MGA) | Application €5,000; annual fee €25,000 plus compliance contribution; 5% tax on GGR from Maltese players | 6–9 months | The EU standard. Share capital up to €100,000, real substance in Malta. Opens doors to tier-one banks. |
Fees as reported by law firms and trade press in 2026; confirm with the regulator at the time of filing.
A point on Curaçao: the old system of master licences and sub-licences ended in 2025, and licences are now issued directly by the Curaçao Gaming Authority. If a provider offers you a Curaçao “white label”, ask in writing whose licence your brand will run under and whether the authority has approved that arrangement.
The costs nobody puts in the brochure
- Player acquisition. Affiliates and marketing usually take the largest share of revenue, often 20–40% of GGR.
- Bonuses. Welcome and reload bonuses are a cost, typically around 10% of GGR.
- Game providers and payments. Game studios take a share of the GGR their games generate; payment processing costs a few per cent more.
- Banking. Gaming is high-risk for banks. Expect to work with several payment providers and keep reserves.
- People. Customer support, a compliance officer, a fraud analyst. A white label removes the technology team, not the operating team.
A realistic revenue example
GGR is player bets minus player winnings. On an online casino, the house keeps only a small part of what is wagered: typically 3–8% on slots and 0.5–3% on table games. So:
| Per month | Amount |
|---|---|
| Player bets | €1,000,000 |
| GGR at a 4% hold | €40,000 |
| Provider share (20%) | – €8,000 |
| Platform maintenance | – €5,000 |
| Marketing and affiliates (30%) | – €12,000 |
| Bonuses (10%) | – €4,000 |
| Left for payments, staff and profit | €11,000 |
An online casino is a volume business. The fixed monthly costs mean you need serious turnover before the white label pays for itself, so plan your marketing budget before your platform budget.
Where you can legally take players
An offshore licence does not make you legal everywhere. More and more countries license online gambling locally and block the rest. Switzerland is one: since 2019, only Swiss casinos with an online extension may offer online casino games, and foreign sites are blocked. Choose your target markets first, then the licence that fits them, not the reverse.
Our view
A white label is the right way to start: lower cost, live in weeks, and a real test of your marketing before you commit to a licence of your own. But read the contract as carefully as the price list: who owns the players, the domain and the data; what happens to your balances if the provider loses its licence; and how you leave.
For crypto-friendly payment structures behind a casino, see our Swiss Crypto Licence 2026 guide.
For a budget built on your own model, write to insight@fintechlex.com.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.
