The online casino industry continues to grow each day, with millions of players globally, new markets opening, and technology evolving rapidly. For new casino operators, one of the very first and most important decisions is how to launch a platform. Should you choose between a white-label solution or building a standalone casino platform from scratch? In this article, we compare the two solutions by stating their strengths, drawbacks, and which type of casino operator might benefit most from each.
What Is a White Label Casino?
A white label online casino is a ready-made platform provided by a third-party casino operator. The core infrastructure is already in place, including gaming software, payment systems, licensing/compliance, security, hosting, and often customer support. As the casino operator, you mainly handle your branding, marketing strategies, and your own efforts in retaining players, while the heavy technical and regulatory tasks are handled by the white-label provider.
Because of that, a well-built white-label solution allows you to go live quickly, within weeks instead of many months of development. White-label providers also usually have pre-integrated game libraries, payment gateway support, compliance mechanisms, and security infrastructure, which simplifies the process significantly.
Advantages of White Label Casinos
1. Launch Quickly
Because the platform already exists, you can launch quickly, often in a matter of weeks rather than months. That speed gives you a competitive edge, allowing you to capture the market’s attention before other competitors beat you.
2. Lower Initial Investment & Lower Risk
Building a casino from scratch involves high costs for development, licensing, security, servers, maintenance, and more. A white-label model significantly reduces these costs. Since most of the heavy lifting is handled by the provider, you don’t need a full in-house technical team, which lowers overhead, reduces risk, and makes financial planning easier.
3. Ready Compliance & Licensing, Security & Maintenance Taken Care Of
One of the biggest restrictions in iGaming is regulation, licensing, compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), data protection, security, payment regulation, etc. White-label providers often already have the proper licenses and compliance frameworks, so you don’t need to navigate those complexities yourself. They also handle ongoing maintenance, security updates, and platform stability, allowing you to focus on marketing, players, and growth.
4. Access to Game Libraries & Infrastructure
Most white-label solutions give access to a broad portfolio of games such as slots, table games, live dealer games, including sportsbook or special games, depending on the provider. This means you can offer a full casino experience to players.
5. Less Technical Expertise Required
You don’t need to build or maintain servers, integrate payment gateways, or manage security. The white label casino provider handles that. This is especially useful if your team lacks heavy technical expertise. White-label casinos are often ideal for new online casino operators, smaller operators, or those wanting to test the waters without committing excessive capital.
What Is a Standalone Casino?
A standalone casino platform is built from scratch and is fully customized. That means everything including design, user interface, game integration, payment gateway integration, licensing/compliance, infrastructure, security, maintenance, all built or assembled by you (or your team). Essentially, you own and control every aspect of the business.
In this model, the operator is responsible for initial development, applying for licenses in the jurisdictions they plan to operate, sourcing games or integrating with game providers, setting up payment systems, managing security, hosting, customer service, and ongoing maintenance. A standalone casino offers a full customization, control, and flexibility, enabling a unique brand identity and tailored user experience.
Advantages of Standalone Casinos
1. Full Customization & Branding Freedom
From user interface design to game selection, payment integrations, loyalty mechanics, special features (e.g. VIP programs, exclusive games, regional customizations), you have full control. This is ideal if you want to build a distinctive brand that stands out. You’re not constrained to whatever features a white-label provider offers as you can innovate, adapt, and tailor to your vision and target market.
2. Full Control Over Revenue (After Costs)
Because you’re not sharing revenue (or licensing fees) with a provider, after covering your operating costs, the profits go fully to you. For a high-performing casino, this can lead to higher long-term profitability.
3. Scalability & Flexibility Over the Long Term
A standalone platform can scale better because you design it. You can build infrastructure that supports growth, integrate new features or payment systems, adapt to regulatory changes, or expand into new markets without being constrained by a third-party vendor structure.
4. Competitive Advantage
In a crowded market, a unique platform with custom features, user experience, exclusive games, or localized offerings can set you apart. This can build brand loyalty, trust, and long-term player retention, something generic white-label casinos may struggle with.
When To Choose a White Label Casino
After understanding the pros and cons, here are reasons where going with a white-label solution is probably the better choice:
- You are entering the iGaming space for the first time and you don’t have enough capital, technical team, or experience.
- Your priority is getting to market fast
- Your focus is marketing, brand-building, and user acquisition, not building backend infrastructure.
- You prefer lower risk and lower initial overhead, even if that means giving up some margin in exchange for convenience.
- You intend to test the waters or a concept (targeting a niche market, experimenting with certain demographics), and want to minimize cost while learning.
In short, if you want speed, low barrier to entry, simplified compliance, and manageable costs, white label is ideal.
When To Choose a Standalone Casino
On the other hand, building a standalone casino might be best if:
- You have strong capital, experienced team, or technical resources ready to manage development, compliance, and operations.
- You want to build a unique brand with custom features, UX, game selection, payment options, and loyalty programs, something that makes you stand out from the rest.
- You aim for long-term growth, scalability, and full profit retention. Over time, despite higher initial costs, you may achieve better margins and higher returns.
- You plan to expand across various markets, integrate cutting-edge features, or evolve your offering beyond what a white-label provider can support.
- You value control over compliance, data, user experience, and decisions. No dependency on external providers for core business functionality.
In short, a standalone is ideal for operators with vision, resources, long-term ambition, and a desire to build something unique.
White Label vs Standalone Casino: Which Solution Should You Choose?
The choice between a white-label casino and a standalone casino depends on your needs and requirements. White-label offers a fast, relatively low-risk, cost-effective way to quickly launch your online casino. It’s ideal for those who want to focus on marketing, leaving the technical heavy lifting, legal compliance, and maintenance to experts. Standalone casinos require more investment and effort but offer full control, brand uniqueness, and potentially higher long-term returns.
If you’re looking to launch quickly with less stress, our DBGaming white-label solutions might be your best bet. If you have the resources for a full-scale platform that can grow into a distinctive brand, then building (or migrating to) a standalone solution may be a better choice for you. If you’re ready to explore and find the approach that suits you best, contact us today!