The Launch of a Poker Room in 2024: The Secrets of Opening and Promoting a Project

Online poker is a highly lucrative business. Beginners play for fun, and professionals participate in competitions for good money. All of them are united by modern Internet resources with universal amusement catalogues, attractive tournaments, and secure payment services.

Online Casino Market explains how to open a poker site in 2024. You will learn from this article what software to buy and which marketing tools to use to attract and retain traffic.

Order a service

The Features of Business Licensing

Poker is a classic card game that is in huge demand in many countries. The first step towards opening an entertainment site is to choose a state for starting a business and get permission.

How to Choose a Jurisdiction

Here are the key nuances to consider:

• the procedure for issuing and renewing a licence, the cost of the document;
• the rules for registering a legal entity, opening a bank account, and obtaining a tax number;
• the level of fiscal burden on business;
• gaming traditions in the region;
• the restrictions on advertising, deposit size, and the age of site visitors.

Online poker is regulated in many developed countries. The businessperson often needs to obtain a separate licence for this type of activity. This practice is used in Malta, Gibraltar, the United Kingdom, and other prestigious markets. In Malta, for example, poker room owners are issued a class 3 licence.

Some jurisdictions give one permit for several types of activities at once: slot machines, bingo, poker, lotteries, and bookmakers. This approach is used in offshore zones, for example, Alderney, Curacao, and the Isle of Man.

In some countries (for example, India), poker is classified as a skill-based game. Therefore, it does not require licensing.

The most popular regulators in the world are as follows:

• The Isle of Man Gaming Supervision Commission (IOM GSC);
• Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA);
• Malta Gaming Authority (MGA);
• Alderney Gaming Control Commission (AGCC);
• Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC);
• UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).

The Specifics of the Industry Regulation

Most often, gambling commissions control the work of poker rooms in the following aspects:

• the division of players’ funds;
• the time frame for processing cashouts for gamers who won on the site;
• advertising, including poker bonuses and free bets;
• responsible gambling;
• the protection of customers from potential bots, collusion, and fraud;
• the resolution of disputes between gamers or users and poker rooms;
• the audit of the random number generator (RNG).

Diverse Entertainment Portfolio

The interest of site visitors, the time they spend on the gambling site, and the speed of transition to the group of regular clients depend on the quality and content of the game catalogue.

Let us consider what content can be installed in a poker room:

Card Games with RNG

This category includes such options:

• Texas Hold'em. This is the most popular form of poker in the world. It is played with two hole cards and five community cards. Payouts for combinations are calculated by sequence. To diversify the entertainment catalogue, it is possible to install restricted and no-limit Texas Hold'em, as well as a pot-limit variant.
• Omaha. One of the most popular types of online poker is characterised by an increased number of cards per round — 9. Players are dealt 4 pasteboards at once at the beginning of each session. In the Omaha Hi-Lo version, the user needs to collect the strongest and weakest combination.
• Chinese poker. The game is open. Participants can see both their cards and combinations of opponents.
• Seven-card stud. For a long time, it was the most popular poker variant in the USA. A large deck is involved here. Therefore, the chances of collecting a prize combination are increased.
• Lowball. In this game, the winner is the participant who has collected the weakest (according to the rules of Texas Hold'em) low combination. In addition, there are no common cards in the rounds. Each participant immediately receives 5 pasteboards. Then, the user can change them, trying to improve the combination.

Other types of entertainment are also gaining popularity rapidly. Padugi (Badugi), for example, is in huge demand in Asia. It comes from South Korea. Draw Poker is one of the oldest American games with simple rules and fast rounds.

Most often, the gambler plays one on one with a virtual croupier. Much less often, users participate in tournaments together with other punters.

The chances of winning combinations depend on the RTP level and volatility set by the developer. Poker is medium dispersion entertainment. The order in which cards appear on the table can be predicted by applying different strategies.

Poker software with a built-in RNG should have a quality certificate. It is possible to conduct an independent assessment in eCOGRA, QUINEL, BMM TestLab, iTechLabs, and other laboratories or buy already tested solutions.

Live Content

Poker with real dealers is characterised by the maximum involvement of users and the honesty of the prize accrual. The audience is attracted by authentic gameplay, generous payouts, and communication with croupiers and opponents at the table.

The assortment of live poker solutions is practically no different from content with a built-in random number generator. The key feature lies in the fact that the game is played on behalf of the dealer. The card combinations are not affected by the RNG.

Gamblers appreciate multiplayer live poker for attractive social tools:

• in-game chats;
• additional draws;
• random gifts;
• mini-tournaments;
• leaderboards, etc.

Live poker in the one-on-one format is also available to customers. Here, the opponent of the gamer is only the croupier, who is on the other side of the screen.

Broadcasts of live content should be carried out at the highest level. Providers are using 4K generation cameras, organising round-the-clock shooting with 360-degree coverage of what is happening in the halls, and introducing progressive security tools.

Many companies install special card readers on the tables. Thanks to this, it is impossible to rig or fake combinations.

Tournaments

Such competitions attract gamers the most. As soon as the user understands the rules of poker and has gained minimal experience in heads-up rounds, the gambler immediately starts playing in tournaments.

Consider what solutions are presented in top poker rooms:

The more tournament options are presented in the range, the better the response from the audience. Diversity is important for gamers, as well as the opportunity to change the format of competitions at any time and get an unforgettable experience.

The tournament is a good marketing tool.

Professional Poker Software

A multi-tasking gaming platform will help the entrepreneur to collect all the entertainment solutions together and place them on an attractive site. This is the base on which all components of the poker room are installed: content, payment services, marketing tools, and others.

Basic Requirements for an iGaming Platform

A good gaming system has the following characteristics:

1. High performance. The software must function without failures and bugs, even with critical loads on the infrastructure of a poker room. High-quality programs work flawlessly with a poor Internet connection or during multiplayer tournaments with 300-450 or more registered participants.
2. Excellent security. Some gamers play at the minimum limits, while other users make huge deposits in the hope of hitting a big jackpot. The operator must ensure full protection of savings and confidentiality of information, provide for backup and storage of data, and defend the business from hacker attacks.
3. Flexibility and adaptability. Most often, entrepreneurs open online poker sites in the basic configuration and then integrate additional products. These can be referral programs, local payment services, or lottery software. A good gaming platform should include tools for the seamless installation of any solutions.
4. Simple management. It includes transaction monitoring, player account control, and the addition of new features and services. It is good if the platform contains instruments for personalising the language, currency, limits, and other parameters.

What Components are Needed for Full-Value Operation?

Let us consider what software products are essential in a modern poker room:

Payment Software

For a modern entertainment portal, settlement variability is important to provide each visitor to a site with a wide choice of payment methods.

Most often, customers prefer international payment systems (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay). However, some users choose exclusively local products. In Ukraine, this is LiqPay from PrivatBank, and in Poland, it is IKO from PKO Bank, etc.

It would be a great solution to add cryptocurrency. It is possible to accept bets and deposits in Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and other promising tokens.

High speed and anonymity of transfers, as well as low commissions, play in favour of digital assets. The last fact is especially valuable for the audience. The psychology of punters works like this: they either immediately withdraw small winnings or put money into the draw, but users keep large amounts in the poker room very rarely.

Loyalty Program

These are in-game tools and all bonuses that improve interaction with the audience and affect the number of registrations and the duration of poker sessions.

The main components of the loyalty system are as follows:

1. Welcome gifts. These are rewards for registration, the initial deposit, and inviting a friend. Like bookmakers, poker rooms may have wagering requirements. As an example, it is necessary to bet with bonus money in 2-3 tournaments and only then withdraw the funds.
2. In-game tools. They appear during the poker session and encourage the user to stay in the game longer. These are free rounds, access to premium levels, additional bet multipliers, and random gifts. Most often, in-game instruments are integrated into card solutions with a built-in RNG. They are used in live content and online tournaments much less frequently.
3. Leaderboards. Having played a given number of sessions per week or month, a gambler can claim a higher place in the winners’ table. A similar practice is used in tournaments: leaders earn increased cashback or access to closed poker series.

Referral Program

With its help, entrepreneurs receive high-quality Internet traffic and do not waste money on ineffective marketing channels.

Entrepreneurs can launch their referral programs, become part of a large partner network (for example, by buying poker software from popular developers), or start working with affiliates. They attract online traffic with the help of special links and get paid only for the finished and measurable result.

Things to Consider Before Launching a Poker Room

The key points to consider are as follows:

1. Domain. Most often, poker room owners use the universal .com address. It allows them to legally accept bets from many regions, including Europe, Asia, and offshore jurisdictions.
2. Hosting. It is better to agree with a trusted provider to protect the poker room from technical problems and system failures. The entrepreneur can get a place on a remote server to store confidential information and create database backups.
3. Design. Classic colours without acid shades, laconic designs with smooth lines, and accent details are in fashion. To increase the conversion (the number of transitions from viewing to registration), it is essential to provide convenient site usability.
4. Professional support. Consumers need conscientious technical assistance at all stages of interaction with the poker room — from registering on the site to participating in premium tournaments and withdrawing money.

The Main Things about Starting a Lucrative Poker Room

This popular card entertainment brings multimillion-dollar profits to gambling business organisers.

• Obtaining a licence is the first step towards opening a thriving iGaming resource. Entrepreneurs can apply for permits from Malta, Alderney, and Curacao, as well as the UK, the Isle of Man, and other prestigious regions.
• The secret of a poker room’s popularity is the right content. It is possible to place both card games with a built-in RNG and broadcasts with live dealers on the site. Tournaments deserve special attention.
• For full-value work, the entrepreneur needs high-quality software. This is a certified gaming platform. Additional components are installed on it — payout services, referral programs, content, tournament programs, and marketing tools.
• Before opening an iGaming portal, it is necessary to take care of the domain name, hosting, site design, and technical customer support.

You can order the creation of a turnkey poker room at the Online Casino Market studio. We offer a universal, ready-to-run solution.

The Online Casino Market company offers a package of services for operators:

• Bitcoin casino development;
• the installation of a White Label platform;
• the connection of payment tools;
• the production of HTML5 slots based on individual sketches;
• the implementation of a business plan, and others.

Order a service