How to become a bookie and start a sportsbook business in 2025

Starting an online sportsbook is much like starting an online casino, but there are a few key differences. Read how and why to start your online sportsbook business below.

How to start a sportsbook business in 8 easy steps

How to become a bookie? Opening a sportsbook business is a complex and demanding process that requires meticulous preparation and strategic planning. From understanding legal requirements to setting up the right software and marketing your services, there are numerous steps involved. However, with our expertise and extensive industry experience, we've simplified the process into a clear, concise guide. We've navigated these waters countless times, helping many clients successfully become a bookie.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the essential steps needed to become a sports bookie. By leveraging our knowledge and insights, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to create and run a successful sportsbook operation. Whether you're new to the industry or looking to enhance your existing setup, this guide will provide you with the foundational knowledge to get started.

1. Legal Requirements and Licensing

Prior to opening a sportsbook, it is important to understand and comply with the legal requirements of the country in which the business will operate. Gambling laws differ considerably from country to country, so obtaining the appropriate license is essential. Here are some of the most commonly sought-after licenses:

• Maltese license (MGA) — One of the most sought-after and well-regarded licenses in Europe, an MGA license offers a high level of credibility and enables operations in multiple EU countries.
• UK Gambling Commission license (UKGC) — A license from the UKGC is mandatory for operators who wish to offer their services to UK players.
• Curaçao License — The Curaçao license is one of the most popular and cost-effective licenses for online gambling, offering competitive pricing for both initial acquisition and ongoing maintenance.
• Gibraltar license (GGC) — Licenses from the Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner are used by many major players in the market due to its strict regulations and high level of trust.
• Isle of Man license (GSC) — The Isle of Man’s Gambling Supervision Commission is known for its reputation and strict regulatory standards, making it prestigious and reliable.
• Alderney License (AGCC) — An Alderney license is suitable for internationally oriented operators and provides a high level of trust among players.
• Anjouan license — A license from Anjouan allows operators to offer all types of gambling, including online casino games, sports betting, poker and B2B services.

Each license has its own requirements, and it's important to select the one that's right for your business goals and target audience. By ensuring compliance with all relevant legal requirements, you can avoid potential legal issues and enhance players' trust in your platform.

2. Set your odds — or find a data provider

Betting lines, or odds, are subject to considerable regional variation and to the preferences of local audiences. To offer users the most relevant bets, it is essential to take into account both local preferences for both sports and specific events. When creating betting lines, it is advisable to consider several factors, including:

Regional preferences

The popularity of different sports varies by country and region. For instance, in Europe and South America, soccer is the most popular sport, while in North America, American football, basketball, and baseball are more prevalent. In Asia, cricket and badminton are more widely played. These preferences should be taken into account when setting odds. The appeal of various forms of sports differs across different regions. For instance, while horse racing is popular with punters in the United Kingdom, sumo wrestling enjoys a strong following in Japan.

Local events

Local sporting events have the potential to attract intense audience attention. Regional championships, national leagues, and local tournaments can be valuable elements of your betting lineup.

If creating your own betting lines seems like a daunting task, consider working with professional data providers that provide ready-made betting lines. This can greatly simplify the process and ensure high-quality and accurate odds. By working with reliable data providers, you can stay competitive and meet the needs of your users by providing them with relevant and attractive betting lines.

3. Decide if you will issue credit

The decision to extend credit to punters requires careful consideration. While bookmakers have the option to extend credit to their customers, this carries significant risks — and can result in significant losses.

Before making such a decision, it is essential to carefully analyze the client's history, financial situation, and fraud risk. In most cases, refusing to provide credit lines is a safer and more stable strategy for a bookie.

4. Implement secure payment methods

Secure payment methods are a crucial aspect of a betting company, directly affecting players’ level of trust. Different regions have varying preferences regarding payment methods, so it is essential to offer a diverse range of reliable options to satisfy all customers. Here are a few popular payment methods to consider:

• Credit and debit cards: Visa, MasterCard, and American Express are the most common methods of payment worldwide.
• Electronic wallets: PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller are popular due to their speed and convenience.
• Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin are the option of choice for more and more players who prefer the anonymity and speed of transactions that cryptocurrencies provide.
• Bank transfers: Direct bank transfers remain popular, especially for larger amounts, although they can take longer.
• Prepaid cards: Paysafecard is a popular choice for those who prefer not to use their banking details online.
• Mobile payments: Apple Pay, Google Wallet are convenient for players who prefer to bet from mobile devices.
• Local payment systems: It is important to consider specific regional preferences, such as iDEAL in the Netherlands, Interac in Canada, or Boleto Bancario in Brazil.

The introduction of diverse and secure payment methods not only makes things more convenient for players but also fosters a higher level of trust in your platform.

5. Find a sports betting platform

Choosing an appropriate sports betting platform is an essential step for anyone looking to successfully launch a betting company. There are a variety of platforms on the market, each offering unique features and benefits. It is important to select a platform that best aligns with your company's needs and the expectations of your customers.

The following are the principal factors that customers consider when selecting a betting shop:

• A diverse range of sports: including cyber sports, and other events provides a multitude of betting opportunities, which attracts a large number of players.
• Various payment methods, including e-wallets and cards: ease of deposit and withdrawal is important for customer retention.
• Multilingual support and platform: players appreciate being able to use the service in their native language.
• High level of security: protecting data and financial transactions is very important.
• A friendly and professional support team: quick assistance improves the user experience.
• Easy-to-use user interface: intuitive interface promotes user retention.
• Comprehensive reporting tool: the ability to analyze data and optimize platform performance.

Slotegrator's Sportegrator solution offers all the features you need to integrate and manage your sportsbook. Sportegrator is a complete sportsbook solution that provides comprehensive support for your business. Our sports betting software is designed for easy operation with a user-friendly and highly functional backend with a variety of modules. This highly customizable turnkey online betting solution has a wide range of sports databases available for integration through our unified API.

What does the Sportegrator solution include?

• 400,000+ events across 60+ sports with pre-match betting
• 35,000+ live events from 20+ sports
• 4,500+ live odds esports events
• 7 virtual sports in 24/7 live HD

6. Create a website for your business

It is our experience that sportsbooks with easy and intuitive navigation, clear brand positioning and modern design are the most reliable. We believe that a good site will forgo pop-up windows and noisy sounds in favor of attractive color palettes and properly placed promotions.

A quality website is a crucial element in the successful launch of a betting company. A reliable and attractive website is as important for gaining players' trust as payment methods. Poor website design and functionality will quickly earn players’ mistrust and send them to a competing site.

To attract and retain customers, your website must be carefully designed to meet the highest standards of visual appeal and intuitive functionality. It should be easy for users to find the information they need and quickly move on to betting. All functions of the site should work seamlessly, including registration, deposits, betting, and withdrawal of winnings. A high level of security is also essential, with the use of SSL certificates and other measures to protect data and financial transactions.

Modern players prefer betting on their phones or tables, meaning sites should adapt smoothly to mobile devices. By creating a mobile version, we can provide convenience for players and increase their loyalty.

It is important to ensure that customers feel like royalty. If your business depends on them, they should know it. This can be achieved by including personalized offers, responding quickly to customer service inquiries, and implementing loyalty programs. By doing so, customer satisfaction will increase and customers will be more likely to remain loyal to your business over time.

Invest in cooperating with experienced developers and designers to differentiate your website from the competition and attract more customers. A professional approach and attention to detail are essential for creating a website that will be effective and bring success to your business.

7. Use effective marketing strategies

A betting company simply cannot succeed without effective marketing strategies. Without this step, all other efforts may be futile, as the market is oversaturated with competitors. In order to differentiate your company from the multitude of other companies, you need to either offer something unique or launch an attractive marketing campaign — though, hopefully, you’ll do both.

When launching any online project, it’s very important to stand out from the noise. The quality of your digital advertising, SEO marketing, and affiliate marketing will be a huge factor in the success of your online sportsbook. To keep up with your audience, you should constantly evaluate the performance of different channels, test new strategies, and make sure all of your efforts are tailored to the preferences of the market segments you are targeting.

It’s also important to closely follow the law, so make sure that advertising is legal in your target market. Governments of some countries, such as the UK, impose limitations on how online sportsbooks can advertise and what forms of marketing are permitted.

A well-designed marketing strategy is essential for drawing attention to your brand, creating interest among potential customers, and increasing their loyalty. It is crucial to identify your target audience and create marketing materials that will be of interest to them. Use a variety of channels for promotion, including social media, search engine optimization (SEO), content marketing, email newsletters, and affiliate programs.

A unique selling proposition (USP) helps your brand stand out. It could be a unique bonus program, exclusive games, or innovative features that your competitors don't offer. However, even in the absence of a unique product, effective marketing can make up for a lack of differentiation. It is important to create content that will attract and retain customers, update information regularly, and engage actively with your audience.

Conduct research to gain insight into the behavior and preferences of your target audience. This will enable you to refine your marketing strategy and enhance its effectiveness. Testing different approaches and tools, analyzing the results, and adapting strategies will help you identify the most effective ways to attract and retain customers.

An effective marketing strategy is the foundation of success in the competitive world of betting. It is essential to invest time and resources in developing and implementing a strong marketing campaign so that your business can capture punters’ attention — and earn their trust.

8. Secure your business with a high-risk merchant account

High-risk businesses, such as betting companies, face limitations in their choice of payment providers and higher fees than their low-risk counterparts. This means they will require a merchant account to accept payments.

For many sports betting companies, maintaining a high-risk trading account is a necessity. Such an account helps to reduce financial risks and run the business efficiently.

Slotegrator offers a comprehensive range of bank and merchant account services to ensure the stability and security of your financial transactions.

How much money are you going to need to start?

As with any other type of business, potential sportsbook operators must have a detailed business plan and capital. The amount needed will vary greatly depending on the chosen market, as teach licensing jurisdiction set their own license fee and other costs. Similarly, the size of the market and marketing costs affect the projected advertising and promotion costs, thereby increasing overheads.

Once the operator has defined the market and acquired the necessary license, it would be prudent to ensure that it has sufficient funds to cover all possible risks of incoming bets. In some jurisdictions, this amount is defined by law.

Offer a variety of sports and events

Once your betting shop is operating successfully and turning a profit, it is time to expand your customer base by providing up-to-date information on current and upcoming sporting events.

The world of sports betting is a big one. Every discipline has local and international matches, races, and tournaments, all of which attract a sizable audience. While bettors that are devoted to a single sport make up a large portion of the traffic of a typical online sportsbook, there is also a category of people that view betting as a business, making a number of large bets on a variety of sports – volume bettors.

This approach often involves betting on different disciplines, because most sports are played seasonally, not year-round. Some sports, like American football, have short seasons (the NFL season lasts just five months) and don’t have a large volume of games, so punters that don’t want to take an extended break from betting will have to look for something else until the next season comes around.

Whoever your target audience is, you’ll want to offer plenty of options so punters always have something to bet on — not just traditional sports, but virtual sports and esports as well.

There are many more varieties of betting specific to particular sports or countries. When expanding into new markets, it’s a good idea to perform extensive research on betting practices in the region.

The odds are also a big factor. Many punters have in-depth knowledge of their sport of choice and keep a close eye on the odds offered by different providers. As a result, if the odds you offer are not competitive, your sportsbook will lose a lot of traffic.

Aside from offering an array of choices, it’s critical to give your punters plenty of reasons to lay their money down. A good strategy is to promote events in the run-up to the match and offer good odds and special offers to attract new bettors. For many people, the main barrier to betting on multiple sports is perceived difficulty and lack of knowledge, so you can make it simpler for them and take steps to tell your audience more about other types of events.

Developing bonus policies

It is widely acknowledged that bonuses play an important role in the success of any gambling business. It is human nature to appreciate the opportunity to receive something for nothing, and this is particularly true of those who enjoy betting. A well-designed bonus policy can be an effective way of encouraging players to remain on your platform.

Bookmakers typically offer a range of bonuses to retain players and encourage continued engagement with their platforms. These bonuses may include welcome bonuses for new users, consolation bonuses for those who have lost significant amounts, and other incentives designed to keep players interested in betting, even if they have had a few unsuccessful outcomes.

A carefully designed bonus policy is essential for meeting the diverse needs of various player types and encourage them to continue betting. The table below outlines the types of bonuses that may be beneficial for different players.

The effective use of a bonus policy can significantly enhance player loyalty and engagement. By maintaining a diverse and regularly updated range of bonus offers, you can retain your current customer base and attract new customers.

Conclusion

Opening a sportsbook is a complex and time-consuming process that requires careful preparation and attention. From choosing the right license and platform to developing a bonus policy and effective marketing strategies, every step is important for a successful launch and the long-term success of your business.

It's important to recognize that the betting industry is constantly evolving. To remain competitive, it's essential to stay informed about the latest trends and innovations in order to keep pace with your competitors. For those who are seeking to minimize potential risks and ensure a high level of platform, partnering with professionals may be a valuable solution.

Our Sportegrator solution is a comprehensive betting platform designed to get your project going without headaches. Sportegrator includes both a state-of-the-art backend system and a fully customisable frontend, an advanced content management system, CRM tools to drive user retention, and payment provider integration. What is more, Sportegrator gives you access to real-time sports data feeds and to the most vital part of any successful sportsbook: high-quality, profitable live odds compiled by industry experts using cutting-edge mathematical models.

To learn more about Sportegrator and all the other services we provide, get in touch with our sales team – we'll gladly answer all of your questions on how our tailored business solutions can power your enterprise.