Full Guide on How to Make a Betting App
Updated 16 Sep 2022
9 Min
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Gambling business has changed due to the digital revolution. There are a lot of solutions like online casinos and betting apps. According to the latest report, the gambling industry is expected to reach approximately $565 billion by 2022.
Betting app development can be challenging and time-consuming. The main reasons for that are a gambling license and app store restrictions.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the challenges of creating a betting app and basic features. Also, there is a ready-made estimation and comparison of prices in different regions.
How to Create a Betting App: Challenges to Consider
There are several obstacles that you may bump into even before betting app development. You have to think through several points to make a gambling application that works legally and is allowed to be used by the public.
#1. Getting a License
The primary task is to get an online gambling license. It’s the only way to enter the gambling industry. It’s impossible to promote the gambling application and gain users without a license.
The following data is for informational purposes only. We’re not experts in online gambling laws. We’re providing a brief overview of laws by countries to inform you about possible obstacles.
Every country has different rules and regulations for getting an online gambling license. You have to study the jurisdiction of a particular country or state. You can speed this process up cooperating with a qualified lawyer.
Below you can find general information about getting an online gambling license in various countries.
The USA
In the US, it’s legal to have sports betting business only in several states like Nevada and New Jersey. In other states, online gambling is illegal.
Where is online gambling legal in the USA?
Australia
Australia isn’t as strict as the USA with gambling laws. It’s legal to own a betting business, so you can apply for a license and nothing stops you from making a gambling app after you get one.
Europe
There are a lot of countries with different regulations for online betting business. Most European Union countries allow at least some types of online gambling games. For example, the German government prohibits almost all types of online gambling. However, in Italy, it’s possible to get a license in a specific committee. It’s better to study the regulations of a particular country or consult with a lawyer.
Getting a license for a betting business can be quite challenging and cost a lot. You need to look through all the rules and restrictions of a particular country beforehand and notify your developers if they have to follow some specific guidelines.
#2. Publishing to the App Store and Play Market
Play Market
In July 2017, Google announced that developers can publish gambling apps on the Play Market. Though, there are still strict regulations to prevent young users from downloading apps of this type. For example, it’s required to have a gambling license from the targeted country. Also, the Play Market insists that publishers should make their betting apps free.
App Store
To publish your betting app to the App Store, you need to follow the set of rules provided by Apple. They’re pretty similar to Google’s. For example, any betting app should be connected to a business with a license and have a geo-fence.
#3. Integrating Payment System
Making a betting app, you need to implement several payment methods to make the transactions fast and comfortable.
A lot of payment system providers are ready to cooperate with online gambling platforms. Among the most popular ones are Stripe, NETELLER, and Skrill.
Stripe
The Stripe payment system offers fast and secure transactions. It’s common to integrate this payment solution since it’s easy to use for newbies. However, there are some regulations about using Stripe for betting apps.
NETELLER
NETELLER is one of the most widespread payment services with millions of users from all over the world. The main advantages of this system are high level of security and fast, anonymous transactions.
Skrill
This payment provider offers flexible services for the gambling business. Skrill offers it's users anonymity along with a comfortable way to cash out their winnings.
Payment systems for betting apps
#4. Considering UI/UX Design
How to make a betting app that brings a lot of users? You need to pay attention to user-friendly and intuitive UI/UX design.
According to the latest trends, applications should have a simple interface without unnecessary elements that can distract users. However, it’s common to integrate small animations. For example, you can add motion or animated transitions among the screens.
People are visual creatures, so you need to pay attention to design to deliver value to end users. It’s better to cooperate with qualified designers who can create a quality interface.
Betting App Development: Must-Have Features and Their Cost
How to create a betting app? These apps require a lot of features. It’s better to start with the MVP version of the application. MVP stands for a minimum functionality that can satisfy users. Having developed an MVP of a gambling app, you can release it on the market and get some feedback from users. After that, you can upgrade your solution and implement advanced features.
The app functionally is the most significant factor that affects the final cost. Let’s discuss a set of MVP features for a betting app and cost to implement them.
Login and registration
Users start interacting with an app from registration or login. The basic option is to offer players register with email and password. After signing up, users need to log in. Also, it’s necessary to provide ‘Forgot password’ and ‘Log out’ features to make a gambling app user-friendly.
Create a wager
The ability to make a wager is crucial for any betting app. For example, players should see the list of categories and events. It’s good to integrate a flexible search system to help them navigate through these events. Also, you need to allow users to set picks and bet amount.
List of wagers
Users see the list of their wagers and sort them according to various filters like date, status, and more. Betting app developers can implement a suggestion system. So the app could offer to see the list of recommendations depending on users’ previous activity.
Wallet
Are you still wondering how to make a betting app user-friendly? Try to integrate a convenient wallet feature. It allows users to add their credit card credentials and top up the account. It’s also necessary to provide an opportunity to delete cards and add several ones.
Menu
The menu bar has to consist of several points. It’s better to create a ‘Rules’ screen for users to see the gambling policy. The betting app requires an ability to contact managers if necessary.
Notifications
This feature is quite useful to give users a heads-up about new wagers and any other changes. Additionally, push notifications drive better engagement making users spend more time with the app.
Core features of a gambling app
All the estimations provided below are based on the average rate in our region (Eastern Europe, Ukraine) — $50 per hour. We’ve calculated only core features. However, there are additional expenses that we’ll discuss later.
| Feature | Back-end development, hours | iOS development, hours | Android development, hours |
|---|---|---|---|
Login & registration | 35 h | 68 h | 68 h |
Create a wager | 88 h | 128 h | 128 h |
List of wagers | 32 h | 52 h | 52 h |
Wallet | 31 h | 62 h | 62 h |
Menu | 14 h | 30 h | 30 h |
Push notifications | 15 h | 17 h | 17 h |
Total time | 215 h | 357 h | 357 h |
Total price | $10,750 | $17,850 | $17,850 |
As for advanced features, there are some ideas:
- customer support 24/7
- bonuses
- several languages support
- real-time messaging
- several currencies support
How to Create a Betting App: Team and Technologies
Betting app development requires a joint effort of various specialists. Here come the team members (they can vary depending on your project requirements):
- Business Analyst
- Project Manager
- UI/UX designer
- 1 or 2 iOS developers
- 1 or 2 Android developers
- Back-end developer
- QA engineer
Want to know more about team members? Discover the application development team roles and responsibilities at Cleveroad.
To create a mobile app, you need to choose a suitable tech stack. The most popular ones are Swift (iOS) and Kotlin (Android). Below you can find an approximate tech stack needed to create a betting app.
The tech stack of your gambling app depends on your project requirement. It’s better to consult with professionals to pick the right one.
Technologies to create a betting app
How Much Does it Cost to Make a Betting App?
To find out the final cost of betting app development, you need to consider several factors that can affect the final price. Among the most significant ones are:
- design
- admin panel
- development team’s location
Admin panel
The betting app should have an admin dashboard to manage users and the platform. It also allows handling transactions done via the app. Creating two mobile apps for iOS and Android, you will only need one admin panel that works for both of them. To build a basic solution, developers would need at least 105 hours.
Admin panel concept (Source: Dribbble)
Design
Design is essential for any mobile application, especially for a gambling one. You need to hire a qualified specialist that can create a user-friendly design. To make a good-looking UI/UX design, specialists need approximately 130 hours for one mobile platform.
Design concept (Source: Dribbble)
Team's location
It’s common to cooperate with outsourced development companies to make betting apps. Depending on the location, vendors offer various hourly rates. For example, software builders from Eastern Europe provide affordable rates along with high-quality code.
| Region | iOS ($/hour) | Android ($/hour) | Web ($/hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
North America | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Latin America | 80 | 80 | 80 |
Western Europe | 100 | 80 | 80 |
Eastern Europe | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Australia | 100 | 100 | 80 |
Asia | 40 | 40 | 40 |
Want to enter a gambling industry? Learn how to create a casino website: features and steps.
Final Estimate
Betting app development for two mobile platforms (iOS and Android) may cost about $83, 600. This number is APPROXIMATE and is based on a $50/h rate (Ukraine).
We’ve calculated the MVP features of an app, design, and admin panel.
| Type of work | Back-end | iOS | Android |
|---|---|---|---|
Features | 215 hours | 357 hours | 357 hours |
Admin panel (one for all platforms) | 105 hours | ||
Frameworks and libraries integration | 57 hours | 19 hours | 24 hours |
UI/UX design | 140 hours | 150 hours | 120 hours |
Quality assurance | 240 hours | 180 hours | 180 hours |
Project management | 120 hours | 90 hours | 90 hours |
Total time | 877 hours | 796 hours | 771 hours |
Total price | $43,850 | $39,800 | $38,550 |
How to calculate the final cost? You need to multiply the number of hours by hourly rate. We’ve counted the final price for different regions.
- Eastern Europe. $83,600 (based on $50/h)
- North America. $167,200 (based on $100/h)
- Western Europe. $150,480 (based on $90/h)
- Australia. $167,200 (based on $100/h)
How much would a betting app cost?
Our business analysts are at your disposal! We'll check requirements and calculate price for free.
As software engineers are the main price factor here will depend on their rates and, respectively, location.
- Eastern Europe. $83, 600 (based on $50/h)
- North America. $167, 200 (based on $100/h)
- Western Europe. $150, 480 (based on $90/h)
- Australia. $167, 200 (based on $100/h)
There are several steps to follow:
- Step 1. Get a gambling license.
- Step 2. Cooperate with experienced developers
- Step 3. Consider must-have features.
- Step 4. Create a user-friendly design.
- Step 5. Test the app to avoid bugs.
- Step 6. Release the betting app and update it regularly.
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Comments
6 commentsIn this article each information for creating betting app is clearly mention. Getting the license is the most important thing in this business. you mention each process for developing the application. You define estimate cost of the app in USA, by this I can set my budget for the application development. Thanks for sharing the article.
Great article and info. Once in a while you run into a GREAT articles, and this is IT! Thank you.
Nice information
How do you get the odds? Are they purchased or you just get them for free
Nicely explained. Covers all aspects at a high level
Brilliant info!
