UNITED STATES—Creating software of any kind has its challenges, and online casinos throw up some unique obstacles which need to be encompassed in the development process.

Knowing what steps to take is half the struggle, so here is an overview of some of the main points on the journey from conception to launch which web-based gambling services require.

Coming up with a concept

Idea-generation is important for all sorts of software development, since without a core concept to work with, no project can move on to the subsequent phases.

There are a multitude of ways to go about this, most of which are used in combination in order to overcome the barriers at this early stage.

For example, while general brainstorming among the development team can be useful, starting with a blank page is also a daunting prospect. Instead, carrying out market research to see which types of games are proving most popular at the moment will offer a jumping-off point.

Another factor to consider here is which types of devices you will be targeting and how your game will be accessed and played. Knowing that instant play and download casino software are not the same thing, and that catering to mobile users as well as desktop players is necessary, will guide your concept-creation further.

When coming up with a concept for casino software, it is sensible to start without any restrictions in place, and then gradually narrow your pool of potential ideas by imposing limits based on your research as well as your intuition.

Prototyping

Casino software concepts might look good on paper, and stand up to scrutiny in theory, but you need to see whether they have what it takes to succeed in practice. This is where prototyping comes into play, and it is the lynchpin of development for any project.

There are all sorts of solutions which are suited to this, ranging from the simple, such as Framer, to the complex such as Unity. The route you take depends on your needs and your skills.

Prototyping can also be as basic or comprehensive as you see fit. Sometimes all you need to do to approve an idea for further development is build a rough sense of the interface, especially if the game itself is already a well-trodden standard in terms of its underlying functionality. Sometimes, when a concept is more ambitious and unusual, an in-depth approach to prototyping could serve you better in the long run.

Writing the code

If prototyping your idea has left you reassured that it will work as a full release, then the time to code it has arrived.

The majority of casino games are built around HTML5, for the simple fact that this is the most widely supported language and will be particularly well suited to running on mobile devices as well as modern desktop browsers.

That is not to say that you definitely have to go down the HTML5 route, especially if you are already more comfortable with another coding solution. Even so, it is generally better to ensure that your software is accessible to the broadest possible audience, unless you have a very small niche you are intending to target, which in the case of online casinos is rare.

Putting the software through its paces

Testing is something which happens parallel to the coding process, as well as being implemented after you have got to the stage of having an almost-finished product.

You need to test to see whether the software is performing the functions it is intended for, whether it is as compatible as you want it to be, and whether it is intuitive enough for users who have not encountered it before to get to grips with it quickly.

A rigorous testing strategy will iron out kinks and pinpoint bugs before release, rather than requiring you to go back and implement changes and fixes in the future when this is less convenient.

Launch & post-release support

When you are confident that your casino software lives up to expectations, it is ready to be launched. How you go about this depends on the type of site you operate and the audience you are aiming for.

You will also need to market your software effectively to get the word out there and encourage people to actually play it.

Finally you have to plan for the provision of post-release support to customers, as software development is an ongoing process which will require some maintenance and intervention over time.