Ethan Cole

iGaming Operations & Compliance Analyst

🎓 11 yrs iGaming operations · ex-platform PM

10 Published guides

About the author

Marcus Feld is an iGaming licensing and operations analyst with more than eleven years inside the online casino industry. He started on the platform side as a product manager, shipping casino back-office and payment integrations, before moving into an advisory role helping operators enter new markets across the US, the EU, and offshore jurisdictions such as Curaçao and Anjouan.

Over the years he has guided operators through the decisions that quietly make or break a launch: white-label versus turnkey versus a custom build, choosing between a game aggregator and direct studio deals, assembling a payment stack that actually converts, and navigating a regulatory map that changes dramatically from one US state to the next.

Marcus writes for operators and founders — never for players. His focus is cutting through vendor marketing to surface the real costs, timelines and trade-offs behind each option. When he isn't reviewing platform contracts, he tracks regulatory shifts in emerging markets and road-tests the onboarding of new B2B suppliers himself.

Expertise

gambling licensingiGaming paymentswhite label casinoUS iGaming regulation

More from Ethan Cole

How to Start an Online Casino pillar

How to Start an Online Casino

Starting an online casino in 2026 means making a sequence of high-stakes technology and vendor decisions before you ever apply for a license. This guide breaks down every layer of the stack — platform, aggregator, payments, compliance tooling — so you can evaluate options like an operator, not a tourist.

⏱ 17 min read
iGaming Payment Processing spoke

iGaming Payment Processing

Getting iGaming payment processing right means choosing the correct cashier platform, PSPs that actually approve gambling merchants, and a payment mix that converts across your target markets — before you sign a platform contract you can't easily exit.

⏱ 17 min read
How Much Does It Cost to Start an Online Casino pillar

How Much Does It Cost to Start an Online Casino

Starting an online casino in 2026 means choosing between radically different technology stacks — and the cost difference between a white-label and a custom build can exceed $1 million before you sign a single player. This breakdown gives you real figures, provider comparisons, and the hidden costs vendors rarely mention upfront.

⏱ 17 min read
Best iGaming Software Providers 2026 listicle

Best iGaming Software Providers 2026

Choosing the wrong iGaming software provider in 2026 can cost you six months and six figures before you serve a single bet. This comparison-driven guide breaks down the top platforms, aggregators, payment stacks and vendor contracts so you pick the right stack for your market and model.

⏱ 18 min read
US Online Casino Legal States 2026 geo

US Online Casino Legal States 2026

Six US states have fully regulated online casino markets in 2026, each with its own licensing body, technical standards, and platform certification requirements. This guide cuts through the noise to show operators exactly which markets are open, what the stack looks like, and where the real entry costs hide.

⏱ 18 min read
How to Start an Online Casino in 2026 Step-by-Step pillar

How to Start an Online Casino in 2026 Step-by-Step

Starting an online casino in 2026 means making a sequence of platform, licensing and payment decisions that compound on each other — get the stack wrong early and you're rebuilding six months in. This guide walks through every major choice in order, with real provider names, cost ranges and the trade-offs vendors rarely put in their pitch decks.

⏱ 19 min read
How to Open an Online Casino The Complete Guide spoke

How to Open an Online Casino The Complete Guide

Opening an online casino in 2026 means making a dozen irreversible technology and licensing decisions before you take a single bet. This guide breaks down every layer of the stack — platform, aggregator, payments, compliance — so you choose the right vendors, not just the cheapest ones.

⏱ 19 min read
Online Casino Business Plan Template and Model spoke

Online Casino Business Plan Template and Model

A credible online casino business plan does more than satisfy investors — it forces you to stress-test your cost structure, licensing path and revenue assumptions before you wire a single dollar to a vendor. This guide gives you the real template.

⏱ 21 min read
Start Your Own Online Casino for Free Myth vs Reality spoke

Start Your Own Online Casino for Free Myth vs Reality

The phrase 'start your own online casino for free' floods operator forums and vendor landing pages, but zero-cost casino launches don't exist. Here's exactly where the money goes and what you can legitimately defer.

⏱ 19 min read
Best Countries to Open an Online Casino in 2026 spoke

Best Countries to Open an Online Casino in 2026

Choosing the right jurisdiction for your online casino launch in 2026 is the single decision that shapes your banking access, player reach, tax bill and compliance overhead for years. This breakdown cuts through vendor marketing to give you honest cost, timeline and risk data for every major option.

⏱ 20 min read

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