Founded in 2023, White Label Casino's mission statement is pretty simple - they help their clients start their own casino sites by cutting out the complications and doing the heavy lifting for them. With over 40 White Label clients already, it's fair to say things have started well for them. CEO Phil Pearson is at the helm, having spent five years with Malta-based solutions provider iGaming Group, he's now leading the team at White Label Casinos.

And with mascot Geoff at his disposal, it's easy to see why they've had so much early success. In this interview, we asked Phil what is takes to successfully launch an online casino, company milestones, the US market, and most importantly - where did the duck mascot come from?

Q - Can you give us a brief summary of what you guys do and how you help your clients? 

A - “Sure, so we specialize in building and managing casinos for individuals or businesses that don't have their own platform or license. If someone wants to launch a casino under one of the many licenses available, they can approach us. We work closely with them to design the casino they envision, including the front-end design, promotional strategies, and essentially everything they need.

“We manage payments, day-to-day operations, AML (Anti-Money Laundering) compliance, and responsible gambling measures. All the client has to focus on is marketing and how they engage with players, particularly in areas like CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and related tasks. 

“We provide them with a fully operational casino that requires far fewer employees than they might expect – as few as 2 staff members or even just four or five, depending on their size. It's an efficient way to launch a casino.”

Q - Where did the duck mascot come from? 

“Oh, this is a very personal question. So, about, what was it now? 15 years ago, I was moving flats in the UK. My mum offered to drive some stuff for me between the two houses, and she asked if there was anything I needed. Because I'm a little bit daft, I created a list of ten random items, and one of them was a yellow rubber duck.

“So, that duck was purchased, and I still have him to this day, along with a collection of 43 other ducks acquired at different times. So, yeah, he's the inspiration for the mascot, and he is now going to live forever, like off Fame, the musical.”

Q - What’s the most important thing to get right when setting up a new casino?

“There are probably three or four key aspects. Firstly, ensuring that you treat your players well is paramount. Nowadays, there aren't many casinos that can survive if they're not paying players on time or if they're not well-funded and well-managed. So, player trust is crucial.

“Secondly, the customer journey and customer loyalty play significant roles. This involves offering things like cashback bonuses and maintaining strong connections with your VIP players. It's all about having a good player management approach.

“The quality of the platform also matters. The more dynamic and modern it is, the more it can offer in terms of features and functionality.

“And most importantly, I wouldn't say it's just about money, but it does tie into it. Having financial resources or experience is crucial. You can have little money but know a network of affiliates who can bring you players. They may not demand upfront fees because they trust you and know you can drive traffic. On the other hand, you can have a lot of money and buy your way into the industry.

“However, for me, experience holds more importance than money. We're not going to ask people if they have five million in the bank. If they have a good network within the industry, including both major players and smaller ones, we're very interested because we know they'll be able to bring traffic to new casino sites, and we're confident in our ability to manage it once it's there. So, it's about the combination of experience and resources that make a real difference.”

Q - What’s your story - tell us about your journey to White Label Casinos?

“Sure, I mean, I won't say I've gambled all my life, but I've been kind of surrounded by it a bit. I worked in pubs and even worked in a casino. After working in sales for six or seven years and eventually managing a sales team, a friend of mine was coming to Malta to work for Metzen. She asked me some questions to help prepare because she knew I had some knowledge about it. Before I came here, I was making a living playing poker, so I had a poker job for nearly four years. I thought, 'Oh, Malta sounds warm,' and then I looked online and saw how many jobs were advertised in the gaming industry.

“I had a good background in sales, and hospitality was obviously tied into that because it fell into the same category. So, I decided to move here randomly, without a job, and just look for one when I got here. I moved, played poker here for a couple of months, and then realized that everyone here is insane and goes all in at random times. 

“So, I stopped doing that and applied for a job at an iGaming group, an iGaming platform, and was successful. I started there as the head of sales and account management and then worked my way up to managing the white labels, then became the COO.”

Q- What are your thoughts on the US legalizing sportsbooks faster than casinos?

“It's not just about culture; it's also about the sheer scale. I think what a lot of people overlook is that in the USA, you have a population of 300 million people. You've got major sports leagues, and for about 21 weeks a year, you've got the NFL playing four days a week, NBA basketball every day for seven months, NHL games, and baseball happening about 20 times a day for six months straight.

“The key difference between the USA and the rest of the world is that there are major sporting events virtually every day, often spanning nine hours or more. If you're looking for continuous sports action, that's pretty much how you've been brought up in the USA.”

“In contrast, if you're in the UK, you've got rugby on Saturdays, Premier League football on Saturdays and Sundays, and if you're into cricket, it's a test match that lasts four days and happens once a month. There isn't as much variety. Therefore, I believe that in terms of profitability, the casino aspect has become more important because there's less competition in terms of sports betting options.

“Of course, you have the Champions League, but that's available everywhere. European football offers more variety, with longer games and more diverse betting options. For instance, in football, you can bet on goal scorers, corners, and various other aspects. In the NFL, you can bet on specific player statistics, like whether someone will score over 63.5 yards, which involves a lot of statistical analysis. It's a more analytical market.”

Q - Are there any big milestones to boast about? 

“We currently have over 40 live casinos, catering to players, and we're planning to launch a new license this year, as well as a second Curaçao license. It's all positive growth for us.

“One thing I'm particularly proud of, and it's somewhat unusual, is that we have more women than men in senior management positions. It's really cool. I even posted about it online, thinking the 'Women in Gaming' community would be interested, but here I am, talking to my phone about it.

“We have 63 percent women in the company overall, and 59 percent women in senior management. That's something worth boasting about because gender diversity in leadership positions is a topic that can be contentious, not just in iGaming, but in virtually every industry.”

Q - Thoughts on potential technological innovations in the casino industry

“I'm going to provide a different perspective than you might expect, but in the casino industry, most innovations don't prove effective and end up being a waste of money. I'll elaborate on this, but it's essential to understand that the landscape has its challenges.

“Currently, there's a significant focus on innovations like virtual reality, creating various types of slot games, and developing engines to promote games to players. However, the surprising fact is that many of these innovations haven't yielded substantial results. The top 50 most-played games today are very similar to the top 50 most-played games from two years ago, with only a few new additions. There haven't been significant breakthroughs in-game mechanics or intricate plot developments.

“Even advancements like the ability to play together on streams with others haven't garnered as much interest as one might think. VIP players, who deposit substantial amounts, often prefer their own gaming experiences and don't necessarily want to join shared pools or play with streamers who may not be playing with real money.

“While these innovations can be engaging for recreational players, they don't generate as much revenue as the high-stakes players who contribute significantly through fast-paced rake or high-stakes tournaments. The 80-20 rule often applies, with 20 percent of the players driving most of the revenue. For many companies, these innovations serve more as marketing strategies.

“As for the future of gaming, there might be advancements in algorithms for game discovery and similar areas, but it's unlikely that we'll see a game-changing shift in the market.”