White Label Sportsbook vs Turnkey vs Custom Build

White label sportsbook, turnkey sportsbook and a custom build are the three ways to put your brand on a betting site. They differ in one thing that decides everything else: who holds the licence, the code and the players.

What is a white label sportsbook?

A white label sportsbook is a finished betting site that a provider runs for you under your brand. The platform, the odds, the payments and very often the gambling licence belong to the provider. You bring the name, the design within their template, and the marketing that brings players in. It is the fastest way to launch, because almost everything already exists.

The price of that speed is control. The white label sportsbook provider decides what gets built, which markets are offered, and how the data is handled.

What is a turnkey sportsbook solution?

A turnkey sportsbook solution is a finished platform that you run under your own licence. The provider supplies and maintains the software, and you operate the business: the licence, the payments, the risk decisions and the players. It sits between white label and a custom build. You get more control than with white label, but the code still belongs to the provider.

Many large platform companies publish turnkey sportsbook offers, and they are built for operators who already hold a licence or are about to.

White label vs turnkey vs custom build, side by side

These are the usual terms. Every contract is different, so treat the table as the questions to ask rather than the answers you will get.

How do white label sportsbook providers get paid?

White label sportsbook providers usually charge a setup fee and then take a share of revenue every month. The share pays for the platform, the licence cover, the odds and the day to day operation. It suits a small brand well, because the cost follows the income. It suits a growing brand badly for the same reason: the more you earn, the more you pay, and the payments never end.

Before you sign, ask whether there is a minimum monthly fee, whether the share changes as you grow, and what happens to the players if either side ends the contract.

When a white label sportsbook makes sense

• You do not have a gambling licence and want to start without one of your own.
• You want to test a market or an audience before committing to it.
• Your strength is marketing and an audience, not running a platform.

When a turnkey sportsbook makes sense

• You hold a licence, or are close to it, and want to launch within months.
• A proven platform matters more to you than a distinctive product.
• You are comfortable with the provider's plan deciding new features.

When a custom build makes sense

• You plan to run the brand for years and do not want to share revenue for as long.
• The product itself, the design and the features, is how you intend to win players.
• You want the player data and the code on your own systems, for your regulator and for yourself.

If that describes you, the next step is to start your own sportsbook on a platform built for your brand. The sportsbook development page explains what we build and how the handover works.

Can you move from white label to your own platform later?

Yes, and many operators do exactly that. The hard part is not the new platform, it is getting the players across. Whether you can take player accounts, balances and history with you depends entirely on the white label contract. Read that clause before you sign, not when you want to leave.

If you already know you will want your own platform one day, it is worth asking about data export on the first call. It costs nothing to ask, and it decides how painful the move will be. We also cover what to check when you buy sportsbook software.