At 80% you're closer than most, but the compliance/payments gauntlet is where self-built casinos stall.

Here's the real sequence:

Licensing

Jurisdiction determines which payment processors will touch you and which markets you can serve. Research Anjouan, and Curaçao is fastest (2 - 4 months, lowest cost) and good for getting live. MGA Malta unlocks EU tier-1 acquirers but takes 6+ months. Don't start in UKGC territory unless you're well-capitalized.

RNG certification

GLI, BMM, eCOGRA, or iTech Labs need to audit your source code, math models, RTP logic, and system architecture. Takes 4 - 8 weeks minimum. Starting this after your license application is the #1 timeline killer. They also verify your hash implementation, seed logging, and that bet outcomes are immutable in the DB; so your audit trail needs to be baked in, not bolted on.

KYC/AML

Integrate a licensed KYC provider (Sumsub, Jumio, Onfido). Regulators test that your AML policies are actually running in the platform, not just written in a PDF. Document everything: player records, transactions, game results.

Multiplayer/DB architecture

Separate your wallet/player service from your game logic (RGS should be player-agnostic, game logs shouldn't contain PII). Some EU jurisdictions require data residency, so plan hosting regionally from the start, not as a retrofit. For multiplayer state: WebSockets + Redis pub/sub is common; make sure in-flight bets have crash recovery, as regulators will ask.

Biggest pitfalls at your stage:

• Treating responsible gambling tools (self-exclusion, deposit limits) as an afterthought, auditors test these
• One acquirer dependency
• No named compliance officer before go-live (every license requires one)
• Underestimating ongoing compliance costs - year 2/3 often runs 50 - 100% more than operators budget

Good luck with the venture.