From what I gather, if you want a reputable place such as microgaming, with their extended support and funds to pay winners and affiliates and the appropriate staff, licencing, design etc. etc., it will run you some 1 1/2 million or thereabouts.
It’s definitely not as simple as it looks… It’s not for the tightly budgeted or faint hearted. And the competition is fierce, you will have to compete against established brands who have spent years gaining trust from players and affiliates…
Being knowledgeable in the affiliate market and as a player gives you an edge, but being an operator is a whole different ballgame and gives a new perspective to just about everything.
There are ways to do it on the cheap, but the rate of failure is a lot higher and it will be a lot harder to gain any trust.