Payment Trends in the Gambling Sector 2025: A Complete Year-in-Review for iGaming Operators

Industry insights compiled from IGB roundtables with participants across Europe, LATAM and the United States.

Payments are no longer a background process in the gambling industry. Across regulated and emerging markets, the payment layer has become a core part of the player experience, compliance strategy and operational efficiency of every gambling operator.

This review outlines the key forces shaping payment performance in 2025, the regions experiencing the most disruption, and the recommended actions for operators and payment service providers.

The Changing Role of Payments in iGaming

Historically, payments were handled as a back-office function. In 2025 they have become a strategic differentiator that influences:

• Conversion rates

• Deposit and withdrawal reliability

• Cash flow management

• Fraud and AML exposure

• Competitive positioning

• Player trust and retention

  
  

Operators increasingly see payments as a direct part of the user journey rather than simply a financial requirement.

Three forces are reshaping the landscape:

1. Increased regulatory pressure

Expansion into regulated markets has brought new controls, reporting formats and compliance obligations. Regions such as Germany and Spain impose strict deposit, KYC and payment-method rules.

2. Fragmented reporting and reconciliation

Operators relying on multiple PSPs face complex reconciliation, inconsistent error codes and non-standard reporting. This increases operational cost and slows decision-making.

3. Innovation in open banking and digital identity

Open banking, European digital identity wallets (EUDI), and stablecoin-based treasury solutions are now influencing payment flows, settlement speeds and verification processes.

Key Pain Points Identified by Operators

Compliance complexity (27 per cent)

Operators reported that fragmented rules across European markets create significant administrative effort. Germany and Spain were identified as the most demanding jurisdictions.

Manual reconciliation (18 per cent)

Reconciliation remains one of the most resource-intensive processes. Operators relying on multiple acquirers or PSPs face data gaps that hinder analysis, auditing and settlement accuracy.

Delays in launching new payment methods (45 per cent)

Despite SLAs of T+1 or T+2, operators still encounter delays due to cross-border settlement, bank holidays and inconsistent FX windows. These delays directly affect liquidity and player payment reliability.

Regional Overview

Europe

PSD3 and PSR aim to harmonise payments across the EU, but local rules continue to diverge. Nearly half of operators have identified Europe as the most complex region for local payment method coverage.

Germany

Operators face strict KYC windows, controlled payment-method whitelists and deposit caps. Germany remains one of the hardest markets for PSP integration.

Sweden and Finland

Both lead in A2A adoption. However, open-data management obligations slow down product innovation for banks and PSPs.

Brazil

PIX provides improved transparency, but more than half of gambling transactions still occur outside the regulated perimeter. Local partners remain essential.

United Kingdom

Post-Brexit regulatory flexibility has accelerated open banking adoption under SCA rules.

Central and Eastern Europe

Digital wallet growth continues at pace, supported by more flexible supervisory frameworks.

Influences Shaping 2026 and Beyond

Operators expect the most significant impact from:

• New local payment methods (50 per cent)

• Stablecoins and digital-asset settlement flows (25 per cent)

  
  

European EUDI wallets are also expected to streamline both identity verification and payment initiation, reducing repetitive data collection. Operators agreed that compliance-first UX directly improves conversion and retention.

Recommendations for Operators

1. Select PSPs with direct access to local payment methods

A high-quality PSP should provide local coverage without requiring multiple intermediaries.

2. Reduce chargeback risk

Prioritise local payment methods and A2A options that minimise chargeback exposure.

3. Centralise payment and reconciliation data

Consolidation into a single repository supports faster auditing, improved analytics and real-time risk monitoring.

4. Formalise settlement SLAs

Monitor settlement times by corridor and PSP to identify delays and liquidity risks early.

5. Prepare for EUDI integration

Adopt processes and technologies that accommodate secure, high-trust digital identity standards.

Recommendations for PSPs and Telecom Providers

1. Provide structured APIs

Operators increasingly require consistent data formats for reporting, compliance and reconciliation.

2. Offer realistic sandbox environments

Test environments should simulate regulatory requests, error codes and audit conditions.

3. Integrate AML and accessibility features directly

Low-friction compliance tooling improves acceptance and reduces operator workload.

The Rise of Crypto Payments in Gambling

2025 has seen stronger adoption of crypto-focused PSPs, especially those offering:

• Stablecoin settlement

• Real-time FX conversion

• Blockchain transaction reporting

• Multi-asset acceptance

• Cross-border treasury tooling

  
  

These providers have gained momentum in LATAM, Africa and SEA corridors where cross-border banking remains fragmented.

A detailed breakdown of leading crypto payment providers for gambling will follow in an upcoming sector guide on iGaming Gateways.

Conclusion

The payments landscape in gambling is undergoing structural change. Regulatory fragmentation, innovation in digital identity, increased PSP competition and the rapid evolution of open banking all require operators to re-evaluate their payment stack.

For operators, selecting a PSP with deep regional coverage, strong compliance tooling and reliable reporting is now essential. For PSPs, structured APIs, transparent reconciliation data and instant onboarding are becoming minimum expectations.

iGaming Gateways enables both sides of the market to connect through accurate feature matching, regional filters, compliance indicators and direct PSP comparison tools. As the industry continues to evolve, visibility and accurate positioning will remain critical for acquiring new operators and maintaining trust in regulated markets.