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How the UKGC Ban on Credit Cards Affected Payment Provider Industry and Consumer Habits
The UK Gambling Commission ban on the use of credit cards has challenged consumers and businesses, seeking to adapt to the new requirements.
On April 14th, the new UKGC ban came into effect, prohibiting the use of credit cards to top-up online gambling accounts: the measure was instituted in an effort to mitigate financial risks for consumers and prevent them from gambling with the money they do not possess. The new regulation challenged some of the prevalent consumer habits and pushed payment vendors to expand the scope of their services.
Agnė Selemonaitė, Deputy CEO at ConnectPay, shared her insights on the impact it had for both sides of the market.
Impact for payment service providers
According to Ms. Selemonaitė, current changes the industry is going through will affect not only the bettors’ spending habits, but also payment gateway providers, aiming to supply the market with flexible, as well as compliant, solutions.
“Our focus has always been on being proactive towards any new developments in the market. That’s why even amidst lockdown we pivoted towards integrating more payment methods into our Merchant API to provide gambling vendors with more options to facilitate payments,” explained A. Selemonaitė.
According to Selemonaitė, more and more gambling sites are getting into partnerships with payment service providers, seeking to streamline settlements for their regular bettors and provide a greater on-site experience. As ConnectPay aims to continue growing its payments selection, Selemonaitė encourages operators to look into how leveraging diverse solutions could help better match their clients expectations.
As the opinions on the policy are two-fold, A. Selemonaitė noted that every decision, with the goal of mitigating risks for consumers, should be a welcomed initiative. That said, it is important that alternative solutions rolled out into the market would meet both vendor and consumer needs, but with added safety, while being compliant with the new measures. “In order for business to welcome new measures, regulators need to stay focused on setting up such an environment that fosters the development of a holistic system and doesn’t hinder scaling opportunities,” she added.
What are the alternatives for consumers?
The operators’ commitment to enable clients to continue enjoying their favorite pastime while spending within reason led betters to get accustomed with various other payment options.
Visa and Mastercard debit cards
Using a debit card is almost identical to using a credit card, with the main difference that with the prior, the funds are taken directly from the checking bank account, rather than being charged to a line of credit to be paid for later. This ensures that the bettors themselves verify payments, and help protect the account from scammers’ malicious intent.
Prepaid cards
Many providers, such as ConnectPay, issue prepaid cards, which, unlike debit, are not linked to a bank account to draw money from. Instead, the customer is spending money that has been loaded onto the card beforehand. Prepaid cards are limited by default, therefore one can only access the amount of funds that have already been vouched for.
E-wallets
Although the credit card ban extends to e-wallets, they can still be used for gambling-related payments with the exception that the service does not support credit lending. Similar to prepaid cards, e-wallets require money to be loaded prior to any transaction. It is an appealing alternative as it offers faster payouts and enables switching back and forth between different gambling sites with ease.
Cryptocurrency
Another method to deposit money is using a cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin. It provides total anonymity, as no personal details are shared with the site, making it one of the most secure alternatives. Although many do not understand the inner workings of the crypto industry, it remains a viable option for all tech-savvy betters.
Even though some may still be unconvinced about the necessity of the new legislation, it is shaping up to be a sound solution, which could lead to heightened industry transparency, as well as provide consumers with more payment options to choose from. However, its true impact on the industry will show only after some time.
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Here are this weeks latest slots releases compiled by European Gaming
Spinomenal has welcomed another title into its Wildlife Series, Majestic Bison. Set in the Wild West, Majestic Bison surrounds players in a landscape populated with wild wolves, elegant eagles, fearsome snakes and formidable goats. A stripped back soundtrack captures the essence of the Wild West, with banjos and harmonicas immersing players in the action as they hunt for gold.
PG Soft, a world-class digital mobile games company, is celebrating the magic of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival with the release of its new slot, Rio Fantasia. A young dancer named Isabella is the star of the show as players join in the rhythm and passion of one of the world’s most spectacular parties. Rio Fantasia is a 3-reel, 3-row video slot featuring Stacked Wild symbols, multipliers, and respin until win.
Hölle Games has released Jumpin’ Jacks, a new Classic title featuring a special Duplicating Wilds mechanic. This 5×3, 15 payline slot has a theme of Halloween harvest, with scarecrows, pumpkins, corn, crows and a creepy midnight sky completing the picture. The atmosphere is there to match, with a cosy yet somewhat spooky soundtrack.
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, has served up Cafe Pin-Up, a slot that whisks players away to a vibrant 1950s diner, where retro glamour meets thrilling gameplay. Players take a seat inside a charming cafe, where pin-up girls are on hand to deliver delicious dishes in a raucous atmosphere created by a jukebox playing toe-tapping tunes. The game is presented in a 5×4 grid with 20 paylines with the Pin-Up Girl Wild symbol playing the key role.
New from Peter & Sons comes Muddy Waters, a game that will send your Geiger counter up to 11. This high-volatility and highly radioactive slot comes packed with symbol multipliers, power-ups and a unique fishing mechanic. Muddy Waters riffs on the popular fishing-slot genre, but since this is the weird and wonderful world of Peter & Sons, it gets flipped on its head, because this game is about reeling in radioactive fish.
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and provider of unique content, is getting players into the festive spirit with its latest release, Money Sleigh, a Christmas-themed slot guaranteed to deliver stocking-filled fun and the chance to unwrap big wins. Santa and his team of loyal helpers are ready to guide players through this exciting holiday adventure, with the potential to win up to 10,000x their stake.
The post Week 46/2024 slot games releases appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Latest News
AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZITRO AND GRUPO OSGA TO PROMOTE THE LABOT INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Zitro, a leading company in the gaming industry, has signed a collaboration agreement with Grupo OSGA, a business group committed to promoting the employment of people with disabilities. Grupo OSGA offers job opportunities to people with disabilities and supports their professional development in inclusive and accessible environments.
Through this alliance, Grupo OSGA will provide Zitro with a parcel and documentation service between its offices, optimizing Zitro’s operational efficiency and strengthening its social commitment to creating a more inclusive work environment.
At Zitro, we firmly believe in the power of diversity as a driver of growth and development. This collaboration with Grupo OSGA not only enriches our company but also reinforces our commitment to contributing to a fairer and more inclusive society,” said Albert Zorrilla, Managing Director of Zitro for Spain.
“The collaboration with a prestigious international company like Zitro not only constitutes recognition of the work that Grupo OSGA has been carrying out but also contributes to the generation of real opportunities for people with disabilities to achieve effective and stable integration in the labor market,” said Oscar Galilea, President of Grupo Osga.
The post AGREEMENT BETWEEN ZITRO AND GRUPO OSGA TO PROMOTE THE LABOT INTEGRATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Balkans
EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave and successful titles to deliver high-quality experience to BetHub’s customers
BetHub and EGT Digital have started their successful partnership, as a result of which the leading Bulgarian operator is now using the iGaming platform X-Nave. Its 4 main modules: CRM Engine, Sport product, Gaming Aggregator and Payment Gateway, enable the betting site to effectively manage all online gaming business verticals and further improve its performance.
CRM Engine provides a wide range of player management tools and bonus features, allowing the operator to create more personalized offerings for its customers, based on their preferences and behavior.
Through X-Nave’s Sport product BetHub will enrich even more the sport content it offers.
The Payment Gateway gives access to numerous payment methods and thanks to the Gaming Aggregator EGT Digital’s slot games are already at the disposal of the website’s visitors. The top-performing titles from Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, Single Progressive Jackpot, as well as the multiplayer game xRide quickly gained popularity among BetHub’s customers.
“We are very glad with our collaboration with EGT Digital so far,” commented Kiril Naldzhiev, CEO at BetHub. “The platform has made the management of our business much easier, and the company’s gaming content has shown impressive results that have not only met but exceeded our expectations.”
Tsvetomira Drumeva, Head of Sales at EGT Digital, also gave a positive evaluation to the cooperation. She said: “Partnering with a prominent operator like BetHub is very valuable for us, as it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate the enormous potential of our developments and consolidate our status as a leader in the local market. I am confident that this is the beginning of a very successful collaboration that will bring a lot of positives to both companies and the players themselves.”
The post EGT Digital’s iGaming platform X-Nave and successful titles to deliver high-quality experience to BetHub’s customers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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