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TrueLayer launches PayDirect, a new approach to seamless online payments in iGaming
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PayDirect, a new service from the UK’s open banking leader, TrueLayer, combines one-click verification with instant deposits and withdrawals to deliver the most complete payments experience.
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It delivers a higher-converting, lower-fraud payments approach when compared to card and bank transfer.
TrueLayer, the leading technology company building financial infrastructure that’s open to everyone today announced the launch of PayDirect, a new open banking-based payments method enabling iGaming firms to create a higher-converting, lower-fraud payments approach when compared to card and bank transfer. TrueLayer is working with a number of iGaming operators who are embracing opening banking as a more secure, cost-effective way to deliver superior player experiences.
Today, identity and verification flows and card-based payments typically generate avoidable friction along the customer journey, affecting adoption and retention rates and generating unnecessary costs. The introduction of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) this year adds another layer of friction to cards with workarounds that deliver a poorer customer experience.
PayDirect is the answer to those issues, enabling firms to stay compliant while delivering a frictionless customer experience. Built on open banking and the fastest available bank payment rails, it provides firms with instant payments and withdrawals, while accelerating KYC and AML processes, to deliver the most complete solution on the market.
“As players experience seamless digital services in other aspects of their lives, their expectations for iGaming are also changing. PayDirect builds on our payments expertise to solve some significant issues around onboarding, deposits and withdrawals to help operators deliver an experience that is fit for the digital age,” commented Ossama Soliman, Chief Product Officer at TrueLayer. “The ability to quickly and easily verify a customer’s identity, and move money instantly in and out of an account using bank to bank payments, while automatically complying with AML regulations, is hugely beneficial to both the player and the operator.”
With PayDirect iGaming operators, can deliver new levels of services to their customers, all from within their app, in a matter of minutes, through:
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Account verification – Instantly verify account ownership based on what’s on file at a customer’s bank.
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Instant account funding – users can initiate payments or move money between accounts effortlessly using open banking.
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Seamless online payments – that reduce fraud and chargebacks at any checkout.
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Instant withdrawals – users can initiate payouts, using the same method used for deposits, automatically meet AML requirements, while avoiding manual data entry like bank account number or IBAN.
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Instant refunds – providing customers to access their money faster, compared with up to 5 days using cards.
PayDirect improves the player experience and delivers a number of significant benefits to iGaming operators, including:
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Up to 3x faster onboarding: PayDirect gets players up and running in a matter of minutes, using open banking and biometric authentication that removes the need for users to remember usernames or passwords.
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Higher payment conversion rates: Once a player has successfully executed a deposit, payment failures tend to be four times lower with PayDirect than cards (on average cards fail up to 15% of the time vs 3.5% with PayDirect). This means more efficient deposits and, more importantly, less time managing failed payments that can ultimately lead to customer churn.
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Increased customer loyalty: Card deposits take up to 3 days to settle, whilst withdrawals can take up to 5 days. PayDirect increases retention by offering customers what they want, instant deposits and withdrawals. Recent research into the iGaming market by YouGov for TrueLayer (Q4 2020) found rapid deposits and payouts consistently topped the list of player priorities, with 8 out of 10 players rating fast payments as important – and they choose their operators accordingly.
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Lower operating costs: PayDirect saves time and reduces cost by automating otherwise manual processes such as payment reconciliation or KYC checks. PayDirect also reduces costs when processing refunds, as they are automatically issued to the same bank account that was used to make the deposit. This reduces opportunities for human error compared to cheque or manual bank transfers as well as cutting down customer support cases on lost or never issued refunds.
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Reduced risk and fraud: With PayDirect account ownership and authentication is handled by the player’s bank. No more chargebacks, no credential sharing or password storage. Service providers can also meet AML requirements by paying out via the same method used for deposits.
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A fully white labelled payment method: integrated open banking capabilities, increase customer trust by the brand owning the end-to-end customer journey, and configuring payment flows.
“The race is on to reimagine the way people pay by leveraging Open Payments architectures. We have seen in banking and ecommerce that great onboarding and payments experiences increase conversion, trust, and retention. But many payment journeys today have not been designed for a digital first world,” added Francesco Simoneschi, co-founder and CEO at TrueLayer. “With PayDirect we’re calling time on cards and their monopoly. We have used our experience and expertise as a leading open banking platform to design a digital and mobile first payment product that combines instant bank payments with instant payouts, refunds and reconciliation capabilities. PayDirect delivers an effortless way to onboard new customers and enable them to quickly initiate payments and withdraw funds. It is the easiest way to create a better, safer and lower cost payments process.”
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Betshield has announced the arrival of Amilton Noble as Advisory Partner.
The executive joins the company’s strategic core at a time of increased operational demands for licensed operators in the Brazilian betting market.
The move comes alongside a significant shift in how the sector is being evaluated.
Beyond regulatory compliance, recent court decisions have begun to consider not only the existence of formal user-protection policies, but also the platforms’ ability to demonstrate continuous monitoring and preventive action in response to risky behavior.
The evolution toward the “Trust & Protection” concept
Recognized for its pioneering role in Responsible Gaming technology, Betshield is following this evolution by expanding its presence within iGaming operations.
The company is structuring its proposition as a permanent layer of operational trust and protection, incorporating:
- Risk management
- Internal controls
- Ability to demonstrate due diligence
Leadership and experience
Amilton Noble has a consolidated career in the gaming, lottery and iGaming industries.
As Advisory Partner, he will contribute to the company’s institutional positioning and to the consolidation of more structured operational practices in the regulated environment.
According to Noble, the sector is entering a new stage of maturity:
“Market maturity depends on the ability to demonstrate diligence. This is no longer just a licensing discussion, but one of operational responsibility.
Operators will need to present evidence of monitoring and preventive action. Technology becomes part of the company’s own protection.”
A new market positioning
Thiago Iusim, founder and CEO of Betshield, states that the moment represents an evolution in positioning:
“Responsible Gaming has always been our starting point. But we quickly realized it was necessary to go beyond isolated functionality.
The market began to require the ability to demonstrate operational diligence. We structured the Trust & Protection concept: a permanent layer between operator, regulator and user.”
Betshield’s technology performs continuous behavioral monitoring, identifies risk patterns, and generates a documented history of preventive actions.
The platform has also incorporated an anti-money laundering (AML) module, expanding the scope of protection.
Recently, Betshield also announced a strategic partnership with CGS Events, placing player protection as a central theme of the 2026 events agenda.
Who is Amilton Noble
With more than 30 years of experience in gaming, betting, and lotteries, Amilton Noble has built a career closely tied to product design, operational models, and distribution strategies within the Brazilian lottery sector.
He began his career at the Brazilian Jockey Club, where he served as National Betting Manager and oversaw pari-mutuel horse-racing wagering operations.
Starting in 2001, at Hebara, he led the commercial area of Raspadinha do Rio and was responsible for developing products that became market benchmarks.
He also works as a strategic consultant for national and international gaming, iGaming, and lottery companies, focusing on regulation, payout structure, and the economic sustainability of operating models.
His work combines practical experience, critical analysis, and direct involvement in the sector’s evolution.
The post Brazilian Amilton Noble announced as Advisory Partner at Betshield appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Cheltenham Festival
Richard Johnson and Hayley Moore to join Press Box PR’s Cheltenham Festival preview event in Gibraltar
Two-time Gold Cup-winning jockey Richard Johnson and Sky Sports Racing presenter Hayley Moore will headline a Cheltenham Festival Preview evening hosted by Press Box PR in Gibraltar next month.
Taking place on Thursday, March 5, at Ivy Sports Bar & American Grill in Ocean Village, the event will bring together professionals from across the gambling and racing industries for an exclusive preview of the Cheltenham Festival 2026, which begins on March 10.
Johnson, widely regarded as one of the most accomplished jump jockeys of his era, will share expert insight into the key races, leading contenders, and the demands of competing on racing’s biggest stage. He will be joined by Moore, who will offer analysis of the major storylines, form trends, and narratives shaping this year’s Festival.
The evening will be hosted by racing presenter and writer Kitty Waddell, who will moderate the discussion and lead a live audience Q&A with the panel.
Guests attending the event can expect:
• Detailed previews and tips for the Festival’s headline races
• Behind-the-scenes insights from Johnson’s career at the top level of jump racing
• Expert commentary from Moore on form, trends, and key contenders
• A live Q&A session with the panel
• Networking opportunities alongside complimentary food and drinks
Attendees will also have the chance to win prizes during the evening.
With offices in London and Manchester, Press Box PR — winner at the European iGaming Awards 2026 — is a PR agency specialising in securing media coverage across iGaming, sport, consumer, finance, hospitality, and catering sectors. The agency also supports brands in achieving visibility within AI citations and LLM-driven recommendations.
Jack Mansell, Managing Director of Sport at Press Box PR, said:
“The Cheltenham Festival is the highlight of the jump racing calendar and a huge moment for many of the brands we work with across betting and gaming. We wanted to create an event that gives industry colleagues genuine insight from people who have competed at – and covered – the very highest level of the sport.
“Richard and Hayley bring an incredible depth of knowledge and experience, and we’re looking forward to welcoming clients, partners and friends of the industry for what should be an entertaining and informative evening in Gibraltar.”
The Cheltenham Festival Preview will run from 7pm to 10pm on Thursday, March 5, at Ivy Sports Bar & American Grill, Ocean Village, Gibraltar.
Industry professionals wishing to attend are invited to RSVP to [email protected] by Monday, March 2. Guests are asked to confirm numbers and share any dietary requirements when responding. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The post Richard Johnson and Hayley Moore to join Press Box PR’s Cheltenham Festival preview event in Gibraltar appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Audio Description
Brøndby IF Launches Permanent Audio Description Service for Fans Inside and Outside the Stadium
Last night’s clash between Brøndby IF and Sønderjyske in the 3F Superliga became the first match delivered through the club’s new permanent audio description service, designed for fans both in the stadium and at home. Developed in close partnership with the Danish Association of the Blind and main partner Betano, the initiative enables supporters with visual impairments to follow matches more fully from the stands or their living rooms.
Brøndby IF is now the first club in Denmark and across the Nordic region to introduce a permanent audio description service for every home fixture. Available via radio.brondby.com, the service provides real-time spoken narration of on-pitch action, player movement, atmosphere, and key visual moments. A specially trained commentator delivers detailed descriptions to help visually impaired fans experience matches more completely.
Thomas Skov, Marketing Director and Head of Fan Experience at Brøndby IF, said:
“Brøndby IF is a unique community that must be accessible to everyone. Therefore, we must open as many doors as possible into that community. With permanent audio description both at the stadium and for those listening from home, we are taking a very concrete step to make the matchday experience at our home games even more inclusive. As a Brøndby IF fan, you should feel welcome and part of the club’s community no matter what. As a club, we have a strong responsibility to remove barriers that may stand in the way.”
Partnerships in Action
To mark the launch, members of the Danish Association of the Blind attended the home fixture against Sønderjyske, with the initiative receiving strong recognition from the organisation.
Diana Stentoft, National Chair of the Danish Association of the Blind, commented:
“Audio description is about equal access to the community, and it means that even more people can experience football – including those who cannot follow the game visually. Audio description makes a significant difference for blind and visually impaired people, as they are no longer dependent on random radio excerpts or constantly asking others what is happening on the pitch. We are therefore pleased that Brøndby IF is offering audio description at its home matches and thereby improving the opportunity for blind and severely visually impaired fans to follow the club’s games.”
Alongside the Danish Association of the Blind, Betano played a central role in supporting and developing the permanent service. The launch represents the first step in a broader ambition shared by Brøndby IF and Betano to reduce accessibility barriers in football.
Kresten Hougaard, Country Manager for Betano in Denmark, said:
“Inclusion is a key priority for Betano, as we strongly believe that everyone should have equal opportunities to enjoy the game. As the main partner of Brøndby IF, it is important for us to turn our commitments into action. We are proud to have participated in the development of a service that gives fans with visual impairments better access to the full football experience.”
Benefiting All Fans — Beyond the Stadium
The solution at Brøndby Stadium is the first permanent system of its kind in the Nordic region and can be accessed from anywhere.
At the stadium, fans can listen live via their smartphones and headphones through radio.brondby.com. At home, the same commentary can be synchronised with live TV broadcasts, allowing supporters to follow the match in real time from anywhere.
Thomas Skov added:
“The reach of Brøndby IF’s new audio description service extends beyond people with visual impairments. Fans who, for various reasons, are unable to attend the stadium can now follow the match on the go or from home and thereby be part of the club’s community.”
The software powering the service is provided by German technology company Mycrocast, which delivers similar solutions to clubs in the Bundesliga and Ajax Amsterdam.
Lead audio description commentator Selver Elezovic will front coverage of Brøndby IF’s matches. He previously provided commentary for Danish fixtures, including at EURO 2024, and will be joined at Brøndby’s home games by former player Joel Kabongo.
The post Brøndby IF Launches Permanent Audio Description Service for Fans Inside and Outside the Stadium appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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