Latest News

TrueLayer launches PayDirect, a new approach to seamless online payments in iGaming

Published

5 years ago

January 26, 2021

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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.

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:

Account verification – Instantly verify account ownership based on what’s on file at a customer’s bank.
Instant account funding – users can initiate payments or move money between accounts effortlessly using open banking.
Seamless online payments – that reduce fraud and chargebacks at any checkout.
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.
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:

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.
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.
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.
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.

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.
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.”

AML

UK vs Germany AML Supervisory Architecture: A Structural Mapping for Group Operators

Published

14 minutes ago

February 25, 2026

Wladimir P.

uk-vs-germany-aml-supervisory-architecture:-a-structural-mapping-for-group-operators

Licensed online gambling groups operating in both the United Kingdom and Germany are subject to two distinct anti-money laundering (AML) supervisory architectures. The distinction is reflected in the allocation of statutory responsibility, the structure of reporting obligations, and the implementation of monitoring mechanisms under law.

This article presents a structural mapping of these frameworks based exclusively on statutory texts and official supervisory publications. No interpretive grading or comparative assessment is included.

Allocation of Supervisory Responsibility

In Great Britain, the Gambling Act 2005 designates the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) as the regulator of licensed gambling activities. Casino operators are classified as “relevant persons” under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (as amended). Accordingly, they are subject to AML obligations prescribed by law, including firm-wide risk assessment (Regulation 18), customer due diligence, enhanced due diligence where required, ongoing monitoring, and suspicious activity reporting pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Under the UK regulatory structure, AML monitoring and internal controls are implemented at operator level and supervised by the UKGC pursuant to its mandate, including licence conditions, compliance assessments, and published enforcement outcomes.

In Germany, the Glücksspielstaatsvertrag 2021 (GlüStV 2021) establishes the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL) as the competent supervisory authority for licensed online gambling. In parallel, the Geldwäschegesetz (GwG) classifies operators of games of chance as obligated entities (Verpflichtete) and subjects them to AML requirements defined by statute, including institutional risk analysis, due diligence measures, ongoing monitoring, and suspicious transaction reporting to the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU Germany).

Beyond the AML obligations under the GwG, GlüStV 2021 establishes centralized monitoring systems, including LUGAS (Länderübergreifendes Glücksspielaufsichtssystem) and OASIS (national self-exclusion system). Licensed operators are required to integrate with these systems in accordance with legal provisions.

The allocation of supervisory responsibility in each jurisdiction determines how AML controls are implemented and which authority reviews compliance.

Reporting Architecture

In the United Kingdom, suspicious activity reports (SARs) are submitted to the National Crime Agency (NCA) under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and associated regulations. The reporting obligation arises where an operator knows or suspects, or has reasonable grounds for knowing or suspecting, that a person is engaged in money laundering, as defined by law.

Under German law, obligated entities must submit suspicious transaction reports to the Financial Intelligence Unit pursuant to the Geldwäschegesetz. The reporting obligation is triggered in accordance with the GwG.

For operators active in both jurisdictions, this results in reporting relationships with distinct competent authorities operating under separate legal mandates.

Group-Level Compliance Governance

For corporate groups holding licences in both jurisdictions, the allocation of AML responsibility differs in structure.

Within the UK system, AML supervision of licensed gambling operators is integrated into the mandate of the UK Gambling Commission, while suspicious activity reporting is directed to the National Crime Agency.

Within the German system, AML obligations arise under the Geldwäschegesetz, while gambling supervision is exercised by the GGL pursuant to GlüStV 2021, alongside the operation of centralized monitoring systems established by law.

Accordingly, compliance governance at group level must align with jurisdiction-specific legal structures. Internal control systems, documentation standards, reporting procedures, and monitoring integrations must reflect the supervisory architecture applicable to each licensed entity.

These structural distinctions do not alter the requirement to comply fully with the law in each jurisdiction. However, they determine how compliance responsibilities are distributed and supervised within a multi-license corporate structure.

Concluding Observation

A structural comparison of the United Kingdom and Germany confirms that AML supervision within the licensed online gambling sector is implemented through nationally defined legal and supervisory frameworks.

For multi-jurisdictional operators, effective compliance governance requires alignment with each jurisdiction’s defined legal structure rather than reliance on procedural uniformity across entities.

This mapping is derived exclusively from statutory texts and official supervisory publications. Detailed jurisdictional records are maintained within the GamingMarkets Regulatory Matrix.

Oren Dalal is the Founder & Publisher of GamingMarkets.com, an independent regulatory intelligence platform mapping statutory and supervisory frameworks across licensed online gambling jurisdictions. His work is grounded in primary-source legislative analysis, focusing on AML supervisory architecture and compliance governance in multi-jurisdictional groups.

The post UK vs Germany AML Supervisory Architecture: A Structural Mapping for Group Operators appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Conferences

EGT Digital Highlights Panda Ventura at SBC Summit Rio 2026

Published

15 minutes ago

February 25, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

egt-digital-highlights-panda-ventura-at-sbc-summit-rio-2026

EGT Digital will participate in SBC Summit Rio from 3–5 March in Rio de Janeiro at stand A570, where the spotlight will fall on Panda Ventura and the company’s modular iGaming ecosystem.

Panda Ventura – The First Chapter of a Growing Series

Panda Ventura has quickly become one of EGT Digital’s most warmly received titles, combining a charming character, distinctive visual identity, and performance-driven mechanics.

While its instantly recognizable panda creates an immediate emotional connection, the game’s real strength lies in its flow. Easy to understand from the first spin, Panda Ventura builds excitement naturally through well-timed features and rewarding peak moments. The pacing is smooth, intuitive, and carefully balanced – encouraging longer sessions and repeat play.

Building on its encouraging market reception, EGT Digital is expanding the concept into a broader Ventura series. As the first title in this universe, Panda Ventura lays the foundation for a character-led lineup that will continue with the upcoming Tiger Ventura, preserving the same engaging rhythm and recognizable identity.

With its approachable gameplay and strong commercial logic, the title shows significant potential across Brazil and the wider LATAM region.

A Complete Modular Ecosystem

Alongside Panda Ventura, EGT Digital will present a portfolio of over 180 in-house developed slot titles, including the proven jackpot series Bell Link, Clover Chance, and Gods & Kings Link.

All are supported by X-Nave – the company’s modular platform integrating Casino, Sportsbook, CRM, Payment Gateway, Bonus Hub, and a high-performance Aggregator, featuring over 20,000+ games from 200+ global providers.

Enhanced with proprietary AI, X-Nave personalizes player experiences and drives measurable engagement through automated tournaments, Gift Spins, and Buy Bonus competitions.

Land-Based Solutions on Display

Stand A570 will also feature EGT’s land-based solutions tailored for Brazil. Visitors will be able to explore the new Video Lottery Terminals Super Sorte 27/27 ST and Super Sorte 43V, as well as the betting terminals Top Estrela and Bar Estrela. All will run the GOLD VLT multigame with 49 titles designed for the local market.

At SBC Summit Rio, EGT Digital will demonstrate how compelling content and powerful technology combine to deliver stable, high-performance solutions for Brazil and the broader LATAM region – truly Designed to Perform.

The post EGT Digital Highlights Panda Ventura at SBC Summit Rio 2026 appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Free Ticket Drops

GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee

Published

11 hours ago

February 24, 2026

Wladimir P.

ggpoker-brings-back-wsop-super-circuit-with-record-$180m-guarantee

GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker platform, is set to host the highly anticipated 2026 WSOP Super Circuit online tournament series, running from March 1 to March 31.

This year’s edition features an unprecedented $180 million in guaranteed prizes, solidifying GGPoker’s reputation as the premier global poker destination.

Players will compete across 18 WSOP Gold Ring events, offering the chance to win one of poker’s most prestigious trophies and significant cash prizes.

Key Events & Highlights:

#5: $525 Mystery Millions [Final Stage] – March 9, $525 buy-in, $10M GTD ($1M Top Bounty)
#13: WSOP Super Circuit MAIN EVENT [Day 2] – March 23, $1,700 buy-in, $15M GTD
#18: GGMillion$ High Roller [Day 2] – March 30, $10K buy-in, $10M GTD

Exclusive Champion Perks
Winners of all 18 Gold Ring events receive:

A $5K WSOP Paradise package
Recognition on the official WSOP Rankings leaderboard

$3 Million in Free Ticket Drops
Participants in any WSOP Super Circuit event can win WSOP Express tickets, $5K Ring Passes, or $10K Bracelet Passes. Tickets will be awarded randomly throughout the series, totaling $3 million in free prizes.

Live Coverage
Final tables for the Main Event (#13) and High Roller (#18) will be streamed live on GGPoker.TV and YouTube, hosted by Jeff Gross, with commentary by Daniel Negreanu for the High Roller.

Player and Ambassador Excitement
Daniel Negreanu said: “The 2026 WSOP Super Circuit at GGPoker is absolutely massive. With $180M in total guarantees, including $15M Main Event and $10M Mystery Millions, it’s the perfect time to compete for record-breaking prizes.”

The post GGPoker Brings Back WSOP Super Circuit with Record $180M Guarantee appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.