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TrueLayer launches European payments combining instant player deposits and withdrawals

Published

4 years ago

April 12, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 3 minutes

iGaming operators can accept instant, account-to-account payments and instant withdrawals in any app or website, delivering the most comprehensive European payments experience.
Jack Potts Bingo in Ireland is already live using the product with Spanish operator Codere going live in the coming weeks.

Payments with TrueLayer are lower cost and lower fraud than traditional payment options including cards, manual bank transfer and digital wallets.

TrueLayer, Europe’s leading open banking platform, today announced it has launched its closed-loop payment product across Europe, including Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Lithuania and the Netherlands. iGaming operators can now offer secure, instant and cost-effective deposits and withdrawals across the continent.

Traditional payment methods weren’t built to handle the speed of online commerce. With cards taking up to three days to settle, operators struggle to manage liquidity, while players have to wait in limbo for withdrawals. Cards and digital wallets generate substantial costs through interchange fees, chargeback penalties and time-consuming manual tracking processes. There is also the issue of rising card fraud in Europe, which totalled €1.55 billion in 2020, with card-not-present fraud accounting for 76% of those cases. France, Germany and Spain all ranked in the top five for card fraud losses.

TrueLayer is addressing these points with a more cost-effective, frictionless and secure European payments platform for iGaming operators, built on open banking and the fastest available bank payment rails. It delivers:

Instant pay-ins: Players can top up their accounts in seconds with account-to-account payments. Deposits settle in a dedicated merchant account and are automatically reconciled against customers’ details.
Instant withdrawals: Verified account details are associated with each player allowing businesses to provide instant withdrawals and refunds back into the same account used for the deposit with a simple API call.
Dedicated merchant accounts: Operators can automate reconciliation processes and gain full visibility of their player’s account details as soon as payment settles. They can also withdraw automatically into their bank account.

Roberto Villani, Head of iGaming at TrueLayer, commented: “With TrueLayer, iGaming operators across Europe can create a better payment experience. A single implementation of our platform delivers immediate deposits so players can get started and instant withdrawals for their winnings. Card refunds can take up to five days, destroying customer loyalty in the process, while other methods are prone to operational inefficiencies, human error and lost payouts that can damage businesses’ reputations. With TrueLayer, players can see the instant transfer of funds with minimal fuss or having to chase support teams asking where their money is.”

Ran Kshivizky, Payments Product Manager at Codere, explained: ‘We want to deliver the best player experience possible and if you can pay instantly you should be able to get your funds out instantly. When you know you can access winnings quickly that is also a differentiator for Codere and is also likely to make players come back. TrueLayer provides the ideal solution as it’s money in and out straight away – without the poor UX and operational overheads of cards, manual transfers or wallets.”

TrueLayer Payments is the most comprehensive solution on the market, delivering significant benefits for operators and players, including:

Instant access to funds: payments are confirmed instantly, enabling operators to serve players more efficiently and receive funds faster. Real-time payment confirmation provides peace of mind that each transaction has been authorised.

Frictionless checkout processes: inputting card details is inconvenient for players and errors can derail the entire payment process. TrueLayer removes any manual entry on banking details, eliminating mistakes and making it easier to complete a payment.
Fewer abandoned payments: tested on millions of transactions across the UK and Europe, TrueLayer’s embedded payment flows make paying easier than ever. The result is fewer payment abandonments and higher conversion rates.
Lower operational costs: Open banking removes interchange fees and chargebacks of cards, making them far more cost-effective. TrueLayer automates expensive and time consuming manual processes such as reconciliation and sending payouts, with full visibility of all payments via the merchant dashboard.
Reduced payment fraud: Payments are PSD2 and SCA compliant, with payments authenticated directly with the bank, reducing the opportunity for fraud and chargebacks.
Enhanced player experience: Instant deposits enable operators to provide access to their services with the certainty they have received the funds and players to use their funds immediately. Instant withdrawals through TrueLayer provide an additional level of assurance that their money will be returned efficiently.

Till Wirth, Head of Product at TrueLayer, added:“We have used our experience and expertise to deliver an effortless way to onboard new customers and enable them to quickly fund their accounts and withdraw winnings, delivering faster, safer and lower cost payments for operators in the process. That, in turn, supports increased trust and loyalty – for example YouGov research showed 64% of players were more likely to trust an operator that offered instant withdrawals and deposits. More than half (55%) said they were likely to switch to a provider that offered instant withdrawals.”

2025 financial results

ZEAL Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth

Published

30 minutes ago

March 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

ZEAL Network SE, Germany’s leading online lottery provider, closed 2025 with another year of robust double-digit growth.

Despite a weaker jackpot environment, the company significantly strengthened its core lottery business, accelerated diversification, and expanded its customer base—setting a solid foundation for long-term scalability.

The group delivered 16% revenue growth, reaching €218.5 million, while EBITDA rose 11% to €68.8 million. EBIT also climbed 12% to €60.1 million year over year. These results reinforce ZEAL’s strategic focus on building a multi-pillar digital entertainment ecosystem.

“At every level, our results confirm that our strategy works,” said Dr. Stefan Tweraser, CEO of ZEAL Network SE. “Expanding scalable products alongside our strong core lottery business increases resilience and positions us for ambitious future growth.”

CFO Andrea Behrendt highlighted continued investment in reducing jackpot dependence: “Our efforts create a sustainable and profitable growth structure.”

Core Lottery Business Continues to Lead Growth

ZEAL’s primary lottery brokerage remains its strongest revenue driver. Even with softer jackpot cycles:

Monthly active users climbed 8% to a record 1.558 million.
Lottery billings reached €1.1 billion, up 2%.
Gross margin increased to 17.7%.
Lottery-specific revenue surged 16% to €195.3 million.

These gains underline the brand’s ability to attract and retain large numbers of customers independent of jackpot volatility.

Dream House Raffle Becomes a Major Growth Pillar

The Traumhausverlosung (Dream House Raffle)—launched in 2024—has rapidly evolved into a strong secondary revenue stream. With guaranteed winners and high-appeal prize structures, the charity lottery generated:

€38.9 million in billings across four draws in 2025.

This success demonstrates the value of proprietary lottery products that complement ZEAL’s core business and enhance market differentiation.

Games Segment Accelerates With Expanded Portfolio

ZEAL also posted substantial growth in its digital Games division. The company extended its catalog to 650+ games, adding 400 new titles and strengthening collaborations with leading game developers.

As a result:

Games revenue increased 46%, reaching €14.4 million.
Active user numbers rose sharply.
Player protection remained a top priority, supported by AI-driven safeguards.

Customer Base Expansion Remains a Strategic Priority

ZEAL made targeted investments to grow its user base, acquiring 1.171 million new customers in 2025. As expected with aggressive acquisition:

Customer acquisition cost (CPL) increased to €46.47.
Marketing spending rose 20% to €68.6 million.

This investment is key to sustaining ZEAL’s long-term market position and unlocking additional cross-sell opportunities in games and charity lotteries.

2026 Outlook: Continued Growth and Diversification

Looking ahead to 2026, ZEAL aims to expand its German market leadership and scale its charitable lotteries freiheit+ and Traumhausverlosung, while continuing to strengthen its Games offering.

Forecasts for 2026 include:

Revenue between €250–260 million
EBITDA between €70–75 million

These projections already factor in increased investment to accelerate diversification and future-proof the business.

The post ZEAL Reports Strong Double-Digit Growth appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026

WinSpirit wins Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026

Published

5 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

winspirit-wins-best-online-casino-in-cee-at-the-gamingtech-cee-awards-2026

Online casino brand WinSpirit has been announced as the winner in the Best Online Casino in CEE category at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026 — a respected industry event celebrating excellence across the iGaming sector.

Since launching in mid-2022, WinSpirit has rapidly gained recognition for its dynamic approach to product development, creative marketing, and a genuine player-first philosophy. The brand stands out by successfully combining innovative features, high-quality entertainment, and strong focus on player experience.

Over the past year, WinSpirit has demonstrated impressive growth across key metrics, significantly expanding its loyal player base, VIP segment, and overall betting activity. The brand has also introduced unique interactive formats, enhanced its loyalty system with the real-time Gift Shop, and continued to invest in smart personalisation across the platform.

This award adds to WinSpirit’s growing list of international recognitions. The brand also maintains excellent player ratings across major review platforms, consistently receiving high marks for service quality and user experience.

With this latest victory, WinSpirit continues to solidify its reputation as one of the most dynamic and player-oriented online casinos in the industry — combining rapid growth with innovation and a clear focus on player satisfaction.

The post WinSpirit wins Best Online Casino in CEE at the GamingTECH CEE Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Denmark

Stake.dk Offers Money Back on Denmark’s World Cup Playoff Match Against North Macedonia

Published

5 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

stake.dk-offers-money-back-on-denmark’s-world-cup-playoff-match-against-north-macedonia

Stake.dk, Denmark’s leading online casino and sportsbook, today announces the launch of an exclusive campaign in connection with Denmark’s decisive World Cup playoff match against North Macedonia on March 26, 2026 in Parken.

Stake Sportsbook offers Danish football enthusiasts a unique opportunity to support the national team without risk: Players can place a single bet on Denmark to win on the 1×2 market before the match starts, and if Denmark does not win in regular time, the player will get their stake back in cash – up to DKK 1,000.

The campaign is created to celebrate one of the most important moments in Danish football in 2026. With a direct entry ticket to the World Cup at stake, the atmosphere is high, and Stake.dk wants to give its customers the opportunity to experience the match with full support and minimal risk.

To qualify for the promotion, players must place a single bet of at least DKK 25 on the 1×2 market with Denmark as the winner before the scheduled match kick-off. The offer only applies to the first qualifying bet per player, and the refund will be paid as pure cash directly to the player’s Stake account within 48 hours if Denmark does not win in regular time.

Denmark will meet North Macedonia on Thursday, March 26 at 20:45 CET in Parken as part of the World Cup playoff.

The campaign emphasizes Stake.dk’s dedication to delivering relevant and engaging experiences to its Danish customers in connection with major sporting events.

The promotion is available to all Stake customers with an active betting account at stake.dk. Full list of terms and conditions is available on the promotion page.

About Stake

Stake is the world’s most popular online casino and sportsbook. Founded in 2017, Stake attracts over 80 million monthly visitors – more than any other iGaming platform – and handles over 100 billion bets per year. Stake is recognized for its innovation in crypto gaming, as well as its growing expansion into regulated local currency markets in Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Colombia and Peru. Stake also has an impressive portfolio of global sponsorships, including Canadian superstar Drake, X Games, Everton Football Club and UFC.