Online Gaming Merchant Account for iGaming Platforms, Online Casinos & Sports Betting Operators
Stable Card Processing for Licensed Gaming Operators Worldwide. Multi-Bank Setup. MCC 7995. Dedicated Support
- iGaming-friendly acquiring banks - no sudden terminations
- Supports online casinos, sports betting, poker & fantasy sports
- MCC 7995 configuration with multi-bank redundancy
- Licensed operators from MGA, UKGC, Curaçao and Gibraltar welcome
IMPORTANT: The CERF provides payment processing services exclusively for licensed gaming operators holding a valid gambling licence issued by a recognised jurisdiction (including but not limited to MGA, UKGC, Curaçao eGaming, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Kahnawake). Unlicensed gaming operations are not supported. US-facing operators are subject to UIGEA compliance review. All merchants are required to demonstrate valid licensing and KYC/AML procedures during onboarding.
What iGaming Businesses Need From Payment Infrastructure
Online gaming is one of the most complex payment processing environments in the world. The global iGaming market exceeded $100 billion in 2024 and is projected to surpass $150 billion by 2030. Yet despite this scale, the majority of mainstream payment processors, including Stripe, Square, and PayPal, categorically decline iGaming merchants regardless of licensing status or jurisdiction.
The reason is risk classification. MCC 7995 triggers automatic declines at most payment facilitators. Chargeback rates in gaming tend to run higher than retail averages. Friendly fraud, where players dispute legitimate deposits, is endemic. UIGEA compliance requirements create additional friction for any processor serving the US market. Even fully licensed, professionally operated gaming platforms regularly find themselves rejected or terminated by standard processors.
A specialised high-risk merchant account built on the right acquiring relationship changes this entirely.
It provides stable processing through acquiring banks that have explicitly approved gaming verticals within their compliance frameworks. These structures are designed specifically for the dispute rates, transaction patterns, and regulatory requirements associated with the industry.
What You Get With CERF
- MCC 7995 merchant accounts with acquiring banks that have cleared iGaming through their compliance frameworks
- Multi-bank redundancy. If one acquiring partner adjusts its gaming policy, processing continues without downtime
- 3D Secure 2.0 (3DS2) fully integrated. Mandatory for most licensed jurisdictions, included by default
- Dedicated merchant ID (MID) — not aggregated with other merchants, no shared-risk contamination
- Chargeback monitoring and pre-dispute alerts via Ethoca/Verifi — critical for gaming operators running paid acquisition
- Cryptocurrency settlement available (USDT, BTC, ETH) alongside standard fiat settlement
- T+1 and weekly settlement options to maintain cash flow across high-volume operations
- Support for recurring deposit wallets, subscription-based gaming, and tokenised card-on-file structures
Why iGaming Merchants Are Considered High Risk
iGaming is classified as high-risk by acquiring banks for a combination of regulatory, financial and behavioural reasons. Regulatory complexity sits at the top: gambling laws vary dramatically by jurisdiction, and a platform legal in Malta or Gibraltar may be explicitly prohibited from serving US players under UIGEA. Processors that lack the compliance infrastructure to navigate this complexity simply decline all gaming merchants to avoid the exposure.
Chargeback exposure is the second major factor. Gaming platforms face elevated dispute rates driven by friendly fraud — players who make deposits, lose, and then dispute the charge as unauthorised.
This pattern is well-known in the industry, and acquirers without specific gaming risk models price it aggressively or exit the category entirely. Visa’s dispute monitoring programme begins flagging accounts at 0.65% — a threshold that gaming merchants can reach quickly on high-volume traffic without active chargeback management.
The CERF works exclusively with acquiring banks that have developed specific risk models for online gaming merchant accounts. Our underwriting team reviews operator licensing documentation, KYC/AML procedures, player dispute handling policies and geographic exposure before boarding — meaning accounts are structured to perform over time, not just pass initial approval.
iGaming Businesses We Commonly Support
Online Casinos & Live Dealer Platforms
Slot, table game and live dealer operators running on RNG or live studio infrastructure. We support casino platforms licensed in MGA, UKGC, Curaçao, Gibraltar and Isle of Man jurisdictions. Card deposits, wallet top-ups and subscription merchant account solutions are all supported.
Poker Rooms & Skill Gaming Platforms
Online poker operators, daily fantasy sports (DFS) platforms, esports betting and skill-based gaming. These verticals often face different licensing requirements from pure chance gaming — our underwriting team evaluates each application against its specific jurisdiction and product structure
The Growing Demand for iGaming Payment Processing
The global iGaming market was valued at approximately $107 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $153 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of around 6.3%. Sports betting accounts for the largest segment by volume, followed by casino gaming and poker. Mobile-first platforms now represent the majority of player sessions globally, driving demand for payment experiences optimised for in-app deposit flows rather than traditional checkout pages
Regulatory liberalisation continues to open new markets. The United States has seen rapid state-by-state legalisation of sports betting since the PASPA repeal in 2018, with over 30 states now permitting legal online sports wagering. For the current US state-by-state gambling regulation landscape, see the American Gaming Association
Latin America is emerging as a high-growth region, with Brazil’s regulated sports betting market launching in 2025. These market expansions create new merchant account requirements for operators entering jurisdictions they have not previously operated in.
The CERF has been building iGaming merchant accounts since 2022. Our team understands the licensing structures, chargeback profiles, and payment flow requirements specific to this industry — from deposit wallet top-ups to large jackpot withdrawal flows. We work with banking partners that specifically support licensed gaming operators and provide payment infrastructure designed to scale with player acquisition volume.
Frequently Asked Questions About Online Gaming Merchant Accounts
An online gaming merchant account is a dedicated payment processing account underwritten specifically for iGaming operators — including online casinos, sports betting platforms, poker rooms and fantasy sports sites. Unlike standard merchant accounts, a gaming merchant account is set up with an acquiring bank that has explicitly cleared iGaming through its compliance framework under MCC 7995. This means the account is stable, licensed-operator-ready, and built to handle the chargeback profiles, volume patterns and regulatory requirements specific to the gaming industry
Yes. The CERF requires all iGaming merchants to hold a valid gambling licence issued by a recognised jurisdiction before boarding. Accepted licensing authorities include the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Curaçao eGaming, Gibraltar Regulatory Authority, Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission and Kahnawake Gaming Commission. Unlicensed operators are not supported. If your licence application is in progress, contact us to discuss timeline
US-facing iGaming operators face significant restrictions under UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), which prohibits payment processors from facilitating bets or wagers that are illegal under federal or state law. Sports betting operators licensed at the state level in legal US jurisdictions may be approvable — this is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Operators accepting players from all 50 states without state-specific licensing are not supported. Contact us to discuss your specific jurisdictional exposure.
Gaming operators face structurally higher chargeback rates than most retail verticals, driven by friendly fraud — players who dispute legitimate deposits. The CERF includes chargeback monitoring and pre-dispute alert tools (via Ethoca and Verifi) as part of all gaming merchant accounts. These tools intercept disputes before they become formal chargebacks, significantly reducing your chargeback ratio. We also advise on best practices for transaction descriptor naming, refund policy communication and KYC documentation — all of which reduce dispute frequency
Through The CERF, licensed gaming operators can accept Visa and Mastercard card payments (the primary deposit method globally), with 3D Secure 2.0 fully integrated as required by most licensed jurisdictions. We also support cryptocurrency settlement in USDT, BTC and ETH. Alternative payment methods (APMs) including e-wallets are available depending on acquiring bank and jurisdiction — discuss your target player geography with our team during onboarding
The CERF uses a multi-bank setup for all online gaming merchant accounts, each merchant has access to more than one acquiring relationship, so a single bank policy change does not take your entire revenue offline. If an account is flagged, our team engages with the acquiring bank directly on your behalf. We have never terminated a compliant, licensed gaming merchant since 2022. Operators who have been terminated by previous processors are welcome to apply. We evaluate each application on its current compliance posture, not its processing history alone.
Apply for Your Online Gaming Merchant Account Today
iGaming-friendly payment processing. Dedicated support for licensed casino, sports betting and gaming operators.
The Cerf
CERF — SAS
SIREN : 913 596 649
RCS Paris
219 Boulevard Pereire, 75017 Paris
© thecerf.com
CERF SAS is a company registered in France under SIREN number 913 596 649, RCS Paris. Registered office: 219 Boulevard Pereire, 75017 Paris, France. CERF SAS operates as a payment solutions provider and works with a network of licensed Merchant Acquirers across the US, Canada, UK, Europe and LATAM. These acquirers are responsible for the processing of card transactions on behalf of merchants. Merchants will be required to enter into and maintain a separate processing agreement with an acquiring bank nominated by CERF. Under the terms of that agreement, transaction fees, reserve requirements and other charges will apply as agreed during onboarding. Rates referenced on this website are indicative and representative of typical fees charged by our acquiring partners; final pricing is confirmed at the time of merchant approval