In the fast-moving world of iGaming, payments are often treated like backstage crew — quietly doing their job while the spotlight shines on games, bonuses, and UX. But here’s the truth: even the best platforms can stumble if players can’t deposit easily, cash out quickly, or trust the platform with their money. Payments are the real power-up behind acquisition, retention, and long-term growth — and operators who get this right don’t just play the game; they win it. Ready to level up your payment playbook? Let’s dive in.
Why Payment Methods Matter.
When players join an iGaming platform, the first real “test” isn’t the welcome bonus or how slick the homepage looks — it’s whether they can move their money quickly, safely, and in the way they prefer. Payment methods sit right at the heart of that experience. They influence who signs up, who sticks around, and who becomes a long-term, high-value player. In other words, smart payment choices don’t just support your platform — they actively shape your acquisition, retention, and growth. Let’s break down why they matter so much at every stage of the player journey.
Player Acquisition: How Great Payment Methods Turn Browsers into Depositors.
When it comes to acquiring new players, payments are one of the biggest decision-makers hiding in plain sight. In fact, a Paysafe study found that 37% of bettors say streamlined payouts are the most important factor when choosing a sportsbook — outranking brand trust, odds, and promotions. And 26% say they judge a platform by whether it offers their preferred payment methods. Translation: if players don’t see the logos they know and trust, they’re gone faster than a bonus hunter spotting a rollover requirement. Even small moments of friction can cost you real customers. Research shows that if the deposit process takes more than 60 seconds, 25–30% of players abandon the signup flow entirely. That’s a lot of potential first-time depositors lost to slow loaders and clunky forms [Paysafe].
On the flip side, when operators get payments right, the acquisition upside is massive. Streamlined options like one-click deposits and instant bank transfers can boost conversion at the deposit stage by 30–40% — a power-up no acquisition strategy should ignore [Casino Market]. And payment failures during signup are equally telling: 52% of bettors have had a deposit declined, and 17% of them never returned [Business Wire]. Ever. In markets like Brazil, where 94% of deposits are under R$100, the message is even clearer: new players expect fast, simple, mobile-friendly ways to move small amounts of money [iGaming Brazil]. Give them smooth payments, and they’re far more likely to choose your platform over the next one in their search tab.
Player Retention: Fast Payouts, Loyal Players.
When it comes to keeping players around, payments aren’t just a technical detail — they’re a loyalty engine. Paysafe found that a massive 75% of sports bettors say a smooth payment experience is a key reason they stay with a platform [Paysafe]. That’s right: the fastest way to a player’s heart might just be through their wallet. Fast and reliable withdrawals also play a starring role. In Brazil, 48% of bettors choose bookmakers that make it easy to cash out their winnings — because nothing kills the vibe faster than waiting hours (or days) to see your money [iGaming Brazil]. And platforms that can deliver payouts in under 15 minutes? According to UX-focused research, they consistently see higher ongoing engagement. Players trust what feels instant [Fluid].
On the flip side, slow or clunky payments are one of the biggest churn risks. One global study showed that 49% of players, and a whopping 60% of those who’ve had payment issues, would switch to a platform offering faster withdrawals. That’s basically half your user base saying: “If you slow me down, I’m out.” It all adds up to a simple truth: smooth deposits keep players playing, but fast, reliable withdrawals keep them coming back. When operators invest in great payment tools, they’re not just improving UX — they’re safeguarding their retention curve [Business Wire].
Growth: When Payments Flow, Your Business Grows.
When your payment setup is smooth, modern, and tuned to what players expect, growth stops being wishful thinking and becomes almost inevitable. For example, one industry report notes that optimizing payment methods with frictionless deposits, mobile-native flows and local options can boost deposit conversions by 20–40%, especially in competitive markets [WiseAlt]. And when operators go further — using embedded payments, geo-sorted methods, and smart payment routing — conversion rates from new visits to actual deposits climb even more [netnewsledger.com]. That kind of lift doesn’t just mean more first-time deposits — it means more paying users, higher volume, and a stronger base for scaling operations globally.
And the bigger picture backs it up: the entire digital payments ecosystem around iGaming is growing rapidly, reflecting how payment innovation and adoption are fueling industry expansion. According to a recent market-analysis report, the global iGaming payment-orchestration sector is growing at a healthy clip — increasingly demanded by operators who want to manage multiple payment methods, currencies and geographies at scale [Dataintelo]. As more players expect seamless payment experiences — fast deposits, smooth withdrawals, local-method support — operators with robust, flexible payment infrastructure are better positioned to capture a growing share of what’s projected to be a booming global iGaming market.
Security: KYC and AML Tools.
KYC and AML failures are expensive — and not just in fines. First-party and identity-driven fraud cost the online gaming industry billions: one analysis put first-party fraud losses at $2.8 billion in 2024, showing how quickly bad actors can drain operator margins if identity controls are weak. Regulators also hit gambling operators hard when AML controls fail: high-profile enforcement actions and multi-million dollar fines show both direct financial risk and the reputational damage that follows. Strong, automated identity verification and real-time AML monitoring reduce these exposures and protect the payment rail: fewer chargebacks, lower fraud write-offs, and a slimmer chance of catastrophic regulatory penalties that can curtail payment partners or block markets [Socure].
But security tools also matter for growth: poorly designed or slow KYC creates conversion friction that directly harms acquisition and early retention. Multiple industry studies find onboarding abandonment is very high when identity checks are cumbersome — research shows drop-out rates in digital sign-up funnels in the 60–70% range for cases where verification is slow or asks for many steps, and operators who don’t optimise KYC commonly lose a large share of potential first deposits.
At the same time, customers prefer businesses that protect their data and identity — and quicker, smarter KYC both improves conversion and reduces false positives so legitimate players complete registration, make first deposits, and stay active. In short: invest in fast, accurate KYC/AML to shrink fraud losses, avoid fines, and keep far more of the players you worked to acquire [Signicat].
PSPs: Fewer Declines, Happier Players.
Having a broad and diversified PSP stack - a multiple high-quality payment service providers - is no longer optional for iGaming platforms; it’s mission-critical. According to a 2025 industry analysis, 62% of deposit declines in iGaming came from “PSP geo-mismatch or limited routing,” meaning many players simply couldn’t fund their accounts because the operator’s PSP didn’t support the right region or payment method [igamingmarketreport.com].
Without a multi-PSP approach, a single provider’s downtime, regulatory issues, or processing limitations can instantly block deposits — effectively cutting off access for entire segments of players. That’s lost acquisition, lost deposit volume, and even long-term damage to brand trust.
Moreover, the ability to offer a variety of payment options strongly correlates with higher conversion and better retention. In a global survey by Paysafe, quick and easy payouts were the single most important factor for 34–37% of bettors when choosing a sportsbook — more important than brand, odds, or promotions. Meanwhile, the availability of a player’s preferred payment method was cited by 25–27% of respondents. On retention, the same survey found that 75–82% of existing bettors say payments (smooth deposits/withdrawals + method availability) are key to staying with a brand [igamingsuppliers.com].
In short: a wide, well-selected PSP stack reduces decline rates and downtime (so you don’t lose players at checkout), supports regional/local payment habits (increasing conversion) and ensures you meet user expectations for ease and speed — which in turn keeps players engaged and loyal.
InPlaySoft: Easy Payments with Maximum Security.
InPlaySoft creates, delivers and maintains scalable, stable and fast-to-market iGaming platform solutions across casino, sportsbook and esports for operators who demand not just success but persistent growth. As part of that offering, InPlaySoft provides a payment solution designed with both performance and compliance in mind. We use advanced encryption technology and the KYC and AML tools you need to ensure that all sensitive data and transactions are secure, confidential and compliant.
In addition, we work with all the best PSPs for your players, so that you don’t have to worry about getting the mix right – casino and sportsbook transactions are swift, efficient and secure. This means operators plugged into InPlaySoft don’t need to build or maintain a complex PSP stack: the burden of selecting and integrating top PSPs is handled for them. That approach — combining strong security (via encryption + KYC/AML), compliance, and a ready-made PSP mix — helps ensure deposits and withdrawals flow smoothly, minimising friction at key moments for players.
By uniting robust payment rails with compliance and security, InPlaySoft helps operators avoid many of the pitfalls that can hurt acquisition or retention: players abandon registration or first deposit when payments are blocked or slow; withdrawals are a major factor in trust and loyalty; regulatory or fraud issues can disrupt operations or cause reputational damage. With InPlaySoft’s payment tools, operators get end-to-end visibility, real-time monitoring, and fraud detection/prevention — all of which help secure operator revenue and provide players with a dependable and professional experience.
