Securing reliable payment processing remains one of the most operationally critical decisions an iGaming operator makes. In early 2025, a combination of tightened card-scheme rules, shifting acquiring appetites and new regulatory requirements across key markets has made PSP selection more consequential than at any point in the past several years.
What Has Changed in the Last Six Months
Several developments have converged to reshape the PSP landscape for gaming merchants heading into 2025. Visa and Mastercard both refined their merchant category code enforcement in late 2024, placing stricter chargeback thresholds on gambling MCC 7995 accounts. Operators who breach the 0.9 percent chargeback ratio now face accelerated remediation timelines and, in some cases, immediate reserve requirements imposed at the acquirer level.
At the same time, a number of European acquirers that had serviced Curacao-licensed operators pulled back sharply following the introduction of the Curacao National Ordinance on Offshore Games of Hazard in October 2024. Acquirers citing reputational and correspondent-banking risk reduced their exposure or tightened onboarding criteria significantly. The practical consequence is that operators without a Malta Gaming Authority, UK Gambling Commission or equivalent Tier-1 licence are finding far fewer willing acquiring partners in Europe.
Open banking payment rails have matured meaningfully in the UK and several northern European markets, and a growing number of PSPs now position instant bank transfers as a primary deposit method rather than a backup. This reduces card-processing dependency but introduces its own integration and reconciliation complexity.
What Operators Should Prioritise When Selecting a PSP
Licence Jurisdiction Compatibility
Every serious PSP shortlist should begin with a clear map of which licences a provider will actually service. Operators holding only a Curacao or Isle of Man licence face a materially narrower field than those with an MGA or UKGC licence. If a jurisdiction upgrade is on the roadmap, factor that into negotiations now, because switching PSPs mid-operation is disruptive and costly.
Chargeback Management Infrastructure
The card schemes now reward acquirers that demonstrate proactive chargeback monitoring. When evaluating a PSP, operators should ask specifically about real-time chargeback alerting integrations such as Ethoca or Verifi, and whether the PSP offers a managed dispute-response service or simply passes liability to the merchant. The difference between those two approaches can be the difference between staying within scheme thresholds and losing card acceptance entirely.
Reserve Structures and Cash Flow
Rolling reserves of 5 to 10 percent held for 90 to 180 days are standard in high-risk gaming, but the specific terms vary considerably between providers. Operators should negotiate reserve release schedules in writing at the outset and model the cash-flow impact carefully, particularly if they are in a growth phase where deposit volumes are rising quickly.
Method Diversification Within One Contract
Relying on a single payment method through a single provider is a significant operational risk. The stronger PSP agreements in 2025 bundle card acquiring, open banking, digital wallets and crypto rails under one contract and one settlement cycle. This simplifies reconciliation and reduces the risk of total payment failure if one method is disrupted.
AML and KYC Data Sharing
Regulators in the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany have increased scrutiny on how payment data is used in player risk profiling. Operators should confirm that their PSP can provide transaction-level data in a format compatible with their AML platform. A PSP that delivers only daily settlement files rather than real-time transaction feeds creates genuine compliance gaps.
The OnlineShine Perspective
From an operational standpoint, PSP selection is not a procurement exercise completed at launch and then forgotten. Acquiring relationships require ongoing management: regular chargeback reporting, reserve negotiations at renewal, and proactive communication with your acquirer when you enter a new market or launch a new product vertical. Operators who treat their PSP as a managed relationship rather than a commodity service consistently maintain better terms and fewer processing interruptions.
A PSP contract should be reviewed alongside your licence review cycle. Changes in your regulatory status directly affect the risk profile your acquirer has underwritten.
For operators navigating this environment, the practical first step is a payment-risk audit that maps current processing dependencies, identifies single points of failure and benchmarks reserve terms against current market rates. That audit forms the foundation for any PSP renegotiation or migration project.
