How to choose a payment provider for iGaming: a checklist for cards and crypto payments

By Alena K., payments content, covering crypto processing for iGaming and eCommerce.

When choosing payment infrastructure for a new iGaming project, it matters to separate card payments and crypto payments right away, since these are different channels with different operational mechanics. Cards are familiar to a broad audience and are well embedded in local payment infrastructure, but they require accounting for acquirer rules. Crypto payments are convenient for cross-border operations and give more flexibility in choosing assets and networks, but connecting them requires its own verification procedures.

Because of this, it's not right to assess both channels against one universal set of criteria. Below is a separate checklist for each: what to check with a card acquirer, what to check with a crypto provider, and where each tool has its own limits.

For card networks, iGaming falls under high-risk

Online gambling usually goes through MCC 7995, Betting and Casino Gaming. For banks, acquirers and card networks, this is a category with stricter underwriting and monitoring requirements.

This leads to a simple conclusion: if a payment provider says they work with gambling, that's not enough. It needs to be confirmed that working with your specific vertical and jurisdiction is approved at the level of the specific acquirer.

A single card channel remains a single point of failure

Even a stable acquirer can revise its risk policy, change reserve terms, or stop working with the gambling segment.

So for iGaming it's risky to build the entire deposit acceptance flow around one provider or one type of payment. The practical question to ask when launching a project is "what happens if this channel becomes unavailable."

Crypto payments need a separate set of parameters to be checked

A crypto provider doesn't have a card chargeback mechanism or a rolling reserve for future disputes. But other selection criteria appear instead:

For stablecoins, it separately matters to look at the network. The same USDT can work on TRON, Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain and other networks, but fees and speed will differ. For an operator, what matters more is knowing exactly which networks it's available on.

The absence of chargebacks doesn't remove AML checks

A crypto payment, once confirmed on the blockchain, can't be reversed by a bank at the player's request the way a card chargeback can. But operations can still require AML checks, sanctions screening, or additional information about the source of funds.

The operator's jurisdiction affects the available payment channels

Payment infrastructure requirements differ depending on the licence and the market the operator works in. When choosing a provider, at least three things need to be checked:

• whether they accept operators with your licence;
• whether the chosen payment method is allowed in the specific country;
• whether additional approvals are needed from the regulator or bank.

It's especially important to do this before technical integration.

For players, withdrawal predictability matters, not just deposit speed

Operators often compare providers by deposit speed, but withdrawal matters just as much for the player. Even a fast deposit doesn't make up for a situation where a large withdrawal is stuck in manual review for a long time with no clear status.

So before connecting, it's worth checking:

• how standard and large withdrawals are processed;
• which operations can end up in manual review;
• who communicates the reason for a delay;
• how escalation works;
• how transparently the operator can see the transaction status.

Card payments and crypto solve different tasks

For a new iGaming project, it makes more sense to treat these channels as parts of the overall payment infrastructure, rather than as fully interchangeable solutions.

The checklist helps spot the main risks in advance

Before signing a contract with a provider, it's worth checking:

For the card channel:

• whether the acquirer supports your licence and market;
• what reserve applies;
• whether there's a separate MID;
• how chargebacks and fraud are counted;
• what limits apply;
• when the provider can pause processing;
• how and when held funds are returned.

For the crypto channel:

• whether the provider works with your licence;
• which assets and networks are supported;
• how long KYB takes;
• how deposits and payouts are set up;
• what fees are charged;
• whether Auto-Convert is available;
• how the API and webhook work;
• how AML checks and support are set up.

This kind of list doesn't guarantee approval for a specific project and doesn't replace legal due diligence, but it helps avoid unexpected restrictions after launch.

Finassets covers the crypto part of the payment infrastructure

Finassets is a Panama-registered B2B crypto payment infrastructure provider. The platform works only with crypto payments and doesn't process card or bank payments.

Available for iGaming operators:

• 70+ digital assets and several networks;
• Checkout, API and Mass Payouts;
• Auto-Convert with a 0.2% conversion fee;
• TRON Energy Saving System to reduce network costs on TRC20;
• onboarding usually within 2-7 business days, subject to KYB and compliance review;
• a processing fee from 0.40% down to 0.20% depending on monthly volume.

Deposit acceptance is built on Structured Checkout: a transaction is usually identified in around 15 seconds, and the balance is credited around 30 seconds after the required network confirmation. Actual time depends on the blockchain and network state.

Finassets supports iGaming operators licensed under recognised regimes, including Curaçao, Anjouan, Kahnawake and others, subject to KYB and compliance review.

→ Discuss the crypto part of your payment infrastructure with the Finassets team