20+ years in the gambling industry including 13+ years playing and reviewing slots.
OLBG’s Chris Taylor spoke to Rory Howard, General Manager for iGaming in the EMEA region at Paysafe, for a general Questions and Answers interview.
Founded in 1998, Paysafe is a leading payments platform with an extensive track record of serving merchants and consumers in the global entertainment sectors. Their core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions. You’ll find their products, Skrill, NETELLER and Paysafecard at the overwhelming majority of online casino sites.
Rory Howard oversees the company’s online gambling business in the UK and continental Europe as well as neighbouring regional markets. He has close to 20 years’ experience in payments and fraud analysis, with a strong focus on the iGaming space. Rory’s previous roles include payment leadership positions at The Rank Group, Racing Stars, Gamesys, and Eyas Gaming.
OLBG’s Q&A with Paysafe looks at why players should use their products at UK online casinos, the advantages compared to other payment methods, the popularity of Paysafecard, players’ preferences in the UK and details of their Knect loyalty reward programme.
Q: For players not familiar with digital wallets, how do they work?
RH: “A digital wallet is basically a virtual online or mobile account that players can use to transact with online casinos and sportsbooks and other eCommerce merchants. As a first step, bettors need to fund their wallet account. They can do this in several ways – using their debit card or by making a bank transfer or even using alternative payment methods like the PaysafeCard eCash solution, among other options.
After the digital wallet account has been funded, players then use the balance to place bets with any online casino that offers the wallet as a payment method. Unlike some other payment methods, digital wallets also support withdrawals, with players able to cash-out winnings to their wallet account and then transfer the funds to their bank account or debit card, or even use to continue betting with other iGaming brands.”
Q: Why should UK players use Skrill and NETELLER when depositing and withdrawing at online casinos?
RH: “Players can only use a digital wallet at an online casino where it’s a specified payment option, so they’ll want to choose a wallet brand that’s widely available. One of the main advantages of our Skrill and NETELLER wallets is how well-established they are at online casinos. NETELLER was launched way back in 1999, while Skrill was unveiled not long after, in 2001.
There are several reasons for their longevity and why they continue to be the go-to option for so many UK casino players. From their launch well over two decades ago, both Skrill and NETELLER were specifically developed with iGaming players in mind. At Paysafe, we’ve always prioritized the transactional speed and security of both wallets, so players can both fund bets and cash-out their winnings very quickly.”
Q: What are the advantages of digital wallets like Skrill and NETELLER compared to other payment methods?
RH: “Digital wallets have several advantages over other payment methods. Once a player has created an account, a wallet really facilitates transacting – funding bets and cashing-out winnings – at online casinos and sportsbooks. With the major digital wallet brands available at most UK iGaming brands, a wallet streamlines transactions by providing players with an alternative to laboriously having to input their debit card details with each casino. They also support rapid payouts – unlike some payment methods, which only enable deposits.”
Q: Why do you think PaysafeCard’s popularity has grown in the UK in recent years?
RH: “As a voucher that players buy in shops to pay online at iGaming brands (once they’ve signed up for a myPaysafe account), PaysafeCard tends to appeal to players who prefer transacting with cash. It’s particularly popular with older bettors. More broadly, the relatively high UK usage of PaysafeCard speaks to cash’s enduring role in the country, despite the massive shift to cards we’ve seen here over the last decade.”
Q: Are players’ preferences regarding payments different in the UK compared to other markets?
RH: “Yes, we definitely see different player preferences in the UK. From April 2020, the UK Gambling Commission restricted credit cards for iGaming, and that’s influenced the use of other payment methods. Our 2024 ‘All the Ways Players Pay’ research report indicated that debit cards are the most popular payment method for UK bettors, whereas in France credit cards are the go-to payment option.
And with the UK credit card restriction, we’re seeing relatively high usage of digital wallets like Skrill and NETELLER and, to a lesser extent, eCash products such as PaysafeCard, which, as mentioned, does require the creation of a myPaysafe account when funding bets.”
Q: Where else can customers use Paysafe’s services?
RH: “We’re a very diversified payments company. Consumers can also use Paysafe products to pay online for a wide range of other experiences – from travel, video gaming, eSports and other eCommerce sites to gyms and wellness studios and cryptocurrency trading. Outside the UK, we’re a major payment processor for US restaurants, retailers and other small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).”
Q: Can you tell OLBG users about rewards for Skrill and NETELLER users?
RH: “Once users register for free with the Skrill Knect or NETELLER Knect loyalty reward programme, they earn Knect points for every transaction with the wallet. Knect points can be exchanged for e-money that increases their wallet balance or for discounts with participating merchants as well as gift-cards with top retailers. It’s yet another way that Skrill and NETELLER provide value to players."
