Gambling regulators and payments

NoteFor regulator-by-regulator detail across more than 30 jurisdictions, see iGaming regulators worldwide.

Key facts (as of 29 October 2026)

• Great Britain / UK: credit-card gambling banned in Great Britain since 14 April 2020 (UKGC). Financial vulnerability checks when deposits minus withdrawals exceed £150 in a rolling 30 days, since 28 February 2025 (UKGC, LCCP SR Code 3.4.4). UK Remote Gaming Duty at 40% of gross gaming revenue since 1 April 2026, up from 21% (HMRC).
• Malta: the Gaming Act (Cap. 583) has been in force since 1 August 2018. The MGA issues B2C Gaming Service Licences and B2B Critical Gaming Supply Licences.
• Curaçao: the National Ordinance on Games of Chance (LOK) took effect on 24 December 2024, with direct licences from the Curaçao Gaming Authority (CGA).
• Ontario: AGCO Standard 5.69 says deposits must be authorised by a financial services provider and that "cryptocurrency is not legal tender and shall not be accepted".
• Brazil: fixed-odds betting and online casino banned on 25 September 2026. Licences ended on 25 October 2026 (Finzil and 15M). See Brazil betting ban and payments.

Regulator overview

Sources: UKGC, MGA, Malta legislation, CGA, AGCO, Finzil and 15M.

Where payment rules bite

flowchart LR
    P[Player] --> D[Deposit]
    D --> C1{Method allowed?}
    C1 -- e.g. UK credit card, Ontario crypto --> X[Refuse]
    C1 -- Yes --> C2{Deposit limit or affordability trigger?}
    C2 -- Over threshold --> R[Affordability or vulnerability check]
    C2 -- Under --> A[Credit player account]
    R --> A
    A --> W[Withdrawal]
    W --> C3{Paid to account in player's name?}
    C3 -- Yes --> OK[Pay out]
    C3 -- No --> H[Hold and verify]

United Kingdom

The UKGC banned gambling businesses from letting consumers in Great Britain gamble with credit cards from 14 April 2020 (UKGC). It cited research that 22% of online gamblers using credit cards are problem gamblers. UK Finance estimated that 800,000 consumers used a UK-issued credit card to gamble in 2018.

Later rules added deposit-triggered checks and stake limits:

Operators must apply these across all payment methods.

Malta

The MGA licenses business-to-consumer gaming services and business-to-business critical gaming supplies. Game types range from casino-style games (Type 1) through fixed-odds betting (Type 2) and peer-to-peer games (Type 3) to controlled skill games (Type 4). An MGA licence is one of the most widely accepted by EU payment providers. Finzil found 9 of the 31 iGaming-friendly providers on its directory hold Maltese licences.

Curaçao

The LOK replaced the old master and sub-licence system. Existing licensees got provisional licences, extended to 24 December 2025. Applicants need a Curaçao company with a resident managing director. The CGA reviews applications in two phases of eight weeks each, extendable by four weeks. The former Gaming Control Board became the CGA. Finzil reports that banks and PSPs asked operators for the new licence before continuing service.

Ontario

Ontario's regulated market opened on 4 April 2022. In September 2026, iGaming Ontario reported CA$9.71bn of cash wagers, CA$416.3m of non-adjusted gross gaming revenue and 1.413m active player accounts (unaudited). AGCO's funds-management standards are strict on payment methods:

• 5.69: deposits must be authorised by a financial services provider; crypto may not be accepted.
• 5.70: withdrawals only to an account the player legally holds.
• 5.74: no credit or lending to players.
• 5.76: balances shown in Canadian dollars.

See Ontario iGaming payments.

Brazil

Finzil reports that Brazil banned fixed-odds betting and online casino on 25 September 2026, and that every licence ended on 25 October. 15M reports that authorisations lapse 30 days after the publication of Provisional Measure 1.394, with no refunds, and that banks are to return R$1.325bn to about 26.5m bettors.

Banks and PSPs as enforcement points

Regulators are increasingly acting through the payment layer. Items below are from 15M's payments news listing and its Georgia article.

WarningUsing stablecoins or any other rail to serve players in a market where the operator is not licensed is unlawful in most regimes and can cost the operator its licences elsewhere. Geolocation, KYC and responsible-gambling controls apply whatever the payment method.

NoteRegulated operators use stablecoin settlement mainly between businesses: PSP settlement, supplier payments and treasury. Player-facing crypto acceptance depends on each licence's conditions. See Crypto under gambling licences.

Illustrative example: a multi-licence operator's payments map

Illustrative example. The operator is invented.

An operator holds UKGC, MGA and Ontario licences. UK: debit cards, open banking and e-wallets, no credit cards, with vulnerability checks at £150 net deposits. Ontario: only methods authorised by a financial services provider, no crypto, CAD balances. Malta-licensed markets: methods allowed by its licence conditions and each target market's law. Its PSPs settle to the operator's treasury; it uses USDC only for B2B supplier payments in markets where its providers are licensed. One policy document maps each method to each licence.

Timeline

Q/A

Does an MGA or Curaçao licence allow serving UK players?

No. UK players require a UKGC licence. Each market's own licensing rules apply.

Are deposit limits enforced by payment providers?

Mostly by operators, sometimes with central systems as in Germany. Banks add their own controls, such as gambling blocks.

Can Ontario operators settle with suppliers in stablecoins?

Standard 5.69 concerns player deposits. B2B settlement is a separate question for the operator's agreements and its providers. Take advice.

Why do PSPs ask for the new Curaçao licence?

Their own risk policies, and acquirer and network rules, require a valid licence for the markets served.

Do UK affordability checks apply to e-wallet deposits?

Yes. They apply to the customer's activity, not one payment method.

What happens to player balances when a market closes?

That depends on the law. Brazil's measure provided for banks to return funds to bettors.

Sources

• UK Gambling Commission, credit card ban: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/news/article/gambling-on-credit-cards-to-be-banned-from-april-2020
• Malta, Gaming Act (Cap. 583): https://legislation.mt/eli/cap/583/eng/pdf
• Malta, Gaming Definitions Regulations (S.L. 583.05): https://legislation.mt/eli/sl/583.5/eng/pdf
• MGA, B2C remote gaming services licences: https://www.mga.org.mt/licensee-hub/applications/b2c-licences/remote-gaming-services/
• Curaçao Gaming Authority, online gaming policies and guidelines: https://www.cga.cw/regulation/online-gaming
• Government of Curaçao, CGA press release (14 October 2025): https://gobiernu.cw/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/CGA-Press-Release-14-oktober-2025-Final-Dutch-Eng-Pap.pdf
• AGCO, Registrar's Standards for Internet Gaming, funds management: https://www.agco.ca/en/responsibilities-and-resources/funds-management
• iGaming Ontario, monthly market performance report (September 2026 data, published 28 October 2026): https://www.igamingontario.ca/en/operator/market-performance-report-monthly
• Finzil (18 October 2026): https://finzil.com/blog/igaming-payment-challenges
• 15M, payments and fintech news: https://15m.com/news/payments-fintech/
• HM Revenue & Customs, gambling duty changes (policy paper): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/changes-to-gambling-duties/gambling-duty-changes
• UK Gambling Commission, LCCP SR Code 3.4.4 financial vulnerability check: https://www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/licensees-and-businesses/lccp/condition/3-4-4-financial-vulnerability-check
• 15M, Georgia adds MCC 7995 payments to international iGaming licences (29 September 2026): https://15m.com/news/georgia-adds-mcc-7995-payments-to-international-igaming-licences/