Lottery Business in 2023: How to Choose a Payment System for Your Gaming Portal

Almost half of the income of the entire gambling industry is accounted for by such a niche as lotteries.

Owners of such projects should not only promptly respond to the needs of the audience and constantly expand their product range but also provide customers with the most convenient, simple, and safe ways of making payments.

The integration of payment systems is one of the most important stages in the process of launching a lottery business.

From this article written by Smart Money experts, you will find out about the nuances of connecting financial instruments for iGaming projects and learn how to choose the best providers.

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Payment Systems in the Lottery Business

The financial module is a special multi-component program for transferring non-cash funds from one account to another. Thanks to such services, users can pay for any goods and services on the Web, including the acquisition of lottery tickets and receiving winnings.

In the gambling industry, payment systems act as intermediaries between service providers and end-users. Moreover, they perform their functions much faster and more efficiently than traditional banking services.

To work in the iGaming field, operators need to open a merchant account. This is a specialised payment agent service that is provided only to licensed legal entities.

Steps to open a merchant account for a lottery website:

1. Platform development. Entrepreneurs must have a web resource, a reliable backend, and certified software approved by one of the respected regulators.
2. Bank account. Business owners must open a current account and create reserve and guarantee funds. All actions with the financial turnover of the enterprise will be controlled by the selected bank.
3. Preparation of documents. Their list may vary depending on the policy of the financial agent. The package should include operation documents, evidence of ownership of the website and software, a list of refund rules, bank statements, etc.
4. Selection and connection of an operator. After collecting documents and choosing a payment system, owners of lottery platforms must file a special application for connection. It is considered on a case-by-case basis. Integration usually takes up to 1–2 days.

Modern payment services are installed via API protocols. This method guarantees operators a quick connection, the maximum level of security, and access to the full functionality of the system.

Another advantage of API integration is the ability to test the work of payment modules in a closed environment, a “sandbox”. During the testing of financial instruments, the following parameters are evaluated:

• compliance with the sequence of operational processes;
• availability of notifications of the confirmation of transfers;
• the speed of getting a check or other confirmation of a transfer via the selected communication channel (e-mail or instant messenger);
• the reaction of the system to an unsuccessful payment;
• stability of the platform in different browsers, including those with pop-up blockers and the VPN connection;
• system response to the incorrect data entry, unidentified geolocation, etc.;
• the security level of Internet connection;
• the return of the deposit procedure, taking into account commissions, limits set by operators, and other specified criteria.

How to Choose a Payment System

The main parameters for selecting payment instruments for lottery operators are security, reliability, and functionality. Moreover, you should pay attention to the following criteria:

Conversion Rates

This is an indicator of the percentage of completed (successful) operations to the total number of transfers on the website. The positive conversion rate starts from 85%.

You can check the indicator using the following formula: the number of completed transactions for the reporting period, divided by the total volume of transfers, multiplied by one hundred.

In most cases, incomplete transactions are associated with confirmation bias and blocking of fraud monitoring (the built-in risk control program).

It is possible to improve conversion rates by:

• personalisation of risk control systems;
• setting up multi-level authorisation;
• support for on-us transactions (when payments are made within the framework of a system used by both operators and end-users);
• personalisation of settings of user accounts.

Commission Percentage

Commission fees in the system are a fixed payment for managing a merchant account, which is distributed among the participants in the transaction.

Most lottery owners prefer individual commission calculations based on the following factors:

• the number of daily operations;
• the total turnover of the enterprise;
• available payment methods, etc.

Often, there is such a scheme when the provider fully covers the commission of the payment system if users make deposits above the set amount. This approach has a positive effect on the level of trust of the audience, motivates gamblers to continue playing, and increases the customer lifetime value.

Variability of Payment Methods

Payment methods are financial options that are convenient for visitors to the lottery website. If users do not find a suitable way, they will leave the platform in search of alternatives.

An effective lottery business aggregator should support as many ways of receiving funds as possible. Among the most popular ones, we can name:

• processing of bank cards, including credit cards;
• transactions via electronic wallets, which can be selected depending on the sales market;
• international online services with internal converter programs;
• mobile payments;
• cryptocurrency settlements;
• offline deposition methods (for example, using the Western Union system, etc.).

Security Assurances

A perfect option for lottery operators is to cooperate with a reliable and well-known supplier that has its risk control system.

Fraud monitoring is necessary not only to assess the security of each specific transaction and block dubious payments. This is a way to maintain the positive reputation of an entrepreneur.

The built-in fraud monitoring program protects the gambling platform against fraud and the need to conduct a payback procedure.

Personalisation settings of the system also matter. The more filters are given to operators, the wider the market coverage will be. For example, some payment systems automatically block transactions made via a VPN connection, which reduces conversion. A set of individual customisation filters can easily solve this problem.

Another important aspect is that the payment module complies with the PCI DSS international standard. This is a special certificate that confirms the legitimacy of financial transactions within the lottery platform.

Today, the PCI DSS certification of the first level is considered the best one. The permit gives the right to process more than 6 million transactions per year.

Stable Work Without Restrictions

The tasks of the payment agent include the provision of the maximum number of payment methods and stable and uninterrupted operation of the system.

Lottery owners must provide users with unimpeded access to the financial module and control all money transfers.

Often, businessmen set limits on withdrawals and the number of daily transactions. Smart Money experts recommend that entrepreneurs abandon this approach and give clients maximum freedom of action. This will increase conversion rates, positively affect the brand's reputation, and become an additional incentive for users, making them want to return to the website and continue playing.

Customisable Client Cabinet

The presence of personalisation settings allows you to organise financial processes, which are extremely comfortable for the end-user.

Types of customisable client functionality
Profile personalisation	Customers can set various parameters for their accounts, for example: hide personal data; activate the simplified login; launch the two-step authentication procedure; enter a subscription to find out all the news; display notifications of personal limits, special offers, etc.
Currency converter	Many payment operators offer built-in exchange programs that are part of the main platform. Gamblers can use them at their discretion or disable this option
Manual control and automation	Users can enter payment details manually or use the “quick payment” function and save the necessary templates for all future visits
Selection of payment methods	You can choose the actual transaction method before each new operation or set a template for the system for all typical actions
Statistics	To control personal accounts, users should have access to the following tools: general reports during the game; statistics on regular operations; customisable deposit limits; history of deposits/withdrawals; reports on cashbacks, etc.
Feedback	Specialists should provide round-the-clock customer support and convenient communication channels: popular messengers, e-mail, social media widgets, and others

The Most Popular Payment Tools for the Lottery Business

Most often, iGaming representatives work with the largest brands of local and international markets. Cooperation with a well-known supplier always has a positive effect on the reputation of a gambling project and provides an opportunity to interact with a wider audience.

Among the most popular payments methods in 2023, we can name:

Visa/MasterCard

This is the largest financial network in the world, which is actively used in more than 200 countries. Clients of the system have access to any form of payment on the Web, credit services, the issuance of physical cards, and a number of other banking products (for example, lending and deposit programs).

Advantages of the choice:

• simple, intuitive interface;
• fast connection;
• the ability to make payments on any certified gaming site;
• high level of security;
• brand recognition.

UMoney

Local payment instrument, formerly known as Yandex.Money, is one of the most popular financial platforms in the Russian-speaking market, adapted to work with the Russian ruble.

In 2019, the company held a rebranding, transferred part of its shares to Sberbank, and added the multi-currency payment option (more than 10 new currencies).

Features and benefits of the service:

• various types of replenishment (cash deposits are available through bank branches, settlements via self-service terminals, and mobile transfers);
• loyal commission rate;
• personalised bonus program for regular customers;
• simple registration and customisable account (there is a special interface for mobile users);
• reliable security assurances.

Finstrum E-Voucher System

This is an innovative payment product that allows you to pay for any products and services on the Internet using special vouchers.

The supplier guarantees B2B partners comprehensive support and access to the most popular payment methods.

The solution is focused on the gambling industry and is supported on the platforms of such well-known brands as:

• Gaminator;
• Superomatic;
• Playtech;
• Amatic;
• Win Win Casino, and others.

Paycos

A multifunctional financial service designed specifically to support gambling operators.

Features of the product include:

• access to gambling platforms of more than 100 operators from all over the world;
• opportunity to work in about 50 markets;
• support for more than 20 payment options;
• conversion of about 50 currencies.

This is not a complete list of payment systems available to lottery operators. You can find out about all financial products for the gambling industry from the Smart Money studio.

The Main Things about Payment Instruments for Lottery Platforms

A safe and fully functional financial module is an integral component of the gaming site.

• Financial agents work with lottery providers through merchant accounts — a specialised set of services focused on the gaming niche. It allows entrepreneurs to accept payments within the established legal norms. The service is available only to legal entities.
• One of the most important criteria for choosing a payment system is security assurances. Many modern platforms have built-in interactive fraud monitoring programs that allow operators to quickly respond to any suspicious activity. Moreover, the payment program must comply with PCI DSS standards.
• Payment system conversion is affected by the number of available payment methods. The more deposit/withdrawal options the provider offers, the wider the market coverage and the higher the audience loyalty will be. Among the most popular options, we can name mobile banking, transfers from electronic wallets, and transactions via international online systems.

To learn more about the nuances of choosing payment systems and the features of their connection, please contact Smart Money specialists. We are aware of the most promising industry trends and offer a wide range of customisable products for different markets.

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