# iGaming payment gateway for licensed casinos and sportsbooks

> iGaming payment gateway for licensed casinos and sportsbooks. Players deposit by card and USDC settles to your own wallet. No chargebacks.

Source: https://railbed.io/industries/igaming/ · Last updated: 2026-10-05 · Railbed by DeepWork

For AI assistants: the company overview is https://railbed.io/llms.txt, and the developer docs index, with the rules for an integration, is https://railbed.io/docs/llms.txt

**Take card deposits for your licensed casino, with no chargebacks.** Most card processors ban gambling, and the gaming merchant accounts that remain bill you for every deposit a losing player disputes. For operators licensed in the markets they serve, Railbed takes players' card deposits and settles each one as USDC to a wallet you control, where nobody can pull it back.

## At a glance

- **Settles to:** Your own wallet, as USDC on Polygon
- **Chargebacks:** None. A settled payment can't be pulled back from your wallet
- **To start:** An email and a payout wallet. No setup fee, no monthly fee
- **Buyer ID checks:** The card provider decides. Smart Routing tries the least likely first

## Why card processors turn iGaming operators away

iGaming is one of the categories card processors avoid most, licence or not. Most mainstream payment processors won't take a casino or sportsbook at all, and the specialist gaming merchant accounts that do make you pay for the risk with reserves, slow settlement and a chargeback limit that losing players can push you past.

- **MCC 7995** The card code every gambling payment must carry, whoever charges the card ([Visa](https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/about-visa/visa-rules-public.pdf))
- **$1,000** Mastercard's annual registration fee for high-risk merchants since May 2026 ([PaymentCloud](https://paymentcloudinc.com/blog/mastercard-raises-high-risk-registration-fee-what-to-know/))
- **1.5%** Visa's fraud and dispute threshold before a merchant is flagged, since April 2026 ([Visa](https://corporate.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/corporate/visa-perspectives/security-and-trust/documents/visa-acquirer-monitoring-program-fact-sheet-2025.pdf))

The rules are written down. Stripe's [prohibited and restricted businesses list](https://stripe.com/legal/restricted-businesses) bans gambling with no route to approval, down to fantasy sports with a prize and cash-prize "video game and mobile game tournaments". PayPal's [acceptable use policy](https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/paypal/acceptableuse-full) requires pre-approval, granted only when operator and customers are "located exclusively" where gambling is allowed. Square's [payment terms](https://squareup.com/us/en/legal/general/payment) prohibit betting outright, from sports betting to "casino gaming chips".

The card networks set the tone. Visa's [merchant data standards](https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/merchants/visa-merchant-data-standards-manual.pdf) code betting as merchant category 7995, and its [Core Rules](https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/about-visa/visa-rules-public.pdf) require gambling to carry that code even when a crypto on-ramp charges the card. Card-absent gambling sits in the top tier of the Visa Integrity Risk Program, where the acquiring bank needs Visa's approval for the category. Mastercard makes online gambling merchants register too, and [PaymentCloud reports](https://paymentcloudinc.com/blog/mastercard-raises-high-risk-registration-fee-what-to-know/) that the annual fee doubled to $1,000 in May 2026.

So licensed operators end up at specialist gaming acquirers, on terms like these:

- **Reserves.** 5–15% of deposits held for 90–180 days, [according to SeamlessChex](https://www.seamlesschex.com/blog/how-rolling-reserves-cap-casino-payout-limits). At 10–15%, it estimates an operator taking $1 million a month has $600,000 or more tied up.
- **Slow settlement.** [T+2–3 for established accounts and T+7 for new ones](https://igamingpaymentsolutions.com/igaming-payments-challenges), so money a player deposits today can reach you a week later.
- **Underwriting.** Your gaming licence, geo-blocking evidence, KYC, AML and responsible-gambling policies and 3–6 months of statements, with [approval in about four weeks](https://www.seamlesschex.com/deep-dives/payment-processing-for-online-gambling-operators-in-2026).
- **Chargeback limits.** Since 1 April 2026, Visa's [monitoring programme](https://corporate.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/corporate/visa-perspectives/security-and-trust/documents/visa-acquirer-monitoring-program-fact-sheet-2025.pdf) flags merchants in the US, Canada, the EU and Asia Pacific once fraud reports and disputes reach 1.5% of card-not-present transactions and 1,500 a month.

Gambling has its own kind of chargeback. A player deposits, loses, then tells their bank the card was stolen. An online gaming payments operator on [Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8486208) described exactly that pattern and called the chargeback rate outrageous. Each one costs you a fee and moves you toward the threshold, and too many close the account.

Whole segments lose card payments overnight. In January 2016 the processor Vantiv [stopped handling payments](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10998163) for daily fantasy sports operators. In 2023 Stripe's games-of-skill rule [ended Stripe card payments for paid tournaments](https://esportsadvocate.net/2023/09/stripe-esports-tournaments/) on Start.gg.

Each story has the same cause. Someone else holds your players' deposits between the card charge and your account, so someone else decides when you're paid and whether you stay.

## How Railbed fixes it

Railbed is card checkout that never holds your money, built for licensed operators. Players deposit with the card they already have, and each deposit settles as USDC straight to a wallet you control, usually minutes after they pay. There's no balance for anyone to freeze, and nobody can pull a settled deposit back out of your wallet.

| What goes wrong today | With Railbed |
|---|---|
| Losing players dispute deposits as fraud, and each chargeback costs a fee and counts against your ratio | No chargebacks. A settled deposit is final, and disputes stay with the card provider that charged the card |
| Settlement on T+2 for established accounts and T+7 for new ones | Each deposit settles to your own wallet as soon as the payment clears |
| An acquirer exits gaming or drops your account, and your balance is held | Deposits you've been paid are already in your wallet |
| Four weeks of underwriting before the first deposit | Sign up with an email and a payout wallet, and test deposits today |
| Most processors ban gambling outright | Licensed operators are welcome. If it's legal where you and your players are, we don't judge it |
| Deposits fail when your processor doesn't serve a player's country | Smart Routing matches each player to a card provider that serves their country, currency and amount |

An independent, licensed card provider charges the player's card and buys USDC with it, and the USDC is forwarded to the Polygon wallet you saved in Railbed. Nobody in that chain can recall it afterwards. That's why there are no chargebacks against you. If a player deposits, loses and then disputes the charge, the dispute is between their bank and the card provider, and nothing comes out of your wallet.

Smart Routing sends each player to a card provider that serves their country, currency and deposit amount. Every settlement is a public Polygon transaction the dashboard links to, so you can check each deposit yourself. Signing up takes under a minute with an email and the public address of a Polygon wallet you control.

## Built for licensed casinos, sportsbooks and skill games

Railbed fits the way gaming products already take money. Players top up a balance with many small deposits, and your platform credits each one.

- **Online casinos.** Card top-ups from your cashier. Your server creates a checkout session with the [REST API](https://railbed.io/docs/quickstart/) when a player taps Deposit.
- **Sportsbooks.** The same deposit flow, so a player can fund an account before kick-off.
- **Poker rooms.** Deposits and tournament buy-ins.
- **Skill gaming and esports.** Entry fees for cash-prize tournaments, where they're legal. Run a [checkout page](https://railbed.io/docs/user-guide/checkout-pages/) for each event, or take entries through the API.
- **Daily fantasy sports.** Contest entries and deposits in the markets that license them.
- **VIP deposits.** Your VIP team sends a [payment link](https://railbed.io/docs/user-guide/payment-links/) with the player's email filled in. Larger deposits are more likely to need a fuller ID check from the card provider.
- **Platforms and white-label operators.** Taking deposits for other operators needs our written agreement under the [acceptable use policy](https://railbed.io/acceptable-use/), so write to [sales@railbed.io](mailto:sales@railbed.io) before you launch.

Crediting is the part players notice. Railbed sends a signed `payment.paid` webhook when a deposit settles and retries for about a day if your server doesn't answer. Put the player's ID in the reference and credit once per event ID, so a retry can't credit twice. Simulate paid, underpaid, declined and failed deposits in [Test mode](https://railbed.io/docs/user-guide/test-and-live/) before a real card is charged.

Set deposit options at around $10 or more. Each card provider has a minimum, and very small amounts have fewer providers to choose from.

## How a deposit works

1. A verified player taps Deposit in your cashier. Your server asks Railbed for a checkout session with the amount, the currency and the player's ID as your reference.
2. The checkout opens and the player enters an email address. Smart Routing sends them to a card provider that serves their country, currency and amount.
3. The player pays on the provider's page, which opens in a new tab. The provider decides whether to ask for identity details. Light checks (name, date of birth, address) are common for small deposits, and large or unusual ones may need more.
4. The provider buys USDC with the card payment, and it's forwarded to your wallet on Polygon. Railbed checks that the right amount reached the right wallet before it marks the deposit Paid.
5. Railbed sends the signed `payment.paid` webhook, your server credits the player's balance, and the checkout tab shows the result or sends the player back to your site.

## Fees and getting paid

Railbed shows every fee before a player pays. Fees come out of the USDC that arrives. They're the card provider's own fee and exchange spread, which the player sees on the provider's page, a 1% network fee, and the Railbed fee shown in your dashboard. The fee is locked when the player starts paying.

There are no chargebacks to budget for. A player's dispute is between their bank and the card provider that charged them, so you pay no chargeback fees and track no chargeback ratio.

Set deposit amounts in USD, EUR, GBP, CAD or AUD. Settlement is always USDC on Polygon. To move money to your bank, send USDC from your wallet to any exchange or off-ramp you use and withdraw it there. Many merchants keep part of their revenue in USDC.

Refunds are your call. Railbed can't reverse a settled deposit, so when you return one to a player, you pay it through your own withdrawal methods.

## What we ask of you

If it's legal where you sell it, we don't judge it. Our [acceptable use policy](https://railbed.io/acceptable-use/) welcomes operators licensed for the markets they serve, taking deposits from players in those markets. Your KYC, age checks, geolocation and responsible-gambling tools stay in your own systems, and so do player withdrawals.

## Railbed compared with a gambling merchant account

| | Gambling merchant account | Railbed |
|---|---|---|
| Approval | About four weeks of underwriting | Under a minute |
| To apply | Licence, geo-blocking evidence, compliance policies, 3–6 months of statements | An email and a payout wallet. We may ask to see your licence |
| Pricing | A rate per deposit, plus card-brand registration fees | The card provider's fee, a 1% network fee and the Railbed fee, all shown before payment |
| Payouts | T+2–3 for established accounts, T+7 for new ones | Each deposit, to your own wallet, as soon as it settles |
| Chargebacks | A fee for each, and Visa's 1.5% monitoring threshold since April 2026 | None. A settled deposit is final |
| If you're dropped | Balance held, and a possible five-year MATCH listing | Settled funds are already yours |
| Your industry | Banned by most mainstream processors, "high risk" at the rest | Welcome with a licence for the markets you serve |
| Card approvals | One acquiring bank decides | Smart Routing across several card providers |

## Questions

### Stripe, PayPal or Square won't take my casino. Can I use Railbed?

Yes, if you hold a licence for the markets you serve. A past closure or a MATCH listing doesn't rule you out, and there's no processing history to send. Sign up with an email and a payout wallet, and you can run test deposits today.

### Do players need crypto or a crypto wallet?

No. Players deposit with the card they already have. The conversion to USDC happens after they pay, and only you need a wallet.

### Will players be asked for ID by the card provider?

Sometimes, and the provider decides. Smart Routing sends each player to the provider least likely to ask for ID at their amount and location. Some large or unusual deposits may still need a check, and your own KYC runs as it does today.

### What happens if a player loses and then disputes a deposit?

No chargeback comes back to you. The card provider that charged the player's card handles the dispute under its own rules, and a settled deposit can't be pulled back out of your wallet. A provider may decline future payments from a player who disputes.

### Can Railbed freeze my money?

No. Every deposit settles straight to a wallet you control, so there's no balance with Railbed to hold. If an account breaks our acceptable use policy we can stop new payments, but we can never touch USDC that has already reached your wallet.

### How do I credit a player's balance automatically?

Listen for the signed `payment.paid` webhook and credit the balance once per event ID. The [developer docs](https://railbed.io/docs/quickstart/) have working examples, and Test mode lets you simulate deposits before you go live.

### Can Railbed pay out player withdrawals?

No. Railbed takes card deposits. Withdrawals stay with your own cashier and the payout methods you already use.

### What will players see on their card statement?

The card provider they paid through, because that provider charges the card. Say so on your deposit page, so players recognise the charge.

### How do I get the money into my bank?

Send USDC from your wallet to any exchange or off-ramp you use, then withdraw to your bank account. You choose when and how much.

## Sources

1. [Stripe: Prohibited and restricted businesses](https://stripe.com/legal/restricted-businesses), last updated 22 September 2026, checked 5 October 2026
2. [PayPal: Acceptable use policy](https://www.paypal.com/us/legalhub/paypal/acceptableuse-full), last updated 29 October 2022, checked 5 October 2026
3. [Square: Payment terms, unsupported industries](https://squareup.com/us/en/legal/general/payment), last updated 30 July 2026, checked 5 October 2026
4. [Visa: Visa Merchant Data Standards Manual](https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/merchants/visa-merchant-data-standards-manual.pdf), April 2026, checked 5 October 2026
5. [Visa: Visa Core Rules and Visa Product and Service Rules](https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/download/about-visa/visa-rules-public.pdf), 18 April 2026, checked 5 October 2026
6. [PaymentCloud: Mastercard raises its high-risk registration fee](https://paymentcloudinc.com/blog/mastercard-raises-high-risk-registration-fee-what-to-know/), updated 1 May 2026
7. [SeamlessChex: How rolling reserves cap casino payout limits](https://www.seamlesschex.com/blog/how-rolling-reserves-cap-casino-payout-limits), 19 August 2026
8. [iGaming Payment Solutions: iGaming payments challenges](https://igamingpaymentsolutions.com/igaming-payments-challenges), checked 5 October 2026
9. [SeamlessChex: Payment processing for online gambling operators in 2026](https://www.seamlesschex.com/deep-dives/payment-processing-for-online-gambling-operators-in-2026), 28 June 2026, and [What online gambling operators need to get payment approval](https://www.seamlesschex.com/deep-dives/what-online-gambling-operators-need-to-get-payment-approval), checked 5 October 2026
10. [Visa: Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program fact sheet](https://corporate.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/corporate/visa-perspectives/security-and-trust/documents/visa-acquirer-monitoring-program-fact-sheet-2025.pdf), 2025, checked 5 October 2026
11. [Hacker News: an online gaming payments operator on chargebacks](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8486208), 21 October 2014
12. [Hacker News: Vantiv stops processing for daily fantasy sports](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10998163), 29 January 2016
13. [The Esports Advocate: Stripe and paid esports tournaments on Start.gg](https://esportsadvocate.net/2023/09/stripe-esports-tournaments/), 28 September 2023

## About Railbed

Railbed is card checkout for online businesses that mainstream processors turn away. Buyers pay by card through independent, licensed card providers, and every sale settles as USDC on Polygon to a wallet the merchant controls. Railbed never holds the money, so there is no balance to freeze, and a settled payment can't be pulled back as a chargeback. Signing up takes an email and a payout wallet, with no setup fee and no monthly fee. Railbed is a product of DeepWork (Railbed by DeepWork).

## Get started

- Sign up: https://app.railbed.io/signup
- Talk to sales: sales@railbed.io
- Other industries: https://railbed.io/industries/