First featured exclusively in Payment Expert.
Viktoriia Degtiarova, co-founder of Paysecure, writes for Payment Expert on the role of payments in the customer retention strategy for igaming operators.
According to Optimove, the average monthly active player retention rate for a global iGaming operator was 70% in July 2025, while the U.S. average was 62%, with both figures showing a slight decline from previous periods. The UK saw a sharp drop to 66.9% in May 2025, from a 12-month average of 77%, possibly due to stricter compliance requirements.
Despite the slight drop of in retention rates, these statistics indicate that a large portion of players remain active month-on-month. But with a small number of high-value players often accounting for large portions of revenues, operators must prioritise strategic personalisation to help increase retention rates.
What challenges do iGaming firms face?
iGaming operators face significant challenges in today’s competitive market. Customer acquisition and retention is difficult due to player brand loyalty and intense competition in the marketplace, with challenger brands struggling to compete with tier-1 operators financially. But to attract new players, operators must recognise that player preferences are constantly evolving. This is driven by innovation in games, pricing, and technology, requiring the industry to adapt.
Barriers to entry for players remain a key hurdle for acquisition and retention. Fraud and compliance checks, diverse local payment methods, data protection, and payment speed all complicate the player journey. Increasing regulatory and government interest, such as potential gambling taxes and mandatory affordability checks in the UK, further fragments markets and poses new challenges.
Beyond regulatory complexities, operators must contend with varying local payment preferences, like MobilePay in Denmark or iDEAL in the Netherlands, necessitating sophisticated routing for a smoother customer experience. Furthermore, uncontrollable factors like currency fluctuations, economic conflicts, and political pressures demand that operators adapt to remain competitive in a global market. Addressing these challenges is crucial for sustained success in the iGaming Sector.
How payments drives customer retention
Across all sectors, 62% of customers who experience a failure at the payment stage of a transaction will not complete a purchase, impacting both the first transaction and every other transaction after that. Therefore, if your priority is to retain custom, having two-thirds of potential customers leaving forever at one stage of the purchase process must be your area of focus to increase retaining rates.
For igaming operators, there are various parts of the process that payments can fail and therefore, impact retaining rates. To address this, firms must look at elevating payment acceptance, mitigating fraud and chargebacks, and reducing friction in the process. Research from Paysafe shows that 78% of bettors consider the payment experience important in why they use a specific operator, highlighting the importance of payments in acquisition and retention.
How can personalisation increase retention?
Personalisation during the payment stage of the customer journey can help operators acquire and retain custom, and that’s why orchestration and cashier solutions are crucial. Subtle adjustments at the cashier stage, informed by real-time performance insights and user-specific data, can significantly boost customer conversion. Paysecure’s solutions, including analytics and customisable cashier options, have increased igaming transaction approval rates by up to 7%. Personalised solutions and smart routing to other payment solutions remove barriers for all players. For example, integrating M-PESA for players in Kenya can increase conversions in that market, addressing player preferences for specific payment methods and building brand loyalty.
On the flipside of this, fast and streamlined payouts are also highly valued by users, so ensuring this process is frictionless can help keep players coming back. Offering a range of payout options – including the ability to withdraw to different payment methods than those used for deposits – provides flexibility and convenience that many players now expect. Whether that means cashing out to a digital wallet, bank account or alternative local method, empowering users with choice enhances trust and reinforces a seamless, player-first experience.
How are Cashier solutions helping iGaming operators drive retention?
Paysecure’s Dynamic Cashier solution revolutionises the game for operators by providing customisable infrastructure, regardless of their tech resources or budget. This solution offers deep insights into user behaviour, improving conversion by up to 7%, increasing deposit value by up to 35%, and reducing fraud. Operators gain complete control over the deposit and withdrawal process, enabling seamless, multi-currency flows and transforming payments into a competitive advantage.
The enhanced cashier experience extends brand presence, localises user flows, and provides insights into player behaviour, allowing for continuous optimisation, boosted acceptance rates, and reduced friction. Performance analysis, combined with advanced AI tools, equips payment teams to scale operations.
The dynamic cashier also enables personalised promotions and notifications, improving player engagement and retention, especially for VIP customers. Operators can reduce wait times and offer exclusive perks, driving bottom-line growth and retaining those high-value players.
Recognising the need for personalisation, Paysecure allows operators to test and update all customisable elements – colours, logos, call-to-action buttons, taxes, surcharge fees, transaction thresholds, and currency settings – in a sandbox environment, pushing changes live within minutes. This offers unparalleled control over the orchestration process.
The Dynamic Cashier solution is crucial for conversion and lifetime value. Paysecure’s fully customisable Dynamic Cashier enables operators to create seamless, on-brand journeys tailored to different markets and segments. While players see the front-end solution, Paysecure’s internal engine manages personalisation, smart routing to PSPs, fraud checks, and all other orchestration aspects, allowing operators to customise, test, and report on insights to enhance the customer experience. These insights can actively inform routing strategies, helping operators make smarter, data-led decisions about which payment paths deliver the best performance, approval rates, and user satisfaction.
Embrace change, gain advantage
The payment experience is crucial for iGaming operators, determining success or failure in converting traffic, retaining players, and satisfying valuable customers. Therefore, a robust payment solution should be central to every iGaming business’s strategy, providing a competitive advantage and retaining custom.
Paysecure is revolutionising the industry by enabling operators to prioritise payments and access cutting-edge technology. As the market evolves and becomes more competitive, the user and payment journey will become even more critical. Now is the time to embrace this shift and gain a significant edge over competitors.
