Since being rolled out in 2016, Pay N Play has had one of the biggest impacts on the online casino experience. Instead of creating an account manually, players simply use their online banking details to sign in and make a deposit in seconds. The bank shares their personal information directly with the casino, allowing verification to be completed automatically.
Across Europe, Pay N Play has been hugely successful, simplifying the gaming experience for countless players. Many prefer this method as it removes the hassle of registration forms and slow verification processes, making it easier to dive straight into the action.
Despite being one of the largest online casino industries globally, the UK has yet to welcome Pay N Play casinos. However, recent reports suggest this could change soon, with Trustly and other payment providers eyeing its implementation. This development would have a hugely positive impact on the industry, benefitting not only players but also operators. In this article, we'll explore some of the main advantages of introducing Pay N Play to online casinos in the UK.
Instant Payments
With Pay N Play, all payments to and from the casino would be completed by the bank immediately. When it comes to depositing, this is quite similar to what's available now. There are already many bank transfer casinos available in the UK which allow players to deposit instantly by logging into online banking accounts. So this part wouldn't be much of a breakthrough.
However, it could be a true game changer for withdrawals. UK players frequently express frustration with slow payout times, largely due to manual approval processes. This new system has the potential to automate many of these transactions, allowing players to receive their winnings much faster. Operators would likely receive far fewer complaints too.
This scenario is based on how Pay N Play currently works in countries like Finland that use electronic verification. The basic KYC process and registration are done when a player makes a deposit. Hence there is no need for them to manually input their personal details or verify the account separately. All details are fetched directly from the bank that the player uses. Because of this automated verification process, there is no need to manually process the transactions, and winnings can be paid immediately.
Fast Verification
For safety and security purposes, all UK online casinos are required to verify the identity of players as soon as they create an account. This can currently be done automatically by cross-referencing the personal information from registration forms. If the details align then players can begin gaming straight away. But if not, they are required to submit documents that prove their identity. This process often leads to frustration as players struggle to acquire certain documents while facing delays to their gaming experience.
Introducing Pay N Play in the UK could simplify the verification process entirely. Upon logging into online banking, the bank could share the player's personal details directly with the casino. This would allow them to be verified immediately with no documents being needed.
For players, the benefits are clear. Verification would no longer be as much of an issue when joining a new site, meaning they can start gaming straight away. They can focus purely on fun and entertainment instead of worrying about tasks such as finding and scanning eligible documents.
However, there are plenty of advantages for the casino operators too. In other countries, the number of players who abandon account creation has plummeted where Pay N Play is available due to fewer obstacles. Also, although implementing this system can require a major overhaul and be expensive, the long-term costs are reduced as processes are simplified. Finally, banks in the UK are already helping to spot signs of problem gambling, something that could be built upon if more players used their bank accounts thanks to Pay N Play.
No Registration Forms
As Pay N Play casinos could acquire personal details from the bank, the days of filling out registration forms would become a thing of the past. Instead, players would just need to log in to their online banking and approve data sharing. This would all happen within seconds.
The casino could also confirm that the bank account was eligible for use. UK players are usually only allowed to use accounts that are in their name. No business accounts are accepted and neither are joint accounts in most cases. The system would be able to confirm this straight away, preventing any problems later on.
Quick Rollout
In countries like Finland, the introduction of Pay n Play started with a single casino. However, it was so successful that other sites quickly adopted it, afraid to lose ground against their competitors. Within just a few years, it’s now available at the vast majority of casinos in Finland and is the main option that players use.
The UK market would likely follow a similar path. One operator would enable it and reap the rewards, forcing others to take note. It would just need the first casino to take the plunge.
Of course, the type of casino might impact how quickly it becomes available. White label operators could in theory implement it at scale, as some of these networks contain hundreds of UK sites. Once Pay N Play had been integrated into their platform, it could be rolled out fairly quickly.
For independent sites that use their own platform, the process would be a bit different. They would need to onboard a suitable payment provider individually and then integrate it into their system. However, independent online casinos are widely popular partly because they are quick to add unique features that are attractive to UK players. So these sites would likely be fast to implement Pay N Play if it became popular in the UK as well.
Once the majority of existing sites had adopted Pay N Play, it would become a standard feature. Any new casinos would need to offer it straight away, and a large number of British players would use it as their default option. The industry's transformation would then be complete.
