iGaming operators have a problem

They can see players make deposits, can track activity decline, and watch as players abandon checkout.

A player might progress through to the payment page but before they complete a purchase, they’ll simply…disappear. And the operator won’t know what went wrong… until now.

This is the invisible demand problem. It’s the part of the buying journey that current analytics can’t explain – and it’s a headache for operators. Third-party checkout scripts limit visibility which means the reason players vanish is often unclear. Players exit, revenue leaks, and iGaming operators are none the wiser.

Closing the payment choices gap

Offering a variety of payment methods isn’t a ‘nice to have’ feature – it’s a deciding factor.

One of the reasons operators lose players is because they’re not giving them the right payment options. Consumers want to pay with minimum friction, with the familiar payment methods they know and trust. If they can’t find an option they like, many will disappear. Our own research found that one in five consumers [1] will abandon a purchase if their preferred payment method isn’t offered. 

Local payment methods play a key part in reducing friction and establishing trust, especially in the iGaming market.

Across the board, operators highlight the immense popularity and necessity of offering region-specific payment options to their players. They report that local payments account for a significant 60-70% of transaction volume within their individual markets. If two-thirds of transactions are conducted via local payments, it’s something that operators have to get right.

Local payments stop players vanishing

The rewards of nailing local payments speak for themselves.

Data from large-scale, cross-industry studies [2] found that businesses adding at least one relevant payment option, beyond traditional cards, see an average conversion rate increase of 7.4% and an average revenue increase of 12%. Businesses saw a staggering 46% increase in conversion when they offered BLIK to customers in Poland and a 39% increase when offering iDEAL in the Netherlands.

The iGaming space offers huge opportunity – gross iGaming revenue (GGR) exceeded €123 billion [3] in Europe in 2024, representing a five percent increase year-on-year. The 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros saw record betting [4] for UK operator Bet365. But this rapid growth means competition is fiercer than ever. Operators who can’t provide players with the payment methods they like will not only see them vanish, but watch them reappear on a competitor’s site.

Market spotlight: France

France is one of the largest iGaming markets in Europe, generating more than €14 billion [5] in GGR in 2023. While the majority of this revenue currently comes from land-based iGaming, online iGaming is still a multi-billion euro industry. In 2023, online iGaming in France generated €3.8 billion in GGR.

The importance of online iGaming is only set to increase. Across Europe, online iGaming’s market share is projected to rise from 37% in 2023 to 45% by 2029 – jumping up eight percentage points in just six years. Online playing lets customers enjoy their favourite games from the comfort of their own home and gives them access to a variety of options they may not find elsewhere.

But if operators want to serve this growing online demand, offering local payment methods will be imperative.

Card payments only serve a slice of French consumers. French consumers use digital payment methods in almost half of all online purchases. If operators want to reach every player, they’ll need to add specific local payment methods to their site.

This means including digital wallet options such as SEPA Direct Debit.

Market spotlight: the Netherlands

The Netherlands is an exciting market for iGaming.

In 2023, the iGaming market reached €4 billion in GGR [6] – a 21.2% increase on 2022 levels, as the sector recovers from the impact of COVID. Online iGaming, specifically, is seeing significant growth: GGR grew 8% in the first half of 2024, boosted by sports betting, rising from €696 million in H2 2023 to €752 million in H1 2024.

Online games such as table games and slot machines enjoy huge popularity in the Netherlands, contributing 72% of online GGR in early 2024 [7].

However, operators wanting to benefit from this growth can’t simply rely on card transactions [8]. The Dutch use cards to pay for just 14% of all online transactions and the most popular digital payment method is iDEAL, a bank-transfer option with a 58% market share. If operators don’t adapt their payment methods to suit Dutch preferences, they’ll lose out on a huge amount of custom.

Local payment methods are no longer an alternative payment method – they’re central to iGaming success. If operators want to stop players vanishing and solve the invisible demand problem, they need to give them payment methods that make them want to stay. Players don’t come to your site to wrestle with clunky payment options: they want to save their time and energy for the excitement of their game.