Why cashless gaming needs Open Banking Payments now more than ever

Understanding the technology gap between true direct funding via a “debit instrument” and workarounds

Casino operators understand the cashless gaming imperative. You've seen the business case: reduced cash handling costs, improved operational efficiency, better player experience, etc. The question isn't whether to go cashless—it's how to implement cashless gaming that actually works.

The casino industry's first generation of cashless solutions proved the combination of mobile apps + user wallets creates friction when the goal was to eliminate it. Loyalty program participation, specific apps, account signups, and outdated KYC processes became barriers to adoption rather than enablers of seamless play.

But there's a deeper issue that many operators haven't yet recognized: the fundamental difference between true direct funding (via a debit instrument) and workaround “solutions” disguised as a real payment product for cashless gaming.

The technology behind the transaction matters

Not all "cashless" payment technologies are created equal. The distinction comes down to what's actually happening behind the QR code scan.

Prepaid access instrument: An e-wallet in disguise

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Casino operators should ask themselves, “Is my cashless payment product providing my players direct access to their current debit instrument, or is it a “prepaid access instrument,” requiring them to set up a new financial institution account to then fund that e-wallet to then fund the slot machine?”

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• NV Gaming Regulation 1.092 “Debit instrument” defined.  “Debit instrument” has the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 463.01469. The term includes, without limitation, a prepaid access instrument.
• NV Revised Statutes NRS 463.01469 “Debit instrument” defined.  “Debit instrument” means a card, code or other device with which a person may initiate an electronic transfer of money to a game or gaming device.

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While a prepaid access instrument can serve as a debit instrument for direct funding, it introduces unnecessary and invasive complexity, higher costs, and potential regulatory considerations around credit extension in gaming environments.

• Financial institution account enrollment requiring invasive personally identifiable information (PII):
  
  • Drivers license scans or agreement to digital ID process
  • SSN, DOB, address, phone number
• FDIC terms review and approval, which can be confusing
• More usernames and passwords
• Connecting real payment method(s) to actually do the direct funding
• Add-on fees for e-wallet account middle men versus a direct payment product
• Credit card or check cash guarantee product use that introduces credit extension with potential regulatory issue in direct funding for cashless gaming

Open Banking Payments: true direct funding

Trustly Scan & Pay is the envisioned holistic cashless gaming execution powered by Trustly’s payment technology. It operates on a completely different technological foundation—Open Banking infrastructure that enables direct bank transfers:

• Players authorize real-time digital payment transfers directly from their online bank account(s)
• No credit extension, no collection risk, as Trustly fully guarantees the player’s funds for cashless gaming, ensuring the casino gets paid
• Funds move immediately from the player’s bank account to the casino’s account
• The transaction is a true payment via Trustly Open Banking Payments

This distinction matters enormously for casino operations, compliance, and economics.

How is Trustly Scan & Pay different?

1. Built on 15 years of Open Banking Payments expertise

Trustly didn't adapt an existing product for gaming—we built gaming payments on proven Open Banking infrastructure. The proof? We’ve processed over $500 billion in payment volume. This foundation delivers:

• 8,000+ connected US banks providing comprehensive coverage of your player base
• Proprietary risk engine refined through billions of live transactions across multiple verticals
• Fully-guaranteed payments without credit extension
• Pan-vertical consumer insights from our network effect in telecommunications, gaming, and other industries where Trustly dominates market share

This isn't theoretical technology. It's battle-tested infrastructure operating at massive scale.

2. No wallet, no Intermediary, no Friction

The beauty of Open Banking Payments is that it eliminates the middleman. With Trustly Scan & Pay:

New player experience (under 60 seconds):

• Player scans dynamic QR code at the EGM
• Selects deposit amount and their bank
• Logs into online banking (credentials they already know)
• Authorizes the transfer
• Creates passkey for future transactions
• Funds instantly credit the machine

Return player experience (under 10 seconds):

• Player scans QR code
• Authenticates via passkey
• Selects amount
• Funds instantly credit the machine

No app download. No account creation. No SSN or driver's license. No player card requirement. Just direct digital funding from the player's existing online bank account to the gaming floor.

3. Anonymous play without compromise

Here's where Open Banking Payments solve a problem that wallet-based systems cannot: supporting uncarded play while maintaining full compliance.

Traditional cashless solutions require:

• Player loyalty club enrollment
• Extensive KYC documentation
• Casino-specific app downloads
• Account approval processes (sometimes up to 24 hours)

Trustly Scan & Pay enables anonymous, uncarded play because the identity verification happens through the player's existing banking relationship. Their bank already knows who they are. It eliminates the need to collect redundant documentation.

This means 100% of your players—carded and uncarded—can access frictionless direct funding.

4. Direct integration with your cashless gaming technology

Trustly Scan & Pay works seamlessly with your existing infrastructure through direct integrations with leading cashless gaming technology providers:

• Acres Manufacturing (foundation with Universal Payment Adapter or Foundation-HQ)
• IGT 
• Konami Gaming 
• Light & Wonder 
• CasinoTrac 
• Aristocrat (Pending)

The holistic solution enables real-time bank transfers at physical point-of-sale locations. Players scan a QR code, and funds transfer directly from their online bank account, through your cashless gaming technology, and instantly onto the credit meter of their selected EGM.

Trustly isn’t replacing your cashless system—we're powering it with superior payment technology.

5. Responsible gaming built on real data

One of the most powerful advantages of Open Banking Payments is access to real-time banking data that enables practical responsible gaming tools:

• Available funds guidance helps players understand their actual spending capacity
• In-person self-set limits empower players to control their own behavior
• Instant account balance visibility provides transparency
• Risk engine protection prevents players from spending money they don't have

Traditional payment methods can't deliver these insights. Credit-based check guarantee systems certainly can't. Only Open Banking Payments provide the real-time banking data necessary for meaningful responsible gaming features.

The network effect: why scale matters

Payment networks get better as they grow. Trustly's first-mover advantage in Open Banking Payments has created network effects that no competitor can replicate:

Pan-vertical market view: Our dominance in verticals like telecommunications and gaming means we see consumer payment behavior across multiple contexts. This comprehensive view enables:

• More sophisticated risk management
• Better fraud detection
• Higher approval rates
• Unique consumer insights we can share with casino operators

Cross-vertical learning: Risk patterns identified in one vertical inform our models in others. A gaming transaction benefits from insights gained across billions of telecom, lending, and e-commerce transactions.

Merchant/biller benefits: Critical mass in specific verticals means we can deliver completely unique consumer insights to our partners—insights that inform marketing, player development, and operational strategies.

This network effect comes from 15 years of building Open Banking Payment infrastructure. No one else is close.

Why casino operators choose Trustly Scan & Pay

Operational benefits

Lower costs: Direct bank transfers cost significantly less than credit and debit card processing—and far less than cash handling fees up to 6%.

Instant liquidity: Funds move directly into your casino bank accounts. Your money works for you immediately.

Simplified reconciliation: Digital transaction records streamline back-office operations compared to cash handling, pulls, and cage runs.

Future-proof technology: Built on Open Banking infrastructure that's expanding across industries and use cases. This isn't a point solution—it's foundational technology.

Player experience benefits

Fast deposits: New players in under 60 seconds, return players in under 10 seconds. True frictionless access.

No extra wallets or apps: Payments come directly from bank accounts players already use. Nothing new to download or remember.

Security and trust: Players understand their banks. They trust their online banking credentials. Trustly Scan & Pay leverages that existing trust rather than asking players to extend trust to a new wallet provider.

Anonymous play: Uncarded players get the same seamless experience as loyalty club members. No barriers, no invasive data collection.

Compliance and risk benefits

Fully-guaranteed payments: We guarantee settlement without extending credit to players.

Advanced risk management: Our proprietary risk engine, refined through billions of transactions, maximizes approvals while minimizing exposure.

Regulatory alignment: Direct bank transfers with identity verification through existing banking relationships satisfy gaming commission requirements without creating wallet-related compliance complexity.

99.99% Uptime: Casino-grade reliability that matches your operational standards. We never close.

The Real-world scenario

Consider a typical player journey:

A casino patron walks up to an EGM with their phone but realizes they left their wallet in their hotel room. With traditional cashless systems, they face a lengthy enrollment process—if the casino even supports uncarded play. With cash, they're making a trip back to their room or hunting for an ATM.

With Trustly Scan & Pay:

• They scan the QR code
• Log in using their familiar online banking credentials
• Deposit $200 directly from their bank
• Start playing in under 60 seconds

The casino receives:

• Instant liquidity in their bank account
• No cash handling costs
• No credit risk
• A player who stayed on the floor instead of leaving

The player experiences:

• Frictionless access to their own money
• No invasive data collection
• Complete control through familiar banking interface
• Anonymous play without compromising convenience

This is what cashless gaming was always meant to be.

Beyond point solutions: building for the future

Casino operators evaluating cashless gaming solutions should look beyond immediate functionality to ask deeper questions about technological foundations:

Is this built on credit or direct payments? Credit-based systems introduce complexity, cost, and potential regulatory considerations that direct payments avoid.

Can this support uncarded play? If cashless only works for loyalty club members, you're excluding a significant portion of your player base.

What's the underlying payment infrastructure? Solutions built on proven Open Banking technology offer stability, scale, and future expansion opportunities that workaround systems cannot match.

Does the provider have network effects? First-mover advantages and cross-vertical scale deliver better risk management, higher approvals, and unique insights.

Is this a point solution or platform technology? Open Banking Payments enable innovation beyond basic transfers—responsible gaming tools, consumer insights, and future capabilities that closed systems can't deliver.

Getting started

Casino operators serious about cashless gaming transformation should evaluate payment technology as rigorously as they evaluate gaming systems. The underlying infrastructure matters as much as the user interface.

Trustly brings 15 years of Open Banking Payment expertise, over $500 billion in processed volume, connections to 8,000+ US banks, and proven integrations with leading casino management systems.

We don't provide the cashless solution—we power it with payment technology that makes seamless direct funding possible and truly direct.

Ready to understand how Open Banking Payments can transform your cashless gaming strategy? Contact Trustly's gaming payment experts for a technical deep-dive and custom implementation roadmap.

Trustly Scan & Pay enables holistic cashless gaming through direct funding powered by Open Banking Payment technology. Learn more about how direct bank funding differs from e-Wallet workarounds and why that distinction matters for your casino operations.

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