Earlier this year, Flutter Entertainment – owner of some of Ireland’s best-known betting brands – introduced a credit card ban for its businesses in Ireland.Â
At the moment, players can still wager with this payment method elsewhere. But there’s every chance that the government will implement a mandatory ban across the board as part of its legislative review.Â
Regardless of whether that happens, payment trends will likely continue to change in the Irish casino landscape over the second half of 2021. Here’s what you can expect.Â
Prepaid card paymentsÂ
As players become warier of their gambling habits, they may choose to wager with online casinos without using their main bank account. One such option to keep control of their spending could be using prepaid cards, which they can obtain online or at a store.Â
With such solutions, players will know exactly how much disposable income they have to spend on casinos. Once that money is gone, reloading the card or buying a new one takes longer than simply funding an account with a bank card or e-wallet. Another perk to money management is the lower deposit limits created by the limited denominations in which prepaid cards are available
Prepaid cards will also give players the flexibility to spend their money elsewhere, such as online shopping, if they have some cash left over from gambling.Â
CryptocurrencyÂ
Although still a relatively new payment method, cryptocurrency has gained momentum in recent years. Nowadays, players can find dedicated online casinos that accommodate these kinds of payments, although they remain relatively rare.Â
But going forward, mainstream casinos might also start to adopt crypto payments more widely. If they do, they might attract more users from the likes of Skrill and PayPal – each has recently started to offer more flexibility in this area.Â
Which brings us on to…Â
Digital walletsÂ
Digital wallets are some of the most popular ways to place money on betting sites for a variety of reasons. They allow a layer of anonymity, but beyond that take little time when it comes to deposits and withdrawals.Â
A lot of digital wallets are also friendlier towards gambling payments. Besides exclusive offers, customers can – in some instances – participate in VIP schemes and have their loyalty rewarded.Â
As digital wallets expand to emerging iGaming markets, such as the US, players in Ireland will also benefit from their learnings abroad – since they will be able to enhance their product closer to home.Â
Pay N PlayÂ
The overriding theme of every payment method included in this article is convenience. Players want to deposit their money without delays, and also demand that they receive their winnings in similarly short time. They also want to play without lengthy verification processes.Â
Pay N Play by Trustly solves all of these problems. Players can deposit straight from their bank account and start playing straight away, cutting away the hassle of setting up any additional payment accounts.Â
As the demand for convenience grows in the Irish online casino space, Pay N Play and similar payment methods will likely continue to grow in popularity.Â
Players will seek alternatives to credit cards in H2 2021Â
Flutter’s credit card ban could be a sign of things to come. But in reality, players are already looking for more convenient payment options, this is a trend we’ve seen across various online industries.
Over the second half of 2021, Irish online casino operators can expect instant payments to continue growing in popularity. Users will also continue to adopt digital wallets, while cryptocurrency will heat up – as long as betting sites accommodate these.Â
Prepaid card payments might also become more popular as players look for a way to deposit while keeping their finances separate from their main account.