We Approve Social Gaming Businesses

Social Gaming Merchant Account

Looking for reliable payment processing for your social gaming platform?

Social gaming platforms create unique virtual communities where players interact, compete, and engage with virtual goods and currencies. These platforms require specialized payment processing solutions to handle microtransactions, virtual currency purchases, and subscription services. PayKings understands the complexities of social gaming payment processing and provides tailored merchant account solutions for virtual worlds, social casinos, esports tournaments, and community-based gaming applications. Using our cutting edge merchant services technology we'll help you set up a payment system designed for security, reliability, and a top-notch customer experience.

Dedicated Account Managers

15+ Years High-Risk Experience

Fast and Easy Application

Recurring Billing Options

20+ Financial Partners

Chargeback Mitigation

Social Gaming Payment Processing

Social gaming platforms face unique challenges in payment processing due to high transaction volumes, virtual currency systems, and the need for seamless in-game purchases. Our specialized merchant accounts are designed to handle these complexities while providing the security and reliability your platform needs to continue generating revenue and bringing in income.

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Launch Your Social Gaming Payment Processing

Follow these steps to establish your social gaming merchant account

Complete your application

Start with our streamlined application process designed for social gaming platforms.

Submit platform documentation

Provide documentation about your social gaming platform and virtual economy.

Dedicated underwriting support

Our specialized team guides you through the underwriting process with expertise in social gaming requirements.

Begin processing payments

Start accepting payments for virtual goods, premium features, and subscription services.

Why Choose PayKings for Social Gaming?

PayKings specializes in providing merchant accounts for social gaming platforms. Our payment solutions are designed to handle the unique aspects of social gaming, including microtransactions, virtual currency systems, and subscription billing. With our expertise in high-risk payment processing, we ensure your platform can operate smoothly while maintaining compliance with industry regulations. Additionally we have top-notch customer service.

Comprehensive Social Gaming Solutions

Our payment processing solutions cater to various social gaming platforms, including virtual worlds, social casinos, and community-based games. We provide secure payment gateways, fraud protection, and flexible integration options tailored to your platform's needs.

Understanding High-Risk Classification in Social Gaming

Social gaming platforms are often classified as high-risk due to factors like virtual currency systems, high chargeback rates, and complex transaction patterns. Merchants in the social gaming industry can experience friendly fraud and other challenges. PayKings specializes in navigating these challenges and providing stable payment processing solutions that support your brand's growth.

Selecting the Right Payment Processor for Your Platform

Your social gaming platform needs a payment processor that understands the industry's unique requirements. PayKings offers tailored solutions for different business models, from virtual worlds to social casinos, ensuring reliable payment processing, data security, and regulatory compliance for your operations.

Social Casino vs. Traditional Casino: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between a traditional casino and a social casino?

Short Answer:

Social casinos are free-to-play games that use virtual coins and focus on entertainment and social interaction, without necessarily having real-money payouts. Traditional casinos, on the other hand, involve real-money gambling, are strictly regulated, and center around winning or losing actual cash.

Additional Information:

Social casinos do not directly involve real money gambling; instead, you usually play on the internet using virtual coins or tokens, not actual cash, to win prizes. They are usually for entertainment, but some do allow players to cash out for real money.

These games often come with social features and are commonly connected to platforms like Facebook or mobile apps that can be downloaded through the iOS app store or to your Android smartphone, allowing users to send gifts, compete with friends, join leaderboards, and chat with others.

Most social casino games are free to play, although players have the option to purchase additional virtual coins if they run out (sometimes known as sweepstakes coins). Many online social casinos even provide free sweeps coins or additional free gold coins with your first purchase to encourage customers to try out their online casino.

Some types of games that can be found on social casino sites are sweepstakes, slots, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, bingo. Popular examples of social casino games include Slotomania, DoubleDown Casino, and Zynga Poker.

Real-Money Casinos:

Real-money casinos involve actual money, where players place bets and have the chance to win—or lose—real cash. These casinos are regulated by gambling authorities and are subject to strict laws and licensing in most countries to ensure fair play and consumer protection.

The primary focus of real-money casinos is monetary gain, rather than social interaction. Many of them also offer live dealers and the opportunity to win big jackpots with slot machines and other games.

Well-known examples of real-money casinos include BetMGM, Caesars Casino, PokerStars, and physical casino establishments like those found in Las Vegas.

Traditional Casino vs. Social Casino: Understanding the Differences

A quick comparison of key features between social casinos and traditional casinos.

Feature	Social Casino	Traditional Casino
Real Money	❌ No	✅ Yes
Payouts	❌ Might not have ability to cash-out	✅ Real cash winnings
Regulation	❌ Less regulated	✅ Heavily regulated
Social Interaction	✅ High	❌ Low or none (mostly solo)
Purpose	🎉 Entertainment	💰 Gambling for money

Our Services

Comprehensive payment solutions tailored for your Social Gaming business

Social Gaming Merchant Accounts

20+ Proven Bank Relationships
Medium/High Risk Accounts
Fast Social Gaming Account Approval
Large Merchant Case Studies
E-Commerce and Retail Social Gaming
B2B Social Gaming Vendors Supported

Multiple Payment Solutions

Multiple E-Commerce Gateway
Chargeback Prevention
ACH Processing
E-Check
Credit Cards
B2B-Level II/III Data Discounts
3D Secure Checkout
Mobile Payment

Compatibility & Support

Gateway Recurring Billing
Secure Vault Storage
E-Commerce Cart Plugins
Developer API / Docs
POS/Terminals
Scalable Merchant Accounts
Dedicated Account Managers

Reliable Payment Processing for Social Gaming

Our merchant accounts are optimized for social gaming platforms, providing secure payment processing for virtual goods, premium features, and subscription services. If necessary, PayKings can even provide point of sale payment gateways for your business. With PayKings, you can focus on growing your company's gaming community while we handle your payment processing needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Social Gaming

Everything you need to know about high-risk payment processing

Social gaming is a type of gaming experience where players interact with others through online platforms or social networks while playing casual, often easy-to-learn games. These games are designed to be fun, engaging, and community-driven, allowing players to compete, cooperate, or simply share their progress with friends. Social games are usually played on mobile apps, websites, or platforms like Facebook, and they often include features like leaderboards, gifting, chat options, and friend invites. Unlike traditional video games or gambling, social games are typically free-to-play and focus on entertainment rather than monetary rewards. Examples of social games include Candy Crush, Words with Friends, FarmVille, and Clash of Clans—all games where the social element is just as important as the gameplay itself.

Social gaming is often classified as high-risk for payment processing due to several factors: high transaction volumes with relatively small amounts (microtransactions), higher chargeback rates when users don't recognize purchases or when children use parents' payment methods without permission, complex subscription models, and the virtual nature of goods being purchased. Additionally, the regulatory landscape varies by region, with some areas having strict rules about games that might resemble gambling. These factors contribute to higher processing risks for traditional banks, which is why specialized payment processors like PayKings who understand the industry are essential for social gaming platforms.

To maximize revenue, social gaming platforms should offer a diverse range of payment options to accommodate different user preferences. These typically include credit and debit cards, digital wallets (PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay), mobile carrier billing for smartphone users, prepaid cards for users without bank accounts or credit cards, and increasingly, alternative payment methods popular in specific regions. Some platforms also integrate cryptocurrency options. The key is making the payment process as frictionless as possible—one-click purchases, saved payment methods, and transparent pricing all help convert free players into paying customers. PayKings can help set up a comprehensive payment system that includes these various options while maintaining security and compliance.

Social gaming platforms can reduce chargebacks and payment disputes through several best practices: implement clear billing descriptors so charges are easily recognizable on statements, send purchase confirmation emails for all transactions, design transparent in-game stores with clear pricing, implement strong age verification and parental controls, use fraud detection tools to identify suspicious purchasing patterns, maintain detailed transaction records, and create a responsive customer service system to address concerns before they escalate to chargebacks. Additionally, using a payment processor like PayKings that specializes in gaming transactions provides access to industry-specific chargeback prevention tools and expertise to manage disputes effectively when they do occur.

Social gaming companies need to navigate a complex regulatory landscape that varies significantly by region. Key considerations include: data privacy laws like GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California that affect how user information is collected and stored, age verification requirements to protect minors, consumer protection regulations regarding in-app purchases and virtual goods, anti-money laundering (AML) compliance for platforms that allow cash-outs or peer-to-peer transactions, gambling regulations if the game includes elements that could be considered gambling (particularly relevant for social casinos), and tax implications for virtual currency and digital goods sales. Working with a payment processor experienced in the gaming industry, such as PayKings, helps ensure compliance with these various regulations while maintaining smooth payment operations.

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