opinion

Paypal Re-Enters Online Gambling Market

VirginiaMaddox has reported on the OnlineCasinoAdvisory that Paypal has resumed using its payment processing services to transfer online gambling payments, although presently US players are still excluded.

She wrote that Paypal is altering its long-time policy against processing online gambling payments, beginning in the UK market. The processor, which allows a nearly instantaneous transfer of money from one account to another, has dropped its gaming site ban to allow bingo sites and online casinos to once again use its service.

The firm has reversed its policy recently of not accepting online gambling business in Europe. Probably one of the most risky of ventures in the online gambling world, financial services are a target for governments enforcing their various online gambling control measures, by freezing or seizing the money transfers. As of July 2007, PayPal has offered its services across Europe, operating as a Luxembourg based bank. Paypal prior to this move had been registered in the UK, as Paypal (Europe) Ltd., as an electronic money issuer. PayPal became a wholly owned subsidiary of the American based company E Bay in October of 2002.

The big news is that gambling industry insiders are speculating Paypal may be preparing itself for a possible repeal of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the US, allowing the huge US market to become available once again to payment processors.

Similarly interesting is that Google, which has refused online gambling ads since being admonished and fined by the US Department of Justice, is now accepting gaming ads in the UK, and is said to be anxious to return to taking online casino ads in the US.

Paypal will process payments for Internet casino 32Red, a gaming company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The casino does not accept US players, so Paypal is not concerned with UIGEA problems.

UK online bingo sites have also adopted Paypal as a payment method. Paypal assures players of secure transactions, without having to release bank account or credit card numbers.

Some people inside the world of online casinos felt sure that it would never happen. After the UIGEA was brought into law within the United States, many online casino sites and payment processors pulled out of the United States market and many companies have steered clear of online gambling altogether. For this reason it caused quite a stir among Internet casino operators and players alike when news broke that Paypal is changing its policy and will begin delving into the casino gambling market in the United Kingdom. While Paypal still seems to be operating cautiously to avoid causing legal trouble with US authorities, the acceptance of gambling payments is seen by observers as the beginning of the reversal of the online gambling block.

With online casinos and bingo halls so incredibly popular throughout the United Kingdom, there really is no question as to the true motivation of this business decision, but this appears to signify a certain trend for many different businesses around the world that have been avoiding the Internet gambling industry at all costs to rethink their policies toward the business. With many businesses all over suffering tremendous losses due to the global recession, people are realizing that it may be worth their while to try to stake a claim in the highly lucrative Internet casino market. Paypal is following the growing trend in Europe of companies warming up again to the online gambling world.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More Articles

opinion

Inside the OCC's Debanking Review and Its Impact on the Adult Industry

For years, adult performers, creators, producers and adjacent businesses have routinely had their access to basic financial services curtailed — not because they are inherently higher-risk customers, but because a whole category of lawful work has long been treated as unacceptable.

Corey Silverstein ·
opinion

A Hands-On Review of AI Camera Monitoring for Retail

Last month, I outlined the main AI-powered loss prevention options available to businesses: DIY solutions, hosted services and enterprise platforms. This time, I decided to test one out myself. I contacted a cloud video platform that integrates with Lightspeed POS and scheduled a demo.

Zondre Watson ·
opinion

How to Build Operational Resilience Into Your Payment Ecosystem

Over the past year, we’ve watched adult merchants weather a variety of disruptions and speedbumps. Some even lost entire revenue streams overnight — simply because they relied too heavily on a single cloud provider that suffered an outage, lacked sufficient redundancy and failover, or otherwise fell short when it came to making sure their business was protected in case of unwelcome surprises.

Cathy Beardsley ·
opinion

Turning Fantasy Fans Into New Creature Play Shoppers

Adult “creature play” is no longer just a niche novelty. There’s even a term for this kink: teratophilia, meaning sexual attraction to monsters. A heady mix of sensory novelty, curiosity about unfamiliar bodies and potential power dynamics has made lusting after and role-playing mythological creatures more widely accepted. The erotically captivating allure of otherworldly beings has even become prevalent across pop culture, from “True Blood” and “The Shape of Water” to Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” and “monster boyfriend” romantasy literature trending on TikTok.

Naima Karp ·
opinion

Building a Stronger Strategy Against Card-Testing Bots

It’s a scenario every high-risk merchant dreads. You wake up one morning, check your dashboard and see a massive spike in transaction volume. For a fleeting moment, you’re excited at the premise that something went viral — but then reality sets in. You find thousands of transactions, all for $0.50 and all declined.

Jonathan Corona ·
trends

Signals Ahead: Pleasure Brands Track the Rapid Convergence of Tech and Intimacy

It’s complicated. As the pleasure industry enters 2026, many industry observers predict that the coming year will be shaped not by a single game-changing breakthrough or standout celebrity partnership, but rather by the slow, powerful alignment of consumer psychology, economic reality, cultural openness and shifting demographic needs.

Ariana Rodriguez ·
opinion

A Creator's Guide to Starting the Year With Strong Financial Habits

Every January brings that familiar rush of new ideas and big goals. Creators feel ready to overhaul their content, commit to new posting schedules and jump on fresh opportunities.

Megan Stokes ·
profile

Kyrie Hara Fuels Tenga's Growth as U.S. Sales Lead

Kyrie Hara is making significant moves. After racking up sales and general management experience during her 14-year run with Hawaiian retailer Sensually Yours, Hara has quickly embraced her role as the newest U.S. sales lead with Japanese manufacturer Tenga.

Women In Adult ·
profile

Jak Knife on Turning Collaboration and Consistency Into a Billion Views

What started as a private experiment between two curious lovers has grown into one of the most-watched creator catalogs on Pornhub. Today, with more than a billion views and counting, Jak Knife ranks among the top 20 performers on the site. It’s a milestone he reached not through overnight virality or manufactured hype, but through consistency, collaboration—and a willingness to make it weird.

Jackie Backman ·
profile

Alex Feynerol Discusses Svakom's Male-Focused Brand, Kaotik Labs

Over the past 13 years, Svakom has built its brand on sensuality and emotional intimacy, focusing on elegant design, wellness-oriented messaging and accessible pricing for vibrators and couples’ products — what the company often describes as “affordable luxury.” Recently, however, the company has had to adjust its traditional marketing tactics to fit one particular category steadily gaining prominence: male masturbators.

Jackie Backman ·
Show More