Online gateway setup supports licensed real-money iGaming and sportsbooks in legal states, with geolocation and geofencing reviewed so transactions stay inside the jurisdictions your license covers.
High-risk merchant account
Gambling Merchant Accounts for Licensed and Placeable US Gaming Operators
Mainstream processors decline gaming on the merchant category code alone, before checking whether the operator is licensed and placeable. Midnight Payments underwrites US-licensed real-money gaming, sweepstakes and social casino, and daily fantasy sports for the regulated models that can actually be boarded.
$0 monthly fees
1,600+ U.S. businesses served
15+ years in merchant services
$400M+ monthly processing volume
Shutdown pattern
Gambling is coded MCC 7995, and most processors decline the code.
Stripe, Square, and PayPal decline gambling categorically, and acquiring banks stay wary because card networks gate gambling transactions under MCC 7995. The risk is treated as the category itself, not your actual model, so a licensed sportsbook and a free-to-play social casino get the same blanket no. A gambling-aware review looks at your license, your geolocation controls, your age and identity verification, and your responsible-gaming posture before terms are set, instead of stopping at the merchant category code. Placement depends on the model being legal and properly licensed where the law requires it.
A gambling account that gets terminated can land the business on the MATCH or TMF list, where the gambling code makes the next placement even harder. see your MATCH or TMF options.
If the current processor is already expensive, unstable, or holding funds, start with a statement review. The useful comparison is what determines your rate against the costs you are already paying.
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Payment setup for licensed and placeable US gaming models
This page covers placeable US models only: state-licensed real-money operators, sweepstakes casino, social casino, and daily fantasy sports. A valid gaming license, where the model requires one, is a precondition for placement, not something underwriting waives. We do not board offshore or unlicensed real-money gambling.
Sweepstakes casino models are reviewed against sweepstakes-law compliance and the alternative method of entry behind the dual-currency structure, with the understanding that its legality varies by state and is actively changing.
Social casino and daily fantasy sports are underwritten for their own risk profile, with age verification, identity checks, and KYC and AML controls expected as part of the review.
Gateways
Authorize.net / NMI / USAePay / PayTrace
Related processing capabilities for this page:
Process
How approval review works.
Apply or send a statement
Start with the merchant requisition, or use a current processing statement to anchor the review.
Underwriting reviews the actual risk
Your vertical, online payment model, chargeback profile, compliance overlay, and processing history are reviewed together.
Approval terms are compared clearly
The terms are evaluated against your current setup, with $0 monthly fees, no long-term contract, and daily ACH settlement kept visible.
Gateway setup and go live
Authorize.net, NMI, USAePay, and PayTrace options cover ecommerce, subscriptions, B2B payments, and reporting needs.
Application docs
What you will need for review.
Documents vary by risk profile, but every application starts with the business basics and then adds category-specific proof.
Standard documents
- Completed merchant requisition form
- W9
- ABA/routing number, account number, and settlement name on account
- Business license
Gambling add-ons
- State gaming or gambling license for the jurisdictions you operate in (real-money models)
- Sweepstakes rules and alternative-method-of-entry documentation for sweepstakes models
- Geolocation and geofencing provider details
- Age-verification, KYC, and AML program documentation
- 3 months of prior processing statements
FAQ
Gambling merchant account FAQ.
These answers are specific to gambling. For cross-cutting approval, pricing, reserve, and gateway questions, see the full FAQ.
Do you work with offshore or unlicensed online casinos?
No. This is for US-based, placeable models only: state-licensed real-money operators, sweepstakes casino, social casino, and daily fantasy sports. We do not board offshore or unlicensed real-money gambling. If your model requires a gaming license, that license is a precondition for placement, not something underwriting can waive.
What gambling models can actually be placed?
Four: licensed real-money operators in legal states (online casino, iGaming, sportsbooks, state lotteries), sweepstakes casino using the dual-currency model with an alternative method of entry, free-to-play social casino with no real-money payout, and daily fantasy sports. Each is underwritten for its own risk and compliance profile.
Do I need a state gaming license to get approved?
For real-money models, yes. A valid license for the states you operate in is a precondition, and underwriting will review it directly. Social casino, sweepstakes casino, and daily fantasy sports follow their own legal frameworks rather than a real-money gaming license, but each still has to show it is compliant in the states it serves.
How are sweepstakes casino models handled?
Sweepstakes casinos run a dual-currency model with an alternative method of entry. Its legality varies by state and has been changing fast, with several states moving to restrict or ban the model, so underwriting reviews where you operate, your no-purchase entry path, and the geofencing that blocks states where it is not permitted. The structure has to be documented and lawful in the states you serve, not just asserted, before placement.
Why do mainstream processors decline gambling automatically?
Card networks classify gambling under merchant category code 7995 and gate those transactions, so Stripe, Square, and PayPal decline the category outright and many acquiring banks avoid it. The decline is usually about the code and the category reputation, not your individual model, which is why a gambling-aware underwriter reviews the actual business instead.
How do geolocation and age verification affect approval?
They are central. Real-money and sweepstakes models must geofence to the states where they are legal, and gaming requires age verification at the relevant threshold, usually 21 or 18 depending on the model and state. Identity checks plus KYC and AML controls are expected during the review, so document your providers and your process up front.
Are there monthly fees?
No. Midnight Payments uses a $0 monthly fee posture, with the cost handled through processing fees rather than a monthly account charge.
How fast is settlement?
Settlement is handled through daily ACH funding once the account is live.
Get reviewed
Bring a licensed or placeable US gaming model to underwriting that reviews the license and the controls, not just the category code.
Share your vertical, monthly volume, current processor status, and any recent statements. Midnight Payments will route the review toward a merchant account fit for the actual risk.