Online Gaming Operators Must Embrace Proactive Collaboration to Tackle Fraud, Says Equals Money’s Ian Campbell

Ian Campbell, Director of Solutions at payment services provider Equals Money, urges online gaming operators to shift from reactive fraud responses to proactive collaboration with regulators and payment platforms to better combat the rising threat of fraud.

The Growing Challenge of Fraud in iGaming

Between 2022 and 2024, fraud in the online gaming sector surged by an average of 64% annually, with half of operators losing around 10% of their revenue last year to fraudulent activities. Sophisticated fraudsters and increasing regulatory scrutiny have placed operators under mounting pressure, yet many still rely on reactive compliance approaches that hinder innovation.

Collaboration and Integrated Onboarding: The New Approach

Campbell advocates for treating payment solutions as strategic levers, not just backend processes. By working closely with payment providers, operators can develop shared onboarding protocols that verify both operators and customers effectively, reducing fraud early and speeding up payments for genuine users.

Equals Money’s approach involves assigning unique IBANs to each underlying client, allowing precise identification and swift isolation of fraud issues without disrupting other customers’ activities — a critical advantage in the fast-paced gaming sector.

Data Sharing and Real-Time Monitoring: Keys to Success

Campbell stresses the need for a shared industry ecosystem to exchange fraud indicators, enabling firms to detect and halt fraudulent behavior faster through collective intelligence.

Real-time transaction monitoring is crucial for spotting suspicious activities immediately. Although specific compliance rules cannot be shared publicly, Equals Money collaborates with clients to identify red flags and patterns, empowering both parties to respond swiftly without compromising the instant payments players expect.