Depending on the type of business (gaming, competitions, skilled etc) depends on whether we can offer you an account. In general, skill games do not require a licence, while chance games (gambling) do. Unfortunately we can not help unlicenced gambling & betting businesses.

If you are uncertain of the licensing requirement, and you are based in the UK, then you may want to contact the Gambling Commission for advice. Even though we will accept their determination we will need proof from them such as a copy of the confirmation letter.

Please click on one of the options below:

• Do you have a skilled based business?
• Betting or tipping service(s)
• Considering giving away a house as a prize in a competition?
• Information on unique bidding / reverse auctions

Please note that we do not allow skill games to sell to the US or Canada.

Due to an applicants status and/or business model and following a full risk assessment of an application, we are unfortunately sometimes required to increase two specific elements: the settlement period and the rolling reserve, in order to increase the merchant's chance of obtaining a merchant facility with one of our sponsor banks. Indeed a longer settlement period and a larger rolling reserve are more likely to reassure our processing bank that we have taken sufficient steps to mitigate the risk exposure on an account.

Note on unique bidding / reverse auctions

Even though there is some debate whether or not lowest unique bidding is skill or guess work, our strict policy is that this type of business is classed as gambling (chance) rather than competition (skill). THAT SAID, if the gambling commission does not view your business as gambling but competition, then we may be able to help. If the gambling commission does state that it is gambling, then a licence would be needed for us to help.

Skilled based businesses

Do you need to spot the ball or answer a number of questions* to possibly win? If so then we may be able to help by offering you the Optimal Account.

To consider your application, YOU MUST COMPLY with the following conditions.

1. You must inform us of what the prize(s) are and must also prove that they have either ownership of said prize(s) or have sufficient funds at time off application to allow you to purchase said prizes.
2. Details of the Auditors who will oversee and verify the legitimacy of the prize draw.
3. Please note that 100% remittances of transactions to you will only occur after the prize has been awarded and has been verified and confirmed in writing by the Auditors.
   
   Please also note:
   
   
4. Depending on the business classification established by Visa & MasterCard, our Processing Bank may require that you register as a High Risk Merchant (gaming/gambling/adult material) at the cost of $1500 annually.
5. Provision of the Bank AML (Anti Money Laundering) document completed, signed and stamped by a Solicitor - this will be supplied to you in the application (annex B)

Want to know more? For much more information on the Optimal Account please use the following links; We have designed the application process to be as simple as possible. with 95% of all applications being accepted.

With our accounts we provide as standard: Address Verification (AVS) Card Verification Customer Relations Management (CRM) Acquisition & Settlement Currencies Deferred Processing (pre-auth) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Internet Merchant Account Mail Order/Telephone Order Real-time transactions Repeat Billing Security Code Verification User Authentication Verified by Visa

* Over recent months the banks we use have been getting strict on the types of questions you can ask. Before you could ask a simple question such as 'what's white and falls out of the sky in winter?'. However you now need to ask a question which 50% of people could get wrong. For example 'What precipitation falls from clouds in the form of ice crystals?' - 50% may say snow while 50% may say hailstones - snow being the right answer!