The UK’s game of skill, competition and raffle sector is undergoing rapid transformation. While data on the sector is limited, UK Government analysis indicates that 14% of UK adults collectively spend a total of £1.3 billion per year. For comparison, 44% of adults spend an estimated £8.2 billion annually on the National Lottery.
The same report shows an upward market trajectory with 60% of operators anticipating an increase in ticket sales over the next three years, while only 5% expect a decline. When it comes to the players themselves, 22% have increased their spending in the past year, outpacing the 17% who have reduced theirs.
Against this backdrop of sustained engagement, fair access to effective payment solutions is essential to support competition among merchants.
The Payments Layer of Trust and Scale
As operators mature, they must balance commercial growth with strong operational integrity. Unlike purely entertainment-driven apps, these platforms are rooted in real-money participation, whether through entry fees, prize payouts, or both. This heightens expectations for merchants and consumers around security, compliance, and player protection.
Payments infrastructure therefore becomes a fundamental line of defence. Tools such as Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and two-factor authentication (2FA) provide robust safeguards against fraud, account compromise, and unauthorised transactions, reinforcing trust with both consumers and regulators.
Enhanced checkout features also play a significant role. Pre-populated payment details and secure card-on-file capabilities streamline repeat purchases, reducing manual errors and checkout abandonment. Click to Pay and network tokenisation support secure one-click transactions, improving conversion performance while ensuring PCI compliance.
Real-time fraud analytics, velocity checks, and dynamic transaction routing help maintain strong approval rates and minimise friction, ensuring legitimate users enjoy a smooth and reliable payment experience.
From Back-Office Burden to Brand Advantage
Payments were once viewed purely as a back-end process, a necessary function behind the scenes. Today, they are a frontline driver of user experience and commercial differentiation. Deposits and withdrawals bookend the player journey, so speed, transparency, and seamless execution boost satisfaction, reduce churn, and can become pivotal to brand advocacy.
In a high-volume environment where microtransactions dominate, even brief delays or failed payments can quickly damage trust. Conversely, efficient transactions turn reliable payments into a competitive advantage – one that encourages repeat play and referrals.
Powering the Platform Economy of the Future
The broader creator and competition economy is still in its infancy, with new formats emerging at pace but what unites them is a reliance on secure, scalable, and accessible payment systems. What those that succeed will have in common is whether those payment systems can support growth while maintaining compliance and safeguarding trust. As investment continues to flow into the sector, the platforms that thrive will be those that view payments not just as operational plumbing but as a strategic asset.
Paul Clarke, Chief Growth Officer at Cashflows, has a wealth of experience successfully leading product, business strategy, and innovation functions in the payments, eCommerce, and digital sectors. He was previously Executive Vice President for Product and Innovation at international payments solutions provider: Network International. Prior to this, Paul held leadership positions at key payment organisations, such as Barclaycard, Elavon, and Worldpay. Having joined Cashflows in 2021, Paul is responsible for leading the product proposition, strategy, go to market and delivery functions of the business.
About Cashflows
Cashflows is a new breed of FinTech payments company that makes it easy for small corporates and SMEs to accept card and digital payments – online, in store and on the move.
Through its own acquiring platform and gateway, Cashflows provides a safe, secure ecosystem for processing payments right across Europe. Cashflows products and services are built with the latest technology and the future in mind, always to meet the specific needs of partners and customers.
Learn more at www.cashflows.com
- Digital Payments
- Neobanking