Connecting payment systems through the platform
Introduction
Integration of payment systems is a critical part of any online casino platform. The trust of players, compliance with the law and the financial stability of the operator depend on the correct operation of deposits and withdrawals of funds. Below are all the key aspects of connecting and operating payment gateways, aggregators and e-wallet services.
1. Overview of payment provider types
1. Acquirers: direct connection to Visa/Mastercard acquiring via ISO 8583 or REST API.
2. Aggregators (PSP): one API for many payment methods (cards, e-wallet, mobile payments).
3. Cryptocurrency gateways: reception and conversion of BTC, ETH and stablecoins, integration via WebSocket and REST.
4. SMS/USSD payments and mobile commerce operators: using the SMPP protocol or operator APIs.
2. Provider selection criteria
Jurisdiction and licensing: authorization for gambling operations in target countries.
Commission model: fixed rates, percentage of transaction, monthly fees.
Reliability and SLA: uptime ≥ 99.9%, maximum authorization delay ≤ 2 s.
Supported methods: cards, local methods, e-wallet, P2P payments.
Analytics and reporting tools: ready-made reports on chargeback, ROI, RFM analysis.
3. Architectural integration diagram
```mermaid
flowchart LR
4. Integration steps
1. Preparation and approval
Entering into an agreement with the provider and obtaining test and production credentials (API keys, certificates).
API Specification Study: Endpoints for payment initiation, status check, cancellation, refund.
2. Set up a test environment
Sandbox mode configuration in platform configuration files.
Generation of test cards, e-wallet accounts and simulations of successful/unsuccessful transactions.
3. Implementing and validating API calls
Initiating payment: POST '/payments/init 'with parameters' {amount, currency, customerId, returnUrl} '.
Player forwarding: go to the provider's page (3-D Secure, mobile application).
Kolback receiver: endpoint '/payments/callback 'for processing webhook status notifications (' approved ',' declined ',' pending ').
4. Testing scenarios
Successful payment, refusal, user cancellation, chargeback, refund.
Tests for atypical states: timeout, incorrect data, multiple collars (idempotency).
5. Transaction Flow Description
1. The player clicks "Deposit" → Frontend collects the amount and user ID.
2. Backend generates a payment record with the status' initiated'and a unique' paymentId '.
3. Backend sends a request to the provider, including an HMAC signature and nonce to protect against repeated attacks.
4. The player is authenticated (3DS, SMS), the provider confirms or rejects the payment.
5. The provider sends a webhook with the final status to '/payments/callback '.
6. Backend updates the status of the transaction in the database ('approved', 'declined', 'refunded') and adjusts the player's balance.
7. Frontend receives an update via WebSocket or periodic polling and displays the result.
6. Security
TLS 1. 3 on all exchanges; verifying the certificate chain.
HMAC signatures of requests and checking them at the provider side.
Nonce and timestamp to prevent replay attacks.
Idempotency keys to securely resend requests without duplicating transactions.
7. Compliance
KYC/AML procedures: before the first conclusion, the player must pass an identity check; integration with ID providers via APIs.
PSD2 and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) - Two-factor authentication is required for card payments in the EU.
Chargeback Management: an automatic system for filing disputes through provider API methods and legal support.
8. Monitoring and reporting
Metrics (Prometheus/Grafana):
Integration of payment systems is a critical part of any online casino platform. The trust of players, compliance with the law and the financial stability of the operator depend on the correct operation of deposits and withdrawals of funds. Below are all the key aspects of connecting and operating payment gateways, aggregators and e-wallet services.
1. Overview of payment provider types
1. Acquirers: direct connection to Visa/Mastercard acquiring via ISO 8583 or REST API.
2. Aggregators (PSP): one API for many payment methods (cards, e-wallet, mobile payments).
3. Cryptocurrency gateways: reception and conversion of BTC, ETH and stablecoins, integration via WebSocket and REST.
4. SMS/USSD payments and mobile commerce operators: using the SMPP protocol or operator APIs.
2. Provider selection criteria
Jurisdiction and licensing: authorization for gambling operations in target countries.
Commission model: fixed rates, percentage of transaction, monthly fees.
Reliability and SLA: uptime ≥ 99.9%, maximum authorization delay ≤ 2 s.
Supported methods: cards, local methods, e-wallet, P2P payments.
Analytics and reporting tools: ready-made reports on chargeback, ROI, RFM analysis.
3. Architectural integration diagram
```mermaid
flowchart LR
| Client [Player (browser/mobile app)] --> | Deposit request | Frontend |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend --> | POST /api/payments/init | Backend |
| Backend --> | REST API | PaymentGateway |
| PaymentGateway --> | Redirect / 3DS | Client |
| PaymentGateway --> | Webhook / Callback | Backend |
| Backend --> | Transaction Record | TransactionService [(Transaction DB)] |
| TransactionService --> | Confirmation | Frontend |
| TransactionService --> | Reports | BISystem |
| ``` |
4. Integration steps
1. Preparation and approval
Entering into an agreement with the provider and obtaining test and production credentials (API keys, certificates).
API Specification Study: Endpoints for payment initiation, status check, cancellation, refund.
2. Set up a test environment
Sandbox mode configuration in platform configuration files.
Generation of test cards, e-wallet accounts and simulations of successful/unsuccessful transactions.
3. Implementing and validating API calls
Initiating payment: POST '/payments/init 'with parameters' {amount, currency, customerId, returnUrl} '.
Player forwarding: go to the provider's page (3-D Secure, mobile application).
Kolback receiver: endpoint '/payments/callback 'for processing webhook status notifications (' approved ',' declined ',' pending ').
4. Testing scenarios
Successful payment, refusal, user cancellation, chargeback, refund.
Tests for atypical states: timeout, incorrect data, multiple collars (idempotency).
5. Transaction Flow Description
1. The player clicks "Deposit" → Frontend collects the amount and user ID.
2. Backend generates a payment record with the status' initiated'and a unique' paymentId '.
3. Backend sends a request to the provider, including an HMAC signature and nonce to protect against repeated attacks.
4. The player is authenticated (3DS, SMS), the provider confirms or rejects the payment.
5. The provider sends a webhook with the final status to '/payments/callback '.
6. Backend updates the status of the transaction in the database ('approved', 'declined', 'refunded') and adjusts the player's balance.
7. Frontend receives an update via WebSocket or periodic polling and displays the result.
6. Security
TLS 1. 3 on all exchanges; verifying the certificate chain.
HMAC signatures of requests and checking them at the provider side.
Nonce and timestamp to prevent replay attacks.
Idempotency keys to securely resend requests without duplicating transactions.
7. Compliance
KYC/AML procedures: before the first conclusion, the player must pass an identity check; integration with ID providers via APIs.
PSD2 and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) - Two-factor authentication is required for card payments in the EU.
Chargeback Management: an automatic system for filing disputes through provider API methods and legal support.
8. Monitoring and reporting
Metrics (Prometheus/Grafana):
- number of'initiated '→ 'approved' transactions;
- p95-latency API requests to the gateway;
- 4xx/5xx error rate. Logs (ELK stack):
- detailed trace request/response, webhook payload;
- detection of anomalies (repeated declined, suspicious IP traffic).
- BI reports: daily export of GGR, returns, chargeback ratio, ARPU.
9. Fault management and fault tolerance
Retry mechanisms with increasing latency with unreliable connections.
Circuit breaker (Hystrix/Kong) to automatically pause calls to the problem provider.
Failover scenarios: changing the payment route to a backup gateway or an alternative aggregator.
10. Reconciliation and Reconciliation
1. The automatic batch process compares records in the platform database and data from the provider by time, amount and status.
2. Discrepancy reports: discrepancies> 0.01% are automatically allocated to tickets for admininidrators.
3. Corrective actions: manual or scripted re-process transactions through the provider API.
11. Support for new payment methods
Feature toggle: enables/disables the method without deploy.
Plugin architecture: each new method is designed as a separate module with a single 'IPaymentProvider' interface.
Test mode: automatic passage through the provider's Sandbox before release to production.
Conclusion
Competent integration of payment systems through the online casino platform requires the construction of a reliable API layer, strict authentication, channel security, monitoring and automatic error processing. Subject to the stages, patterns and best practices described above, the platform acquires a stable, scalable and regulated system for receiving and withdrawing funds, eliminating financial and operational risks.
