As Responsible Gaming, AML and regulatory compliance climb ever higher on the agenda for gaming operators, the payments function has become a central player in shaping the future of gaming.
At La Française des Jeux (FDJ), that shift is well underway. The operator has built an internal culture where collaboration between payments, AML and player protection teams is seen not just as a necessity, but a route to competitive advantage.
Payment Expert spoke with Theresia Mallia, Head of Payments at FDJ, to explore how the operator is balancing frictionless payments with compliance, approaching affordability issues and driving industry-wide cooperation.
Payment Expert: Payments play a crucial role in responsible gaming. How can operators leverage payment data to identify and support at-risk players?
Theresia Mallia: Responsible Gaming is at the heart of what we do. We strive to be a trusted source of entertainment, and this commitment is embedded in every aspect of our work, including payments and Responsible Gaming. We achieve this by:
- Monitoring transaction data to detect risky payment behaviours. This helps us identify clear signs of harm, which are closely tracked by our Responsible Gaming teams.
- Collaborations and knowledge sharing with key stakeholders, including other departments, payment providers, regulators, and industry partners. We educate payment service providers on the importance of data sharing and investing in advanced technology.
- Exploring financial risk and affordability tools as these factors become increasingly important in the markets we operate in.
Our goal is to ensure a safe and responsible gaming environment for our clients.
PE: With AML regulations tightening across gaming markets, is maintaining compliance without disrupting the player experience a growing challenge for operators?
TM: Maintaining compliance without disrupting the player experience is a growing challenge. But it is also an opportunity for innovation and improvement. We address this by:
- Keeping an open mind to new technology in payments and collaborating with our AML team to improve and refine our internal processes.
- Prioritising a customer-centric approach to ensure compliance measures do not disrupt the gaming experience. This is particularly relevant to us in payments as we continuously invest in ways we can leverage payments technology to be both compliant and have a best-in-class experience for our clients
- Collaborating with regulators to keep them informed about our efforts and the latest technical advancements, and the obvious gap that exists between what is technically possible and what is being requested.
We see AML compliance with payments innovation not just as a necessity, but as a way to get a USP and an edge on our competition in our industry.
PE: What’s the ideal balance between frictionless payments and robust player protection? How can operators and payment providers collaborate to achieve this?
TM: Collaboration and innovation are the key ingredients for frictionless payments and robust player protection.
The ideal balance lies in ensuring seamless payment experiences while maintaining strong safeguards against fraud and compliance risks. Operators and payment providers can achieve this by leveraging advanced technologies like fraud detection and real-time risk assessments, alongside robust KYC processes.
Internal collaboration is key, there needs to be a common understanding that the gaming customer experience for players is both secure and frictionless and a willingness to explore innovative concepts.
Collaboration with external stakeholders is also important. We work closely with payment providers to design solutions that prioritise player trust and satisfaction without compromising security.
PE: What innovations in payments, such as real-time monitoring, Open Banking, or AI-driven fraud detection, are making the biggest impact on responsible gaming efforts?
TM: Currently, innovations such as real-time monitoring, Open Banking, and advanced fraud detection tools are having the most significant impact.
However, a major challenge in our industry is addressing financial risk and affordability without negatively impacting the player experience, something that Open Banking alone does not fully solve. The operators that successfully navigate this challenge will be the ones that thrive, especially in markets where these measures are now strictly mandated.
As for the technology that will ultimately solve this issue, it remains unclear. Open Banking provides a partial solution, AI may enhance it further in the coming months and years, but I believe there is still room for fintech companies to develop a more complete and effective solution tailored to our market needs and unique industry requirements.
PE: Are regulators expecting more from payment teams when it comes to AML and player safety? How can operators stay ahead of evolving requirements?
TM: Our industry is tightly regulated, and for this reason, we in payments need to work closer than ever with player safety, AML and RG teams.
To stay ahead of all the evolving requirements, operators must adopt a proactive approach. One that invests in cutting-edge technologies, encourages collaboration with regulators, and embeds a compliant, player protection mentality into their organisational culture.
PE: FDJ has achieved industry-leading retention and fraud prevention rates. What best practices would you recommend to other operators looking to improve in these areas?
TM: Our success in retention and fraud prevention is built on strong compliance frameworks, proactive risk management, and innovative use of technology. But above all, it relies on collaboration.
In payments, we work closely and communicate frequently with our colleagues in other departments. This ongoing cooperation allows us to stay vigilant, not only in monitoring standard payment options, but also in identifying those that could impact fraud rates.
PE: What are you most looking forward to discussing at SBC Summit Malta, and how important are industry events in shaping best practices for payments in gaming?
TM: What I am mostly looking forward to is meeting other people who would like to discuss ways through payments that could bring a competitive advantage or solve our industry challenges.
I am also looking forward to discussing advancements in payments technology and their role in enhancing both player experience and regulatory compliance.
Industry events like SBC Summit Malta are crucial for shaping best practices, they bring together diverse stakeholders to share insights, explore emerging trends, and collaborate on solutions to key challenges.
Secure your spot at SBC Summit Malta with our discounted ‘Group Pass’. For groups of three or more, you can gain access to three days of networking, exhibition, and conference content for the price of €400 (a discount of €200 off a standard ticket)
Additionally, you can purchase our ‘Expo+ Pass’ for €150. This pass grants you access to the conference and exhibition only.
Operators and affiliates can apply for complimentary passes.
