Commencer
At SBC Summit Canada 2026, Paramount Commerce’s VP of Product Management, Sam Kawsarani, joined industry leaders on the panel Payments That Perform: What Actually Moves the Needle in Canadian iGaming. The panel offered a clear look at what separates high-performing payment strategies from the rest in Canada’s competitive and regulated iGaming market.
“The future winners in iGaming payments won’t necessarily process transactions the fastest; instead, they will build the highest level of player confidence with the least amount of friction,” said Sam Kawsarani, VP of Product Management at Paramount Commerce.
In Canadian iGaming payments, trust outweighs choice. While many operators continue to expand their list of payment methods, the panel emphasized that more options do not necessarily improve conversion rates. Interac e-Transfer® remains the dominant force in Ontario, setting the benchmark for familiarity and reliability. Players consistently gravitate toward payment methods they recognize and trust, which makes optimization of core rails far more impactful than adding new ones.
Speed is critical in iGaming payments, but it extends beyond transaction settlement. The full payment experience, from page load times to backend processing, directly impacts conversion. Even minor delays can lead to measurable drop-offs in deposits. The insight here is clear: fast, seamless experiences build user confidence. In practice, speed becomes a trust signal, reinforcing the reliability players expect when moving money online.
If deposits drive acquisition, withdrawals drive retention. The panel highlighted that withdrawal friction is often tied to identity verification and compliance processes rather than the payment method itself. Players expect quick access to their funds without any disruption. Leading operators are addressing this by implementing flexible verification methods and running fraud and AML checks in parallel, which ensures compliance without compromising the user experience.
Modern fraud prevention in iGaming is shifting from transaction-level checks to full journey-based intelligence. By analyzing signals across the player lifecycle, such as device data, behaviour patterns, and account activity, operators can make more accurate decisions. This approach not only improves fraud detection but also increases approval rates for legitimate transactions. Payment providers can further strengthen these insights by identifying trends and suspicious behaviour across a broader network of merchants, helping operators detect emerging fraud patterns earlier and make more informed risk decisions.
One of the strongest themes from the discussion was that payments are a core driver of business performance. Every payment decision requires balancing four priorities: reliability, trust, risk management, and conversion. Operators that treat payments as a strategic capability by investing in infrastructure, data, and user experience are better positioned to reduce costs, protect margins, and improve player retention.
With the continued evolution of Canadian payment systems, including the future introduction of Real-Time Rail, the competitive advantage will belong to operators who can deliver fast, reliable, and trusted payment experiences at scale.
A major shout-out to all of the expert speakers:
One of the highlights from SBC Summit Canada was our live demo of in-game QR code top-ups. The experience enables players to scan, authenticate, and complete deposits instantly using Interac: Watch the demo
Also, if your business is looking to enable real-time payments, get in touch with our team to learn more: Talk to us
Fintech trends and insights,
explained in 5 minutes or less
Fintech trends and insights,
explained in 5 minutes or less
