A positive payment experience makes 82% of global online sports-bettors stay to continue wagering with sportsbooks, according to new research released today by leading payments platform Paysafe. Beyond player retention, the latest ‘All the Ways Players Pay’ annual report underscores the critical role payments play in customer acquisition and the importance of sportsbooks offering localized cashiers with alternative payment methods (APMs) to ensure payment choice plus fast and secure transactions.

The 2025 edition of the report, which includes Latin America for the first time, reveals players in the region share North American and European bettors’ priorities when choosing a sportsbook. Globally, quick and easy payouts are the top factor in sportsbook selection, with 34% of bettors prioritizing payout speed over brand trust (33%), promotions, and odds (both 24%), user experience (18%), and sports market variety (17%). Cashing-out quickly is particularly important to bettors in Romania (prioritized by 42%), the U.S. (41%), and Argentina (37%).

Beyond payouts, global players consider other payment factors more important than everything else except brand trust. Bettors seek rapid deposits (25%) and the availability of their preferred payment methods (also 25%) when choosing a sportsbook.

Players’ desire for diverse payment preferences demonstrates the importance of operators maximizing payment options. In the regions surveyed, debit cards remain the top payment choice (42%), trending even higher in Mexico (63%) and Peru (56%) as well as in jurisdictions that ban iGaming credit card transactions like the U.S. state of Tennessee (51%) and the U.K. (48%).

Despite restrictions, credit cards are preferred by 24% of players globally and remain the top payment method in France (39%). But APMs like digital wallets are challenging cards’ popularity. Digital wallets are a top choice for 38% of global players and are even more popular in Argentina (52%) and densely populated U.S. states like New York (48%) and Florida (46%).

Interest in local payment methods (LPMs) available only in specific regions is robust in the U.S. (16%), where Venmo is popular, but trends highest in Colombia (29%) and Ecuador (24%).

Against the backdrop of a resilient cash culture, LATAM players favor eCash for iGaming, with 30% of Colombians and 25% of both Peruvians and Ecuadoreans considering it a preference, though cash’s popularity also stands strong in Spain and the U.K. (both 22%).

In addition to localizing their cashiers, operators need to focus on transactional speed. With players demanding rapid payouts, 42% of global players expect to cash-out instantly. And 34% consider fast deposits critical to their payment experience, trending highest in Colombia (45%) and Ecuador (43%).

Transaction security is even more important, with 41% of global bettors prioritizing this in their payment experience. Players in Argentina (51%), Peru (48%), and Colombia (46%), as well as Romania (44%) and Italy (43%) appear particularly sensitive to security concerns.

Players’ confidence in the security of their transactions continues to improve, with 66% more confident than a year ago, though there’s no room for operator complacency, with 8% less confident and 26% on the fence. These doubters almost certainly impact operators’ revenue, with 32% of players who’ve not wagered in 6+ months saying fraud concerns were their major blocker.

Looking ahead, players reveal a strong appetite for real-time payments, with 73% expecting this to become the norm at sportsbooks within two years. Over the same period, adoption of APMs like digital wallets and eCash will likely grow, with 60% expecting to wager more with one. Bettors in Colombia (85%) and Peru (81%) are particularly bullish on upping the ante with APMs.

“Our latest ‘All the Ways Players Pay’ research report surveys online sports bettors’ transactional preferences across an unprecedented range of regulated markets in the Americas and Europe,” said Zak Cutler, President of Global Gaming at Paysafe. “Payments are crucial for player acquisition and retention in every single market, but there can be no one-size-fits-all approach. Operators will only maximize conversions and minimize churn if they localize their cashiers and respond to player demand for an exhaustive range of payment options that balance transactional speed with security.”