Online security is an issue for all consumers and some sectors are trusted more than others. Unfortunately the gaming industry, although heavily regulated, is one of the least trusted by consumers, as Helen Fletcher found out when she spoke with Alessandro Hatami of Paypoint.net

According to UK consumer research, 81 per cent of online gamers worry about the security risks they’re taking and almost two-thirds worry about what to do if they encounter a problem when gambling online. In particular, customers need reassurance that their personal information and bank details are safe.

Security concerns also colour customers’ view of how winnings are returned to them, with 40 per cent concerned over the security around the payment of winnings, pointing to increased expectations that winnings will be paid directly on to players’ cards.

PayPoint.net has been active in the online gaming sector since 2006 and complies with all industry security standards including PCI DSS (payment card industry and digital security standard) and 3D Secure.

During this short time the company has built up an impressive client list covering sports betting, casinos, poker, skilled games, financial spread-betting and bingo and has noticed some significant changes in the sector, as managing director Alessandro Hatami points out: "Because of the situation in the US there have been some sophisticated changes in the industry and there are around 10 companies that are doing a fantastic job at keeping the fraudsters at bay.

"But fraud management is a tricky business and hard to manage for smaller companies, the knock-on effect being that the consumer doesn’t trust them and they fall off the radar, which is bad news for the industry as innovation comes from the small guy.

"For new entrants into the online gaming market, allaying consumer fears can be a tough requirement to meet," continued Hatami. "Lacking the brand awareness of their larger competitors, start-ups face an uphill struggle demonstrating their security credentials to customers and this is where we can help."

It currently has around 5,000 customers with online gaming accounts accounting for just five per cent of its business. For Hatami, this strong presence in other areas aids the company in assessing the industry’s needs. We have a clear idea of the trends occurring when it comes to payment options and security," he said. "This is something we can then pass on to our online gaming clients, which are generally more familiar with sophisticated technology and open to ideas."

The future online gaming industry will continue to demand more sophisticated technology and new payment options for and this is something that PayPoint.net is already preparing for.

"With people worrying about the security of credit card transactions online thanks to the negative press the industry has received, companies are looking for alternative options," Hatami said.

"We have created a product that allows customers to pay by cash if they so wish. It involves the customer printing off a coupon with a unique code from the website and taking it to any PayPoint terminal, which are located in retail outlets, for the retailer to scan and the amount is credited to the person’s online gaming account instantly. This is also an effective way of keeping under 18s from gambling online as they have to provide proof of age when they present the coupon."