Aron Schwarzkopf, CEO and Co-Founder of Kushki, elaborates on Kushki's role in simplifying operations, enhancing user experience, and driving sustainable growth in LATAM’s gaming and gambling industry.
Kushki is playing a pivotal role in the growth and profit optimisation of the vibrant gaming and gambling industry in LATAM. With the unprecedented rise of digital games and online betting, the evolution of payment systems has become an essential pillar for capitalising on this expansion.
The boom of gaming and gambling in Latin America
The gaming industry in Latin America is experiencing exponential growth. The gamer community in the region is estimated to exceed 300 million people by 2026, with Mexico and Brazil generating over USD 4 billion annually. The iGaming sector in the region could reach USD 13.48 billion in revenue by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.4%. Countries like Brazil and Colombia, with their evolving regulatory frameworks, are solidifying their position as nerve centres for online gaming activity. This growth is driven by increasing internet penetration, the widespread use of mobile devices (70% of adults in the region play on their devices), and young people's preference for digital games as their primary form of entertainment.
Kushki PayOuts: driving profitability through payment disbursement
Kushki positions itself as a strategic ally for gaming and gambling companies through its innovative PayOuts product. This solution enables secure, simple, and automated payment disbursement, ensuring immediate fund availability for users, employees, suppliers, and partners. As a regional player with local operations, Kushki maintains direct connections with various local banks in each country, allowing licenced betting companies to operate faster and more smoothly.
Key features of Kushki PayOuts include:
- Agile and secure integration: automated money disbursements via API from the Kushki balance, facilitating efficient management;
- Instant payments: beneficiaries receive funds instantly in their bank accounts or directly on their debit and credit cards, which is fundamental for player loyalty in the gambling sector;
- Tailored to the business: Kushki PayOuts is specifically designed to meet the needs of the gambling sector, allowing users to withdraw their winnings seamlessly;
- Visibility and support: the Kushki Console offers full visibility of balance and transaction status, backed by a specialised support team.
Kushki's competitive advantage: direct PayOuts via Visa Direct and Mastercard Send
A crucial differentiating element for Kushki in the Latin American market is its ability to offer direct PayOuts to Visa and Mastercard cards. As a regional acquirer, Kushki maintains a direct relationship with these global franchises. This not only allows for more efficient chargeback management but also improves acceptance rates and provides an unparalleled outbound payment solution. Thanks to our non-bank acquiring and deep local expertise, we achieve an optimal acceptance rate, crucial for maximising transactions in the industry. This functionality is highly relevant, as Visa and Mastercard are the cards with the highest penetration and customer base in the market, and Kushki is the only player in Latin America to offer this direct capability with both franchises.
World-class security and certifications
Trust is a fundamental pillar in the gambling industry. Kushki is deeply committed to security, holding the highest certifications in the payment ecosystem. This includes PCI DSS Level 1 Certification, the highest standard for payment card data protection, ensuring that all transactions are processed, transmitted, and stored under the strictest security protocols. Furthermore, Kushki implements over 200 security rules for 100% of transactions and has robust anti-fraud and tokenization tools, utilising machine learning to recognise risk patterns and alert in real time.
With its focus on innovation, security, and a deep understanding of the Latin American market's needs, Kushki continues to solidify its position as the indispensable strategic partner for the gaming and gambling industry in the region.
At Kushki, we understand that payment agility and security are as important as the thrill of the game. Our PayOuts solution, especially with the direct disbursement capability to Visa and Mastercard, not only simplifies operations for gaming and gambling companies but also elevates the end-user experience, driving sustainable growth and loyalty in such a competitive market.
About the author
Aron Schwarzkopf, CEO and co-founder of Kushki, is an Ecuadorian-American serial entrepreneur. In his various roles within the fintech space, he has focused primarily on developing the new generation of money, mobile operating systems for commerce, mobile point-of-sale applications, and consumable APIs for an enterprise toolset. Aron Schwarzkopf is an active Angel Investor and a Mentor to Techstars and New York Angels entrepreneurs, occupying several advisory and board seats in startups. He was raised in Quito, Ecuador, but now resides with his wife and daughters in Miami, Florida. He attended Singularity University, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Babson College.
About Kushki
Kushki, the world-class payment platform that connects Latin America through payments, helps businesses reduce the cost and complexity of payments online while improving acceptance rates and reducing fraud. With less than a decade of existence, Kushki has been classified within the Unicorn category by achieving a valuation of USD 1,5 billion. Kushki operates locally in five countries and leverages local teams to deliver customised solutions for clients in each country.
