With offices based in Guernsey and the UK, the Virgin Games portfolio currently consists of online casino, online bingo and online poker games, as well as a brand new mobile casino.

Rapid eCommerce market growth both in the UK and outside with new overseas jurisdiction opportunities meant that, when Virgin Games took the decision to build its own platform, it needed a payments solution which not only supported the needs of its existing customers but one which was flexible and adaptable enough to support the evolution and future growth of the business.

Business challenge

 As a result of bringing all software solutions in house - to ensure full ownership of the customer experience- and support the development of the organisation’s international expansion strategy, Virgin Games required a direct integration into a payment service provider. Ideally, they were looking for a provider with an excellent reputation for resilience, an ability not just to integrate into their acquiring bank but also offer a fully outsourced solution that enabled players both domestic and in new international target jurisdictions to gamble online conveniently and securely, without disruption or delay.

The chosen payments provider needed to offer: 

• A high peak performance, scalable and resilient solution for mass volume transactions, particularly during peak trade times. 
• Single integration to process multiple payment types consistently on-line, with the ability to add additional options as the business expands internationally.
• Secure payment checkout process for players via 3-D Secure verification scheme.
• Consolidated user driven reporting and reconciliation interface.
• Excellent technical support and knowledge at all stages of, and post project.
• Tier 1 systems availability and performance SLAs.
• Additional support and expertise on international and alternative payment solutions within potential jurisdiction markets.. 

Solution

Having considered a number of possible options, their solution was DataCash. The decision was based upon reputation and expertise within the gaming sector and an extensive offering of alternative payment methods. DataCash was able to provide Virgin Games with an eCommerce solution which not only supported bank card processing via 3-D Secure, but also supported e-wallets, Neteller, PayPal, Moneybookers and the emergent payment options such as UKash - all through the one integration. 

Benefits of the DataCash Solution

As a result of implementing the DataCash payment solution, Virgin Games have been able to: 

• Provide all players with a secure service that adheres to new card and industry schemes such as 3-D Secure and Payment Card Industry Security Standards (PCI DSS) compliance.  
• Offers players a reliable, scalable and resilient service notwithstanding extremely high transaction volumes. For example, on the day of the Grand National, DataCash processed 2.4 million transactions for all gaming Merchants, hitting a peak rate of 4,990 per minute (2012). 
• Accept international bank cards and preferred local payment options for players from cross border jurisdiction openings, increasing Virgin Games market penetration and conversion rates.   
• Reconcile with ease, via the DataCash reporting tool, providing them access to live transaction data, which is available and exportable on a brand and group level. This offers Virgin Games critical business and trend monitoring capabilities, to optimise their online operations.  

Christina Thakor-Rankin, Virgin Games Head of Operations said:

"The DataCash Payment Solution has been an impressive tool that has allowed our business to successfully enter new markets, provide full control over reconciliation and increase online conversion rates by facilitating the speedy transfer of funds not just from, but more importantly back, to our customers. 

DataCash were selected due to their gaming industry experience and their ability to understand and support our current and future eCommerce objectives, in addition to offering what we felt was a solid payments solution. 

During all phases of the project, DataCash worked closely with our team providing full support at all levels, resulting in a seamless integration to a robust and scalable system. Just as important is their continued support of us as our business evolves.

In a collaborative partnership, DataCash continue to provide expert advice, analysis and assistance, including new tools and payment methods – all of which play a part in assisting us to meet our on-going ambitions both within the UK and overseas.”