The policy restricts or prohibits gambling-related businesses including online and offline gambling operators, gambling software providers, lottery and raffle operators, fantasy sports platforms with cash prizes, and sweepstakes from using Stripe without prior written approval or at all depending on the specific activity.
This analysis describes what Stripe's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
This provision directly affects the growing online gambling, gaming, and fantasy sports sectors, requiring operators to obtain pre-clearance from Stripe before processing payments; the inclusion of fantasy sports with cash prizes and sweepstakes is operationally significant for businesses that may not self-identify as gambling operators.
Interpretive note: The boundary between prohibited and restricted gambling categories is not precisely defined in the available document text, and the treatment of skill-based gaming and promotional sweepstakes may depend on Stripe's internal classification criteria not disclosed in this document.
Under this provision, businesses operating gambling, lottery, fantasy sports with cash prizes, or sweepstakes products must obtain Stripe's prior written approval before using payment processing services, or may be prohibited entirely depending on the specific activity and jurisdiction.
How other platforms handle this
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Activities involving gambling, gaming and/or any other activity with an entry fee and a prize, including, but not limited to property/real estate prizes, casino games, sports betting, horse or greyhound racing, fantasy sports, lottery tickets, other ventures that facilitate gambling, games of skill ...
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"Gambling activities including but not limited to online and offline gambling, gambling software, lotteries, raffles, fantasy sports with cash prizes, sweepstakes, and games of chance are listed among the restricted or prohibited categories requiring evaluation before using Stripe's services.— Excerpt from Stripe's Stripe Restricted Businesses List
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: Gambling businesses engage the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the US, state gambling licensing laws, and the UK Gambling Commission regulations. Fantasy sports and sweepstakes occupy an ambiguous regulatory space in several US states with active legislative activity. The FTC has jurisdiction over deceptive practices in contest and sweepstakes marketing. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The inclusion of fantasy sports with cash prizes and sweepstakes in restricted categories creates exposure for businesses that characterize their products as skill-based or promotional rather than gambling; Stripe's category determination controls regardless of the operator's self-characterization. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: Gambling regulation varies dramatically by US state, with some states prohibiting online gambling entirely and others having licensed markets. EU member states operate under divergent national gambling licensing regimes. UK-based gambling businesses face Gambling Commission licensing requirements that interact with Stripe's approval process. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Technology vendors and payment facilitators servicing gambling operators should assess whether their own service delivery falls within Stripe's restricted category scope. Businesses that aggregate merchants in the gaming space should include gambling category screening in their vendor management process. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Gambling operators seeking Stripe approval should document their licensing status in each operating jurisdiction and be prepared to provide this evidence as part of the approval process. Businesses should monitor country-specific versions of this policy for jurisdiction-specific category treatments.
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This provision directly affects the growing online gambling, gaming, and fantasy sports sectors, requiring operators to obtain pre-clearance from Stripe before processing payments; the inclusion of fantasy sports with cash prizes and sweepstakes is operationally significant for businesses that may not self-identify as gambling operators.
Under this provision, businesses operating gambling, lottery, fantasy sports with cash prizes, or sweepstakes products must obtain Stripe's prior written approval before using payment processing services, or may be prohibited entirely depending on the specific activity and jurisdiction.
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