Solutions Social & Sweepstakes
Industry 03 · Social casino & sweepstakesSocial casino payments.
Acquiring banks that understand the sweepstakes legal model — dual-currency (gold coins + sweeps coins), AMOE compliance, state geo-blocking, correct MCC structuring and chargeback defense for social casino operators that mainstream processors decline.
Volume processed
Years of expertise
Acquiring banks
Countries supported
Why social gaming is different
Legal isn't the same as bankable.
Sweepstakes can be federally legal and still rejected — acquiring banks apply their own risk policies, and a single miscategorization can end processing.
The "no consideration" legal test
Remove payment-to-enter (consideration) and sweepstakes are federally legal — hence AMOE. But acquiring banks apply risk policies independently of federal law: mainstream processors reject social casino under their AUPs regardless of compliance. Legal and "within our risk appetite" are different questions.
Legal ≠ acceptedMCC 7995 misclassification
MCC 7995 is the code for real-money gambling. Social casino and sweepstakes operators should not use it, but are sometimes miscategorized under it — triggering automatic rejection from card-network gambling programs. Correct MCC assignment is a specific, technical setup step.
Wrong code = auto-declineState-by-state prohibition & variance
Some states broadly restrict sweepstakes, and attorney-general opinions evolve over time. Operators must geo-block restricted states, enforce age requirements (18+ vs 21+ by state) and implement AMOE to remain legal in permitted jurisdictions.
Geo-block + age rulesThe "I thought it was free" chargeback
Players dispute charges claiming the game was free, that virtual currency has no cash value, or that a child made the purchase. This is preventable with clear pre-purchase disclosures and documented consent built into checkout — without them, dispute rates run materially higher.
Disclosure prevents disputesHow MIDs solves it
Built for the sweepstakes model.
Acquirers that know the dual-currency model, correct MCC structuring and social-gaming chargeback defense. See chargeback protection
Sweepstakes-experienced acquirers
Acquiring banks whose underwriting teams understand the gold-coin/sweeps-coin model, AMOE requirements and state geo-blocking — and that know "social casino" is not the same category as "online gambling," pricing and underwriting it accordingly.
Sweepstakes-category acquiring banksCorrect MCC & descriptor architecture
We structure accounts with the appropriate MCC for the actual product — virtual goods or digital entertainment — rather than defaulting to 7995, and set descriptors that reflect the real purchase ("virtual currency purchase") instead of triggering gambling keywords.
MCC structuring · descriptor designDual-currency flow support
The model needs specific architecture: card payment for gold-coin purchases, a free AMOE distribution path for sweeps coins, and a separate ACH or alternative payout flow for prize redemption. We place operators with banks comfortable across all three.
Purchase · AMOE · ACH prize payoutSocial gaming chargeback defense
"I thought it was free" disputes need disclosure evidence — purchase-confirmation screenshots, consent timestamps and device records. Pre-dispute alerts via integrated partners catch disputes before formal filing, enabling refunds that don't count toward thresholds.
Disclosure evidence · pre-dispute alertsTwo currencies, two flows.
The sweepstakes model creates two distinct payment flows: a purchase flow (card payment for gold-coin packages) and a prize-redemption flow (ACH or alternative payout for sweeps-coin redemptions). They need separate merchant-account architectures — and AMOE keeps the purchase flow free of "consideration."
- Card processing for gold-coin packages (virtual currency)
- Free AMOE path — sweeps coins without purchase
- ACH or alternative payout for prize redemption
- Descriptor: "virtual currency" — never "casino" or "wager"
The payment architecture
A social casino terminated for "gambling" was re-placed in weeks — correctly categorized.
The client
A US-facing social casino on the gold-coin/sweeps-coin model with a gaming-attorney opinion confirming federal legality — millions of players, free AMOE entry, prize redemption via ACH.
The problem
A mainstream processor terminated the account under its gambling AUP, and the operator had been miscategorized under MCC 7995 — landing on MATCH despite a valid legal opinion. New processing was hard to obtain.
The approach
We reviewed the AMOE documentation and legal opinion, re-placed the operator with sweepstakes-experienced acquirers under the correct digital-goods MCC, set neutral descriptors, added state geo-blocking and integrated pre-dispute alerts.
The result
Correctly categorized and documented, the operator regained stable card processing with two redundant acquirers, brought disclosure-driven disputes down, and now runs purchase and prize-redemption flows on the right architecture.
Terminated for "gambling"? We know how it happens.
Social casino and sweepstakes operators frequently land on MATCH/TMF after mainstream processors apply gambling category prohibitions to legal sweepstakes businesses — or after MCC 7995 miscategorization. MIDs maintains relationships with acquiring banks that evaluate social-gaming MATCH merchants individually, reviewing whether the termination reflects a real compliance issue or a category policy applied to a legal model.
Who we serve
Each model, its own acquirer profile.
Social casinos
Virtual slots, table games and poker on the gold-coin + sweeps-coin model. Requires AMOE, geo-blocking for restricted states and acquirers who understand the sweepstakes legal structure.
Dual-currency social casino operators
Sweepstakes platforms
Prize giveaways and entry-based games where purchases include sweeps entries as a promotional bonus. AMOE is legally required; prize redemption needs a separate payment architecture.
Promotional-contest and entry-game operators
Skill-based gaming (DFS)
Daily fantasy sports, trivia and skill competitions where player skill determines outcomes. A different legal status than sweepstakes, with a different acquiring profile that varies by state.
Skill-based and fantasy-sports platforms
Play-money & casual games
Pure play-money social games and casual titles with sweepstakes mechanics. Lower compliance bar — the main challenge is the "casino" descriptor and correct MCC structuring.
Play-money poker, casual prize games
Running real-money games? See our iGaming & betting solutions
FAQ
Common social gaming questions.
No — and that distinction is the core challenge. Real-money gambling wagers money on chance for the chance to win money. The social casino model involves buying virtual currency (gold coins, no redeemable value) and receiving free promotional currency (sweeps coins) redeemable for prizes. US law treats sweepstakes differently from gambling, but acquiring banks apply their own policies — so we connect operators with banks that specifically accept the sweepstakes model.
US sweepstakes law rests on a three-part test: prize, chance and consideration. Remove "consideration" (payment to enter) and the activity is not a lottery — which is why AMOE (free entry) is required. Acquirers experienced in sweepstakes confirm AMOE is implemented correctly at onboarding; operators without a documented AMOE mechanism won't be placed.
Not MCC 7995 — that's the gambling code, and being assigned it triggers automatic card-network gambling programs and terminations regardless of the actual model. The correct MCC depends on the product (commonly video-game or digital-goods categories). Correct assignment is part of the account structuring we do, preventing flags that have nothing to do with legal status.
AMOE (Alternative Method of Entry) is the free entry mechanism required by US sweepstakes law — players must be able to obtain entries without buying anything. Acquirers onboarding sweepstakes merchants require evidence that AMOE is disclosed and genuinely works. An operator without a functional AMOE mechanism is running a lottery, not a sweepstakes.
Prize redemption is a separate flow from purchases. Players accumulate sweeps coins (bundled free with gold-coin purchases and via AMOE) and redeem them above a minimum threshold, typically via ACH or gift card. Redemption requires identity verification and its own merchant-account architecture, distinct from card purchase processing.
Social gaming merchants frequently appear on MATCH after mainstream processors apply gambling prohibitions to sweepstakes operators, or after MCC miscategorization. With 25+ years of high-risk experience, MIDs maintains relationships with acquirers that evaluate social-gaming MATCH merchants case-by-case — reviewing whether the termination reflects a real compliance problem or a category policy applied to a legal model.
Questions about your specific model? Talk to our team
Ready to launch your social gaming platform?
Tell us your model, legal structure and target states. We'll advise on the acquiring structure, MCC and descriptor setup, and the dual-currency payment architecture — social casino, sweepstakes, skill-based and TMF merchants welcome.