The introduction of Yaspa’s point-of-sale payments - which are powered by open banking - will deliver a particular benefit to the casino’s Italian guests. Until now, these players have been obliged either to make deposits via bank transfer several days in advance of their visit - due to slow cross-border settlement times - or to withdraw large sums of cash on arrival in Switzerland, which would be subject to high, foreign ATM fees.

Now, thanks to Yaspa, customers of Casino Lugano simply scan a QR code using their mobile phone from within the casino and be taken directly into their online banking app of choice to make a deposit. Funds settle in seconds and are immediately redeemable from the casino’s cashier terminals.

By using the faster payment infrastructure that underpins open banking, Yaspa enables Casino Lugano’s Italian customers to deposit in real time, without the need to plan bank transfers in advance or pay to withdraw cash. Deposits and withdrawals made using Yaspa are referenced and trackable, making it easy to issue deposited funds to customers accurately and fast.

James Neville, co-founder and CEO of Yaspa, said: “Open-banking capability is all about finding unique use cases and opportunities to simplify payments for businesses. Partnering with Casino Lugano to solve a real customer problem around making cross-border payments in Europe, in a land-based environment, is an exciting opportunity for us both. It demonstrates the effectiveness of combining local SEPA instant payments with open-banking technology to make processing payments easier for Casino Lugano, while offering a frictionless experience to their customers.” 

Paolo Sanvido, CEO of Casino Lugano, added: “We are pleased to welcome Yaspa as an innovative payment method at Casino Lugano. With Yaspa, we are excited to offer more and more services with solutions that simplify the payment experience for our Italian guests, making the gaming experience even more comfortable. Partnering with Yaspa is a great opportunity to keep adapting to change and fully meet the demands of our customers.”

Yaspa enables quick, cardless account-to-account payments in online and land-based environments, eliminating the need for cash, cards or apps. With Yaspa, making deposits or withdrawals and verifying customers is seamless, secure and simple - boosting conversion and the player experience for iGaming and casino businesses.

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About Yaspa

Yaspa is an award-winning fintech that connects identity and money to simplify - and accelerate - the way we pay. Founded in 2017 by a former Worldpay CTO, Yaspa uses open banking to provide instant bank payments that are faster, more secure and more cost-effective than cards, and to help regulated businesses seamlessly verify customers and their payments. The company operates across the UK and Europe, is regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, and is backed by leading investors including Fin Capital, SGH Capital & Metavallon VC. Yaspa is the trading name of Citizen UK Holding Ltd.

For more information visit: yaspa.com or contact Kate Marsden, CMO, at kate@yaspa.com.

About Casino Lugano

Casino Lugano is a former theater and casino. Originally built in 1897 and designed by Achille Sfondrini, it was demolished in 2001 and rebuilt in 2002 with its current appearance.

Currently, Casino Lugano is a modern elite facility that ensures the highest levels of gaming security and service quality. Innovation, technology and gaming offerings are constantly evolving to keep up with the times and ensure standards of excellence.

For more information visit: casinolugano.ch or contact marketing@casinolugano.ch.