Whistleblowers: Let Us Have More Information About the High-Risk Payment Domain ChanneltoPay.com!

As part of our follow-the-money strategy, which involves systematic analysis of high-risk sectors, we have identified a new domain being utilized for processing payments related to unauthorized online casinos and gambling operations: ChanneltoPay.com. This domain is not associated with any visible website and appears to function solely as a payment gateway (API). We are seeking to determine the registrant and operator responsible for this payment domain.

The Background

In recent years, the cyberfinance sector has witnessed a significant evolution in the methods employed by financial service providers to manage payment transactions, particularly within high-risk industries such as online gambling and adult entertainment. One notable trend that has gained momentum is the deployment of privately registered domains for processing payments. This approach, while not entirely new, has seen a marked increase in adoption over the past few months, raising questions and concerns within the financial and regulatory communities.

Privately registered domains are increasingly being used by regulated financial service providers to operate payment gateways and facilitate deposits and withdrawals for high-risk merchants. These domains are often utilized to maintain a layer of anonymity and to circumvent the challenges associated with processing payments in sectors where traditional banking relationships may be strained or altogether unavailable. The rise of open banking has further bolstered this trend, providing new avenues for these domains to integrate with various financial platforms and expand their reach.

In the unauthorized online casino industry, as well as the adult entertainment sector, the use of anonymously operated domains for payment processing has become particularly prevalent. These sectors, often scrutinized for their high-risk nature, have turned to these private domains to handle transactions in a manner that is both efficient and discreet.

The ChanneltoPay Domain

A prominent example of this trend is the payment domain https://pay.channeltopay.com, which has garnered significant attention in recent months. This domain is primarily associated with the online casino segment and is linked to payment processors such as Swiss Mandato, Contiant, and PaymentIQ from Worldline, all of which are active in the high-risk sector.

The domain has been observed facilitating transactions for casinos under the Dama Group, an operator with an offshore license in Curacao. Despite lacking regulatory permits in European Economic Area (EEA) jurisdictions and the UK, Dama Group casinos continue to attract customers from these regions, raising further regulatory concerns.

ChanneltoPay.com Key Data

Share Information

If you have any information about the owner or operator of the domain, please let us know via our whistleblowing system Whistle42.