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Here's How Visa's AptPay Deal Expands Its iGaming Payments Opportunity
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Key Takeaways
Visa is expanding Visa Direct's reach in U.S. iGaming through AptPay's planned direct integration.
AptPay's single integration simplifies payment routing and reconciliation while supporting faster payouts.
U.S. iGaming revenues rose 27.6% to $10.74 billion in 2025, supporting demand for payout options.
Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) is extending the reach of Visa Direct into the fast-growing U.S. iGaming payments market through AptPay’s planned direct integration. The addition of Visa Direct Alias, currently being piloted in the United States, could make payouts easier by allowing users to receive funds through identifiers, such as phone numbers, email addresses or supported wallet handles. The move strengthens Visa’s role in real-time money movement and expands its utility beyond traditional card-based transactions.
Speed and convenience are central to the opportunity. Payouts are a critical part of the gaming experience, and faster access to winnings can improve customer satisfaction while reducing friction for operators. AptPay’s single integration also helps gaming companies manage payment methods, routing, reconciliation and connectivity without building separate links to every network, potentially making payout infrastructure simpler and more efficient.
The growth of regulated online gaming provides a sizable addressable market. U.S. iGaming revenues reached $10.74 billion in 2025, up 27.6% year over year, while sports-betting revenues increased 22.8% to $16.96 billion in 2025. The article also cites research showing that 44% of U.S. online sports bettors prefer digital wallets, supporting demand for faster, wallet-based payout options such as Visa Direct Alias.
The announcement does not provide revenue, fee, volume or earnings guidance for Visa or AptPay. Still, broader Visa Direct adoption could support incremental payment volumes and transaction-related revenues as iGaming expands. While the near-term earnings contribution is unlikely to be material, rising payout activity could gradually contribute to Visa’s money-movement and services revenues.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Visa’s payment space peers Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL - Free Report) are also expanding their payment and money-movement capabilities, supporting faster transfers and broader digital payment use cases.
Mastercard is expanding Mastercard Move through a September 2026 tie-up with Network International in Jordan, enabling near-real-time domestic and cross-border transfers. MA continues to broaden money-movement capabilities beyond traditional payment transactions.
PayPal added Visa Account Funding Transactions to its platform in July 2026, allowing merchants to send funds directly to eligible Visa cards or accounts. PYPL combines digital wallets, merchant processing and payment services.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Visa’s shares have risen 4.9% year to date against the industry’s 11.9% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.56, well above the industry average of 17.38. V carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies a 14.7% jump from the year-ago period’s level.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
Here's How Visa's AptPay Deal Expands Its iGaming Payments Opportunity
Key Takeaways
Visa Inc. (V - Free Report) is extending the reach of Visa Direct into the fast-growing U.S. iGaming payments market through AptPay’s planned direct integration. The addition of Visa Direct Alias, currently being piloted in the United States, could make payouts easier by allowing users to receive funds through identifiers, such as phone numbers, email addresses or supported wallet handles. The move strengthens Visa’s role in real-time money movement and expands its utility beyond traditional card-based transactions.
Speed and convenience are central to the opportunity. Payouts are a critical part of the gaming experience, and faster access to winnings can improve customer satisfaction while reducing friction for operators. AptPay’s single integration also helps gaming companies manage payment methods, routing, reconciliation and connectivity without building separate links to every network, potentially making payout infrastructure simpler and more efficient.
The growth of regulated online gaming provides a sizable addressable market. U.S. iGaming revenues reached $10.74 billion in 2025, up 27.6% year over year, while sports-betting revenues increased 22.8% to $16.96 billion in 2025. The article also cites research showing that 44% of U.S. online sports bettors prefer digital wallets, supporting demand for faster, wallet-based payout options such as Visa Direct Alias.
The announcement does not provide revenue, fee, volume or earnings guidance for Visa or AptPay. Still, broader Visa Direct adoption could support incremental payment volumes and transaction-related revenues as iGaming expands. While the near-term earnings contribution is unlikely to be material, rising payout activity could gradually contribute to Visa’s money-movement and services revenues.
How Are Competitors Faring?
Visa’s payment space peers Mastercard Incorporated (MA - Free Report) and PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL - Free Report) are also expanding their payment and money-movement capabilities, supporting faster transfers and broader digital payment use cases.
Mastercard is expanding Mastercard Move through a September 2026 tie-up with Network International in Jordan, enabling near-real-time domestic and cross-border transfers. MA continues to broaden money-movement capabilities beyond traditional payment transactions.
PayPal added Visa Account Funding Transactions to its platform in July 2026, allowing merchants to send funds directly to eligible Visa cards or accounts. PYPL combines digital wallets, merchant processing and payment services.
Visa’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates
Visa’s shares have risen 4.9% year to date against the industry’s 11.9% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
From a valuation standpoint, V trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.56, well above the industry average of 17.38. V carries a Value Score of D.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Visa’s fiscal 2026 earnings implies a 14.7% jump from the year-ago period’s level.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Visa stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.