Trustly officially closed its acquisition of SlimPay on May 12, 2026, completing one of the most significant European payments deals in the iGaming sector this year. The combined company will now offer recurring direct-debit infrastructure (SlimPay's core competency) alongside Trustly's instant pay-by-bank rails, creating a payments platform built specifically for high-volume subscription-style billing and instant-cashout consumer use cases. For iGaming operators, the deal reshapes the buy-versus-build calculus on European payments infrastructure.
This article unpacks what the deal does, why it matters, who wins and who loses, and what operators should expect over the next 12 months. For broader industry context, our latest articles hub covers the rapid consolidation underway in the European gambling sector.
Quick Answer: The Deal in Three Lines
Trustly acquired SlimPay in a transaction that closed May 12, 2026 (financial terms undisclosed). SlimPay brings recurring direct-debit infrastructure across 35 European countries; Trustly brings instant pay-by-bank rails and a stronger iGaming footprint. The combined entity will offer end-to-end payment solutions to operators, including subscription billing, instant deposits, and same-day withdrawals.
Why This Deal Matters for iGaming
Payments are quietly the single most important friction point in online gambling. Operators who can pay players within minutes have a measurably higher player retention rate than those whose withdrawals take 24-72 hours. The pay-by-bank infrastructure Trustly has built across Europe has been a competitive advantage for FanDuel, DraftKings, Flutter, Entain, and most major European operators who use Trustly as their backbone.
SlimPay adds something Trustly did not have: structured recurring billing. SlimPay's SEPA Direct Debit and Faster Payments Service infrastructure is built for businesses that bill customers on a schedule — utility companies, subscription services, insurance providers. In iGaming, that capability translates into responsible gambling tools (recurring deposit limits, scheduled cooling-off periods), VIP retention programs (recurring loyalty rebates), and emerging subscription products (monthly fixed-fee tournament access, premium analytics tier).
Combined Footprint and Capabilities
The combined company will operate in 35 European countries with active iGaming presences in the UK, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Germany, France, and the Baltic region. Active operator relationships span 250-plus iGaming brands. The pre-deal Trustly footprint covered approximately 180 iGaming operators; SlimPay added recurring-payment relationships with another 50-plus, most of whom were already Trustly customers for one-time payments.
Capabilities now under one roof:
Instant deposits: Pay-by-bank funded in real time. Already the largest deposit method in markets like Sweden, Netherlands, and the UK.
Instant withdrawals: Same-day or sub-hour processing through Trustly's existing instant withdrawal product. Now reinforced with SlimPay's bank network access.
Recurring billing: SEPA Direct Debit, FPS UK, and BACS for any operator running scheduled charges.
Responsible gambling integration: Mandatory deposit limit infrastructure with API-level enforcement and audit trail.
Subscription products: A new opportunity for operators experimenting with subscription-style monetization models.
Strategic Implications: Who Wins, Who Loses
Winners: Operators currently running on Trustly will get expanded capabilities at no incremental integration cost. Smaller European operators who could not justify two separate payments partnerships now consolidate vendors. Sweden and the Netherlands — markets where pay-by-bank dominates — get a stronger single-vendor offering.
Losers: Competitor payments providers (Sofort, Truelayer, Token, and to a lesser extent Worldline) face a more formidable competitor in the iGaming-recurring-billing intersection. Pure direct-debit providers will need to differentiate on price or specialized vertical capabilities.
Neutral: US-focused operators see limited direct impact since neither company's footprint is meaningful in North America. Major US operators continue to use Sightline, VIP Preferred, and direct ACH infrastructure.
Integration Timeline
Trustly has indicated a 12-month integration timeline. Phase one (May-September 2026) focuses on combining engineering teams and migrating SlimPay's API documentation onto Trustly's developer portal. Phase two (September 2026-February 2027) covers commercial alignment — unified contracts, consolidated billing, and joint sales effort. Phase three (February-May 2027) is full product unification on a single platform.
Existing customers of either company should expect no service disruption during the integration. SlimPay's standalone API will remain operational through the end of 2026 with deprecation planned for 2027.
Industry Context: Why Consolidation Is Accelerating
The Trustly-SlimPay deal is part of a broader payments consolidation wave running through European iGaming in 2026. Customer acquisition costs in established markets have climbed steadily, regulatory complexity (especially around responsible gambling) is creating more compliance overhead, and operators are looking for fewer, more capable vendors rather than larger vendor portfolios.
This trend mirrors what is happening on the operator side. Flutter's planned acquisition of European B2B platform talent, Entain's portfolio rationalization, and the UK-driven affordability check rollout all push the industry toward consolidation. Payments providers who cannot scale across multiple capability areas will struggle.
What Operators Should Do
If you are running on Trustly: do nothing immediate. Your contract carries over with expanded capabilities you can adopt at your own pace.
If you are running on SlimPay: your roadmap should include a Trustly developer-portal review in Q3 2026. Migrate to the unified API by the end of 2026 to avoid maintenance-mode dependencies.
If you are evaluating new payments partners: include the combined Trustly-SlimPay offering on your shortlist. The recurring-billing capabilities are now best-in-class for iGaming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does SlimPay do?
SlimPay provides recurring direct-debit infrastructure across 35 European countries. Its core product is SEPA Direct Debit and Faster Payments Service automation for businesses that bill customers on a schedule.
How much did Trustly pay for SlimPay?
Financial terms were not disclosed. Industry estimates put the deal value in the €150-€250 million range based on SlimPay's revenue profile.
Will this affect US iGaming operators?
Limited direct impact. Neither company has a significant US footprint. The deal is primarily a European market consolidation.
How long until the integration is complete?
12 months from close (May 2027 target for full integration). SlimPay's standalone API remains operational through end of 2026.
Who are Trustly's main competitors after this deal?
In iGaming pay-by-bank: Truelayer, Tink, and Token. In recurring billing: GoCardless (the UK market leader) and Stripe Billing's European footprint.
The Bottom Line
The Trustly-SlimPay deal completes a logical consolidation: instant deposits plus recurring billing in a single iGaming-focused vendor. The combined entity now offers the most comprehensive European payments stack available to operators, and the integration timeline is realistic. For operators, the deal simplifies vendor management; for players, it likely means faster withdrawals and more sophisticated responsible-gambling infrastructure. For competitor providers, it raises the table stakes considerably. Track the integration milestones over the next 12 months — they will signal whether the combined entity can execute on the strategic promise. For more industry coverage, see our gambling guides hub and about DeucesCracked for our editorial approach.
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