u/Environmental_Bus871

I launched a skill-based gaming platform about a week ago where players compete against each other for predetermined prizes based on their performance.
We had a strong first week, mainly from one customer who really liked the platform and generated a lot of activity quickly. Whop has now suspended us as an “unsupported business.”
My biggest concern is that there’s a significant balance locked in the account. A large portion is my own money that I put into the platform, plus revenue we’ve made, and I still have player payout obligations.
Has anyone dealt with this before?
What’s the best way to get the remaining balance released if Whop won’t reinstate us? And what payment processors actually support skill-based gaming/contest businesses?
I’m looking for a processor that will approve the business model upfront — not trying to hide what we do.

I launched online skill-based gaming platform about a week ago and had a surprisingly strong first week, but I’ve now run into a pretty serious payment processing problem.
The business allows users to play skill-based games against other players for predetermined prizes. Results are based on player performance rather than sports outcomes, slots, roulette, or random casino games.
We were using Whop for payments.
One customer ended up really liking the platform and generated a significant amount of activity in a short period of time. Since we’re also a brand-new account, our transaction volume went from basically nothing to a decent amount very quickly.
Whop has now suspended the account and classified the business as an unsupported business type.
The suspension itself sucks, but my bigger concern is the money currently sitting in the account.
There is a significant balance locked in there. Some of it is revenue from customers, but a substantial portion is also my own money that I deposited/put into the platform to fund operations and player prizes.
On top of that, I still have obligations to users, so having the entire balance frozen puts me in a pretty difficult position.
I’ve already contacted Whop and submitted an appeal explaining the business model and offering to provide our game rules, transaction history, gameplay, prize structure, customer activity and anything else they need.
I’m looking for advice from people who have dealt with payment processing for businesses that processors consider “high risk.”
Main questions:
What payment processors/platforms actually support skill-based gaming or skill-contest businesses?
Has anyone had a processor terminate their account while holding a large balance? How did you eventually get the funds released?
Is there normally a way to have the portion that was originally my own money returned separately from customer-generated revenue?
If the processor refuses to reinstate the business, what steps should I take to formally request withdrawal/release of the remaining balance?
Should I be looking specifically for a high-risk merchant account rather than platforms like Stripe/Whop?
I’m not looking to disguise the business model or sneak it through another processor. I want a processor that understands exactly what the platform does and approves it before I start processing payments again.
If anyone operates skill gaming, contests, esports, fantasy, sweepstakes, or another business that processors consider high-risk, I’d really appreciate hearing what payment stack you use and how you got approved.

I launched an online skill-based gaming platform about a week ago and things took off much faster than I expected with no charge backs either.
The platform allows users to play skill-based games against other players for predetermined prizes. The outcome is determined by the player’s performance in the game we don’t use sports betting, random outcomes, roulette/slots, or chance-based wagering.
One user in particular really liked the platform and spent/played a significant amount during our first week, so our transaction volume increased very quickly.
Whop has now suspended the account for being an “unsupported business.”
My biggest concern is the balance. There is a substantial amount sitting in the Whop account, and a large portion of it is actually money I personally put into the business to fund operations/player prizes, in addition to revenue we’ve generated.
This puts me in a difficult position because I still have obligations related to players/payouts while access to the funds is restricted.
I’ve contacted Whop and I’m submitting an appeal with a full explanation of exactly how the platform works. I’m completely willing to provide transaction records, gameplay footage, terms/rules, proof of prize structure, customer records, or anything else they need.
I’m not looking for ways around their rules. If Whop ultimately determines they can’t support this business model, I understand that I’ll need another payment provider. My main concern is making sure the existing balance is handled properly and that I’m able to satisfy any legitimate obligations to customers.
Has anyone here dealt with an “unsupported business” suspension from Whop?
Specifically:
Were you able to get a human review and overturn it?
If they wouldn’t reinstate you, what happened to your remaining balance?
How long did the review/hold take?
What documentation helped your appeal?
Is there anyone at Whop beyond regular support that you recommend contacting?
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s actually gone through this.

I’ve been spending the last couple of months building a browser-based FPS, and it’s finally starting to come together. I wanted to get some honest feedback from people who actually play shooters.
Originally, the idea was a $1 entry fee where every kill earned you $1, and you could choose to cash out or keep risking it. But after seeing another company building something similar—and seeing both the excitement and concerns around cheating—I decided to pivot away from that concept.
Now I’m focused on making it a genuinely fun FPS first.
So I wanted to ask you guys:
What keeps you coming back to a shooter instead of dropping it after a week?
What do you hate about modern FPS games?
What’s something you wish more shooters did?
What makes you grind a game for hundreds of hours?
I’m open to literally any feedback—gameplay mechanics, progression, movement, gunplay, maps, game modes, art style, anti-cheat, matchmaking… anything.
The goal is to build something that starts as a browser game but is polished enough to eventually launch on Steam. I’d rather hear hard criticism now than realize I missed something later.
Appreciate any ideas.

I’ve been spending the last couple of months building a browser-based FPS, and it’s finally starting to come together. I wanted to get some honest feedback from people who actually play shooters.
Originally, the idea was a $1 entry fee where every kill earned you $1, and you could choose to cash out or keep risking it. But after seeing another company building something similar—and seeing both the excitement and concerns around cheating—I decided to pivot away from that concept.
Now I’m focused on making it a genuinely fun FPS first.
So I wanted to ask you guys:
What keeps you coming back to a shooter instead of dropping it after a week?
What do you hate about modern FPS games?
What’s something you wish more shooters did?
What makes you grind a game for hundreds of hours?
I’m open to literally any feedback—gameplay mechanics, progression, movement, gunplay, maps, game modes, art style, anti-cheat, matchmaking… anything.
The goal is to build something that starts as a browser game but is polished enough to eventually launch on Steam. I’d rather hear hard criticism now than realize I missed something later.
Appreciate any ideas.