Founders of BurraPay, an Australian company, spent ten years developing real-time blockchain analytics designed to meet the rigorous standards of the global gaming industry. Their journey gained recognition with the first deposit made by TikTok sensation Bryce Hall, who boasts 23 million followers.
In addition to his 23 million TikTok followers and 6 million on Instagram, Hall earned the title of the first person to place a legal cryptocurrency bet in Nevada’s history after making a Bitcoin deposit of $350,000.
The groundbreaking technology enabling this feat was developed in Australia.
A Behind-the-Scenes Engineering Story
BurraPay has emerged as the world’s first cryptocurrency payment processor approved to operate within Nevada’s regulated gaming sector. This milestone was marked by the processing of the state’s inaugural legal crypto sports bet at The World’s Largest Sportsbook, located in Circa Resort & Casino, Las Vegas.
However, beyond the excitement lies a complex engineering challenge: developing a real-time blockchain analytics system robust enough to meet the strict requirements set by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, often regarded as the toughest gaming regulator globally.
Meet the Creators
BurraPay has been in the works for years. The company’s CEO, David Greenslade, and CTO Luke Millanta founded the company in 2015, focusing on solving the challenge of allowing crypto deposits through a major gaming authority.
Greenslade has 30 years of experience as a gaming attorney, operating across Australia and North America, and specializing in the commercialization of intellectual property.
Millanta, a technology expert, became the chief information officer at ASX-listed cybersecurity firm FirstWave by his late twenties. A high-school dropout who successfully navigated his way into executive roles, he has since founded and sold businesses in the fields of cryptocurrency, regulated online gaming, and esports.
This unique combination of a regulatory lawyer and a security engineer was essential. Navigating through gaming regulations requires both compliance and engineering expertise, and previous attempts at crypto payment solutions failed to meet these standards. BurraPay stands as the only cryptocurrency processor officially approved by the board.
Understanding the Technology
BurraPay offers two primary products. First, an API integrates seamlessly with existing operators’ applications and cashless wallets, or directly with gaming machines and tables. The second product is an over-the-counter solution allowing quick implementation on casino floors.
Players can fund their accounts using cryptocurrency. The platform converts the funds upon entry, ensuring players can place bets in U.S. dollars while managing price fluctuations before the funds are credited. Supported cryptocurrencies include Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin.
BurraPay’s entire technology stack is patented, holding granted U.S. patents that cover compliant cryptocurrency transactions in regulated gaming, with priority dating back to 2016, along with additional applications pending.
The Screening Engine: The Key Innovation
Each deposit is analyzed through a process known as Know Your Transaction (KYT). This real-time blockchain forensics approach occurs before any coins are accepted.
A blockchain acts as a permanent public record of every transaction a specific cryptocurrency has experienced. Each coin can be traced throughout its entire journey, back to the moment it was mined. BurraPay’s advanced system reviews this full transaction history and scores it instantly.
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This screening examines deposits for any connections to sanctioned individuals, entities, or jurisdictions, as well as potential links to terrorist financing, ransomware, dark-web activities, phishing, scams, and child exploitation material. Coins that pass through mixers, privacy wallets, or exchanges are declined, as are those featuring built-in anonymity that obscure the sender’s identity. Any funds linked to sanctions are frozen according to regulations, with BurraPay assisting operators in managing required reports.
The risks associated with these threats are increasing. Recent studies uncovered North Korean cybercriminals embedding malware within the blockchain, prompting security firms to create firewalls for Web3. Analyzing a coin’s entire history before any transaction is a formidable defense.
“Our technology utilizes instantaneous blockchain analytics to guarantee that every transaction complies with the stringent financial regulations and responsible gaming standards enforced at both state and federal levels,” explained Millanta.
He bluntly stated the potential: billions of dollars in cryptocurrency gaming currently flow offshore to unregulated platforms. The U.S. market possesses the players and regulations yet lacks the infrastructure necessary to process cryptocurrency transactions efficiently. “We are addressing that gap, starting with Nevada,” Millanta asserted.
Identifying Problematic Gambling Behavior
Beyond this, BurraPay’s technology also facilitates responsible gaming monitoring. The company has developed cross-wallet behavioral analytics that identify indicators of gambling issues, such as increasing deposit rates or higher amounts, across all of a player’s wallets rather than a single account.
This real-time on-chain capability surpasses traditional card rails, providing a comprehensive view by default.
Circa Takes the Leap
The chosen launch partner is a fitting choice. Derek Stevens, owner and CEO of Circa Resort & Casino, has been a driving force in Las Vegas’s sports betting scene since the venue’s inception in 2020, featuring an impressive 78-million-pixel sportsbook.
“Circa has consistently championed both sports betting and cryptocurrency, making this partnership with BurraPay a natural evolution for us,” said Stevens. “We’re honored to play a part in this groundbreaking sports bet, paving the way for more historic collaborations between the gaming and cryptocurrency sectors in Las Vegas and beyond.”
A Bright Future Ahead
The successful launch in Nevada follows a period of significant developments. BurraPay secured its U.S. patents in 2025 and formed its first significant partnership with Rush Street Interactive, gradually integrating cryptocurrency funding into BetRivers’ sportsbook and casino platforms, progressing as each regulatory body grants approval.
The demand for crypto gambling is substantial. BurraPay reports that 28% of U.S. adults own cryptocurrency, with nearly half of global holders (48.6%) engaging in gambling activities, and around 40 million adults in the U.S. expressing a genuine interest in participating. Currently, most of this activity occurs on offshore platforms, evading regulatory oversight.
Key Takeaway
The story is intriguing: a TikTok star placed a $350,000 Bitcoin bet at a Las Vegas casino. However, what may have greater significance in a year is the quieter success—a regulatory body known for its strictness accepted a proposal because two Australians committed a decade to developing trustworthy blockchain analytics.
This technology is not limited to gaming. The real-time tracing of a coin’s complete history and its evaluation against global threat lists could be as effective in remittances or marketplace transactions as it is for casino bets. Gaming may be just the beginning.
A more detailed, payments-focused version of this article *first appeared here, at PayDayNews.com.au*.
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