Online Casino Deposit Methods

Online casino deposit methods are payment services used to make a deposit into a player’s account. A variety of payment methods exist, including credit cards, debit cards, web wallets (e-wallets), e-vouchers, bitcoin, and bank wire transfers. This article discusses the major deposit methods available to players while providing specific information about the best ways to make the first deposit.

Online casino deposits are designed to be simple and secure. Payments are made almost instantaneously; depending on the method used. Gamblers are provided with a large list of payment methods, with the best online casinos offering dozens of methods. Operators want depositing to be as quick and secure as possible.

A lot of payment types exist, but the specific casino deposits we focus on are the brand name options. Players often want to know why some methods are available in more casinos than others, or why some allow for withdrawals and others don’t. Online United States Casinos explains answers to those questions while clarifying some misconceptions about payment methods.

Online Casino Deposit Methods

The best online casino deposit methods are credit cards like Visa and MasterCard; with Bitcoin is being used by more sites each month. Visa is the single most popular way to fund an Internet casino account because it’s the largest credit card network in the world. MasterCard has about 80% of the worldwide purchases that Visa does each year, so it’s no surprise that MasterCard is the second-most popular deposit method. Bitcoin is becoming one of the most popular deposit methods because the virtual currency offers a nice combination of anonymity, security, and flexibility.

Players often wonder whether American Express, Discover Card and Western Union are payment options. These are offered with less frequency due to decisions made by the financial institutions themselves. In each company profile below, we discuss which casinos accept payments from each method. OUSC also recommends a couple of online casinos that accept each type of payment.

VISA Deposit Methods

Visa is the largest credit card association in the world, with over US$6.8 trillion in total transactions in 2015. No charge card is accepted at more online vendors than the Visa Card. The same can be said for Visa online casinos. 3,123 online gambling sites accept cards issued by Visa Inc.

Visa has a variety of debit cards issued by Visa Inc. These also work for deposits. The list includes Visa Electron and Visa Debit, previously known as “Visa Delta”. Transactions are processed through the Plus and Interlink payment methods. All of the top online casinos in the United States gaming market accept Visa credit, debit, prepaid, and gift cards. This is the most flexible and useful deposit method currently available.

MasterCard Deposit Methods

MasterCard is the second-largest credit card network in the world, with about 80% as much volume as Visa handles in a year’s time. MasterCard is also the second-biggest credit card used for the online gambling industry, as MasterCard is accepted at the 3,069 online gambling sites.

All of the best online gambling sites can be considered MasterCard casinos. They accept payments with the company’s credit, debit, prepaid, and gift cards. MasterCard’s various debit cards are available for deposits.

One major difference is that MasterCard is almost never a withdrawal method. The financial institution does not want to transact payments involving gambling winnings, so you will find few MasterCard online casinos which handle cashouts. For such payments, you’ll have to pair your credit card with bank wire transfers or checks by courier or mail.

AMEX Deposit Methods

Amex handles 24% of the credit card transactions in the United States each year, but its percentage of online gambling transactions is much smaller. Despite being around since 1850, American Express online gambling imprint is relatively small. There is roughly the same number of American Express casinos as there are Bitcoin casinos.

In all, 320 casinos accept Amex payments. Like MasterCard, Amex cards are for deposits only. Any gambling site that accepts payments from American Express is not going to allow withdrawals with the Amex charge card. Players will have to use a bank wire transfer or payment-by-check to collect their winnings because the company doesn’t want to be associated with casino gambling. Some of the best online casinos in the United States gaming market accept American Express deposits.

Discover Card Deposit Methods

Discover Card provides the benefits of an instant play and low casino fees, along with cash back benefits. Drawbacks include transaction fees, interest rates, and limited participation from casinos. The Discover Network places a code on payments to known gambling-related websites, which means many Discover charges to online casinos are disallowed.

Those who use the Discover Network need to speak to their bank in order to approve international payments, but this means your Discover charge card works in many instances.

Western Union Deposit Methods

Western Union is a wire transfer service which has been around since 1851. Western Union or “WU” is a preferred way to handle cash transfers and money orders in real life and it’s a preferred deposit method in online gambling. Players who don’t see it listed my look for “Money Transfer”, which is synonymous with Western Union in online gambling. Some sites state “Rapid Transfer” is a term for Western Union, but that term describes MoneyGram payments. Online casinos which use Western Union offer one of the safest methods to transfer electronic funds in the world.

Cryptocurrency Deposit Methods

Cryptocurrencies, also called virtual or digital currencies have not been around for very long. These alternative payment methods were created as a reaction to the 2008–2009 global recession. People looking for safe and anonymous currency turned to options like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Dash, and Bitcoin Cash –among others– as a way to avoid banking crashes, fees, and regulations.

Top gambling sites like BetOnline, Bovada, and MyBookie offer crypto casino payments. The advantages of crypto deposits and withdrawals make virtual currencies a great option for US online casino players.

Limited online casino options are commonly cited as a drawback to cryptocurrencies when it comes to funding your account. However, more and more online casinos are implementing the standard of accepting cryptos as a deposit and payout option.

While not all casinos will accept all digital currencies, it is now common that top online casinos will have crypto options. In fact, casinos now encourage using cryptocurrency. Odds are you will receive a much higher welcome bonus when you make your first time deposit with a cryptocurrency instead of using traditional methods.

Bitcoin Deposit Methods

Bitcoin is the leading digital asset and payment system on the Internet. Bitcoin casinos are becoming much more common these days. At the moment, 242 online gaming sites accept Bitcoin as a form of payment. For a time, the Bitcoin online casino industry was a niche of its own. Little-known sites like Fortune Jack, BitStarz, and Casino BetChan became the new standards in the Bitcoin casino market. Now, mainstream online casinos are embracing Bitcoin payments. The virtual currency is now becoming a popular online casino deposit and withdrawal method.

To start using bitcoin, casinos ask players to choose a Bitcoin service. The full list of services is huge, but the list of services on Bitcoin.org include Copay, Airbitz, BitGo, Coinomi, GreenBits, and Bitcoin Core. Slots.LV suggests getting bitcoins from exchanges like Kraken or Circle, or finding the closest ATM machine and buying them with “Bitcoin ATM”.

Bitcoin Cash Deposit Methods

Bitcoin Cash on the Internet. Bitcoin Cash casinos are becoming much more common these days. Now, mainstream online casinos are embracing Bitcoin payments. The virtual currency is now becoming a popular online casino deposit and withdrawal method.

After Bitcoin was created, the developers decided in August of 2017 to fork off the Bitcoin blockchain to increase the block size. The new chain had 8MB blocks and became to be known as Bitcoin Cash. Today this cryptocurrency is offered at top online casinos and its a banking option that can be used to deposit and withdraw funds at online casino sites.

To start using Bitcoin Cash at an online casino, just visit a casino site that offers this banking method, sign up and make a deposit. To learn more visit our Bitcoin Cash online casino guide.

Below are the top online casinos that offer Bitcoin Cash as a banking method. They have a range of minimum and maximum deposit and payout limits. Also, the transaction time is less than 24 hours.

Litecoin Deposit Methods

Litecoin is an online deposit method with fast delivery times and high deposit limits. Players can deposit anywhere between $20 and $25,000 using Litecoin. Deposits arrive within minutes and are safe, private, and secure due to blockchain technology. Our recommended currency exchanges for buying Litecoin are Bitfinex, Poloniex, Bitstamp, and Coinbase.

Ethereum Deposit Methods

Ethereum is a blockchain-based application that was invented back in 2013, which first started processing Ether payments in 2015. This has consequently introduced the second most popular cryptocurrency after its older cousin, Bitcoin. With improved functionality on top of existing benefits –encryption and low-cost charges– Ether found a massive practical use for online casino payments.

Following in Bitcoin’s footsteps, Ethereum has been applied in online casinos as both a deposit and withdrawal method due to the lack of fees charged per transaction. So far, players are able to fund their online casino accounts straight from their Ether e-wallets at a handful of Ethereum casino websites. However, its visible benefits are prompting the expansion of this market segment significantly.

Visa Gift Card Deposit Methods

Visa Gift Cards are a type of one-time prepaid card which can be used at most businesses which accept Visa credit cards. Because a gift card uses the debit system, online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites accept them without qualms. Online gamblers like to use gift cards because they offer fast payments and anonymity.

Visa Gift Cards are a safe, secure way to fund your player online casino account. Not only are gift cards available for online casino deposits, but many gaming sites also prefer prepaid and gift cards, so they offer special promotions to encourage players to use them.

Other Deposit Methods Available at Online Casinos

These are other great banking options available at US online casinos. You can give them a try when funding your account.

Anywhere PayPal is a payment method, it is one of the best deposit options for funding your online casino account. PayPal has no maximum deposits, while the transaction is instantaneous and free.

Simply click on PayPal as a deposit method on the casino’s cashier page, input the amount you want to move from PayPal, and verify the payment. And remember that every PayPal transaction has 100% protection against unauthorized usage.

Benefits of PayPal Deposits

Person to Person (P2P) is an online deposit method that allows players to transfer funds from their bank account or credit card to another person. It can be done via the internet or by phone. In our P2P page, you will be able to see what casino sites accept this payment method and their min and max deposit.

Benefits of Person to Person Deposits

Money Orders are one of the safest deposit methods that exists at online casinos. Though it’s not accepted at all US casino sites, there are a couple that allows you to fund your account using money orders. Find the top online casinos where you can use this payment method as well as the min and max deposits.

Benefits of Money Order Deposits

Dash, also known as Digital Cash, is a new and safe cryptocurrency method. With its own blockchain, wallet infrastructure, and community, this payment option lets players easily deposit and withdraw at online casinos. Even though it’s still a relatively new method, Dash is already gaining the trust of top-rated casinos.

Benefits of Dash Deposits

Automatic Clearing House or ACH is a type of bank transfer protocol that allows players to transfer funds to and from compatible online casinos using their checking account. ACH can only be used in the United States and will typically take 7-10 business days to clear. Though not as popular as it once was, people still use this payment method.

Benefits of ACH Deposits

Pay by Phone is a safe deposit method that lets online players make deposits at online casinos using their mobile device. One of these options includes Cash App which lets players buy bitcoins in order to fund their casino account online.

Benefits of Pay by Phone Deposits

Moneygram is an easy to use and effective way to transfer money to and from your online casino account. As the second largest provider of money transfers in the world, Moneygram is used by many online casinos as a safe and quick banking option for players.
Benefits of Moneygram Deposits

ecoPayz is a safe and easy to use deposit method. Even though it is found at many US online casinos, players living in the US cannot use it. Read more about this payment method and the online casinos that accept it there.

Benefits of ecoPayz Deposits

Why Credit Cards are the Top Casino Deposit Option

Credit cards rule the world of finances, as trillions of dollars go through the main companies involved in delivering this service. Casinos prefer safe and fast options when receiving a deposit from their members. For this reason, all casinos will accept credit cards deposits; making them the safest online casino payment option currently available. Banks and other financial institutions back credit card deposits, guaranteeing the casino and the player that the transaction will be successful.

The majority of the people in the United States, as well as those in other countries, have easy access to credit cards, whether it is VISA or from another company. They can acquire them through their bank, or in some cases, directly with the credit card provider; Amex and Discover. This shows just how large these companies are, as they dealt $195.56 billion dollars in purchases in 2014 worldwide, and make up the majority of the market share in the US.

Having credit cards deposits as an option is why players prefer to use these methods, as they provide security, reliability, and deposit the money into your casino account almost instantly. However, there are players who don’t have access to a credit card for any number of reasons, including:

• No credit/not enough creditworthiness
• Bank denied application
• Doesn’t want or use a credit card

In the case that a player doesn’t have a credit card, Western Union is another convenient option that US players can use when they want to make an online casino deposit.

Safety and Security

All of the casino deposit options come with their own added level of security that guarantees the player that they will receive the best service possible. We only recommend online casinos that have a proven track record in safety for the players. When it comes to their personal or financial information, we look for websites that have the latest in encrypted technology that will safeguard your private information.

When choosing an online casino, pay attention to the site’s safety protocols and security procedures. The most secure gaming sites are going to use SSL Security Certificates to encrypt transactions. These create a certificate with a unique number every time a payment is made, so it is harder for identity thieves and scammers steal your identity.

A trusted online casino needs to be audited by a third-party for safety, security, and fairness. Several respected commercial and industry-led auditors exist, including Technical Systems Testing (TST), Gaming Associates Pty Ltd, eCOGRA, Thawte, and iTech Labs. Any sites tested by the sites listed should be safe and fair.

Legitimate online casinos follow regulations set by licensing authorities, who grant certifications. This helps assure online credit card processors and the players using such methods that a site is a trustworthy operator. Licensing authorities of note include the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, Curacao e-Gaming, Antigua and Barbuda, Gibraltar, Malta, Alderney, the Ilse of Man, and the UK Gambling Commission.

Read the privacy policy page and “terms & conditions” page of a site to see what the customer protection policies are. If a site fails to state that your personal information is not sold to a third-party firm, you should not register with that site.

Liability is more complicated than it was before 2015. The 2015 U.S. Fraud Liability Shift shifted the liability for credit card fraud to the issuers of a card. This means that suspicious deposits or withdrawals might be subject to delays because your bank is liable for any fraud.

Non-US Deposit Methods

Most non-US casinos accept most of the same deposit options that US online casinos do, as most credit cards can be used internationally without any problems. However, they also accept various different casino deposit options; such as eWallets. They usually accept some banking options like:

The two most popular casino deposit options that most non-US casinos accept are NETeller and Skrill due to their international reach and high standards when it comes to money transfers.

Online Casino Deposit Wait Times

Each casino deposit option comes with its own waiting time that the player must endure before their account receives the money and they can start playing.

Players on forums often complain about the wait times on online casino transactions. Usually, they complain about withdrawal times, but deposits are held up sometimes, too. Any delays are almost always going to be caused by the financial institution. Whether you use a bank or a credit card, the bank assuring the funds delays in order to confirm it is a legitimate payment to a legitimate service you want to use.

Casino Withdrawals

When you have won enough money and want to withdraw money from your casino account, the options may vary. Even though you used a credit card or Western Union to make a deposit, it doesn’t mean that you can withdraw funds the same way. Some of the more popular and widely used withdraw methods include:

The casino payment withdrawal process is more complicated than depositing is. That’s because there are two steps to the process and both tend to delay payments. Players need to take into account two wait times when requesting a casino withdrawal: Casino Approval and Withdrawal Method. These steps are better shown with the three steps to withdrawing from your casino account:

Step 1	Withdrawal Request Request your withdrawal at the casino selecting your preferred method.
Step 2	Casino Approval Wait for the casino to approve the withdrawal, then write a check or start the transfer. If our site or others give reference to a time frame for “Waiting Period” or “Wait Times”, this is the process being timed.
Step 3	Withdrawal Method Banks and other financial institutions have their own wait period. Once the withdrawal has been approved, the player waits additional time for the method they chose to take effect. These wait time are listed above.

Players deserve a timely payout. Even if one casino takes longer than another, consistency and reliability are the key. Some sites slow-pay gamblers, hoping they reverse the withdrawal and start gambling again. Stalling is a tactic to get players to lose their winnings. Other operators play a long game, wanting to hold your money so they can make investments or collect interest. No good reasons exist for payments to take longer than a few weeks, at the most.

Casino Deposits FAQ