A Guide To Online Casino Banking
To be able to play at an online casino, you need to be able to fund your casino account somehow. Thankfully, in this day and age of instant payments, eWallets and vouchers, depositing (for UK players at least) couldn't be easier. Here are your options:
Debit Cards
Debit Cards are an incredibly easy way of depositing at an online casino. Simply sign up, add your card details, deposit chips and you're good to go. Transactions are instant, meaning you can start playing right away, and usually free. Withdrawals to debit cards are equally simple and very convenient, especially if you have had a bit of a lucky run - some casinos can process withdrawals as large as £99,000 per transaction.
eWallets
There's a strong chance you're already familiar with an eWallet without even realising it - PayPal. Generally speaking, eWallets act as an intermediary between your bank account and the casino. In most cases, funds must first be loaded from your bank account to the wallet, and then deposited from the wallet to the casino. Such transactions are usually instant and free of charge, in fact some casinos even give extra bonuses to players using ewallets as it eliminates the risk of charge backs.
eWallets can also be used to withdraw funds and the transaction is also instant (once it has been approved by the casino). Many players use eWallets to maintain a casino or poker bankroll - sensibly separating their gaming funds from day to day funds and ensuring that there's no risk of accidentally spending the money for your gas bill on the poker tables.
Popular eWallets include Neteller, Skrill (the new name for Moneybookers) and PayPal.
Cash Vouchers
Those who want to use cash to deposit at an online gambling site can do so by purchasing a special kind of voucher. Since the merger of UKash and Paysafecard there is only really one main product in the UK market: Paysafecard. Vouchers can be purchased using cash at a variety of high street shops, supermarkets and garages (anywhere that displays the paypoint, payzone or epay logos) which contain a unique code. You then enter this code at the casino to make your deposit which should be available to play with instantly.
Cash (via a Betting Shop)
Some high street bookmakers, such as Ladbrokes, even let you bank at their betting shops. The shops can be used for both deposits and withdrawals, meaning you can get access to your cash right away - perfect for a trip down the pub to celebrate with your winnings.
Closed Methods
Over the years we've seen a few payment methods change name, exit markets or just shut down entirely. The information below is purely for posterity as you can't actually use them any more.
- UKash - A once popular voucher based system, UKash allowed users to deposit using cash. It worked by purchasing cash vouchers from various outlets which contained a unique code and pin. Entering these into the casino transferred the balance of the voucher without ever involving your bank. UKash was purchased by Paysafecard who merged the two together. Paysafecard still operates today and is very similar to how UKash used to work, with a few noteable differences. See our Paysafecard article for more details.
- Click2Pay - Click2Pay was an intermediary between your bank and the casino. Whilst it was focussed on the regulated European market, it never really took off and it's parent company, Wirecard, chose not to continue it. Wirecard still exists, but it isn't found in many casinos.
- Clickandbuy - A very similar method to Click2Pay, so not a hure shock that it also didn't last the distance. The closure happened in 2016, with access to online accounts ending on 26th August 2016. For more information, see the Clickandbuy websites FAQ section.