Online Casino Banking Options – What You Need To Know
Ready to go play at an online casino and do some winning? Let’s get you started!
The First Step
When you decide that you would like to start doing some gambling at an Online Casino, the first step to making sure that you have a great experience is to pick a great casino!
If you are a returning reader, you already know where I stand on the matter. For those of you that are visiting for the first time, these are my Top 5 Online Casinos, all of which have been proven to be reliable and reputable.
Bovada
Bovada is not only among my top 5 for casinos, but also my number one choice for sportsbooks as well if you ever get the itch to do some gambling on sports.
Over in the casino you can get yourself a $3,000 Welcome Bonus for the Casino which can actually be a $3,750 Bonus if you happen to be using crypto.
Non-crypto depositors will want the code CAWELCOME100 to get the $3,000 Bonus and those with an accepted crypto will want the code BTCCWB1250 to get their $3,750.
I could sit here all day and go on and on about all of the pros when it comes to Bovada but I promise that I will not do that right now. If you would like to take it upon yourself to learn more about them before heading over, just click on this link right here.
Slots.lv
If you love slot machine play, you’ll love Slots.lv. It’s right there in the name!
Over at Slots.lv you will also find table games, video poker, specialty games, even a Live Dealer, but it’s going to be the slots games where they really shine and they know it.
As for some Welcome Bonus they offer, you can get up to $2,000 if you want to make your deposit with a credit card and up to $3,000 if you want to use crypto. You will also get some Free Spins with either of those bonuses, 20 with traditional payment and 30 with crypto.
Make sure that while you’re there you also take a look at the Hot Drops Jackpots feature where there are Guaranteed Jackpots being thrown around while you play some great games!
BetOnline
I love BetOnline. You already know how I feel about Bovada and you should know that BetOnline is actually my number one choice for some sports action right behind them!
The Casino over at BetOnline is top-notch with all of the features you would expect from an Online Casino going along with daily, weekly, and monthly casino-specific promotions that you can choose from to really get some bonus action to keep the game going for longer periods of time.
If you choose to join up with them (as you should) make sure that you sign up with an email address that you check often. BetOnline is good about sending the players Free Spins every few weeks that you can grab for no reason other than you signed up. I actually have a running balance with them that I could cash-out at any time which I got just from these free spins.
If you want to learn more about them, click on this link.
Wild Casino
One of the newest online casinos to make this list, I started working with Wild Casino just a couple of years ago. In that short amount of time they have proven themselves and have not let me down in any way.
Those of you out there that are into the latest and greatest, most flashiest slots are going to have a great time over at Wild Casino. They’re among the best for getting some of the slickest slots to the players. With a current list of 644 slots at their site, you are sure to find something that speaks to you and you want to check out!
As other offerings, you will also find the usual fare of specialty games, blackjack, video poker, table games, and a Live Casino.
When taking a look at their promotions make sure that you take a look at their $5,000 Welcome Bonus no matter how you would like to make your deposit. You will need the code WILD250 to get that started up.
Everygame
If you like the excitement of contests, Everygame is going to be for you!
Whether you are in the mood to spend some time at the casino or the sportsbook, you will just about always find some sort of contest going on that no other online casino is going to offer you.
There is also always a casino Welcome Bonus of up to $1,000 when you make your first deposit with the code SIGNUP1000.
There is actually something you should know about Everygame here. The first casino they will try to get you to go to is known as the “Casino Red“.
You may go, take a look at it and decide that you just don’t like it for whatever reason. Maybe you actually don’t want one of the newer casinos that you’re going to find. If that’s the case, make sure that you take a look at their other casino, “Casino Classic“. That’s where you’ll find the visual appearance of casinos of yesteryear, and if you’re an older player like myself, maybe you’ll prefer it!
This “Classic Casino” also comes with its own set of promotions for the players to take advantage of that are totally different!
The Next Steps
The next thing you’re going to want to do is register your account(s) and then finally fund your account so that you can start to play for some Real Money Payouts!
I am going to cover this last aspect, making your deposits into your accounts, just below. It’s a very simple process but you are going to have a variety of options depending on where you decide to play.
Online Casinos are going to allow you to select your preferred source of funds. Most people choose to use their credit cards but it’s worth being familiar with all of your options.
Let’s go ahead and get the most common one out of the way first!
If you’re totally new to this, you may be surprised at just how many options you really do have!
Depositing And Funding Your Account – The Options
- Credit Cards
It is estimated that 90% of all deposits made to online casinos like Bovada or Slots.lv are made with credit cards. This is probably by far the most convenient method because almost everyone has a few, or at the very least a debit card that can be used in place of it.
If you go the way of the credit card there will be no need to create or maintain a separate funding source as you would with say, an e-Wallet, (we will get to that in just a moment).
Now, despite the ease of a credit card, not all credit cards are widely accepted. While you can use Visa and MasterCard at almost any online casino, you may run into more problems if you try to use an American Express or Discover.
The best thing about using a credit card is that your funds are available for use within minutes. You are not going to have to sit around and wait for them to clean the way you would if you were to use a personal check or wire transfer.
One of the downsides of them however is the fact that you will often be charged a small fee by the casino which varies from site to site. Sometimes a casino will waive this fee, but it’s something that’s worth being aware of before you click that “submit” button at your site of choice.
Also, sometimes a deposit just “fails to go through”. This is not the fault of the casino. Credit card issuers often attempt to stop gambling transactions before they can be processed, this is a case of the man just keeping you nice and safe from doing what you would like with your own money, but that’s a whole other post altogether.
- Debit Cards
While we have already kind of discussed Debit Cards, I just want to bring them up again for those that are just scanning this page.
Debit cards work in the same manner as credit cards. As long as your debit card carries the Visa or MasterCard logo, you really shouldn’t have a problem making deposits. This is assuming you have sufficient funds and your card issuer doesn’t attempt to block the transactions
Like a credit card, the funds that you deposit from a debit card are credited to your account almost immediately. There is not a waiting period before you’re able to use them and go do some winning!
- Prepaid Cards
Most prepaid credit cards will carry one of these logos, just make sure you get the one you need.
If you find that you don’t have a credit card for whatever reason, or you just don’t want to use your credit card, you can always buy a prepaid card. You can go to almost any gas station, grocery store, department store, really any number of options exist there and pick one of these up.
Now, if you want to go that way, you will want to get one that is eligible for international purchases! The prepaid card in question should have whether or not it is somewhere on the packaging. If you have any questions, there should be a number on the back you could call and ask!
Once you have a prepaid card with a sufficient balance you will be able to use it to fund your online gambling accounts. This will work in the same way as the aforementioned credit cards or debit cards, (the key here is the Visa or MasterCard logo).
Now one of the things to remember here is that a prepaid card will often come with fees. There may be fees to carry a monthly balance (if you carry a debit balance) or fees to call a customer service representative to inquire about your balance or anything else. You may even face a fee just to activate the card.
With this said, if you intend to immediately use the entirety of your balance to fund your account at a casino, you can avoid most of the fees right there. The exception would be the activation fee if you have one. You’ll want to check out the fine print of your card as you are purchasing it to see what their rules are going to be.
A solid advantage of using a prepaid card is that your deposit transactions will be hidden from your bank or credit card issuer. If remaining anonymous is important to you as far as your bank goes, a prepaid card is probably the best option.
Once again, if you decide to go this route, make sure that the card you purchase can be used for international use.
- E-Wallet Services
E-Wallets have been mentioned here. These are similar to your bank account in that you can deposit and withdraw funds with this option. Also importantly, you can transfer funds to other places as well, such as an online casino.
Many gamblers like to use e-Wallets because they are convenient; you can move money back and forth between various entities online. Additionally, the funds that you have sitting in an e-Wallet are accepted at many casinos. This is an important feature because it means that there is no card issuer or financial institution that is going to try and block these transactions.
The downside to an e-Wallet is this. You will have to pay fees for every transaction. These fees can be on the high side which is going to make using these services very expensive in the long run.
Also, if you are a US gambler, you actually will not have the option to use the major e-Wallets. Neteller, EcoCard, Skrill, and others just aren’t available for the US customers.
- Bank Wire / Wire Transfer
Almost any legitimate online casino is going to accept Bank and Wire Transfers. Granted, a Crypto Exclusive casino will not, more on that in a few. But most casinos will.
A bank or wire transfer is basically funds sent directly to the casino from your bank or credit union.
The upside to this choice is that the transfers are easy to process. You simply tell your bank to send a specific amount of money to the destination of your choice, (the casino in question will provide you with the requisite details).
There are a couple of downsides, though!
First, your bank will probably charge you a fee for this. If you have a ton of cash in multiple accounts of your bank, they may waive these fees. Otherwise, you can plan to pay at least $25 per transfer.
Secondly, your money will not be available immediately as would be the case if you were to use a credit card. Instead, you will have to wait a few days.
If you don’t mind the wait, or you don’t have a credit card and plan to make a large deposit into your account (for example, $1,000) a wire transfer is a great option.
Be sure to check out all of the options listed here – maybe a Wire Transfer is right for you!
- Money Transfers
Money transfers, sometimes called cash transfers, are accepted by virtually all tier-1 casinos, such as Bovada and Slots.lv. You’re probably already familiar with these services such as MoneyGram and Western Union.
These are also incredibly easy to use, but slightly inconvenient. Here’s how they work:
- Contact customer support at the online casino to which you would like to make a deposit. The person that you talk to will provide you with the account details for the transfer.
- Create an account with MoneyGram or Western Union and link it with your credit card, (this can be done online).
- Select the amount you would like to deposit into your casino account and instruct the service to transfer it.
- Make a note of these transaction details. Contact customer service at the online casino (again) and provide them with the information. They should be able to confirm your transaction within the hour.
A good part of those steps can be done in person if you really want to leave the house to go and take care of that, but there’s really not much of a reason to do so if you have an internet connection.
- Crypto
You have heard of crypto by now. You may have even already used it to pay for things on websites such as Overstock. If you are in the dark concerning what it is, here’s the simple version.
It’s a decentralized digital currency where there is no middleman standing between you and the entity which you want to send money to. There was a time when you would pay no fees and remain anonymous. Unfortunately, those days are kind of over, just something to be aware of!
I work with many online casinos. To see all of them, including any that did not make “the list” on this particular page, click here. I bring that up to bring this up.
I cannot think of an online casino anymore that does not accept crypto.
To use this deposit method, you would first need to create a crypto wallet to hold your crypto. You can do this at websites like Coinbase and the like.
You would then need to make a deposit to your wallet.
Lastly, you would transfer the crypto from your wallet to the casino.
It is relatively simple once you get used to it. If you think you will still have questions, check out this article that Bovada wrote for their customers. Once you check that out you will pretty much be ready to use crypto at any online casino.
- Paypal
Paypal is technically an e-Wallet service, but it needs to be distinguished from places like Neteller, EcoCard, Skrill, and others like it because it is available and open for US customers. In fact, there’s a solid chance you already have a Paypal account if you have ever bought anything on eBay or operated an online business.
In fact, it is estimated that there are currently 433 Million active accounts making it the 800 pound gorilla of the e-Wallet industry.
Now it needs to be said that there really aren’t many online casinos that currently accept Paypal. It’s not that they don’t want you to make deposits. The problem is that Paypal has to comply with legislation that prohibits money transfers to gambling websites, so they are going to try to actively block transactions making it so that online casinos just do not want to deal with it!
One possible workaround to this is to apply for a Paypal Mastercard. This card would carry the MasterCard logo and you may be able to transfer funds to the casino of your choice by using the card, (you would need to have funds available in your account, of course).
Keep in mind that Paypal may still try to block the transfer, similar to the way credit card issuers, but then again, it may work. Basically, you don’t know if you don’t try!
- Personal Check
This is going to be the last resort for most people. You can write an old-school personal check and drop it in the mail for delivery to the online casino of your choice, (assuming they will accept one).
As you can probably imagine, there are a few downsides to this, mainly being wait-time.
You will have to wait for the mailman to come pick up the check and the post office to take it to the casino. Then, the casino has to mail it off to their headquarters. Now you would be waiting for your bank to clear it, and so on. You are basically just sitting around waiting for the funds to clear.
With all that said, it’s actually a safe and simple deposit method even if it is slow and inconvenient.
Top 5 Questions About Online Casino Banking
Any last questions? Let’s see if we can knock them out!
You now know everything you need to know concerning the options that are available to you when it comes to banking with an online casino, but you may still have questions. This is a list of the five most common questions I get asked about casino deposits and withdrawals.
- Can I cash-out to my credit card?
As a general rule, online casinos will not process your withdrawals to your credit or debit card. This is still the case even if you used the card to make your deposits.
- What can be done about the casino not being able to process my credit card deposit?
Remember, the problem is the card issuer, not the casino. Knowing that, try another card if you have one. You can also try to deposit a smaller amount. Some card issuers flag transactions that exceed a certain amount but ignore those that fall under it.
And of course you’ll want to make sure that it’s not “user error”. You cannot transfer $1,000 if you only have $200 in available credit.
- The casino won’t accept as much as I want to deposit. What are my options?
Most casinos have a ceiling when it comes to deposits. You can always check the Terms and Conditions and it’s usually very clear as to how much you can deposit with any type of method.
You can just deposit less and fall under the terms of the casino.
You can also contact customer service at the casino. They have been known to make exceptions, especially with those customers that have a long history of activity with the casino and have an account in good standing. This isn’t a guarantee at all, but definitely worth a shot!
- It’s taking forever to get my withdrawal, what’s going on?
It’s important to have some realistic expectations. Withdrawals are not like credit card deposits, they are not processed instantly and they can take a bit of time for verification.
That said, some casinos are faster than others when it comes to processing withdrawals. For example, Bovada and Slots.lv have reputations for sending out checks very quickly to their customers, whereas some other casinos have been known to drag their feet.
- Is my money safe if I make deposits online?
The short answer is “yes”.
The encryption protecting each transaction is strong enough to ward off any outside attacks. A legitimate casino is going to use the same type of encryption to protect you and your money as you would get from buying airline tickets through Expedia, books from Amazon, etc. It comes down to this:
Your funds are safe
That is, your funds are safe as long as you’re playing at a casino that has proven themselves to be reliable, such as the ones you are going to find here. After all, all of the encryption is not going to help you if the casino is dishonest!
And if you decide to check out BetOnline, don’t forget that if you make a reload deposit on a Tuesday to use the code BETTURBO3 for an Extra $50!
What’s Next?
All that is left now is to pick a few legitimate online casinos to make your first deposit and start playing!
I recommend visiting the ones that are on the list on this page and if for some reason none of them are really calling out to you, taking a look at all of the online casinos I work with. I have been working with these for literal years and they have all been thoroughly vetted not only in a professional manner, but I use them for my own gambling as well!
You’re ready to go. You know what you have to do if you don’t have a credit card, don’t want to use a credit card, don’t want to go get a prepaid card, don’t have any crypto, the list goes on and on. No matter what kind of option you would like to use, you now have a head start on getting yourself going.
So what are you waiting for? Now is the time to start doing some winning!
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