How To Deposit / Withdraw Money To Gambling Sites Safely & Without Paying
Charges
The best gambling sites are very careful to combat fraud and maintain security, and the downside to this is that it can mean extra hassle when depositing and (especially) withdrawing funds. Just remember, the security is in your interests as well as the gambling site's. If you don't wish to risk very much money at first, be sure to check out our list of low minimum deposit casino choices.
CREDIT / DEBIT CARDS
(VISA, MASTERCARD, DINER'S CLUB, SWITCH, DELTA, MAESTRO, ELECTRON, SOLO)
Most sites will happily accept credit cards, but many US card operators (and an increasing number in Europe) will not allow deposits to gambling sites. Those that do allow such deposits will often not allow you to cash out more to your credit card than you deposited in the first place. This means you need to find another way of withdrawing your winnings. For UK / European players, by far the easiest way is to use a site that allows you to deposit AND WITHDRAW via your bank account / debit card. Usually this means using a VISA debit card rather than a MASTERCARD debit card, as most sites will only allow you to deposit via Mastercard and not deposit AND withdraw winnings. If you can't withdraw via debit card at the site, this just means you have to wait for a cheque to be sent to you. This is usually free, but note that often this cheque will be in US dollars and your bank may charge you for processing it. Most UK / European credit cards can be used to make deposits, and most treat them as purchases rather than cash advances or foreign transactions check with your bank or credit card company if in doubt.
Which Casinos Accept Debit Cards To Deposit AND Withdraw?
Casino On Net, Ladbrokes and Bet365casino are the most straight forward sites to withdraw from, the funds are credited back to your debit card instantly and without any fees being deducted - as long as you are using a Visa Delta, Switch, Solo or Electron debit card. All three sites will let you cash out winnings over and above the amount you deposited to a VISA debit card, but will not pay out to a MASTERCARD debit (or credit) card (so you can deposit with your mastercard debit card, but you have to find a different way to withdraw). JackpotJoy will allow you to deposit via a debit card, but not withdraw via a debit card. However they will allow you to withdraw by Bank Transfer (BACS) or they will send you a cheque in UK sterling so you won't have to pay any fees (they will pay US customers in dollars to avoid fees too). Game Account will only pay back you original balance to your credit or debit card, and not any winnings over and above that amount. They too will allow you to withdraw by Bank Transfer or UK cheque. With GameAccount you also have the option of being paid into a PayPal account.
Gambling Deposit Option Pros And Cons
If you are not going down the credit / debit card route, there are several other ways to deposit and withdraw. Not all sites support every method, check the site reviews for details. Charges listed are correct at the current time but subject to change - always read the small print when signing up to one of the following accounts:
PAYPAL
Most internet users are familiar with the PayPal system, as sites such as EBay and Amazon use this method for cash transactions. It is essentially a "wallet" which you can credit with funds or use to accept payments from other users, or from web sites. Most gambling sites used to accept PayPal for deposits and withdrawals. However this changed when EBay decided to buy PayPal for $1.5 billion in 2002. EBay, citing "the uncertain regulatory environment", ceased to allow gambling transactions via PayPal. This meant that no gambling sites could accept PayPal, and their role was taken on by other similar companies, the largest being NetTeller and FirePay (described below). Because the games offered by GameAccount are considered "skill games" rather than gambling games, GameAccount could still offer this method of deposit - which is very handy for customers who already have a PayPal account. (Note that you cannot play Backgammon for real money using a PayPal account). The situation has recently changed, for players in Europe at least, as PayPal now does allow gambling transactions from some Casinos. Ladbrokes Casino, Sportsbook andPoker Room will allow UK / European players to deposit via PayPal. For real money accounts at gambling sites which do not accept PayPal or credit/debit cards, you will need to set up a NetTeller account (or use one of the other withdrawal methods listed below).
NETELLER
NETeller offers a variety of ways of depositing and withdrawing funds, depending on the service you want. If you want the most convenient service, you can open a NETeller account and fund it with a credit card, then transfer funds from your NETeller account to the gambling site. NETeller makes a charge for this service of around 4% (plus whatever charge your credit card company makes). Because the credit card transaction is not directly to the gambling site, this gets around the problem many US players face of not being able to deposit via credit card. Alternatively you can use NETeller's "InstaCash" service which allows you to fund your NETeller account direct from your bank account but the charge is very high, around 9%. The more economical way of using NETeller is to certify your bank account with them, which you can do by providing your bank details and allowing them to make two small test deposits (at their expense). You notify NETeller that the deposits have been made and verify the test amounts, and from then on NETeller allows you to move cash between your bank account and your NETeller account for free via a process called Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). This process takes 4-5 business days, so in total it will take over a week from the time you open a NETeller account until you are able to move funds around without charge. You will need to have an on-line banking facility to transfer funds in this way. Whichever method you use, moving your money from NETeller to the casino and from casino to NETeller is free (or, rather, NETeller charges for the service, but the charge is paid by the casino, not you). One alternative for UK customers is to open an account with a casino that allows you to cash out to a debit card, then open a NETeller account and transfer funds from the casino into it. You can then use the NETeller account to deposit in a second casino that doesn't allow you to cash out via debit card. When you come to cash out, instead of requesting a cheque you deposit your winnings from the second casino into your NETeller account, then transfer from your NETeller account into the first casino, and withdraw it via debit card.
E-PASSPORTE
Another cash transfer service, this time European based. Again it is less popular than NETeller, and if you're going to the trouble of setting up an account with one of these companies you may as well go for the one that is most widely accepted - though if you already have an e-passporte account then of course it may prove convenient to use it to fund your poker account. E-Passporte offers you a "pre-paid ATM card" which you can then use like a credit card. Their "virtual visa" costs $5 per year (fee waived for first year) plus 5% of whatever you deposit to it. You can also receive a non-virtual, plastic card, which you can then use to withdraw funds directly from your local ATM. There is a $35 fee for the card, plus a charge of $2 each time you use it to withdraw cash from an ATM. In order to open an account you have to have your bank account verified by a small test deposit, in much the same way as with NETeller.
iGM-Pay
Payment option offered at PartyPoker, who now offer Blackjack as part of their set-up, and who plan to introduce more casino games in due course. Allows you to pay direct from your bank account, without charges. You need to have your bank account verified before you can deposit or withdraw though, which can take some time.
BANK DRAFTS / WIRE TRANSFER / INTERNATIONAL MONEY ORDER
Essentially a cheque from your bank to the casino. Charges for this service vary according to your bank, as does the time it takes for the draft / transfer / money order to appear in your casino account. If you want to make a single deposit and you're not in any particular hurry, this option avoids the need to open an on-line account with NETeller or one of the other cash transfer sites.
PHONE CARD / PRE-PAID ATM CARD
Essentially a pre-paid phone card or ATM card which you can use like a credit card. You choose this option whilst depositing at a casino and the amount of the "call" is credited to your casino account it is nothing to do with making phone calls, and everything to do with by-passing credit card vetoes on gambling sites. There are different types of phone cards, but the two most common for online gambling purchases are Global Connect Card and EasyBuy Card (formerly known as Cash Connection Link). Very convenient, as it allows US players to deposit instantly (and anonymously), and it also means no gambling-related transactions appear on your credit card bill. On the downside, the charges for these cards are usually high, and you still need to find a method of cashing out (as you cannot cash out to a pre-paid atm or phone card).
Poker Rooms That Take Phone Card And PrePaid ATM Deposits
Few casinos allow deposits via phone cards. Both Casino On Net and Bet365 allow German and Austrian users to deposit via a "PaySafe" pre-paid ATM card. Casino Web Cam allows US players to deposit via 900Pay, which is a deposit method based on the same principle. This method is similar to a phone card but the amount you deposit is charged to your phone bill rather than being taken off a phone card.
CITADEL
Players in the US / Canada can open a Citadel bank account and transfer funds "for free". You deposit and withdraw cash via an "Ecash Direct" account. The reason for putting "for free" in inverted commas is because their site is less than transparent about the service charges most Ecash Direct accounts involve charges of $1 per transaction it may be that Citadel don't charge but you still end up paying a charge somewhere along the line. It appears that you won't be charged if you have a balance of over £2000 or $3000 - if you have less than that you must pay $20 per month. A clearer explanation of the service at their homepage would help clarify this. The main attraction of Citadel is the ability to send an "e-check" to a site instantly, rather than having to wait the usual 2 - 3 days. However, if you are thinking of using Citadel to send funds from your US / Canadian bank account you must check that your bank will authorize Electronic Fund Transfers (EFTs) first. Many banks require EFTs to be pre-authorised by the account holder. What this means is that Citadel will try to withdraw funds from your account and be declined, and you will then face a charge from Citadel for that "bounced" check.
What is a casino deposit bonus?
A deposit bonus (or "sign-up bonus") is an amount of money that the gambling site will add to your account when you deposit money with them. The amount each site is prepared to offer you varies for site to site and each site changes its deposit bonus from time to time. Often if you just visit the casino or gaming web-site you won't be offered any kind of bonus, and if you join up without getting a bonus code or following a link that automatically credits you with the bonus, you are throwing away free money. If you joined all of the sites listed in our "Trusted Gambling Sites" without claiming your bonus you would have just missed out on hundreds of $$$$. We check what bonus is currently being offered by each site, and what the terms and conditions are to get the bonus. All the bonus offers here are up to date, and the best we can find - you just need to click the link in the review section to automatically qualify.
Why do gambling sites and poker rooms offer sign-up bonuses?
It's basically a bribe! Each site wants you to play with them rather than a competitor, and so they offer you something to come and play at their site rather than a different one. For casino games, they bank on you losing more in the long term than you win, and so they encourage you to stay with them by offering a cash incentive. The poker rooms make their money by taking a small percentage of each pot of money won by poker players (called "the rake") the more players they can attract, the more money they can make. Players gravitate to the sites that have the most players. The gambling sites know this, and so they do their best to attract as many players as possible, even if this means running a "loss leader" i.e. giving you free cash to gamble with. Often they do not advertise their sign-up bonus on their site, as of course they would prefer if you signed up without getting anything back. And some gambling sites advertise deposit bonuses that look great, but which turn out to be a con when you check the small print.....Stick to sites which have a track record for transparency, and who have shown in the past that they will pay you what they say they will pay you.
Is this really free gambling money? Can I really get free casino chips at these sites?
With regard to the bonuses listed at this site, yes but see below .
What are the strings to these casino sign up offers?
Each bonus comes with certain "strings" that is, certain terms and conditions. If there were no strings at all, you could deposit money then take it out again straight away having made yourself up to 100% profit and clearly the casinos and poker rooms could not sustain that. Generally you are required to gamble a certain amount of money at the site over a certain period of time to qualify. Some bonuses have more strings than others, and often it isn't clear from their web site what those strings are. We tell you exactly what you need to do to qualify for the bonus, and how easy or hard it is to "clear".
What should I watch out for when looking for free casino cash? What is a "sticky bonus"?
Beware of sites offering fantastically high sign up bonus offers, or of sites that offer higher bonuses for the major casinos or card rooms than the ones listed here. Many of these offers are "sticky bonuses" they have lots of hidden terms and conditions that make it almost impossible to qualify for the bonus. Another thing to watch for is sites that offer bonuses that cannot actually be withdrawn from your account they must be re-gambled at the site. This is the text-book definition of a sticky bonus - a bonus which can only be used to make bets with. It is better to think of these sorts of bonuses as "free bets" rather than free cash. The bonus at GameAccount is a sticky bonus - though it is far from clear that this is the case when you read the offer at the web site. At some sites, you actually cannot withdraw your original deposit until you have played a certain number of hands. The JackpotJoy bonus is of this kind - you choose whether to accept the bonus or not when you first deposit, and if you do accept the bonus then you *must* satisfy the terms and conditions of the bonus before you withdraw your deposit. Gambling sites do this to protect themselves against "bonus whores" - people who join a site just to get free money or free bets, then cash their free cash out straight away. The gambling sites argue that they then have to pay all the associated processing costs, and to deter this kind of behaviour they make the terms and conditions of the bonus binding on the entire deposit rather than just the bonus amount. It is our view that you should always be allowed to withdraw your own money from a gambling site, and we advise you not to accept the JackpotJoy bonus terms and conditions as they currently stand.
The bonus terms and conditions for each of the casinos listed by this site are clearly given so you know what you have to do to get the money advertised. It is, however, always best to read the terms and conditions at the gambling site itself as these can change from time to time.
Genuine Casino SignUp Offers versus "Sticky" offers
How do I know which bonuses are genuine and which are sticky?
We will tell you. If you choose to join a site that is not listed here, however, then read the terms and conditions of the bonus being offered. If you can't find the terms and conditions, it is very likely that the site concerned doesn't want you to find them, because the bonus is sticky in one way or another. If you want to be sure of getting a bonus that really is a bonus, join one of the sites listed in the "Trusted Gambling Sites" section by following the link for that site on the review pages. By following a link from this site, you will automatically qualify for the bonus described. ALL of the bonuses listed in the Trusted Gambling Sites section are legitimate sign up bonuses from sites that have demonstrated over a period of several years that they can be trusted to pay out what they say they are going to pay out.
