Deposit With Your Credit Card At The Leading Online Casinos
For players in most countries, depositing with your credit card is easy. If you are US-based, legal ambiguities concerning the banks transacting with online gambling sites have made this a little trickier. This article shows you how to use your credit card to play on established and reputable online casinos and what the alternatives exist should your credit card deposit get declined by your bank.
First up, you’ll find some background as to why US casino fans are finding card deposits so tricky nowadays and how the offshore sites get around this. Next, the deposit process at credit card online casinos is covered, step-by-step. After that you’ll find info on the alternative deposit options for when your credit card just will not go through.
Why Gambling Transactions Are Blocked
The rights of ordinary people who choose to spend their time and money at online casinos was dealt a blow in 2006 with the passing of a bill called the ‘UIGEA’. This stands for the ‘Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act’ and was snuck into the legislation at the last minute, in the appendixes of a must-pass bill which strengthened security at sea ports.
This bill does not criminalize individuals who gamble online, instead it targets the banks and financial institutions. They reacted by banning transactions coded as gambling, making it difficult for US players to deposit and withdraw. This saw many of the legitimate and regulated gambling operators pull out of the US.
Offshore sites are operating in countries where online gambling is perfectly legal and accepting players from other countries is permitted too. They accept credit cards by processing these as international transactions where they use 3rd party onshore processors to process the transactions. This is one-way, with only depositing possible using international coding and for withdrawals there is the option of paper checks or transfer services like Money Transfer.
How To Make Your Deposit
Once you have chosen an online casino, depositing with your credit card will usually follow these steps. You’ll need to access the cashier area first, either via the download version or (where applicable) via your browser.
Next, click on deposit and choose ‘credit card’, you will then be offered a choice of the card types available. Visa is the most commonly accepted, though you will find MasterCard at an increasing number of US online casinos and Amex at a few. You then enter your card details and the amount you wish to deposit and click OK.
You will then have to wait while the cashier tries to take the money from your card. You’ll find out within a minute or so whether you are able to hit the tables or whether your bank declined the offshore transaction. If you do get declined, then follow the instructions below and you will be surprised how often you can find an easy way to get your money on board.
Alternatives
First, check for backup cards, you might be surprised that the card you keep for emergencies gets accepted right away. If that fails then get in touch with the support staff at your casino. They will be dealing with similar enquiries all day long and are in the best possible position to advise.
One solution is to get a pre-paid credit card from a convenience store. Your casino will be able to advise you of any brands which are currently working. It may also be something simple like trying again later with your original card.
Alternative Payment Methods
The main alternative for US players to deposit with is money transfer services. These take more effort to get your money through, though they are pretty much guaranteed to work for both deposits and for withdrawals. Best of all, many of the best casinos will refund your payment fees if you deposit over a certain amount. Don’t forget to ask about this.
There is a two stage process involved. First, you need to contact the support staff at your casino and get a referral (tracking) number and the name of the individual you are sending the money too. Armed with this information you can find your local branch of Money Transfer or Rapid Transfer (your casino will specify) and physically hand over the money. This will then be wired to the recipient and you’ll have it into your account within a couple of hours.
Yes, this does involve physically taking the money to the branch offices, but then again, it is a guaranteed way to get your deposit made.
You can also withdraw any winnings through Money Transfer or Rapid Transfer, this will take three days or more, at which point you will be able to head to the office and pick up a bundle of cash. The alternative is to request a paper check. These are accepted by banks, though you’ll need to wait for them to arrive by post and then after that for them to clear processing.