Bank transfers are a somewhat outdated payment method in online UK gambling sites, but they are available to you, nonetheless. A wire transfer needs a few business days to clear and usually comes with processing fees from both the casino and the bank.
Additionally, a lot of gamblers are hesitant to give their banking information to a casino. As a result, the options below have gained more popularity. However, there are still several online casinos in the UK accepting wire transfers, so to each their own?
Likewise, debit card payments are available at most online casinos, and they’re a popular option for many gamblers. These are a lot faster than wire transfers, with deposits processing almost instantaneously and withdrawals needing, at most, a couple of business days to clear.
However, you’ll still need to enter your card details to make a transaction, which can, sometimes, put people off. You’ll also need to be aware of processing fees for these payments - these details should be available to you on the banking institution’s official site.
If you can’t find details regarding possible fees, you can contact the bank’s customer service.
Prepaid cards and vouchers are great alternatives to debit cards since they allow quick and safe transactions while allowing you to maintain better control over your spending.
Most deposits are instant. Some UK casinos may not let you withdraw to prepaid cards, so have a backup plan.
The prepaid options below are increasingly popular since they protect against identity theft and fraud, require no bank account, and are easy to get at physical stores or online.
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Prepaid Debit Cards Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and their partner banks offer prepaid and gift cards whenever you want them. You can add funds to these through regular bank transfers or cash deposits and use them like any other debit card. |
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Paysafecard Paysafecards are vouchers you can buy online or in physical stores at more than 600 retailers. They come in several predetermined amounts; acquiring one will give you access to a 16-digit voucher or PIN. You can use this PIN to make secure deposits in Paysafecard UK online casinos and just buy another one when you use the entire amount. |
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ecoVouchers ecoPayz allows users to purchase prepaid vouchers at physical retailers or online and use them to deposit in online casinos. Upon purchase, you’ll receive an 18-digit voucher you can use just like a Paysafecard. This method should be available in any Payz UK online casino. |
E-wallets are one of the easiest methods of making online casino transactions, especially when managing multiple casino accounts or using various cards.
You’ll need to create an account and verify your identity, but it’s a small price to pay for quick and private transactions in a couple of clicks afterwards.
Moreover, e-wallets are popular and available at most online casinos, and many incur no fees for casino transactions. You may need to pay some currency conversion fees or fees for withdrawing funds from your e-wallet account to your bank account or debit card.
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PayPal PayPal is the most well-known and widely used e-wallet, so it comes as no surprise that most UK online casinos accept PayPal as a payment method. With a PayPal account, you can deposit quickly from your bank account, cards, or your PayPal balance, and you won’t even need to fill in your details on the casino platform. All you need to do is log in to your PayPal account and confirm your transaction when prompted. |
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Skrill Initially designed for gamblers, Skrill is yet another e-wallet available at most online casinos. In fact, it won’t be difficult to find a Skrill UK casino, as they’re abundant. With a standard account, you can make quick and easy transactions up to a certain monthly limit. To raise this limit, you must verify your identity by taking photos of some of your legal documents. Please be warned that, with Skrill, you can’t send these documents over e-mail. You’ll need to download the Skrill app and take photos through it, then wait a couple of business days for the confirmation. |
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Neteller Owned by Paysafe Group, the same company running Paysafecard and Skrill, Neteller is an e-wallet service focusing on merchant payments rather than money transfers between users. There are plenty of Neteller UK casinos worldwide, and they allow a high level of convenience and security. In certain countries, players can take out money from Neteller using a physical card. However, many players prefer to transfer their funds to their bank accounts. It’s also worth noting that many casinos will refuse to offer certain bonuses to players who deposit using Skrill or Neteller. |
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Trustly Yet another popular e-wallet option, Trustly, allows you to make payments in a couple of clicks without providing any of your sensitive information. Deposits are available instantly, and you can always withdraw from your Trustly UK casino balance to your bank account or card. Like all other e-wallets, Trustly acts as a middleman between your bank and your casino, adding a layer of protection to your funds and personal details. Luckily, the United Kingdom is one of the select countries where Trustly is available, so British players should rejoice. |
Mobile payments are all the rage in the United Kingdom, and they’re starting to gain traction in other parts of the world, as well. In this context, mobile payments mean you deposit a certain amount using your phone number, which you’ll later pay with your phone bill.
Mobile payments are quick and easy to make and allow a level of privacy that’s not possible with traditional payment methods. However, some players find them confusing since, in many instances, there’s no way to check your deposit history or revert a transfer. However, your deposit history is always available in your casino account.
This might be an issue if you're managing multiple casino accounts, but it's generally fine for a single one.
Additionally, you can only use mobile payments to deposit money. When you want to withdraw your funds, you'll need another payment method.
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Boku Boku is an easy-to-use, prevalent mobile payment service that’s used by dozens of tech companies worldwide and, you guessed it, plenty of UK online casinos. For your first payment, you’ll need to confirm your phone number by entering a code you receive via text message. Your number will be saved for future transactions, and the amount will be charged on your next phone bill. Boku casinos are available in 60+ countries on more than 250 mobile networks. |
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PayForIt PayForIt casinos are a great option for beginners and low-stakes players since they only allow deposits of up to €30 using this method. PayForIt is only available to players who own a phone number operated by Three, O2, EE, Vodafone, and Virgin Mobile. These restrictions are necessary since, unlike Boku, PayForIt uses mobile credit. Deposits will be drawn out of your phone number’s credit balance, and you’ll need to purchase additional credit for further transfers. |
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MuchBetter This service is a bit of a hybrid since it doesn’t use your mobile credit but is only available as a mobile app. UK casinos accepting MuchBetter are available worldwide and allow quick and secure transactions using your fingerprint. You can top up your MuchBetter account using various methods and currencies, including crypto. |
Although still widely unregulated, crypto-assets are gaining traction as casino payment methods due to their speed and security. And, honestly, their novelty factor.
To use crypto-assets for gambling, you’ll first need to create a crypto wallet, such as Metamask, and an account on a reputable crypto exchange, such as Coinbase.
Transactions with cryptocurrencies are public, albeit pseudo-anonymous, and quite fast, needing, at most, a few hours to clear, depending on the network congestion.
However, you’ll need to keep some sensitive information regarding your accounts safe, and stored offline, as you won’t be able to regain access to your wallet if you forget your credentials.
Be Aware
British players would benefit from reading the UKGC’s regulations regarding crypto-assets in gambling. These are tolerated but not yet regulated, so players need to exercise caution.
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Bitcoin Bitcoin casinos started gaining popularity in 2014 when one Bitcoin went from $13 to about $750. At this point, everyone was looking for new ways to use Bitcoin online, and online casinos were a great choice. Using Bitcoin for your casino transactions is fast and nearly free (save for a few cents reserved for the transaction processing). You can pay at casinos almost anonymously, and the best part, you get to gamble again, this time passively, considering how volatile this currency is. |
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Ethereum Ethereum casinos quickly followed, with Ethereum becoming the second biggest and most well-known cryptocurrency worldwide. It really helps that Ethereum creator, Vitalic Buterin, is a really meme-able internet personality. |
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Other Coins You can use many other crypto-assets to gamble online, like on Litecoin gambling sites Ripple, Tron, Tether, Bitcoin Cash, EOS, and even the silly dogecoin casinos. Before diving into crypto, it's important to do some research. Approach the space with caution because there are many scams. Victims often aren't familiar with the tools of the trade. |
1. Consider what you’re working with.
My aim with this page is to provide you with all the necessary details so you can pick the best payment method for you. However, the best option for someone will always be the one they already have access to.
If you already have an e-wallet or other preferred payment method, there’s no point in getting accustomed to another one. Identity verification is usually needed for withdrawals to a bank account or raising the standard limits, and you should plan for these processes accordingly.
2. Determine your future payments’ desired size and frequency.
It’s always wise to plan your future deposits. If you already know how much you’re looking to deposit in a given period, you can choose your payment method to your advantage.
Some methods are faster, some come with lower or no fees, and some are better suited for smaller or larger transactions.
With so many options available, the best choice will always depend on your play style, so ensure you know exactly what you’re in the market for.
3. Figure out what matters most to you regarding your transactions.
Transfer speed? High transaction limits? Different payment methods come with different advantages, but not all of them will make a difference for your gambling. Determine your goals before making a choice, and you’ll need a lot less time when researching your options.
Typically, UK casinos prefer that players use the same method for both deposits and withdrawals to ensure a smoother transaction process and to mitigate potential fraud risks.
By doing so, it becomes easier for the casino to verify the identity of the player and ensure that funds are going back to the rightful owner.
However, not all deposit methods are available for withdrawals. For instance, while many UK casinos accept e-wallet deposits, they might not allow withdrawals to be returned to the same account due to processing restrictions or potential chargeback issues.
In such cases, you might need to choose an alternative withdrawal method, like a bank transfer.
Here’s a short, step-by-step guide to making a deposit in a UK online casino. I’ll assume you already have a verified casino account.
That’s it. If you’re claiming any bonus for this deposit, remember that your bonus funds should be tracked and displayed in a separate balance from your actual funds.
More details regarding the UKGC’s provisions regarding bonuses can be found on their official page for licensees.
I bet you could figure out casino deposits on your own, but are you aware there’s also a wrong way to make a deposit?
Here are some of the things you should always avoid when depositing funds in your UK casino account.
Keeping your deposits under control is a great way to tackle the potential of gambling issues. It’s important you keep a record of your transactions and monitor your deposits and withdrawals closely.
Any funds resulting from your gambling will remain in your casino account’s balance until you request a withdrawal. You can do so by visiting the Banking or Cashier section of your account, selecting a payment method, and entering your desired cashout amount.
Online casinos are required to go through some steps to verify your withdrawals, and this process can take up to a few business days for some operators. In most cases, it is much faster, but it all boils down to the casino’s backend and the regulatory requirements in your jurisdiction.
If your preferred casino needs four business days to process your withdrawal, there isn’t much you can do. Yet, you can always choose a fast-payout UK casino instead and have your funds on their merry way to your account in less than 24 hours.
Moreover, I’ve gathered some handy tips to help you speed up the entire process.
Taxation of gambling earnings varies significantly by country and even within different regions or states of countries. However, for British players, things are much simpler than meets the eye. Here’s what you should know about your gambling taxes as a British player.
According to the Gambling Commission, 44% of the adult UK population gambled in the last month before the 2023 survey. You would expect the UK sides with its people and doesn’t tax gambling earnings. And you would be right.
The UK does not charge any taxes on gambling winnings but, instead, taxes operators on their revenue.
I’m not saying this information will likely be useful for you since winning a jackpot is statistically a rare occurrence.
But gamblers sometimes ask themselves some questions regarding jackpots. We should know the ins and outs of withdrawing a large jackpot, just in case it happens to us. Right?
Right?
Well, here’s what I found out during my totally warranted research.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Many online casinos have time-sensitive withdrawal limits or other restrictive conditions, such as:
And the best UK casinos will usually have progressive jackpot exemptions in their Terms and Conditions to ensure you don’t stumble on these restrictions if you, by chance, need to withdraw a jackpot.
There are instances where online casinos might refuse or delay paying out your funds. Here are some of the most common reasons why that might happen.
A key takeaway here is that trustworthy, UKGC-licensed casinos will payout unless they have a legitimate reason not to. When an issue arises, you can rest assured that your payment will be processed after the requirements are met.
However, there are cases where the refusal of payment is a real issue, namely when you’re playing in unlicensed, rogue casinos.
Rogue casinos operate without the standards of fairness, transparency, and security expected of licensed, reputable operators.
These casinos are known for various unethical practices, such as refusing to pay out winnings, using rigged or pirated games, making false advertising claims, and offering misleading bonuses with near-impossible wagering requirements.
They might not hold valid licenses, or if they do, they often disregard the regulations and standards set by the licensing bodies. I strongly advise you to steer clear of rogue casinos, as they pose significant risks in terms of financial losses and breaches of personal data.
If you’re playing in an eCOGRA-certified casino, you can use their Alternative Dispute Resolution service to solve this issue without any additional costs. If your issue is not with an eCOGRA casino, you might want to contact the UKGC and file a complaint.
But, the easiest way to avoid this would be to choose a casino from our list. All of them are properly licensed and perfectly safe for British players, so you won’t ever have to worry about issues with your payments or the security of your funds.
