Casino payment methods
There are many casino payment methods in the UK that allow you to deposit and withdraw money at gambling sites. Many of these work in different ways. And some are much more popular than others. On this page, we’re going to look at all the different types of payments methods you can use at UK casinos – listing their pros and cons. You can then decide which one suits you best.
There are many types of deposit methods that you can use at casinos in the UK. Each one comes with certain positives and negatives. For depositing, the main factors are usually how easy the service is to use, if any fees are charged, and if you can use the method to trigger casino deposit bonuses. All deposit methods should be instant – so you can play with your money right away. Any service that’s not instant is never going to be popular.
Here’s our guide to all the different casino deposit methods UK.
E-wallets
An e-wallet is an online wallet where you store money. You can access an e-wallet using an internet-connected device like a smartphone or computer. They are easy to top up, usually using a payment card, but they require you to open an account. This can take a few minutes and may require verification.
Pros ✔
- Instant deposits
- No banking or card details are shared
- Normally free to join
- Convenient – just need to log in and confirm the payment
Cons ✘
- You need to top up first – which is basically an extra transfer
- Many e-wallets won’t trigger bonuses
- A fee may be charged to deposit very occasionally
Cards (only debit cards accepted)
Making a payment using a card is the most common transaction method in the world. So it’s not a surprise that all of our top 50 online casinos UK accept card payments. However, credit cards have been banned under UK gambling law – so these are not available to use.
Pros ✔
- All sites allow debit/prepaid card deposits
- Fees are almost never charged
- Almost always allowed to trigger bonuses
Cons ✘
- Your card details are shared (even though this is safe to do, some players prefer not to)
- You have to manually input your details – which can be slow and annoying
Banking methods for online casinos
Manual bank transfers are sometimes accepted by some casinos. But they’re largely a thing of the past. They can take a long time to process so most casinos prefer to use middleman services (like Trustly) that speed it up. This ensures that your deposits are instant – instead of waiting days for it to clear.
Pros ✔
- Deposits are now instant (when using middleman services)
- Only need to log in to online banking
- No need to enter the casino’s details – payment is done automatically
- Almost always allowed to trigger bonuses
Cons ✘
- You have to share your personal information with the middleman service (even though they’re highly secure)
Mobile casino deposit methods
There are several mobile payment types for casinos. For example, the past few years has seen Apple Pay casinos UK and Google Pay casinos UK arrive. Both of which allow you to make quick payments using your mobile devices which are then charged to the card connected to your account. These methods have pretty much the same positives and negatives as card payments.
Another way is pay by phone casino UK services. This is when the money is added to your monthly phone bill. Or it’s taken from your available credit. You will often use an SMS deposit casino UK to do this – where you confirm the payment via text.
Pros ✔
- You don’t need an account
- Fast and easy
- Most major UK mobile networks support these payments
Cons ✘
- Smaller networks might not be supported
- Bonuses can often be triggered – but maximum deposits of £30 per transaction often make it not worthwhile
Minimum deposit amounts
The most common sites are £10 deposit casinos. This means you can put down as low as a tenner to start playing. Most of these will give you a bonus for this amount too – giving you a bit more bankroll to use on top of your own money.
However, the minimum deposit amount can be higher at certain sites. For example, a £20 deposit casino is also common. Again, you can often get a bonus for this amount.
On the other hand, a few generous sites may offer lower minimum payment limits. For example, a £5 minimum deposit casino UK is becoming more common. A few other sites are even classed as a £3 minimum deposit casino UK. However, you rarely get bonuses for these smaller amounts.
Although players search for a £1 deposit casino and a 50p deposit casino, we don’t have any sites that go this low. Instead, we recommend visiting a casino with free spins – so you can play without making a deposit at all.
Casino withdrawal methods
Most deposit methods double up as withdrawal methods. This means you can take any money out the same way if you manage to win something. In fact, you’re often required to use the same method to withdraw as you did to deposit. But a handful of methods only allow deposits – so it’s worth checking this.
The main factor for casino withdrawal methods is speed. How quickly can you get the winnings once they’ve been sent by the casino? You also need to consider if any fees are charged – but speed is the number one consideration.
E-wallets
Almost all e-wallets allow players to receive money. A casino must allow payouts via this method too. But most do as they are one of the cheapest ways to send cash to players.
Pros ✔
- Very fast – usually within 24 hours or less
- Instant PayPal withdrawal casino is very popular e-wallet option in UK
- Often free to receive your money into the wallet
- Highly secure and safe
Cons ✘
- A fee may be charged to withdraw money from your e-wallet into your banking account
Perhaps one e-wallet that isn’t widely accepted for withdrawals is Paysafecard. UK players are now required to create an e-wallet in order to deposit and play at a Paysafecard Casino UK. Some sites may allow withdrawals back to this e-wallet. But as this development is fairly recent, some casinos may not have implemented it yet. You can check their withdrawal page or ask customer support to make sure.
Cards
Most casino sites will let you withdraw using card. If you deposited using card then your details will likely be saved, removing one of the cons above.
Pros ✔
- The money goes straight back into your banking account
- Very rarely any fees
- Payout is very quick if using a Visa fast withdrawal casino
Cons ✘
- Visa fast withdrawals aren’t universal yet
- Standard payouts can take several days
Banking methods for online casinos
Bank transfer withdrawals will mostly use the same middleman services (like Trustly) that they use to process deposits. This allows for much faster payouts on average. However, occasionally the casino may do a manual transfer without these services.
Pros ✔
- Withdrawals are faster when you’re using a middleman service
- The money goes straight into your bank account
- Fees are rarely charged
Cons ✘
- Manual wire transfers may need you to share details
- These manual transactions can also take several days as they don’t use a middleman service
Mobile casino withdrawal methods
Only specific versions of mobile payment methods can be used to withdraw. For example, Apple Pay and Google Pay. That’s because they are connected to your card. So the money goes back to these accounts.
But you can’t get casinos to pay by phone. This is only available when depositing. So if you used this method to make your payment then the casino will force you to use an alternative instead – sometimes a manual bank transfer which is slow and required you to share your details.
Minimum withdrawal amounts
Most UK online casino sites have a minimum withdrawal of £10 or £20. These are the most common.
But again, you may find lower amounts on occasion. Such as £5 or lower as there are online casinos that don’t have any withdrawal limits.
Credit cards are no longer available
Since 2020, credit cards aren’t allowed in UK-licensed online casinos anymore. This was a decision made by the UK Gambling Commission as it banned the use of credit cards in April 2020. According to the stats found by the Gambling Commission, 22% of the players that used credit cards for gambling were problem gamblers.
According to the Gambling Commission credit cards were at the heart of creating problem gambling as players were able to play with borrowed money. And according to Neil McArthur, it was a step toward the direction of safer gambling.
Before the ban credit cards were widely accepted both online and offline. This of course might be annoying to some that are used to using credit cards on a regular basis. Cards like American Express (Amex) are commonly used for all payments and at the end of the month, the cardholder will pay the full bill. However since American Express is a credit card as well, it is no longer available as a payment method in UK casinos – online & offline.
There are still online casinos accepting credit card deposits and players from the UK, but none of these casinos are licensed within the UK and are breaking the rules by accepting players from the UK.
How do I decide which method to use?
The most important thing is convenience. Whatever method makes playing easier and more fun, you should choose that. For example, if you don’t have a PayPal account – is it really worth creating a new account just to play casino? But if you’ve already got one, you will often get fast payouts.
Weigh up the pros and cons of each to help decide. And if you don’t like a payment method, you can always change to a different one at any time.