US Deposit Method
As a passionate casino connoisseur and gambling enthusiast, you deserve access to the most seamless and secure banking options available to you at US casinos. In our previous article, we have discussed some of the top banking options which you can use when playing at US casinos. Most often, many of these deposit options are common globally.
In this article, we will be covering in-depth the other deposit methods are available, which US casinos offer their clients.
Option 1: MST Gift Cards
MST Gift cards are one of the most popular types of deposits in US casinos. They are similar to virtual debit cards, which can be pre-loaded with cash and gifted to someone else or used for our own play.
These cards are available for online gaming and now you can gift your loved one a session at their favourite online casino. How great is that?
Advantages of gift cards
MST Deposits will always be accepted during every transaction
MST gift cards are a great way to overcome the challenge of deposit rejection. These cards are particular helpful when making large deposits. They ensure that you have a seamless experience and your money always reaches the casino on time.
Deposits can be quickly accessed
Some deposit methods, such as bank transfers, can take time to complete after the deposit has been initiated. But MST gift cards are like any other type of gift card. The moment you apply the gift card code on the casino site, you’ll get access to your money. Your money will be with you in seconds.
They offer you anonymity and financial security
Debit and credit card payments, bank/wire transfers, and even payment services like PayPal require the sharing of sensitive financial information. If you don’t want this, MST gift cards can be your best bet. Once you purchase the gift card, there is total anonymity of your spending. Now you can visit absolutely any casino you want and play.
Perfect for players on a budget
Maybe you’re not ready to be a high roller yet. In that case, you’ll really like the $5-$500 limit that MST gift cards offer.
Disadvantages of gift cards
They can take long to initiate
Card payments and instant payment services are supported everywhere. But MST gift cards aren’t available on every website. You’ll need to check with your casino’s customer service reps to find out if they offer these cards and place a special order for them.
They come with transaction charges
MST gift cards, irrespective of the value you purchase them for, have a transaction fee of $5 attached. This can be expensive, especially when you’re making a very small deposit. Plus, some cards are charged a maintenance fee.
Bonuses are inapplicable on MST gift cards
If you were thinking of using your welcome bonus after buying an MST gift card, think again. These cards are considered a type of special deposit scheme, and none of the usual bonuses and offers can be clubbed with them.
Steps to deposit in a gift card
- Visit the website of your preferred casino website.
- Select “Contact” and choose the “Chat/Email” option to contact the customer service representative.
- Find out if the casino offers MST gift cards.
- If they do, create an account on the casino website, purchase the MST gift card using your Debit/Credit card. The name displayed in your bank balance will be that of the MST vendor.
- Cash-in your MST gift card on the casino website by following the email instructions and start playing.
Steps to withdraw money from a gift card
It is not possible to withdraw through the MST gift card. However, you can do so using other banking methods such as rapid transfer or Bitcoin.
Option 2: Prepaid Cards
Prepaid cards (and discount vouchers) have become a really great way to easily and seamlessly deposit money in your casino gaming account. They are very similar to gift cards in how they function and can be used exclusively for online gambling. Plus, you can gift prepaid cards to loved ones too!
Advantages of prepaid cards
Prepaid cards provide the same advantages as offered by MTS gift cards. For example, they are completely anonymous, are accepted for deposits all the time, can be used to play immediately, and are great for low-rollers. They have a few additional benefits:
They are very accessible for purchase
Numerous online and offline prepaid card vendors, stores, banks and casino sites stock prepaid cards for casino deposits. You can purchase them absolutely anywhere and use them on your preferred site. This works because, unlike MTS gift cards, prepaid cards are not casino-specific.
They help you save money and meet your budget goals
Since you have to specify the amount you need when purchasing your prepaid casino card, you won’t ever be at risk of making extravagant deposits when gaming. This makes prepaid cards very budget-friendly and a very smart way of making deposits when gambling.
Disadvantages of prepaid cards
Prepaid casino cards like EcoCard have the same disadvantages as MTS gift cards. They cannot be used to accept winnings or make withdrawals. You’ll need to set-up a new method to do both. Finally, prepaid cards have processing fees, not to mention annual maintenance fees per transaction.
Steps to deposit in prepaid cards
- Log onto the casino website of your choice.
- Navigate to the deposits section and select the “Prepaid Card” option.
- Choose which type of prepaid card you want to buy.
- Specify the amount of deposit you want to make and place your order.
The prepaid card with the deposit will be visible immediately.
Steps to use money in prepaid cards
Choose an alternative payment method like Credit/Debit cards, bitcoin or check for withdrawal.
Option 3: Wire Transfer
Wire transfers are a type of electronic fund transfer that is different from ACH payments and eChecks. They are a wonderful way to move large deposits from your bank account to your casino deposit account.
Advantages of wire transfer
Absolutely anyone with a bank account can do it
Gift and prepaid cards aren’t sold by all vendors. But with wire transfer, you can very quickly and easily make your deposit because they’re supported by every bank.
If you have a bank account – which most people do – you can easily initiate the wire transfer to your casino account the same day.
It is highly secure
Being a banking service makes wire transfer a very safe and secure method of payment. You can easily trace how and where your money moves and identify any problem in the event you face one. Plus, banks have significant protections in place to keep your wire transfer secure.
They have a very large deposit and withdrawal limit
Wire transfers are possible for payments between $3000 & $10,000. This makes it perfect for high-rollers. Additionally, many wire transfer casinos allow withdrawals up to $24,900, which is one of the highest limits compared to other deposit/withdrawal methods.
You can play internationally at any online casino you want
Here’s an amazing benefit – wire transfers can be done internationally. Sitting in the comfort of your home, a non-US resident can game on a US casino website, and a US resident can play on an overseas casino’s site using wire transfer.
Disadvantages of wire transfer
Not all casinos accept wire transfer
There are some casinos in the US that don’t provide wire transfer as a deposit method to clients. This is because, although they’re safer than Credit/Debit cards, wire transfer poses a risk for money laundering.
They take time to complete deposit
Wire transfers are slow. Sometimes they take an entire day to process, making it difficult for you to start gaming immediately.
It can become challenging to recover funds
Let’s assume that you have input a larger figure in the wire transfer order than intended, and you end up spending more money than you wanted to. Or maybe you’ve provided the wrong recipient details and sent your money to the wrong business. It can be difficult to get back your money through a wire transfer. This is because banks have numerous protocols in place which slow down the process of recovery.
High fees
Wire transfer transactions have high fees – $25-$30 for within the US and $45-$50 internationally – making this option expensive for players.
Unsuitable for low rollers
The high minimum limit for wire transfers, plus the high transaction fees, together, make this deposit method unsuitable for gamblers on a budget.
Steps to make a wire transfer
- Visit the website of the casino where you wish to play.
- Visit the Banking/Deposit section and choose “Wire Transfer” as the payment method.
- Type in the amount you wish to deposit.
- Update your bank account details.
- Complete the security measures that your bank administers before approving the transfer.
Once the deposit has been initiated, it may take 24-48 hours for the funds to display in your casino wallet.
Steps to reverse a wire transfer
- Once you are done playing and wish to withdraw your winnings:
- Navigate to the “Withdrawal” section on your casino account’s payments page.
- Choose “Wire Transfer” as the withdrawal method.
- Fill in your bank details and make sure that every detail is correct.
- Click on the “Withdraw” button.
Your money will be reflected in your bank account within a week’s time.
Option 4: Virtual wallet
As online gambling and online sports betting become increasingly popular these days, a greater number of US casinos are offering e-wallets, that is, virtual wallets, to their clients. These instant payment services have made life infinitely more comfortable and safer for everyone. This is especially true now during the coronavirus pandemic when cash, checks and cards are unsafe, given the amount of physical exchange they typically undergo.
For casino visitors, platforms like PayPal have become a wonderful way to quickly make deposits and withdrawals in a very safe manner.
Advantages of instant virtual wallets
You can game instantly, within seconds
One of the biggest advantages of virtual wallets is that you can use them to make instantaneous deposits. It hardly takes a few seconds for the money to be transferred and you can start playing instantly.
You can make a deposit of $5000 per day using PayPal and up to $40,000 per month.
You can save your financial details virtually and reduce time to deposit
To use virtual accounts, you only need to link your bank account to the virtual platform and deposit some money. You can use this money to then make all of your payments. Every time you make a casino deposit, there is no need to input your bank account details. Instead, you can just connect your virtual wallet to your casino wallet and deposit or withdraw as and when you want. Also, you can link multiple bank accounts to your virtual wallet and make your deposits from the bank account of your choice.
Payments are highly secure
Most virtual wallet providers use state-of-the-art banking security software to secure your virtual wallets. Your money is very safe and your transaction history is completely encoded. Often, you receive notifications or permission requests before the transaction is processed, allowing you to keep track of your spending with ease.
Virtual wallets can be used all over the world
Irrespective of where you stay and which casino you wish to play at, virtual wallets give you the financial freedom to make both domestic and international payments. Some of these wallets, like PayPal, support transactions in 200+ countries.
You get high reward points
Just as with Credit cards, virtual wallets offer reward points, cashbacks, discounts, and scratch cards every time you meet a transaction milestone. You can use these reward points against future purchases, sometimes even when purchasing an MTS gift card or a prepaid card.
Disadvantages of virtual wallets
You always have to have your mobile with you
Electronic payments via virtual wallets are not possible if you don’t have your smart device with you. If by happenstance you were to forget your phone at home, you won’t be able to make the deposit and play.
It can cause reckless spending
Because you don’t have as many processes when making the deposit, you may be tempted to put in deposits multiple times. If you are playing on a budget, this can be challenging to manage.
You’ll be subject to transaction processing fees
Wallets like Stripe and PayPal charge processing fees in exchange for the virtual payment convenience they offer. Micropayments below $10 are charged at 5% of the transaction amount. For all other transactions, it is $2.9 per transaction.
Steps to deposit in virtual wallets
- First, create your account on the virtual wallet of your choice. You can do this by inputting your personal details, banking details and successfully passing the security measures.
- Next, visit the casino website and visit the “Deposits” page.
- Select the option which specifies the virtual wallet (ex: PayPal).
- Follow the prompts given on the screen and link your virtual wallet to the casino account. Easily transfer your deposit.
- You can start playing within minutes since the deposit will be reflected immediately.
Steps to withdraw from virtual wallets
- Navigate to the “Withdrawal” section of your casino website.
- Select the virtual wallet option.
- Review the details of your withdrawal and wallet-associated bank account.
- Confirm by clicking on the “Withdraw” button.
It can take between 4 hours and 48 hours for you to receive your withdrawal into your virtual wallet.
Option 5: Play+ Card
Play+ card is a reloadable card that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. It has been specifically designed for gaming-related transactions, making it one of the best deposit options in the US.
You can sign-up to Play+ for free and you can use it for both in-person and online games.
Advantages of Play+ card
It is very easy to use
As mentioned above, the Play+ card is completely free-of-charge. It can be purchased on the Play+ website. All you need to do is verify your identity, bank account details, and add your funds. Every time you want to game, you can use the card to make payments.You don’t need to make a separate deposit
Your Play+ card is a deposit in itself, and you don’t need to make separate deposits every time you want to gamble. This makes your gaming experience all the more effortless and enjoyable.It’s perfect for high rollers
You can have a limit of up to $10,000 per month on your Play+ card. The Play+ card accepts deposits from MasterCard, Visa and Discover cards.You can use Play+ cards to withdraw money at ATMs
In addition to being casino-friendly, Play+ cards are an excellent banking tool. You can use them on any ATM in the US, which uses PULSE and NYCE networks. How great is that?Disadvantages of Play+ card
It’s not in use by all casinos
Although they’re gaining in popularity, Play+ cards aren’t used by all casinos. You’ll need to contact the customer service rep of your casino to find out if they offer this deposit method.
Only qualified players are allowed to spend high
The highest spending limit per day on Play+ cards is $5000. To spend higher, you need to be qualified by both your casino and Play+.
Jackpots can be loaded onto your card up to a limit
Irrespective of the amount of your jackpot, Play+ cards can support only up to $25000 per month. This limit is provided only for jackpot winners and not all players.
Steps to set-up a Play+ deposit
- Find out from your casino if it is a member of the Play+ network.
- Create an account on Play+.
- Navigate to the “Deposits” section on your casino site and pay using your Play+ card.
- The transfer is immediate, and you can start playing instantly.
Steps to withdraw using Play+ card
- Visit the “Withdrawal” section of your casino site and select the Play+ card as your withdrawal method.
- You can now withdraw your winnings at any time, on any of the approved locations – casino site, Play+ website & ATMs.
Read your Play+ rule book clearly to know what withdrawal locations are offered to you.