
Regulations and player preferences drive the different ways you can deposit at a casino. With new options coming online regularly, you may be wondering how to deposit at UK online casinos. That’s what you’re about to find out.
The good news is that many of your favourite payment methods that you use elsewhere online are likely available for deposits and withdrawals at online casinos. Inside this article we’ll discuss these options so you understand the fees, speed, and privacy issues. We’ll also tell you which common payment methods are prohibited at UK casinos.
Your main options for depositing at online casinos include debit cards, bank transfers, pay by mobile, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller.
Visa and Mastercard are widely used in the UK, so naturally you’ll find that virtually all UK casinos accept debit cards for both deposits and withdrawals. In fact, Visa Direct debit card withdrawals tend to be fast, as the funds usually hit your account in four hours or less, while other debit card options may take up to three days. If you’re depositing, the funds will hit your player account instantly. It’s also important to note that you can usually trigger bonuses with a debit card deposit, which isn’t true of all payment methods.
This is another widely accepted method for both deposits and withdrawals, which is typically handled through a platform such as Trustly. The advantage here is that you don’t need to type in a long bank account number – instead, all you have to do is log into the platform with your username and password. The second advantage is that there are usually no fees, and since the platform charges the casino less than a typical credit card transaction, casinos often prefer that players use this method. You can claim most casino bonuses when you use this method.
Here we’re talking about a payment option such as Boku, where you’re basically charging the deposit to your mobile phone bill rather than pulling money out of a bank account, debit card, or similar. The advantage to you is that you don’t need to type in any card or bank account numbers, as all you need to do is log into your pay by mobile account. A second advantage is the security, as you need to confirm when the platform sends you a text message. Finally, most casinos let you claim bonuses with this method.
Depositing using Boku or a similar method is instant. The downside is that you can’t withdraw using this option, so you’ll need to set up another method for that. While platforms such as Boku don’t charge you a fee, your phone provider might charge fees for this service, and in some cases the fees might be quite high. Be sure to check with your phone provider before using this method.
These two options are becoming increasingly available at online casinos, especially those with mobile apps. The advantage for you is that it’s both easy and secure for you to make an instant deposit, as you can use your phone’s biometric mechanism to complete the payment. These options also come with low fees, and most of the time they trigger bonuses.
The downside to these options is that you can’t withdraw to them, so you’ll need to set up a debit card or other method for withdrawals.
This category includes platforms such as PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and similar options. PayPal is the “gold standard” here, as this platform only partners with the highest-tier, most reputable casinos. Deposits are instant, and withdrawals can take as little as a few minutes to up to 24 hours, so they’re often fast as well. You generally won’t have any fees associated with this method, and this payment option will trigger bonuses.
Skrill and Neteller, which are operated by PaySafe, are accepted at virtually all UK casinos. Deposits are instant, and withdrawals take anywhere from a few minutes to 24 hours. These two options do have fees to fund your wallet, as well as fees to transfer money from your wallet back to your bank. There aren’t any fees with depositing and withdrawing, as the casino will generally absorb any costs associated on their end. The big downside is that these two methods often don’t trigger bonuses – you’ll want to check with the specific casino you have in mind to find out their policy.
Online casinos usually don’t charge for deposits or withdrawals on their end. However, you may incur fees from the specific payment provider. Here’s a look at what to expect:
| Payment method | Fee level |
|---|---|
| Debit cards | Very low / zero |
| Bank transfers | Very low / zero |
| Pay by mobile | Potentially high (Boku doesn’t charge, but your mobile provider may) |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Low |
| e-Wallets | Low to medium, depending on the platform. |
When it comes to privacy, we’re specifically concerned with banking institutions that can look at your statement and see that you’ve been making deposits at online casinos. If you’re looking to secure a mortgage or other big loan, any gambling transactions might serve as a red flag on your application. If that may be an issue for you, then you may want to use one of the options that has a higher level of privacy.
Here’s an overview:
| Payment method | Privacy level |
|---|---|
| Debit cards | Low |
| Bank transfers | Low |
| Pay by mobile | High |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | High |
| e-Wallets | Medium to high |
To be clear, the casino is required to know who you are, which includes requiring you to complete the KYC (know your customer) identity verification process. In other words, you’re not anonymous to the casino, and that’s not what we’re referring to here. “Privacy” here is just related to how easy it is to keep your casino spending separate from the rest of your financial life.
While the payment options vary between individual casinos, there are two payment methods that UK casinos won’t accept: credit cards and cryptocurrency.
Credit card payments are prohibited, as regulators don’t want players to gamble on “borrowed funds.” Cryptocurrency is prohibited or at least greatly restricted due to the anonymous nature of the payments. Casinos with a UKGC licence are required to know their customer and the source of the funds, which is difficult with anonymous crypto wallets.
As you just discovered, there are quite a few ways to make a deposit at online casinos, including debit cards, bank transfers, pay by mobile, PayPal, Neteller and more. The best option for you depends on what you already have, whether you want to claim a bonus, what level of privacy you desire, the fees, and of course what the casino accepts. These deposit options are instant, and many of them allow for fairly fast withdrawals as well.
To find highly reputable casinos that accept a variety of payment options, all you have to do is check out the banners on this page for online casino sites in the UK, and then tap the ones that interest you. If there is a bonus available to you, you’ll find out about it on the banner as well!
No. The UK Gambling Commission outlawed the use of credit cards to make casino deposits in 2020. Not only does this include directly using a credit card, it also includes using a credit card through a service such as PayPal. This regulation is in place to reduce the number of players who are using borrowed money to gamble online.
In order to withdraw funds, all players must complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) identity verification process, which means you’ll need to upload a government-issued ID, a selfie, and other documentation as required. In some cases, such as when you make a large deposit or several deposits over time, you may need to provide SoW (source of wealth) documentation. Another delay is if you deposit via one method (such as Boku), so you need to withdraw using another method (such as a debit card).
No. A couple decades ago quite a few players used personal checks (e-checks) to make a deposit, but that option is no longer available. Not only does the option take too long to clear, but very few people use checks any more.
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.