Online Sports Betting Deposit Options: How USA and International Sports Bettors Can Safely Deposit Funds
The most common question I receive when speaking to an aspiring Internet sports bettor is how they can safely deposit money into their online sports betting account. It’s an understandable question and something many sports bettors are concerned about. While there are still quite a few deposit options open to US residents, there are now higher fees – especially when compared to non-US sportsbooks. So what I’m going to do is go through all of the available options for both USA and International players.
(Please note: Some options listed below are unavailable on certain sports betting sites. Please refer to the individual sportsbook reviews for specific deposit options available on that website.)
Deposit Options Available to USA Players
USA residents are the most concerned with deposit options because of Black Friday. It didn’t just affect the poker world. It also affected the sports betting world as well and the rest of the gambling community. Back in the day, we used to be able to make deposits with our bank cards. Then the banks started to crack down on that and we had to go the prepaid debit card route. Then came Black Friday and everything changed. But there still are safe ways to wager online. Here are the deposit options you have available…
Visa Credit Card – Not every site is going to take this. Sometimes when you attempt to use a Visa Credit Card the site will decline it. However, most online sportsbooks allowing USA players will accept a Visa Credit Card.
MasterCard Credit Card – MasterCard’s have about a 50% success rate. What I mean is half the sites will decline a MasterCard credit card. It’s a tad lower than with Visa, but it can’t hurt to try if you don’t have a Visa card.
MoneyGram – You can purchase a MoneyGram at places like Wal-Mart. It’s easy to do. Just go to a MoneyGram offering store, tell the cashier how much money you need to send and follow the instructions given by the website. Within moments your funds will be available in your poker account. Fees are a bit high for this option.
Western Union – Similar to a MoneyGram, you can get Western Union money order at places like Wal-Mart of a check cashing store. Fees are lower than MoneyGram but still somewhat expensive. Make sure you have the correct information on where to send the money order prior to arriving at the store.
Other Deposit Options – Some US betting sites do allow bank wires. It’s rare, but some sportsbook websites do allow players to deposit via an American Express credit card. The last major option available is via a player transfer. Another player can ship funds from their sportsbook account directly to yours. Should you choose that option, you will NOT receive any deposit bonuses.
Deposit Options Available to International Players
Every country and every site is different. Options that are available in, say, Canada aren’t always available to residents in England. Make sure you know what options are available in your country before signing up for an online sportsbook. And, of course, make sure you know the options available on that site. Things are less complicated for International sports bettors than those located in the USA, but some countries have certain restrictions. The most common deposit options for non-US sports bettors are as follows…
eChecks: eChecks are one of the most simplest ways of depositing money into an online sportsbook account. All you need to do is provide the bank account number, bank routing number, and amount of deposit and the funds will be available within minutes.
Bank Wire: Wiring money from your bank account to your online sports betting account is simple. The funds arrive in your account right away. Check with your bank to find out the fees. Some banks charge high fees for wiring money.
Bank Draft: A bank draft is another way to directly transfer money from your bank account to your online sports betting account. Fees are less for this service than a bank wire, but it might take a week or two for the funds to appear in your account.
Credit Card: Visa and MasterCard are the two most commonly used credit cards online. Living in countries outside the USA, sports bettors have a higher success rate using these 2 popular methods of deposit. When using a credit card, if accepted, the funds are available instantly.