Banking Methods for Online Casinos in the U.S. & Canada

CREDIT CARD, DEBIT CARD AND WIRE TRANSFERS

Credit and debit cards are typically accepted in both U.S. and Canadian online casinos, and are the most widely used payment methods in the online gambling industry. For Canadian players, depositing via these options will typically come up off without a hitch. However, U.S. players are sometimes not as fortunate. Many U.S. banks block transactions to gambling portals. As a result, depositing with “unusual sums”, such as $57 or $253 can sometimes help you get around this issue.

A typical deposit at these casinos via credit cards such as VISA, MasterCard and Amex will typically need to be worth at least $25. Many casinos have deposit caps, too, so expect to see these vary from $500 up to a couple of thousand. In most cases, you can deposit via card without a fee, although this will not be the case everywhere. Canadian players can usually withdraw via bank cards, but this will not be possible for U.S. players.

Wire transfer withdrawals (not deposits) are sometimes available at U.S. casinos, using services like Western Union. However, these can take up to a week to land, have high minimum withdrawal limits, and often cost anything from $30 upwards – but this method does allow money to return directly to a players bank account and one of the safer online casino transactions.

BITCOINS

Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Litecoin are becoming more popular banking options at North American casinos. These are usually free to use, too. Some sites may require a BTC deposit, while others will convert those cryptocurrencies into USD for gameplay. Typical minimum and maximum deposit limits with Bitcoin range from the equivalent of $5 up to $5,000.

Withdrawing winnings with Bitcoin is possible at U.S. and Canadian casinos, too. Expect a high minimum withdrawal cap of $100 in some cases, rising to a $5,000 cap for a single transaction. On the upside, most transactions take place instantly and are usually free of charge.

Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals are quickly becoming amongst the best casino payment methods in the industry, however, as the speed of processing means these online casino payment methods can be much quicker than other. Winnings here can’t be transferred directly into a players bank account, however, which is a drawback for some.

Bitcoin payments can often be subject to unique and exclusive bonus offers and welcome bonuses too which also helps to make it one of the more desirable payment solutions for most online gamblers.

INTERAC

Interac is a Canadian only option, and it is one of the most popular payment methods for players in the country which is affiliated with Canadian banks, such as the RBC (Royal Bank of Canada), TD Canada Trust, First Nations Bank, and credit unions.

Interac can be used in two ways. On the one hand, you can use this as an e-wallet, known as Interac Online. This provides free transactions, and they should arrive instantly in your casino account as the funds are taken directly from your balance. The other way is with Interac e-Transfers which are essentially bank transfers. They can take up to 24 hours to clear and may involve a fee. Withdrawals with are also a possibility for Canadians.

IDEBIT/INSTADEBIT

Instadebit and iDebit are another two options which are only available for Canadian players. While similar, they are commonly both offered at top casino sites.

Instadebit can be used as an e-wallet or a bank transfer option. The instant payment option takes money from your Instadebit account, provides instant transaction times, and involves no fees. Making a bank transfer via Instadebit costs $1.95 and takes 3-5 days to clear. You can freely withdraw via Instadebit from casinos but moving your winnings on from Instadebit to your bank will cost $2.

iDebit also permits free deposits via an account balance. However, you can also use iDebit without an account. Doing so will see you make a bank transfer (at the cost of $1.50). It should be processed in an hour or so. Withdrawing via iDebit from casinos is an instant process, but it can take up to five days to move that money on to your bank, and again there is a fee of $2 in place.

The minimum and maximum casino deposit and withdrawal limits with these Canada-friendly options vary from site to site.

CHECKS AT ONLINE CASINOS

Checks are one of the guaranteed ways that U.S. players can pocket any winnings they land at a casino. They are typically withdrawal-only options at many sites. Checks are by far the slowest of all U.S. casino payment methods, and often the costliest.

Withdrawing with Checks via Regular Mail will generally mean that your withdrawal must be worth at least $150, and you can seldom use this option for cashouts worth more than $400. By contrast, Checks via Courier are usually reserved for withdrawals of $400 or more, up to a couple of thousand dollars.

With either option, withdrawals can take anything from a few days up to a couple of weeks to arrive and will almost always involve a transaction fee. They can range from a small percentage of your deposit’s value, up to $50 or more.

As with most, online casino sites have become less willing to accept checks as a deposit method and casino deposit methods have instead started to lean towards ewallets and cryptocurrency, despite this a few online casinos still accept checks as an online casino deposit method.

ACH: DIRECT DEPOSIT

ACH: Direct Deposit is a banking option commonly found in U.S. casinos. This payment method will typically be used to cash out winnings worth $150 or more, up to a couple of grand. It can also be used to deposit funds in some cases, often with lower limits. Again, fees and transaction times will vary greatly, depending on the U.S. casino you choose to play at.

CAN I USE E-WALLETS AND PREPAID CARDS?

E-wallets and prepaid cards are out of the question for most American players. However, Canadians have an easier time of it here. They will not be able to use all the major options, such as Skrill and Neteller, but there are one or two, such as EcoPayz which may be worth checking out.

The best way to discover precisely which payment methods are open to Canadian and American players is to head to the banking page your chosen casino. There, you will find all the information you need about the specific banking options which are available for players in your country.