PayPal is the largest online payment processor in the world. It is hugely popular in the United States, and almost everyone I know has a PayPal account. Naturally, we get lots of players asking if PayPal can be used to fund their casino accounts.
Unfortunately, casino players inside the United States cannot use PayPal to make deposits at online gambling sites. Players from the UK and much of Europe can use PayPal, but players in the United States are out of luck.
The reason PayPal does not accept US gambling customers is because of banking laws in the United States. Specifically, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) has made it illegal for banking institutions in the US to do business with offshore gambling sites. PayPal is a high profile payment processor and it does not want to run afoul of gambling laws in America.
Many people are under the misconception that the UIGEA made online gambling itself illegal. In actuality, the UIGEA did not specifically target gamblers. Instead, the UIGEA made it more difficult for payment processors to fund deposits to online gambling sites.
PayPal Alternatives in the United States
The United States is a massive online gambling market and online gambling sites have found plenty of alternatives for players who want to fund their accounts. Just read on for a few dependable alternatives.
The simplest PayPal alternative for US-based gamblers is the Visa credit card or debit card. This is one of the most popular deposit options for US players because it’s fast and easy. All you have to do is type in your credit card information and you can get started right away.
The one downside to using credit cards to deposit is that some card issuers have a list of blocked casinos. If your credit or debit card deposit is declined, it’s probably because your bank has blocked the transaction. The good news is there are still more alternatives.
There are also several cash transfer options that you can use at US gambling sites. Cash transfers allow you to visit the local grocery store and send physical cash to your casino account.
If you don’t want to send cash, most online casinos also accept certain e-wallets. These e-wallets work in the same manner as PayPal except they allow US players to use the service to make a deposit. Take a look at the “deposit methods” link above to learn more about these alternatives.
Using PayPal Outside the US
All my non-US readers will be glad to know that PayPal does business with many non-US gambling sites. Some of the biggest PayPal friendly gambling sites include Bet365 and 888. PayPal is able to do business with these gambling sites because they operate outside the US and do not accept US players. Thus, these casinos are considered fully legal in the eyes of the law.
Funding your account with PayPal at these casinos is fairly easy. After you create an account at that gambling site, all you have to do is log in and visit the cashier. Choose the PayPal deposit option, fill in the required information and your money will be transferred to the casino.
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