Note: BestOnlineGambling.com is not associated with MoneyGram® in any way. This is my personal review of what it’s like to use MoneyGram® as a deposit method at an online casino.
MoneyGram is a cash transfer company that that was founded in 1940. The service makes it possible for you to walk into any MoneyGram station with money in your hand and send that money to anyone else in the world. Many online casinos accept MoneyGram as a deposit option for real money accounts.
The nice thing about MoneyGram® casinos is that they do not require a credit card or banking information to make a deposit. As long as you have a photo ID and cash, you can walk into any MoneyGram® location to fund your account. With more than 100,000 MoneyGram® stations around the world, you are never far from a cash transfer station.
More About MoneyGram® Casinos
Online casinos in the United States have had to come up with creative methods for funding real money accounts since the US banking system doesn’t view online gambling favorably (see UIGEA). One of the most reliable deposit methods is the cash transfer option. Both MoneyGram® and Western Union are used by many USA gambling sites.
MoneyGram® casinos avoid the trouble that comes with electronic banking by avoiding the banking system altogether. All you need is cash and a photo ID and you can fund your account. Gambling sites process those transactions quickly and credit your account with the money on the same day in most cases.
You can also withdraw your funds via MoneyGram® when you’re done gambling. When you’re ready to withdraw your winnings, just log in to the cashier’s area of your casino and choose the “cash out” option. The casino will create a MoneyGram® invoice for you that you can use to pick up your money at the nearest MoneyGram® station.
I received a MoneyGram® withdrawal from an online casino not too long ago. The casino sent me an e-mail with the information I needed to pick up the cash. I took that info with me to MoneyGram® station, filled out a short form and got my money with no hassle.
Hint: Visit MoneyGram® stations with actual employees – WalMart is a great location for MoneyGram® payments.
The first time I received a MoneyGram® withdrawal from a casino, I went to a gas station down the street to pick up my money. The gas station had a MoneyGram® terminal that resembled an ATM machine. I had to talk with a MoneyGram® agent over the phone and provide a lot of information. The agent asked for the phone number of the MoneyGram® sender and I didn’t have it. They didn’t give me the money that time.
I went back home, contacted my casino and got the sender’s phone number. The second time around, I went to a Wal Mart location that had a MoneyGram® station in the customer service area. Instead of talking to an agent over the phone, all I had to do was fill out a short form and give it to the cashier. She gave me my money instantly (nearly $900) with no trouble.
So if you receive a MoneyGram® payment from an online casino, my tip to you is to visit a location that has regular people working. MoneyGram® terminals are a pain with the phone and all that. It was much faster when I dealt with a person face-to-face.