PayPal is an awesome payment method for real money gambling when it’s available. The only problem is not all gambling sites accept PayPal. The company is based out of the United States and is therefore subject to the strict gambling laws in place there.
The sites that DO accept PayPal have no connection to the United States. They are neither headquartered out of the US nor do they accept customers from the US. In those cases, PayPal is a viable deposit method. This is why sites such as Bet365.com are able to offer PayPal deposits and payments.
The available alternatives to PayPal depend on your location and which gambling sites you’re able to access from your part of the world. I’ll try to give you alternatives that are as similar to PayPal as possible, but it won’t be easy for those of you in the US.
Alternatives in the United States
There are a number of ways to fund a gambling account from the United States, but there are no e-wallets similar to PayPal. Back in the good old days, we could use payment processors such as Neteller that operated in a very similar fashion to PayPal. Unfortunately, those are all gone these days.
Your best bet if you live in the United States is to deposit with a credit card, debit card, wire transfer or cash transfer. These methods all work well, but they don’t allow you to store money online wallet-style like PayPal. You send the money straight to your casino account when depositing and then withdraw it straight to your bank account when you cash out.
I have personally found Bovada and Lucky Red Casino to be the two US-friendly gambling sites that are the easiest for making deposits and getting paid. Both of those sites have a variety of deposit and withdrawal options that work well.
Outside the United States
You don’t even have to use an alternative if you live outside the US; PayPal is actually accepted at most major non-US gambling sites. But if you want something similar that’s NOT PayPal, you can use any of the following methods.
Neteller
This company used to do a lot of business in the United States and it was one of my favorites for a long time. Neteller left the US back in 2007 and now only does business with non-US casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms.
The basic structure of Neteller is similar to PayPal. You make an account at Neteller.com and can then use that account to hold funds and transfer them to and from various gambling sites. The fees are minimal and you can deposit any amount from $5 to $20,000. Withdrawals are processed instantly. This would be my first choice if I lived outside the USA.
Skrill
Formerly known as Moneybookers, Skrill is a longstanding e-wallet with a perfect reputation. I have absolutely no qualms about its speed, security or ease-of-use. The fees are reasonable and you can deposit/withdraw anything from $5 to $8,000.
Click2Pay
Pretty much the same deal as Neteller and Skrill. Click2Pay also used to serve the US market but no longer does. If it’s available in your country, it’s worth a look. Click2Pay has the biggest limits of them all: $5 to $99,999.
Recommended Site for depositing via these methods: Bet365.com.