Updated Online Casino and Poker Room Payment Options

Surely you’ve heard by now that the online gaming industry was recently shaken up by new United States legislation which prohibits banking institutions from allowing their clients to make any monetary transactions for the purpose of gambling. The UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, 2006) was passed through the US Congress much to the chagrin of not only those involved in the industry but many normal law-abiding American citizens, who enjoy playing online poker and other games from the comforts of their homes.

Although the new laws will hold the banking institutions accountable for any wrongdoing, and not the people who play online poker, the public has expressed their concern that this is another example of restrictions on civil liberties. Before we get ahead of ourselves, however, let’s look at the issues on the table. In this article, what we would like to offer our loyal readers and avid online players is an updated look at the different ways to transfer your funds in this post-UIGEA world.

The new legislation has indeed caused quite a stir, yet hasn’t really changed anything in terms of the individual’s right to play online poker for money. Of course, it led to several major poker rooms being forced to refuse real-money transactions from all US players, but at the time of this writing, no single player has ever been charged with any crime relating to participation in online gaming. What it has done is made transferring cash from bank accounts to the poker rooms (and vice versa) much more difficult. There are still ways around the new legislation so the legal landscape of online gaming has not been significantly changed. One of the more popular avenues for circumventing this new legislation is the use of non-US bank accounts. Many Americans are finding that an offshore account protects their interests and allows them a bit more flexibility, especially when it comes to participating in online gambling.

Active Online Payment Methods

What follows is a list of the payment methods still available to US players and widely accepted by most online casinos and poker rooms:

ePassporte
Diners Club International
Solo / Maestro / Switch Debit cards
Wire Transfer (i.e. Western Union)
Money orders
ECCO cards
Bank drafts
Gifts2Go prepaid cards

To make withdrawals, most of these methods allow transactions up to the amount of the original deposit. The noted convenience of online money-transfer services like NETeller (who offer debit cards which allow for withdrawals anywhere in the world) have temporarily been discontinued. However, several of the larger poker sites including fulltiltpoker.com and pokerstars.com are in the midst of putting together their very own cash handling systems. These were getting popular a few years ago, before the emergence of NETeller and PayPal. Whether or not this will be deemed legal or not is yet to be determined. Unfortunately, there is not much left to do at this point but sit and wait to see what will be decided.

Popular Methods Still in Limited Use

In the meantime, here’s a list of the online payment services which most casinos are happy to do business with, along with some important information regarding their use. Keep in mind that new ones are popping up each day and, as mentioned earlier, different payment systems are being devised as we speak.

NETeller

NETeller is probably the most well-known and established online money-transfer service available, although recently they have been undergoing some legal problems. A number of online casinos and poker rooms still accept transfers from US-based clients, and their service is a staple for online merchants around the world.

900Pay

This online banking service is not yet available for use in poker rooms, but can be use to fund online casino accounts. When you open an account you may deposit money to your desired online casino by transferring it from another payment service (like NETeller). The charges are billed to your phone bill, identified on the statement as “NAVAHO NTWRKS”. This service does not require the use of a credit card, and thus is attractive for many.

Click2Pay

Click2pay is one of the newer and more efficient online money-transfer services. It operates in the same way PayPal and NETeller do. They are also one of the net’s fastest growing online money-transfer services.

Switch Solo Delta

Switch, Solo, and Delta are all forms of debit cards used by clients with bank accounts in the United Kingdom. They work much like debit cards anywhere, in that you only have access to the funs which are actually in your account. What this means is that it is a safe and secure way to fund your gaming account.

Firepay

Firepay is another online banking service which allows you to fund your casino account. Once you have created an account with Firepay, you then need to deposit money by an electronic cheque. Unfortunately, this service is available only to US customers at this time.

PrePaid ATM

This is surely the most discreet payment system available. You can purchase these prepaid cards and use them to fund your poker accounts without having to give your name, credit card number, or any personal information whatsoever. The main drawback is that they are accepted at only a handful of online casinos and poker rooms.

eWalletXpress

More online casinos and poker rooms are beginning to recognize eWalletXpress as a valid way to transfer funds. Right now, only customers in the US and Canada can use the service, but that may change soon. This system works in the same way as NETeller and PayPal, and money can be deposited, withdrawn, and transferred from anywhere in the world.

ePassporte

Sign up for a Virtual Visa with ePassporte, a service which provides its users with a safe and easy way to fund gaming accounts. At the time being, they are also accepting new members with US bank accounts.

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