I love casino gaming just as much as you, and it is not my first rodeo in the land of slots and poker tournaments. What we call iGaming is the complete list of games that you can play for real money. It ranges from slot machines to live gaming to sports betting and, more recently, the rise of other pastimes such as eSports or virtual sports betting.
With this incredible diversity of games, the main thing is to pick a casino and feel secure about payments. After all, I hate it when I have to give my banking details to a casino, which doesn’t necessarily inspire trust and safety. After playing casino, I have become wiser, and I am willing to share a few secrets with you in this article.
Fast, Efficient and Secure: The New Standard for Payment Methods
One must research before depositing money on a casino or betting platform. The first thing I check for is the diversity of banking methods. The more, the merrier, but please be careful when a casino displays many payment methods. Some of them might not work in your country of residence or be outdated.
However, I know what I am looking for most of the time. I need the transaction to be quick—a few minutes between your transaction and seeing the money appear in your bank account is better—but also secure. For this matter, not all banking methods are equal when you get a deposit by Boku Casino. An e-wallet can link your money at lightning speed, while a bank account transfer could take up to 3 or 5 business days.
Obviously, one has to do some research before depositing money on a casino or betting platform. The first thing I looked for is the diversity of banking methods. I would say the more, the merrier, but please be careful when a casino displays many payment methods. Some of them might not work in your country of residence, and some of them might not be updated at all.
Then, there is the question of fees. If you’re a bit of a cheapskate like me, you might find solace on platforms that don’t charge fees when you deposit or withdraw money. It does make a tremendous difference in your cash flow after years of playing.
E-wallets and Credit Cards
Despite the absence of global statistics on this matter, it’s admitted that most people still use credit cards to transact on casino sites. Yes, it does imply reaching your wallet, getting the card out, and populating the 16 numbers of your card on the website. I have come to realise that this method is secure 99.999% of the time, but in case of any kind of fraud, you will have to go to some lengths to retrieve your stolen funds, and your banker will raise eyebrows if it happens too often.
E-wallets are very much designed to work on most casino sites on the internet. I have noticed big names like Skrill, Neteller, and even PayPal spring to mind. They are fast and efficient (with a small fee, sometimes), and they save you the hassle of registering your credit card on a casino site you have just discovered.
Gift Cards, Anonymous and Straight to the Point
Another one of my favourites is gift cards, which are widely used by people who wish to pay anonymously on the Internet. You only pay for a gift card on the Internet or in retail places; nobody will know that you are spending a buck or two on casino sites—well, except you.
They are very easy to use, so easy that gift cards are targeted for numerous scams. To be on the safe side, I always choose a casino with a regulated license and a pristine reputation in the industry.
The Inevitable Rise of Crypto Casinos
Where to start? Unless you’ve been living on the Moon, you probably know digital assets are big right now! This rather new and exciting way of making fast and easy transactions has taken over the world. In fact, there are now loads of casino sites that call themselves crypto casinos. From my own experience, I can say the assets present on these sites are:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- BitcoinCash
- USDC or USDT (the famous stablecoins!)
Despite the fact that crypto-currencies are having a moment in 2024, trading with them is still a risky affair. They are fast and relatively anonymous, but it’s fair to say that they are not as secure as traditional banking. How is that so? Well, I’ve noticed that if you send your money to the wrong wallet address, for example, you are more than likely to lose that money forever.
Another thing I have learnt is that cryptocurrencies are also subject to strong volatility, and their immediate value cannot be relied on. The exception is stablecoins, which try to emulate the value of one dollar or euro.