Best Real Money Poker Deposit Methods

How To Deposit And Withdraw From Online Poker Sites

Here you will find guides to the best poker deposit methods for both US and worldwide players. In fact this is the single biggest collection of articles covering deposit options for different sites, the key methods and the all-important withdrawal methods too.

While security is the key factor, I also like to rank deposit methods in terms of flexibility, speed and ease-of-use. With options like eWallets, you have to go through a setup process – and then get a flexible and fast method for use after that. Bank cards are usually the fastest of all, yet restricted in some countries… not to mention that some people prefer to keep their bank and poker sites separated!

US Players are finding it much easier to use their credit cards for deposits as we go into 2024. With the remaining US poker sites very focused on payment processing. Withdrawals generally require paper checks and a little patience – this cash is getting through, and with regulation starting to be on its way (at least at the State level), things can only improve in this area.

On the right hand side of this page you will find the key articles on poker site depositing, including the main US methods article, which is updated with the latest news and timelines regularly. Below are the deposits options at the various sites, and under that, my detailed guide to ensuring that you keep your transactions as secure as possible.

 

KEY ARTICLES
US DEPOSITS
NON-US DEPOSITS
Staying Safe

How To Minimize Risk To Your Poker Deposits

Planet Mark's Practical Guide To Keeping Your Poker Deposits As Safe As Possible

We all know that online poker comes with its risks. Even the 2nd largest poker site once disappeared with the money of 1000's of players. There are several ways to minimize your risks and still enjoy online poker. This article outlines the key steps. Many players will be familiar with some of these already. In my experience there is a big gap between the number who understand the need for risk management and those who actually implement the steps. As we go through 2024 I urge SNG Planet readers to take some action to keep your poker deposit risk to a minimum!

I start with the easiest solution of all, keeping only the money you need at each poker site and cashing out wins as soon as possible. Next spreading your risk around is discussed, this includes tips on taking advantage of some extra bonus cash while you spread your money! Finally I look at which poker sites and networks are the lowest relative risk.

Safe Online Poker Deposits – Keeping A Minimum Viable Bankroll Online

You win a tournament, go on a run with SNGs or simply grind your cash game bankroll up to a great new level… Instead of the $200 you normally play with you have $1000 or even $5000 online (could easily be the gap between $50 and $300 here!). I have been there, it feels good to click on the cashier and see the big numbers, even though you are only mixing a couple of higher games into your usual mix of tables.

This is a risk, and one which is easily avoidable.

Cash out all the money you do not need online for playing purposes. You do not even need your full 'Bankroll Management' limits online – as long as you have access to more funds if you do need them. This is a huge 'I'll do it tomorrow' task for many players. Even though you know that Full Tilt, UB and others went under it just feels good to have that big bankroll… Come on, log on now and get that money safely withdrawn, at the end of the day this is simple risk management!

Safe Online Poker Deposits – Spread The Risks

As you will see below, I believe that some online poker sites are safer than others. Even with the biggest sites, you should be looking to have only a percentage of your bankroll locked-up. Spreading your money over several sites actually has some additional advantages over and above diluting your risks.

  • You get to see the differences in how tough the games are for yourself… for example if you are used to PokerStars you will notice a huge difference at the networks which include the big 'betting' brands like AVR or Bovada.

  • Withdrawing some cash from your regular site and starting a new account gives you access to new signup offers… a great way of growing your bankroll. See my Best Poker Bonus page for some exclusive deals.

Spreading your risks around is easy to do, if a site goes under with just 20% of your roll then you can rebuild. You can use this risk-management practice to your advantage too.

Are some poker sites really safer than others when it comes to online poker deposits?

Yes, there are a couple of factors to discuss when it comes to rating the risks of different poker sites. First up is the exposure to the US, and second is the additional financial regulation which comes with having a stock exchange listing.

US Poker deposits are going through first time a lot more frequently than in the recent past. While there are still some risks, using a credit card to make an international payment or pre-paid cards / money orders from gas stations is proving to be a reliable method. BetOnline are doing particularly well with first time deposits and speedy withdrawals. The Winning Poker Network (America's Cardroom) are another site enjoying reliable payments. Personally I keep only a small percentage of my bankroll online at any one time, your own tolerance to risk will determine whether that is 10%, 20% or more.

Finally we come to the safest places of all – those who are regulated by stock market rules on accounting and financial disclosures. Party Poker and the OnGame Network are owned by Bwin / Party, who are listed in London. With their $300 million exit payment from the US in addition to this listing I would rate Party as very low risk. Likewise PlayTech run the iPoker Network including Titan Poker and are listed in London – making them a safe bet.

To summarize, knowing about the risks is only part of the equation. You need to take action to minimize your exposure to the turbulent world of online poker sites. Simply hoping it will not happen to you is not a good strategy, as 100000’s of players have already found out. So, withdraw what you do not need, spread your risk around different sites and make sure you choose sites with the added protection of a stock market listing.

New Technology For Online Poker Deposits

Payments technology is going through a phase of innovation. ‘FinTech’ startups are being funded by the big VC firms, and (positively!) the control of these transactions is being taken away from the established banking system.

To many players, Bitcoin is a new frontier – though this has been around long enough to be very much mainstream compared to some methods.

If you are new to Bitcoin, you may not know that setting up a secure wallet and using it for poker site payment is just as easy as depositing with a PayPal account (and with the same number of steps). The volatility of this currency has been the subject of press headlines for many years. I recommend you check a graph! The vast-majority of says seen 1% to 2% movements at most.

The offshore sites welcoming US players are the main places you can deposit with Bitcoin. Ignition Poker, BetOnline and ACR Poker all welcome this. BetOnline also welcome LiteCoin, and alternative cryptocurrency.

Outside of the US, NetBet has become the first UK gambling site to welcome Bitcoin. The UK Gambling Commission has issued a statement saying they are treating BTC the same as cash. I expect to see more bigger brands working with cryptocurrencies in the future.

Apps and POS Payments

There are a lot of technologies, for example Square, which are just starting to become mainstream. You will also find systems which act as a bridge between your bank and the gambling sites (and online merchants). A great new example which is being used for online poker deposits is Trustly – which provides a secure gateway in both directions.

What I like best about these innovations is that they are outside of the control of governments and the old financial networks. This gives us the choice of where to play and how to spend our own money. It also makes trust and reputation (of the poker rooms) more important than ever.

Listing of Popular Poker Deposit Options by Category

This part of the page gives you a couple of sentences on each of the popular deposit methods. The idea here is to have a quick reference for those of you that do not want to scroll through all the detailed articles above. I have put these into different categories. You will find a lot of overlap between them – for example eWallets come with credit cards, or a voucher system might also come with a wallet-like account. I’ll mention these was we go.

1 Electronic Wallets

PayPal is the best known electronic wallet (or eWallet) outside of the world of online poker. This is welcomed at a couple of sites, though is not widely used. PayPal themselves are super-selective. They only work with the ‘super brands’ like 888 Poker. This service has fees when you receive money, so makes more sense for people who deposit more and win less! Check out my PayPal Poker Sites article for more.

Skrill is my personal pick, and has been around for some 15 years now. This wallet used to be called MoneyBookers, before rebranding. Skrill comes with a MasterCard (in some countries at least) and charges small fees when you send money and not when you receive it. This wallet is certainly gambler-friendly, and is accepted by the majority of poker sites around the world. This article covers Skrill Poker Sites in depth (includes screen shots of a real money deposit).

Neteller were the original gamblers e-wallet, and caused quite a stir when then suddenly pulled out from the US. All balances were returned to players, and Neteller continue to be a popular service outside of North America. This wallet is owned by Pay Safe Group, who also run Skrill and the PaySafeCard voucher system. I have outlined the pros and cons in my Neteller Poker Sites article.

WebMoney are surprisingly popular. The reason you might not have heard of them is that this service focused on Russia and Eastern Europe. They are available worldwide too, including most Western countries (though not the US or Canada). In many countries, you can fund your WebMoney account via a retail outlet – though bank accounts can also be used. This service can be used from your mobile phone. If you would like to know more about the innovative ‘WebMoney Units’, check out my guide to WebMoney Poker Sites here.

2 Credit and Debit Cards

For many people, the plastic in your wallet is the go-to deposit option. Big brand poker sites are often long running and legitimate – though some people prefer to use alternative payment options for security reasons. Of course, US and Canadian players often have their cards declined. You’ll find these do get through a lot of the time… though sometimes a plan B is needed.

The main categories of cards, along with the brands within each are below:

Credit Cards:This is the standard card, you spend through the month, and then either pay off the balance or start to pay interest. These can come with your bank account, or be independent. Big brands in this space include Visa, MasterCard and American Express (known as Amex). You can also use Diners Club and Switch cards.

Debit Cards: This version takes the money straight from your bank account, so you can only use what you have there – or up to a predetermined limit. These are popular in many countries, and as you will see in this article, are the default for the UK. In many ways, the cards which you get through different electronic wallets are debit cards. These only allow you to spend up to what is in your balance. Debit cards can be Visa, MasterCard, Switch, Solo, Maestro or Visa Electron branded (there are new ones coming and going, so expect this list to change!).

Prepaid Cards: Again, different types within this sub-category. The default here is a card you can buy from a gas (petrol) station or convenience store. These come in smaller denominations, for example $50 or $100 – and you pay a fee to the issuer when you buy them. These can work for US offshore poker rooms. I strongly recommend that you chat with the support staff at your site first. They will be able to give you a heads up on which brands are currently working. There are other prepaid cards which fall into the voucher type services (PaySafeCard) and Virtual Visa Cards which are similar to eWallets.

3 Cryptocurrencies

Ultimate Guide to Bitcoin Poker DepositsThere are only two which work for poker deposits at the moment, Bitcoin and Litecoin. They work in the same way (from a non-techy perspective at least). You can use these at the offshore US sites. One non-US brand, NetBet, now welcomes Bitcoin – though only for their sports book and casino at the moment.

Bitcoin has quickly moved from a niche deposit method to the one which all of the big sites are pushing hard. You can even find extra bonuses for using Bitcoin.

The setup is simple (you need a wallet, and then to fund that wallet via an exchange), and once you are up and running all of your US depositing issues are solved.

I have 2 very detailed articles covering poker site payments with the cryptocurrencies. You can read my overview of Bitcoin Poker Deposits or alternatively Litecoin Poker Deposits.

4 3rd Party Banking

I’m never entirely sure what the correct name for services like iDebit and POLi should be. These are 3rd party services, which you might mistake for an eWallet at first glance. Instead of holding your balance in an online account, these services simply take money directly from your bank account.

The advantage is that you do not need to give your bank account to online merchants or poker sites. This provides that extra security layer, and also stops you bank from blocking the payments (Canadians will appreciate this). These services tend to be geo-specific, for example iDebit only works for Canada and POLi is for Australia and New Zealand.

5 Vouchers

The big name in this category is PaySafeCard. This is a smart idea, which uses the 16-digit format of a credit card in the form of a scratch-off voucher. You can buy them from newsagents (convenience stores) around the world. An extra feature for these cards is that you can combine several vouchers into a single online wallet.

6 Money Transfer Services

I have to be careful here, as services which are commonly used for ‘Person to Person’ transfers will not knowingly help you send money to poker rooms. This is a common US deposit method. You will use offices of companies such as Western Union or MoneyGram to send money to an individual – who collects it on behalf of the poker sites. This sounds a little odd, though the process has been running for many years, and it works well.

You need to contact your poker room to get the details. You can then either go to a branch office with your cash in hand, or use an online system (Rapid Pay). The site collects the money, and it is often credited to your account in a couple of hours.

It is also possible to withdraw from US poker sites using these money transfer services. The downside of this deposit method is that there are fees (charged by MoneyGram and Western Union) which can be prohibitive, especially for smaller amounts.

7 Bank Wires

If you want to deposit a big amount, then a wire (which has a fixed fee) is a solid deposit option. This gets around all the percentage fees which are charged by 3rd party services. There are some issues with wires in the US. As usual the UIGEA is to blame. Worldwide there are local wire services as well as the international (SWIFT / IBAN) type codes.

You can withdraw via bank wire. If you made a deposit via a method which does not allow withdrawals (vouchers, MasterCards and so on) then a local bank wire is an efficient way of getting your money back out.

I’m sure we will see more innovation in the payments space soon.

Which Is the Easiest Site for Poker Deposits?

If you’ll bear with me, I’m going to pick two!

One is for US players, who have the most trouble with regular (card) deposits – the other one below is for players worldwide.

Easy US Poker Deposits:

Ignition Poker are a clear pick, based on the long track record of this brand under the ‘Bovada’ brand name. Ignition favor BitCoin, and will push this hard. I do recommend you spend the time to set up a wallet, it will literally solve all of your payment needs overnight. If not then you can use credit cards or money transfer services (person-to-person transfers).

This is the biggest US friendly site in terms of traffic, and their recreational player model keeps the games nice and soft. Check out the latest promos over at www.ignitionpoker.eu for yourself now!

For Players Outside of the US:

Here I have a very easy top rec, Unibet Poker. This is a small and easy to beat poker site, which has the longest list of deposit methods I have seen anywhere. You can use PayPal, Cards, eWallets like Skrill or Neteller or many local / regional options.

If you’d like to check out the real money tables before you risk too much of your own money, then GG give you $20 in tokens + a $500 play-through bonus. See the latest offers over at www.unibet.com