Poker Deposit Methods For US Players Include, Bank Cards, Credit Cards, Cash Transfers And Wires –
My Guide To The Best Poker Deposit Methods For US Players And How To Use Them.
Update: Adding extra notes on how much easier Bitcoin deposits are getting plus clever ways to use CashApp, Venmo and MatchPay to securely get your money onboard.
As we go through 2024, depositing at US poker sites easier than ever. The established offshore sites have established cashier staff who are getting very good at finding deposit solutions for their players - even those times that your credit card deposit gets declined. The success with deposit methods means that these rooms are growing. This is reflected in bigger tournament prize pools, a bigger choice of cash game tables, and in bigger promotions and specials too.
This article focuses on the bigger US sites, BetOnline (Chico Network), Bovada (the biggest US poker site), Ignition Poker (who pool players with Bovada / Bodog), ACR Poker (Winning Poker Network) and Intertops. Keep in mind that these sites are competing between themselves for your business - which means you can take advantage of some generous bonus offers, for example a 200% deposit match at BetOnline Poker.
Right below you will find the deposit options available, followed by notes on withdrawals and security. If you are looking for the easiest site to get money into and out of first time - then BetOnline (www.betonline.ag) are a long way ahead at the moment - more on this at the bottom of the page.
Poker Funding Options for US Players - Top Deposit Methods In 2024
While funding your poker account if you are a US player has become a little more difficult. US facing poker sites have been working diligently to add more different options - many players are pleasantly surprised how easily they can fund their accounts, See some of the best current US Deposit Options below for the key options in 2024:
Visa Credit Card – This is the number one option when it comes to funding your poker accounts. The Visa Card has a very high success rate at most US facing poker rooms. Your card needs to be approved for international payments (some are not by default, to protect you from fraud), which may require a quick call to your bank. If you still have problems, then your choices are to try that back up credit card you were saving for emergencies - or to grab a prepaid visa, which you can purchase from convenience stores. I recommend that you get in touch with the support staff at your chosen poker site before you buy any prepaid card, they will be able to tell you which brands are currently working. Finally, you will be required to fill out a form and send Id with your credit card payment - again this might seem like a 'hoop to jump through' but it does protect you from fraud.
MasterCard Credit Card – Mastercard is welcomed by many US Poker sites, though not all of them. As long as your card is capable of international payments, you'll find this going through first time very frequently.
Amex (American Express) - Not the most commonly accepted card, though you can still find some operators able to take it. If you do have an Amex card it can be worth asking support staff about this, as it is not always advertized openly.
MyPayLinq: This one is no longer available - in fact, the domain is available to be registered!
Money Transfer via Western Union – Western Union is another popular funding option for US players, while it does include fees, this method will definitely work for you - and can now be used to withdraw your winnings too. You will often find this advertised as 'Person to Person Transfers'. There are two stages to the process of using this US deposit option. First you need to speak with the support staff at your poker site. They will provide you with the information on where the money will be wired too - this is important, you can not just send it to the site without this info. Armed with this, you go to a Western Union outlet, there is at least one in every city, and a quick check of their website will give you several local options in bigger metros. You'll give the details to the cashier, hand over your cash and pay a fee (usually between $8 and $20) for using the service. You then mail your transaction number to your poker site - which will receive the money instantly. You should be up and running within an hour using this method, sometimes even faster. Note that you can now use an online version of the wiring service called 'SpeedPay'
MoneyGram – MoneyGram is very similar to Western Union in the way it works. You purchase a MoneyGram in the amount that you would like to deposit from a MoneyGram retailer. You then transfer the money to the poker site that you would like to play at. Again, you will need to speak with your poker site before you transfer the cash - the recipient information will not usually be in the name fo the poker site itself! MoneyGram can not be used for withdrawals at the time of writing.
MatchPay: This is a peer-to-peer platform, which lets you fund your MatchPay account via PayPal, CashApp or Venmo. You are then securely matched with someone that has funds at Bovada (the number one US poker site by volume of players), and the transaction takes place securely within MatchPay. No trust issues, as all the funds are verified before the exchange takes place. You need a Bovada account, which you then enter into MatchPay when you register. The best thing about this method is that you can use all the apps which usually won't work for gambling sites.
Player-to-Player Transfer: The ability to transfer between players has been withdrawn from the Merge Network (Carbon) and Bovada. You can still do this at the Winning Poker Network (America's Cardroom) and The Horizon Gaming Network.
BitCoin: All of the main poker sites now welcome Bitcoin, with Ignition Casino (which has taken the poker room from Bovada) making this their primary method of payments. America's Cardroom on the Winning Poker Network and BetOnline also offer this option. Your balance will be held in USD and you play the regular games. While many people think of Bitcoin as a) Technical and b) Volatile - neither of these are the case these days. You will likely only hold Bitcoin for a day (at most) when you deposit and wallets are very much the mainstream these days. With your balance converted into dollars as soon as you deposit, you will only need to think about the price of Bitcoin for that small period of time while switch back from BTC to USD when you withdraw.
Using Bitcoin Wallets: Bitcoin is becoming almost as easy as the old PayPal transfers (in as far as setting up an account 'wallet' and sending the money with a few clicks is concerned). There are two main steps:
1 - Get a Bitcoin wallet, unless you are a serious high roller then an online one at blockchain.info is just fine. You can fund this legally and without hassle from your bank account.
2 - Log on to your poker site, go to the cashier and select Bitcoin payments. Your site will give you a string of letters and numbers called a 'Receivers Id'. You then go to your wallet, choose 'send' and use this senders id as the receipent. The transaction is fast and when it comes to withdrawing, you just generate a receivers id and give this to your poker site - all very simple.
Note: I have now created an in-depth guide to using Bitcoin Poker Deposits.
Planet Mark's Summary: Visa should be the first method you try, if this gets declined then you are faced with either a trip to the convenience store (for a pre-paid visa) or switch to Bitcoin instead. I am predicting that Bitcoin will become the clear number one deposit option next year, as someone who was skeptical myself, it was a pleasant surprise to find out how easy this is to use once I took the plunge. Either way, speak to your site - they really are getting good at making deposits happen! BetOnline has a great track record when it comes to accepting Visa card deposits first time - if I had to pick one site to give my top rating for both easy deposits and great games, it is BetOnline.eu - check them out first!
LiteCoin: This coin is known as the 'Silver to BitCoin's Gold'. For those of us who are non-technical (myself included!) the way it works is almost identical to BitCoin. You have a wallet, fund via an exchange and use 'receivers ids'. This is somewhat less volatile than BitCoin (though does move in synch). Good to see another option, though I am unsure if there is any real advantage over BitCoin for your deposits.
Other Cryptocurrencies: Bovada now welcome Bitcoin Cash (BCH) transactions. America's Cardroom have gone one better, accepting around 60 different coins.
PayPal, CashApp and Venmo: You can't use these apps directly, though deposits via the peer-to-peer payment app MatchPay are hugely popular at Bovada.lv.
Minimum Deposits and Maximums
These do vary a lot according to the method you use and the poker site. Standard minimums for major credit cards are $20 ($50 in places), and $100 for the money transfer services / bankwires are not unknown. If you want to deposit using BitCoin or LiteCoin, then the minimums are more flexible. Maximums for credit cards cap out at around $2k (this protects the sites and you from fraud). For bigger transfers, speak to your site about bank wires or even money orders - once again the cryptocurrencies do get around these limits.
Options For Withdrawing From US Poker Sites
Fewer options here, the mainstay is still paper checks. These take a few weeks in total, first for the check to be created and mailed, second for it to clear through your bank account. On the plus side this method is very reliable. The other key option is using Western Union, you'll need to swallow a fee (around $20, can be more for bigger withdrawals), though you'll get your money significantly faster.
Note that Bitcoin is now a very quick and easy option for withdrawals. The only rule is that you will need to have deposited using this method before withdrawals are allowed (this is to prevent money laundering).
US Poker Deposits And Security
Many players ask whether it is safe to deposit money into an offshore poker site. I believe that this is as safe as any poker site serving the US could be in 2015. These sites have spent a lot of money and time building their brands, and gaining the trust of players. The chance of any 'shady dealing' from the better known sites when it comes to handling your money is pretty slim. At the same time there is the risk of the DoJ having a second crackdown similar to Black-Friday. As we move towards legal poker in the US this risk is getting smaller. If you are worried about this then just keeping a small proportion of your total bankroll on any one site would be a sensible precaution.
Easiest US Poker Deposits Of All In 2024 BetOnline Poker
BetOnline have more than 10 years of experience looking after US sports bettors and poker players from their Panama base. They have gained a reputation for their easy deposits and smooth withdrawals process. BetOnline are part of the Chico Network, a fast growing network of poker sites with very soft games (a lot of recreational players coming over from the sports betting section helps!). Visa card deposits will go through first time a lot more often than before in 2024. New players will get a 200% welcome bonus, and enjoy a long list of player friendly promotions - I recommend you check out BetOnline Poker for yourself!