Online casinos are one of the most popular entertainment destinations of the 21st century. Blame it on the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, or our addiction to screens, the truth remains online casino games are now more interesting to us than streaming services and clubbing. Yet, despite their popularity, online casinos, especially casinos operating without a license, carry a risk. That is why it is important to play on established platforms, with plenty of safe payment options.
Anna Rosak (her bio), online gambling specialist and editor-in-chief at one of the biggest gaming sites in Poland, doesn’t run away from the fact that not all casinos, and all payment methods, are created the same. In fact, she opens a dialogue on what players can do to stay protected.
“My first advice would be to pick a fair casino with a proper license. My other piece of advice is to choose payment methods that truly deliver. You want them to be trustworthy, cost-effective, and easy to use”, elaborates the expert.
Here are the options she considers to be the optimum combo of speed, safety and all other things that matter to players.
Banking Cards
Banking cards are available at almost any and every online casino in the world. Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, and cards issued in collaboration with e-wallets and online payment platforms have become a norm in the world of internet payments.
Rosak describes them as very safe and reliable, albeit a bit slow, compared to some other options: “If you use an e-wallet the money should be with you as soon as the payment gets approved. If you use a credit card, it may take up to 5 business days. Submit the withdrawal request on the weekend, and it can easily happen you’ll have to wait up to 8 days!”
As one of the main advantages, Rosak mentions the fact they are issued by big banks, that take your safety very seriously. “There is no joking when it comes to traditional banks”, says she.
Bank Wire
Although debit and credit cards are safe, there is one payment method Rosak believes to be even more reliable – bank wire. Ancient in comparison to other methods, for many players it is the only acceptable option. It is no secret that almost every person on this planet must have a bank account in one way or another, and consequently, be capable of executing bank wire transfers.
“Bank wire is safe as a house. Nothing beats wires. Still, if you choose this payment method, be ready to pay occasional fees, have higher minimum withdrawal limits, and wait longer to get your hands on the winnings made”, warns the expert.
“One might argue the time of bank wire is long gone, but I disagree. It is a legit option, and oftentimes, the only one if you wish to cash out higher amounts. If such a massive payout comes with a fee attached, so be it”, she is at peace with all the flaws of bank wire payments.
What Poles especially like is a rapid bank transfer called BLIK. It is an immediate payment method that within seconds transfers money from one account to the other. Despite being such a nation-spread payment, it is not a really popular option to be offered in online casinos.
“Unfortunately for the Polish audience, there are not that many casino operators that allow BLIK payments to be used and the reason is pretty simple – BLIK is a Polish payment option and only here in Poland it is accepted. No use for it in European casinos”, expert says. Anna adds though that there are a few of them that allow this typically Polish payment method so if a player truly wants to use BLIK, they can refer to Kasyna z BLIKiem od KasynoHEX.
E-wallets
E-wallets have become a standard in the casino industry, and many of them have involved from electronic wallets into well-rounded banking systems. Skrill, Neteller, EcoPayz, as well as many local methods dominate the market.
“With an e-wallet, you get all that you need with a single provider: classic e-wallet, debit card, exchange office, crypto wallet. Instead of managing 5 accounts and passwords, you only have one, which is, let’s face it, quite convenient”, admits the casino expert.
PayPal
PayPal is an online payment method that needs no introduction. One of the first to appear on the market, it has revolutionized the way we perceive online money transactions. However, it is still a rare find in the casino industry.
“If you can find a PayPal casino, consider yourself lucky. Players love this method, and would definitely love to see more of it in their banking systems at online casinos. For some reason, it simply never fully adapted to the online gaming industry”, says Anna.
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Vouchers
When talking to Rosak, we found out how vouchers still remain the fortress of anonymity for many players out there, and therefore, one of the safest payment methods available. She claims that when purchased with cash, there is not a single thing about it that would help anyone connect the dots and find out your credit card number or bank account. For many players being anonymous when placing sports bets or playing games on the internet is crucial.
“With that in mind, it should also be noted that the main disadvantage of vouchers is that they don’t support withdrawals. Once you achieve real-money wins, you’ll have to use an alternative payment method to receive the money. It can be quite a hassle”, warns Rosak in the end.