There are a huge number of different ways to make an online casino payment nowadays. Some of them offer fast transaction times, some offer enormous bonuses, others offer impenetrable security - but which one makes the most sense for you? Here we’re going to take a look at more than a dozen popular payment methods in EU casinos so that you can confidently choose the one that suits you the best.
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There are all kinds of different casino payment methods that you can use in casinos in Europe.
So it’s understandable that figuring out the right one for you can seem a little confusing. Below, we’ve got a breakdown of some of the most popular methods, alongside their individual pros and cons. That way, you can make up your own mind and find the casino payment method that makes the most sense for the kind of player you are.
Debit cards are the most widely used payment method at European casinos. They’re connected directly to your bank, so transactions from unlicensed sites may be blocked and the casino will always know exactly who is making the payment.
Pros
Cons
E-wallets are the next most popular option for making casino payments online. If you’re familiar with Geoblocking then using this alongside an e-wallet can be a great way to lower your gambling tax burden. Below are several of the most popular e-wallets at online casinos.
PayPal is one of the most popular e-wallets in the world thanks to its excellent security and wide availability. You’ll almost never have a problem claiming bonuses with this method, but it isn’t as anonymous as cryptocurrency.
Pros
Cons
These e-wallets were both adopted early by online casino players thanks to their fast transaction times and relatively high privacy credentials. Unfortunately they were widely used (and abused) by bonus hunters back in the day, so now it can be more difficult to claim a welcome bonus using them.
Pros:
Cons
Prepaid cards are a good option if you’re concerned about privacy and like sticking to a budget. However, if you want to make withdrawals then you’ll almost always need to use a complimentary payment method.
Pros
Cons
Cryptocurrency is a favourite of Anjouan licenced online casinos thanks to its high anonymity and fast transaction times. The best cryptocurrency casinos tend to let you claim a larger welcome bonus for using crypto to make payments, while all cryptocurrency online casinos give you top level privacy.
Pros
Cons
Bank transfers and instant bank transfers offer incredible levels of security, but mean you need to share all of your financial details with the casino. Trustly is the most popular instant bank transfer service, keeping up with the withdrawal times of some of the best e-wallets.
Pros
Cons
If you’re looking for a mobile payment casino method then you’ve got a surprising amount of choice. All of the options we’ve already covered can be used at mobile casinos, but there are some mobile-specific methods that are perfect for gaming on the go.
Apple Pay is the go-to for many iOS users. It’s attached to your bank card, making claiming bonuses a breeze, but letting itself down in terms of anonymity.
Pros
Cons
Google Pay is a great option for those with an Android phone, or if you access casinos using Google Chrome. It’s connected to your bank account and is treated just the same, so you’ll always be able to claim a welcome bonus, but you won’t be able to make withdrawals.
Pros
Cons
This final group of payment methods allow you to make payments via your phone bill. If you’re a PAYG customer it will be taken directly from your credit and if you pay monthly it will be added to your monthly phone bill. These options are not so widely available and won’t let you make withdrawals.
Pros
Cons
Choosing the payment method that suits you can feel a little tricky, but it boils down to five attributes. Let’s walk through them together, step-by-step, so that you can spot which of the payment methods in EU casinos makes the most sense for you. .
Finding a payment method that you’ll actually be able to use is important! Some methods are very widely available but won’t let you make withdrawals, so it’s usually best to choose a method that lets you do both.
Being able to claim a welcome bonus can be one of the deciding factors in whether to sign up to a particular casino or not. With some payment methods it’s easy to claim bonuses, while others (like Skrill and Neteller) are very often excluded.
If privacy is important to you, you want to avoid gambling taxes, or you want to play at offshore licensed casinos then choosing a highly anonymous payment method is important. Cryptocurrency and select e-wallets are the winners here.
If you’re making a traditional bank transfer, expect to wait in excess of a week for your withdrawal. If you’re withdrawing via crypto or e-wallet, your money could be with you in minutes. If fast payments are a priority for you then there are a handful of payment methods that stand out from the crowd.
If you’re making a particularly large withdrawal then you need to be sure that the payment method you choose is totally secure. For most payment methods, just looking at the licence of the casino and its reviews is enough to tell you all you need to know.
If you prefer to work things out through side by side comparison then look no further. Below is a table that shows the most popular payment methods in EU casinos alongside how they score in different areas.
Our scoring scale goes from 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent. For example, debit cards score a 5 for bonus availability as you can almost always claim a bonus using a debit card, but they score a 1 for anonymity, as the casino knows exactly who you are when you pay with a debit card.
Payment Method | Bonuses | Security | Availability | Anonymity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Debit Card | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Bank Transfer | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Trustly | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
PayPal | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
Skrill | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Neteller | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Cryptocurrency | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Apple Pay | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Google Pay | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Pay by Phone | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
Prepaid Card | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
One of the big attractions when you sign up to a new casino is being able to get your hands on a sizable welcome bonus. So, it can be super frustrating if the payment method that you choose doesn’t allow you to claim bonuses. Below are some of the best (and worst) payment methods in EU casinos for claiming bonuses.
Pay By Phone: PayByPhone casinos are pretty hard to come across in general, so finding a bonus you can claim using this method is even harder.
