Unlike most RNG-based games, live dealer tables are unavailable for free play. The only way to join the live dealers is to set up a real-money account and fund its balance with some cash. On the positive side, funding your live casino account has never been easier.
The number of payment solutions continues to grow as technology advances. Live casino players face plenty of options that facilitate quick, convenient, and simple payments to and from their real-money accounts.
Regarding security, you have nothing to worry about as long as you gamble at reputable, licensed live casinos. Operators of live dealer games take all the necessary precautions to protect their customers’ funds and help them gamble more responsibly.
In this article, SuperCasinoSites walks you through the entire process of funding your live casino account and discusses some of the most common methods you can use to top up your real-money balance.
Account Registration and Verification
You must set up a real-money account at a live casino before you can process payments to and from your balance. The registration process is usually hassle-free, and you can complete it by following these steps.
Reading the Terms and Conditions
Filling In the Registration Form
Uploading Documents for Verification
Reading the Terms and Conditions
Before registering, read the terms and conditions of your chosen live dealer casino. Doing so will give you a clear idea of the operator’s policies concerning payments, available deposit options, security, bonuses, and promotions. More importantly, you will discover whether you are eligible to register.
Some live casinos are inaccessible in certain countries due to legal restrictions. Check whether your country of residence appears in the casino’s list of restricted jurisdictions. If it does, there is no point in proceeding because you will not be able to complete registration or make a deposit.
Filling In the Registration Form
Enter your personal information in the registration form, including your name, valid email address, residential address, telephone number, and date of birth. Review your details for errors. Some live casinos send activation codes via text message, while others require email confirmation.
The account and the payment method you plan to use must be in your name, or the casino will suspend the account. Each customer may open only one account per IP address, telephone number, and household. Violating this rule results in duplicate accounts being closed and a permanent ban from the live casino.
Uploading Documents for Verification
Upload scans or copies of the identification documents requested by the live casino. You can do this by logging into your account and navigating to the Verification section. Typically required documents include a utility bill issued in your name, a copy of your ID, passport, or driver’s license, and images of the front and back of your credit or debit card.
If you are using an e-wallet, you can send a screenshot of your e-wallet account. This standard procedure helps prevent illicit activities such as money laundering and keeps minors from gambling.
Depending on the casino’s license and policies, players must be at least 18 or 21 years old. The verification process usually takes 24 to 72 hours, although the exact timeframe varies by casino.
Processing Deposits and Withdrawals
Now that you have registered and verified your live casino account, you can proceed to fund your real-money balance. The next thing you need to do is open the cashier, compare the deposit solutions, and choose the method you want to use.
We recommend checking beforehand whether your selected method supports both deposits and withdrawals. Many live dealer casinos prefer to return payments to the same method players have used when depositing.
Players from different jurisdictions are usually catered to with country-specific deposit options, which means some methods may be unavailable to you. Here is a step-by-step explanation of how to conduct your first live casino deposit.
- Log in, open the cashier, and click on your preferred deposit option.
- Enter your desired deposit amount in the designated field along with your credit or debit card information (if you choose to deposit with a card).
- Enter a valid promo code if needed, provided that you want to claim a deposit-related welcome bonus. Some casinos credit welcome bonuses automatically upon your first deposit. You must opt out manually if you are not interested in participating in the promotion.
- Go through the payment information once more to ensure you have entered everything correctly.
- Confirm the money transfer and go back to the cashier menu to check whether the deposit has been successful. Most of the deposit methods used by live casinos allow for instant funding.
- Open the live dealer lobby and pick a table to join the real-money action.
To make a withdrawal, you must follow roughly the same steps. The only difference is that you will have to wait several days for the live casino’s financial department to assess and process your withdrawal request. More on waiting times in the paragraphs that follow.
Timeframes and Limits
The processing timeframes vary across different gaming sites, but most live dealer casinos facilitate immediate deposits in real time. Instant deposits are possible with the vast majority of payment methods, including cards, virtual wallets, prepaid vouchers, and online banking.
The only exception is the standard bank transfer, which usually takes several business days for the funds to arrive in your live casino balance. Fees are worth investigating as well. Such information is normally available either in the cashier section or in the casino’s terms and conditions. Most operators cover the extra costs associated with deposits.
As for withdrawals, they require more time to process, usually between 24 and 72 hours, because the casino’s financial department must first evaluate the players’ requests. Once your withdrawal request is approved, the funds are released from your real-money balance. How much time it takes for the money to reach you depends on which withdrawal method you use.
The minimum payment limits are also casino-specific and normally differ among the supported payment solutions. More often than not, the minimums start at $10 or $20, with many live casinos allowing for unlimited deposits. With that said, there is usually a weekly or monthly ceiling on withdrawals.
Requesting larger, five-figure amounts normally requires additional verification, similar to the checks after registration. Some live casinos exempt progressive jackpot wins from withdrawal limits, while others pay them out in several weekly or monthly installments. We suggest you register at a live casino that enables you to deposit and withdraw in your local currency. This prevents you from paying extra for currency conversion.
Widespread Banking Options at Live Casinos
The list of payment solutions supported by live dealer casinos is extensive and continues to grow, with new options added regularly. Each banking method has its own strengths in terms of efficiency, speed, and security.
Reputable live casinos also cater to specific jurisdictions with localized solutions that are available only to local players. Below, SuperCasinoSites summarizes some of the most popular deposit options at live dealer casinos.
Card Payments
Virtual Wallets
Prepaid Payment Solutions
Online Banking Options
Cryptocurrency Payments
Card Payments
Many live casino players still prefer conventional payment methods, with credit and debit cards being the most obvious examples. Cards allow for fast, hassle-free deposits and are often accepted for withdrawals. The downside is that players must share sensitive card details when initiating transactions, something many are reluctant to do. It is also easier to overspend, especially with a credit card.
- Both Mastercard and Visa are offered by most live dealer casinos. However, you should consider several factors before choosing this option for funding your real-money balance. Customers in the United States may experience declined transactions because, under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), U.S. banks and financial companies cannot process payments to offshore gaming sites, including live casinos. Prepaid and gift cards are a suitable alternative.This restriction does not apply to players in states that have legalized online casino gambling, such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. As of April 2020, customers in the UK cannot use credit cards or virtual wallets linked to credit cards to fund online casino accounts.
- Diners Club is another card option available at many live dealer casinos. It is less common than Visa or Mastercard, mainly because of higher service fees. The brand is available globally, serving payees in 59 countries.
- American Express (AMEX) is less frequently supported and appears mostly at U.S.-facing live dealer casinos. Nevertheless, the brand also issues cards in countries such as Canada and the UK. American Express enables players to deposit securely within minutes. As of December 2019, more than 114 million American Express cards were in circulation.
Virtual Wallets
Many players want to join live tables but are uncomfortable using credit or debit cards for online gambling. For them, virtual wallets offer a simple solution, with Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, and ecoPayz among the most popular brands.
To use a virtual wallet, register for the service and transfer funds into your wallet balance. You can load money with cards, other virtual wallets, online banking, or bank transfers.
You do not need to reveal sensitive details such as card numbers when depositing with an e-wallet. After entering the desired amount, the cashier redirects you to the e-wallet provider’s log-in page, where you simply enter your username and password.
E-wallet payments are quick, simple, and highly secure, and you can use them for both deposits and withdrawals. The only drawback is that some live casinos exclude e-wallet deposits from bonuses.
- Skrill is a UK-based payment service that connects players to many of the world’s most trusted live dealer casinos and gambling sites. Available in more than 10 languages, the Skrill platform supports 40 currencies and allows instant, low-cost casino payments on desktop and mobile.
- Neteller is another long-standing virtual wallet service, established in 1999. It is accepted at nearly all live dealer casinos online, but, like Skrill, it is unavailable to U.S. players. Gamblers can make hassle-free deposits and withdrawals with Neteller in 27 currencies, including GBP, AUD, USD, EUR, and CAD.
- ecoPayz is an FCA-regulated virtual wallet available in more than 150 countries and 45 currencies. In addition to e-wallets, ecoPayz offers various virtual and physical card products, including the popular ecoCard, issued in GBP, USD, and EUR.
- PayPal easily wins in longevity and popularity. The brand dates back to 2000 and was acquired by eBay two years later. The service has over 200 million active accounts and is used by 7 million merchants, including numerous live casinos. After the passage of UIGEA, PayPal left the U.S. gambling market and remains unavailable to most players in that jurisdiction.
Prepaid Payment Solutions
Prepaid cards are among the most convenient and practical ways to fund your live casino account. Essentially, they are vouchers that you can purchase online or at many land-based outlets. The cards come in various denominations, and you can combine several vouchers to make larger payments.
Prepaid solutions like Neosurf and Paysafecard offer numerous benefits, including convenience and security. They also help prevent overspending because you can gamble only with the amount loaded onto the card. On the downside, prepaid cards are unsuitable for high rollers and are often supported for deposits only.
- Paysafecard is a prepaid solution adopted by many live casinos. It is sold at hundreds of land-based outlets in more than 50 countries. Paysafecard vouchers are available in local currencies, but denominations vary by country. Each voucher contains a 16-digit PIN code, which is all you need to initiate a deposit. To make a larger deposit, enter several voucher codes one at a time and use their combined value.
- Neosurf is another widespread prepaid option offered to players in more than 50 countries. Neosurf vouchers can be purchased at over 135,000 land-based sales outlets worldwide. Denominations range from $10 to $200. Buying and depositing with Neosurf vouchers is simple and convenient, and the method requires no additional registration. You do not need to disclose personal information; the only requirement is the 10-digit code on your voucher.
Online Banking Options
Online banking processors are among the most widely available payment solutions for depositing at live dealer casinos. As the name suggests, they allow players to transfer funds directly from their online banking accounts.
These third-party processors act as a bridge between the player’s bank and the casino’s bank. Therefore, you must hold an account at a participating bank and be enrolled in its online banking service.
Depositing with processors like Trustly or POLi is straightforward. Enter the amount you wish to deposit and select your bank from the drop-down menu. The cashier then redirects you to your bank’s online platform.
Log into your online banking account and follow the prompts to authorize the transfer. Because the transaction is completed on your bank’s platform, you do not need to share sensitive information with the live casino.
- InstaDebit is widely available to Canadian players, allowing them to deposit directly from their bank accounts. Select the method in the casino cashier, log into your InstaDebit account, and approve the transfer. Payments are supported in CAD and USD. Unlike e-wallets, funds cannot be stored in an InstaDebit account.
- POLi is another convenient online banking solution. It works similarly to InstaDebit, but one key difference is that POLi is intended exclusively for players in New Zealand and Australia. Transactions can be made in AUD and NZD. To use POLi, you need an account with an affiliated bank such as Kiwibank, Bank of New Zealand, Citibank, Bank of Melbourne, NAB, or ANZ.
- Trustly is a Swedish fintech company that launched in 2008. Since then, it has expanded to serve more than 1 billion customers of over 6,000 banks. Trustly is available to players in 29 European and international jurisdictions, including the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. To deposit, simply enter your banking credentials, and Trustly completes the transfer on your behalf.
Cryptocurrency Payments
Conducting payments with cryptocurrencies has gained significant momentum at online casinos in recent years. This method is especially popular among U.S. players who face limited conventional banking options because of UIGEA restrictions. Cryptos are decentralized currencies with no physical form; they exist solely online.
Cryptocurrencies are thriving in online gambling for many reasons. They offer cost efficiency, anonymous payments, instant deposits and withdrawals, and complete access to your transaction history.
National governments cannot block or freeze cryptocurrency transactions because crypto wallets do not hold fiat currency. Below are four of the most widely available cryptos at live dealer casinos.
- Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, launched in Japan in the fall of 2008. Unlike fiat currency, Bitcoin’s supply is finite, with only 21 million coins ever to be mined. You can obtain a Bitcoin wallet by downloading the free application from the official website or by using a third-party service. Bitcoins can be purchased through the application or at an exchange.
- Ethereum is a newer cryptocurrency, introduced in the summer of 2015 with an initial supply of 72 million Ether coins. It quickly became the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, surpassed only by Bitcoin. Ethereum also relies on smart contracts.
- Litecoin launched on an open-source platform in October 2011. It differs from Bitcoin primarily in its faster block generation time of about two and a half minutes, compared with Bitcoin’s ten minutes, resulting in quicker transactions for live casino players.
- Ripple is another cryptocurrency that has recently gained popularity among live casino customers. Released in 2012, Ripple ranked third in market capitalization as of April 2020. It allows low-cost, instant transactions, but they are irreversible, so consider this before using Ripple for casino payments.
