Unlike the majority of 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 you can use for this purpose increases all the time as technology continues to move forward. Live casino players are facing tons of options that facilitate quick, convenient, and simple payments to and from their real-money accounts.
Where security is concerned, 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.
With 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
It makes sense you need to set up a real-money account at a live casino before you can process payments to and from its balance. The registration process is generally hassle-free as all you have to do is go through the following steps.
Reading the Terms and Conditions
Filling In the Registration Form
Uploading Documents for Verification
Reading the Terms and Conditions
The first thing you should do prior to registration is read the terms and conditions of your chosen live dealer casino. This will give you a good idea about the operator’s policies related to payments, available deposit options, security, bonuses, and promotions. Perhaps more importantly, you will be able to see whether you are eligible for registration in the first place.
Live casinos are often inaccessible from certain countries due to legal restrictions. Check if your country of residence is listed in the casino’s restricted jurisdictions. There is no point in proceeding further if it is since you will not be able to successfully complete the registration process and make a deposit.
Filling In the Registration Form
Enter your personal information in the registration form, including your name, valid email address, residence address, telephone number, and birth date. Revise your details for potential errors. Some live casinos send text messages with activation codes to the mobile numbers registrants have provided while others require activation via email.
The account and the payment method you intend to use should be registered in your name. Otherwise, the account will be suspended. Each customer is entitled to no more than one account per IP address, telephone number, and household. If you violate this rule, they will close the duplicate accounts and ban you from further play at the live casino.
Uploading Documents for Verification
Upload scans or copies of the identification documents the live casino has requested. You can do this by logging into your account and navigating to the Verification section. The required documents include a copy of a utility bill issued in your name, a copy of your ID, passport or driver’s license, and the front and back of your credit/debit card.
If using an e-wallet, you can send a screenshot of your e-wallet account. This is a standard procedure across all live casinos that aims to hinder illicit activities like money laundering and prevent minors from getting engaged in gambling.
Depending on the policies and license of the live casino, players are accepted as long as they are 18 or 21 years old. The verification process may take between 24 and 72 hours but the exact timeframe is casino-specific.
Processing Deposits and Withdrawals
Now that you have registered and verified your live casino account, you can proceed by funding 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.
It is recommended to check beforehand whether your selected method is supported for deposits as well as for withdrawals. Many live dealer casinos prefer to return payments to the same solutions players have used when depositing.
Players from different jurisdictions are usually catered to with country-specific deposit options, which is to say some of the methods will 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 first deposits. You must opt out manually if disinterested 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 conduct a withdrawal, you must go roughly through the same steps. The only difference is you will have to wait for several days until the live casino’s financial department assesses and processes 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 until the funds arrive in your live casino balance. Fees are also worth investigating. Such information is normally available either in the cashier section or in the casino’s terms and conditions. Most operators are in the habit of covering 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 what withdrawal method you use.
The minimum limits on payments are also casino-specific, not to mention they normally differ between 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 that 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 would prevent you from having to pay extra for the currency conversion.
Widespread Banking Options at Live Casinos
The list of payment solutions supported by live dealer casinos is rather long but seems to continuously grow, with new options being added on a regular basis. Each banking method has its strengths where efficiency, speed, and security are concerned.
Reputable live casinos often cater to customers from individual jurisdictions with country-specific solutions whose availability is restricted to local use only. SuperCasinoSites covers some of the most widespread deposit options at live dealer casinos in a nutshell.
Card Payments
Virtual Wallets
Prepaid Payment Solutions
Online Banking Options
Cryptocurrency Payments
Card Payments
Many live casino players still cling to more conventional methods of payment, with two of the most obvious examples being credit and debit cards. Cards allow for fast and hassle-free deposits. They are also accepted for withdrawals in many cases. The downside is the player has to disclose their sensitive card details when initiating transactions, which is something not all people are willing to do. It is easier to overspend with this method, particularly when one is using a credit card.
- Both Mastercard and Visa are commonly offered by the majority of live dealer casinos. However, several things bear consideration before you pick this option for funding your real-money balance. Customers from the United States are very likely to experience issues with credit card payments and have their card transfers declined.Under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), US banking institutions and financial companies are prohibited from processing payments to offshore gaming sites, live casinos included. Prepaid and gift cards are a suitable alternative for such players.
This does not apply to those who are based in states with legalized online casino gambling such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Customers based in the UK cannot use their credit cards to fund their online casino accounts as of April 2020. The same goes for virtual wallets connected to credit cards.
- Diners Club is another supported card option you will find across many live dealer casinos. It is less common than Visa and Mastercard, though. We explain this with the higher service fees it is associated with. The card brand is available globally, serving payees from 59 countries worldwide.
- American Express (AMEX) is less frequently available and you will find it mostly at US-facing live dealer casinos. Nevertheless, the brand does not limit itself only to this region. American Express cards are being issued in a variety of countries including Canada and the UK. American Express enables players to securely deposit into their live casino balance within minutes. As of December 2019, the brand had more than 114 million cards in operation.
Virtual Wallets
Many players are keen on joining the live tables but are put off by the idea of using their credit or debit cards for online gambling. Such customers face a simple solution – they can fund their live casino accounts by using a virtual wallet, with some of the most popular brands being Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, and ecoPayz.
To use a virtual wallet, players must register for the service and then transfer some cash into their wallet’s balance. Some of the most common options for this purpose include cards, other virtual wallets, online banking, and bank transfers.
There is no need to reveal any sensitive details such as card numbers when initiating a deposit with your e-wallet. Once you enter your desired deposit amount, the cashier will transfer you to the log-in page of your e-wallet service provider where you simply must enter your e-wallet account’s username and password.
E-wallet payments are quick, simple, and highly secure, not to mention you can use them both for withdrawals and deposits. The only downside of using this method is that some live casinos exclude e-wallet deposits from participation in bonus incentives.
- Skrill is a UK-based payment service that gives players access to the world’s most trusted live dealer casinos and gambling sites. Available in more than 10 languages, the Skrill platform supports accounts in 40 different currencies. It allows for instant and low-cost casino payments both on desktop and on the fly.
- Neteller is another virtual wallet service of long-standing, having been established in 1999. You will find it as an option at nearly all live dealer casinos on the web but the service is unavailable to US players, similarly to Skrill. Gambling mavens can conduct hassle-free deposits and withdrawals with Neteller in 27 currencies, including GBP, AUD, USD, EUR, and CAD.
- ecoPayz is an FCA-regulated virtual wallet service available for use in over 150 countries and 45 currencies. Apart from the e-wallets, ecoPayz offers a variety of virtual and physical card products including the hugely popular ecoCard, issued in three currencies – GBP, USD, and EUR.
- PayPal easily wins the race in terms of longevity and popularity. The brand’s beginning dates back to 2000 but it was acquired by eBay two years after its formation. The service boasts over 200 million active accounts and is implemented by 7 million merchants, including numerous live casinos. Following the passage of UIGEA, PayPal exited the US gambling market and remains unavailable to most players from this jurisdiction.
Prepaid Payment Solutions
Prepaid cards rank among the most convenient and practical solutions when it comes to depositing real money into your live casino account. These are, in essence, vouchers you can purchase online or at multiple landbased outlets. The cards come in different denominations, with players having the option to combine several vouchers to process larger payments.
Prepaid solutions like Neosurf and Paysafecard can offer numerous benefits including convenience and security. On top of all that, they prevent you from overspending as you can only gamble with the amount credited to the prepaid card. On the downside, prepaid cards are unsuitable for large-scale players and often are supported for deposits only.
- Paysafecard is a prepaid payment solution that many live casinos have adopted. It is sold at hundreds of landbased sales outlets worldwide in more than 50 countries. The Paysafecard vouchers are available in all local currencies but the voucher denominations are country-specific.Each voucher contains a 16-digit PIN code, which is the only thing you need to initiate a deposit with this method. To process larger deposits, players can enter several voucher codes, one at a time, and use their cumulative value.
- Neosurf is another widespread prepaid option offered to live casino players from more than 50 countries. Neosurf vouchers can be purchased in over 135,000 landbased sales outlets worldwide. The vouchers’ denominations range from $10 to $200.Purchasing and depositing with Neosurf vouchers is simple and convenient. Another advantage is the method does not require you to undergo additional registration. Disclosing your personal information is unnecessary as well. The only thing you need to initiate a Neosurf deposit is the 10-digit code of your voucher.
Online Banking Options
Online banking processors are regarded as some of the most broadly available payment solutions you can use when depositing at live dealer casinos. This payment option does exactly what its name suggests, allowing players to transfer funds from their online banking accounts.
Third-party processors merely serve as a bridge between the bank of the player and that of the live casino they gamble at. It makes sense you need to hold an account at one of the banks affiliated with the payment processor and subscribe to its online banking services.
Depositing with online banking processors like Trustly or POLi is beyond simple. All you have to do is enter the deposited amount and then select the name of your bank from the drop-down menu. The cashier will transfer you to the online banking platform of your bank.
You must log into your online banking account and follow the instructions to authenticate the money transfer. In essence, the transaction is processed via your bank’s platform, which eliminates the necessity of having to disclose any sensitive information to the live casino.
- InstaDebit is commonly available to live casino players from Canada, enabling them to deposit directly from their bank accounts. To use it, you must select the method from the casino’s cashier, log into your InstaDebit account, and approve the money transfer. The method currently supports payments in the CAD and USD currencies. Unlike e-wallets, this method does not allow you to store funds directly in your InstaDebit account.
- POLi is another convenient payment solution that relies on online banking. It operates similarly to InstaDebit but with one chief difference – POLi is intended exclusively for casino players based in New Zealand and Australia.Transactions can be conducted in the AUD and NZD currencies. To use POLi for live casino deposits, you need an account in an affiliated bank including Kiwibank, Bank of New Zealand, Citibank, Bank of Melbourne, NAB, or ANZ.
- Trustly is a fintech company from Sweden that launched its services in 2008. Trustly has gone a long way since its establishment, currently servicing over 1 billion customers of more than 6,000 banks. The method is available to live casino players from 29 European and international jurisdictions including the UK, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. To deposit with this method, the player must pass their banking credentials to the payment processor which conveys the money transfer on their behalf.
Cryptocurrency Payments
Conducting payments via cryptocurrencies has picked up great steam across numerous online casinos in recent years. This method enjoys particular popularity among US players who suffer from a shortage of conventional banking solutions due to the restrictions imposed under the UIGEA. Cryptos are decentralized currencies that lack tangible analogs and exist solely online.
There are many reasons why cryptocurrencies are gaining such traction in the online gambling industry. Some of the benefits they offer include cost-efficiency, anonymous payments, instant deposits and withdrawals, and full access to one’s entire transaction history.
National governments cannot block or freeze cryptocurrency transactions since the crypto wallets are not used for storing fiat currencies. Below, we cover four of the most broadly available cryptos players can find at live dealer casinos.
- Bitcoin was the first-ever cryptocurrency in history. This unique method of payment was initially launched in the fall of 2008 in Japan. Unlike fiat currencies, the issuing process with Bitcoin is actually finite. The supply is limited since only 21 million crypto coins of this type can be mined.There are two main ways to obtain a Bitcoin wallet. You can download the free application from Bitcoin’s official website or use a third-party resource. As for purchasing the Bitcoins themselves, you can do it either via the application or at an exchange.
- Ethereum is a newer cryptocurrency, introduced in the summer of 2015 when 72 million Ether coins were created. It quickly went on to become the second-biggest cryptocurrency in terms of market capitalization, surpassed only by the older Bitcoin. Unlike some of the other cryptos, Ethereum relies on smart contracts.
- Litecoin was launched on an open-source platform in October 2011. One of the main aspects in which Litecoin differs from its older brother Bitcoin has to do with its reduced block generation times. It takes roughly two and a half minutes to process a Litecoin block as opposed to the ten minutes required by Bitcoin. This translates into faster transactions for live casino players.
- Ripple is another cryptocurrency system that is gaining popularity among live casino customers as of late. Initially released in 2012, Ripple quickly picked up steam, ranking third in terms of market capitalization as of April 2020. Ripple allows for low-cost instant transactions but these are irreversible, which is something to keep in mind before you start using it for payments at live dealer casinos.