Anyone who is of legal age in their country to play on legally permitted (fully licensed and regulated) online casinos and decides to join a reputable site to play the classics, such as blackjack, poker, baccarat and roulette, or today’s best feature-rich online fruit machines with life-changing jackpots, will at some point have to make a deposit.
I’ve always found the process relatively straightforward, and I’ve noticed that the operators of those sites I’ve deposited on will never apply any hidden fees to my deposits or withdrawals. I’ve also found that they will never force you to deposit.
However, suppose you don’t plan on topping up your account to play any of their computer-generated or live dealer titles or claim any of the generous bonuses they might be offering. In that case, there’s no point in signing up in the first place.
If you decide to take the plunge and want to know more about depositing safely on today’s most trusted sites, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s everything that I’ve learned over the years that I think all newcomers should be aware of.
Is it safe to deposit on iGaming sites?
Yes. It’s perfectly safe to deposit real money at online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo, and lottery sites, dedicated poker sites, and other similar websites that offer real money gambling services, provided the operator of that website runs a legitimate operation, is reputable and is fully licensed and regulated by one or more of the industry’s most notable, mid to top-tier commission/regulatory authorities.
In other words, I strongly advise against registering a new account and depositing on any unlicensed and unregulated sites you encounter. Stick to the top-rated sites like the ones featured on my favorite review site – Johnslots (www.johnslots.com/en/) – because you won’t encounter any issues whatsoever on any of their top suggestions, but you will find thousands of games with free welcome bonus with no deposit required, free spins and many more attractive offers to new and returning customers.
Their experts have guided me to countless secure websites for over a decade, and I have always been able to claim some kind of guaranteed matching deposit bonus and/or free spins bonus whenever I make my first deposit on all of their highest-rated sites.
They only accept the world’s most secure online payment methods, and they employ advanced cryptographic encryption measures to ensure cyber criminals can never hijack my transactions and that my preferred online payment method details (and other sensitive data I have stored on their sites) are always protected.
Just make sure that any sites you join use 128-bit or higher SSL encryption.
What kind of deposit options can I use to top up my account?
The most common deposit and withdrawal methods I have noticed most sites accept are the following:
- Mobile wallets, digital wallets, eWallets – Neteller, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Skrill, Jeton, Skrill, and many others
- Credit and debit cards – Visa, Visa Electron, Maestro, Mastercard, American Express, Diner’s Club (don’t forget that UK-licensed online casinos don’t accept credit cards due to local online gambling laws)
- Direct/instant bank transfers – Wire transfer, Trustly, POLi, Interac, and countless others
- Prepaid cards – Paysafecard, Flexepin, Astropay, Neosurf, etc.
- Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology payments – at the time of writing, no UK-licensed casino sites accept cryptocurrencies, but many that operate in other jurisdictions now accept one or more crypto coins, such as Bitcoin, DogeCoin, Tether, Litecoin, Ripple, Ethereum, etc.
Depending on which sites you join and where you live will often determine which of these reliable, low-cost, and user-friendly/convenient online payment methods you will be able to use, so perhaps start by heading to the cashier/banking section before joining anywhere to see if your preferred online payment method(s) are accepted.
What’s the process for depositing on these sites?
When I deposit, I tend to use either my Visa debit cards, PayPal or Skrill account, or direct bank transfer. Failing that, I will use a Paysafecard. The deposit process is relatively straightforward for each of these reliable methods, but not exactly the same.
However, it usually only takes around 30 seconds max to deposit using any of these trusted payment solutions. The best thing to do is carefully read the instructions on the screen when you select your preferred deposit options because the step-by-step instructions will vary slightly.
For example, when depositing with a debit card, you must start by entering the amount you wish to deposit, your name (as it appears on the card), the long number on the front of the card, the expiry date of the card, and the three-digit security code from the back.
If you decide to top up with a Paysafecard prepaid card, this payment method doesn’t have any of these details. Instead, you enter how much you wish to deposit and the receipt/voucher number on the front of the Paysafecard.
There’s also a slightly different method for bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, and so on.
Final thoughts
The one thing I strongly advise you to do before depositing anywhere is set a reasonable budget based on how much disposable income you can afford to lose.
I would also suggest you head straight to your website’s safer gambling tools responsible gambling section, where you can set a range of controls to help ensure you remain within that budget.
I’ve found that session time reminders help me, but you may find that win/loss limits, session time reminders, or spending caps are more helpful. Just don’t forget to set your limits to keep things safe and enjoyable.
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