PayPal is one of the leading eWallets. The wallet is simply an online account that stores your money and allows you to make transactions (send or receive money) online. However, you might need to enter your account number or a debit card number. According to Statista, PayPal moved $712 billion in 2019, making it the largest eWallet service. PayPal is mostly used for online shopping. However, with the rise in PayPal casino sites UK, PayPal casinos are becoming popular with gamblers.
PayPal Casinos
History of PayPal Casinos
Max Levchin and Peter Theil founded PayPal in 1998 under the name Confinity. The company launched in 1999 as a money transfer platform. It received its initial public offering in 2002, and that is when the growth of the company started. In the same year, eBay acquired PayPal at $1.5 billion. The company started spreading its services to different corners of the world under eBay. In 2006, the company added ten currencies to its system.
In 2007, PayPal applied and was granted the EU Banking License. By this time, the giant eWallet platform had more than 35 million customers in Europe with more than 15 million of these being in the UK. The headquarters of the company moved to Luxembourg where the company intended to grow a huge following in Europe.
PayPal also partnered with MasterCard in 2007 to allow its customers to make payments on sites that accepted MasterCard. That year, the company generated $1.8 billion in revenue. In 2008, eBay acquired Bill Me Later, a company that was PayPal’s main competitor. This is how PayPal become the most recognized eWallet in the world.
PayPal casino sites were rampant in the US and other countries until 2003. The payment processor decided that they were not allowing transactions in online casinos. This move was supposed to make PayPal stay on the right side of the law. In 2010, the company allowed PayPal online gambling. However, the payment method was only to allow payments in countries where gambling is fully legal. This is how countries such as the United States ended up not offering the payment service.
How does PayPal work?
PayPal allows you to pay for goods and services or receive payment through a secure internet account. The system links to your bank account, credit, or debit card. When you want to make any payments, you can choose which of the three PayPal pays from. You can also choose one of those to be the default payment method.
When you withdraw from a mobile casino, or you receive payment from any other source, the money stays in your PayPal account. There might be a fee applied for receiving money through PayPal, especially from gambling sites and online stores.
If you need to make personal transactions, the service is free unless there are any currency conversions involved. In countries where gambling is legal, you will find so many PayPal casino sites in the UK.
There are a number of ways you can fund your PayPal account:
- Wire Transfer – When you transfer money from your bank to PayPal, it is credited to your PayPal address immediately. You can then send that money from the account to the casino account. To do this, you need to have a credit or debit card as a backup.
- eCheck – An eCheck takes up to five days to clear so that you can access the money and send it to the casino account. Here, you will write an eCheck from your checking account to your PayPal address.
- Credit Card – Here, you only need to add a credit card to your account and PayPal charges the card whenever you need to make any payment. You can add as many credit cards as you have and choose every time you need to make a transaction.
- PayPal Balance – When you receive money through your PayPal address, the money is held in the account. You can use that money to make your casino deposit.
What Should I Know about Depositing at PayPal Casinos?
PayPal offers convenience when you need to load money to your casino account fast. Deposits are instant, so you can start wagering on your favourite games immediately.
If you need to use this service, start by looking for a casino that accepts PayPal as a method of payment. However, do not pick a casino just because it offers PayPal – consider other factors too. Create an account with the casino of your choice. Click on the deposit option from the casino and choose PayPal. To make the payment, you need to have a PayPal account.
A PayPal login screen appears so that you can make the payment. Log into your account, enter the amount you wish to deposit, and authorize it to get started. The payment process is simple. Today, PayPal offers one-click payment options where you do not have to enter all your details.
If you do not have money in your PayPal account, the service will charge the credit or debit card linked to the account. It will cost you nothing to deposit using PayPal.
What are the Benefits of using PayPal?
PayPal does not allow transactions in all casinos. Most casinos with old and unsafe systems cannot use PayPal. All PayPal casino sites have to go thorough vetting to ensure they offer fair games, they operate legally, and they have safe systems. This way, when you are playing on a PayPal casino, you are sure your money and your identity are safe.
Easy to open an account
If you have an email address, you can receive payments through PayPal. However, to access the payment, you need to create an account. The process of creating an account is simple and verification takes a short period. With PayPal being the most used eWallet service, there is a chance that you may already have an account, and you may have used it. If you already have one, you can use the same to make casino deposits.
Decades of transparent transactions
PayPal has been in operation since 1998 and has offered safe, secure, and transparent transactions. Over the period, the service has transacted hundreds of billions of dollars for millions of people. There have not been any major security concerns with the system.
Buyer Protection
Besides vetting PayPal casino sites, the service continues to protect your money through the Buyer Protection system. Once you use PayPal as a casino deposit method and then realize that the casino does not offer the services or games they promised, you can always request for your money back. PayPal offers arbitration and dispute services to all users. These features were meant to protect buyers online who may receive substandard goods from sellers.
Security
The PayPal system is regulated, and it adheres to strict code of regulation. The service holds European banking licenses and a host of other accreditations that make the company secure and trustworthy. Your financial details and transactional data are safe with the service. PayPal has stringent measures to ensure that every customer gets secure and safe services. Your data is safe with PayPal whether you are sending or receiving payment.
Speed and Convenience
PayPal is a convenient mode of payment when you need fast transactions. You do not have to wait for days to start wagering in your favourite online casino. Depositing in your online casino is instant, and you can start working.
No Typing in Card Number
Although you will still need to enter your card number to start processing transactions, you do not have to enter it during every transaction. With PayPal, you only need to remember your email address (which acts as your PayPal address) and your password, and you are good to go. If you do not have money in your PayPal account, you can use what is in your checking account or charge your credit or debit card.
Protect Your Credit Card Details
When you use PayPal to deposit money in your casino account, the site doesn’t access your card details. The casino will see the payment as coming from an email address and no sensitive information goes to the site. If you are concerned of your security, PayPal might be the best method for you. PayPal will be the only platform that handles your sensitive information. After that, no matter how many casinos you sign on, you will not have to give out your details.
What are the benefits of using PayPal Casinos over Other Payment Methods?
PayPal vs. Credit/Debit Cards
Credit/debit cards are a common payment method in online casinos. The challenge with cards is that you give your sensitive information to every casino you play at. There have been so many cases of credit card fraud online and most players are concerned that their money and identity are not protected.
Another challenge with cards is that you have to enter your card details every time you need to deposit or withdraw money from your favourite casino. While you can store your information with the browser, it is not always a good idea to store your card information as you are at risk of online fraud.
You pay more fees to convert currencies when depositing or withdrawing money from an international casino. One of the advantages of credit cards over PayPal is that you can deposit and withdraw more money.
PayPal vs. Wire Transfer
Most high rollers prefer wire transfer because it allows you to deposit more money. However, you can still use PayPal to deposit or withdraw the same amount with ease.
Starting with the fees, PayPal charges lower fees to deposit or withdraw money to and from an online casino. PayPal doesn’t charge a fee when you deposit money to local accounts. However, you will pay a fee of between $0.99 and $4.99 when sending money to international accounts. This is the same fee charged when you pay using a credit or debit card. Bank transfers are free when you send money domestically, but they charge when you withdraw or need to convert the currency. Bank charges for international transfers range between $25 and $85 and can even be higher depending on the amount you wish to transfer. Their exchange rates are also high.
Wire transfers are slower than PayPal. It might take more than a few days to get money in your account after you withdraw. With PayPal, however, the money gets in your account instantly when it is processed.
PayPal also offers more account funding methods than bank transfers. You can fund your PayPal account using a credit or debit card, bank transfer, and PayPal credit. With bank transfer, you can find your account in person or from another bank account or from an online service such as PayPal.
PayPal vs. Skrill and Other eWallets
PayPal is facing stiff competition from Skrill and Netent. Netent was specifically created for online casinos, and that gives it an edge over other eWallets.
All these eWallets have the benefit of allowing deposits with no additional fees. However, you will incur some costs when you need to send money from your bank account to any of these three services. They also charge a fee when you withdraw through them.
PayPal has lower fees than Skrill and Netent. For instance, when you need to withdraw with PayPal, you pay 3.4 percent of the total amount you need to transact. On top of that, you pay a standard 20p. With Skrill, you will have to pay 4.9 percent for the amount you need to transact.
If you have more than one eWallet, you can transfer money from one to the next. PayPal allows you to transfer the money for free while other services charge a fee. Skrill, for instance, will charge up to five percent of the total amount. There is also the challenge of time where Skrill processes withdrawals in 24 hours and PayPal uses a few hours. If you have previously received money from the same online casino, PayPal can process your money almost instantly.
The challenge with PayPal is that it is not as widely accepted in many casinos as Netent and Skrill. So many casinos allow payment through Netent and Skrill, especially in the U.K., making these two services more popular with casinos. However, this is a good thing knowing that only a few casinos accept PayPal, thanks to the stringent measures that the service has put in place.
FAQs
At what countries is PayPal available?
PayPal is available in more than 200 countries. However, it is not available for online casinos in all these countries. Some of the countries where PayPal is the main deposit and withdraw method include:
- U.K.
- Sweden
- Ireland
- Belgium
- Portugal
- Greece
- Denmark
- Finland
In Australia and the U.S., you can only use PayPal to shop online, but never to conduct gambling transactions. These two countries do not explicitly allow gambling.
Are PayPal Casinos Safe to Play?
When you use PayPal, you only give your sensitive credit card details to the service and no one else. This way, the casinos you use will never have access to your credit card details. Again, PayPal vets all PayPal casinos to ensure they are safe for players. This way, any UK online casino you play at has been verified as safe by the service.
Besides, PayPal has a European banking license and strives to offer the highest level of security. The service uses an advanced form of encryption to ensure that your details are protected at all times. The service keeps all transactions monitored to ensure that nothing goes wrong anywhere. Your password is your login credential, and it informs PayPal that it is really you who is using the service. Again, the PayPal Buyer Protection keeps your money safe in case the casino does not meet its promise to you.
What is the Minimum Amount I Can Deposit via PayPal?
PayPal allows you to send or receive as much or as little money as you need. The restrictions are in the casinos that you play. While other casinos accept nothing less than $5, others have set the minimum to be at $10. Check with your casino to ensure that you get the minimum and maximum amounts.
What is the Maximum Amount I Can Deposit via PayPal?
Once PayPal verifies your account, they allow you to transfer up to $60,000 in one transaction. The amount you send will also depend on the casino you are playing at and the rules of the country where you play. Some casinos have a limit on the amount you deposit as a way to facilitate responsible gambling.
Do I have to Pay Fees?
You will not pay fees to deposit from PayPal to your casino account. Most of the casinos will cover the deposit fees for you. However, you can check the policies of the casino as some will charge a fee. PayPal will charge the casino a fee for the deposits and withdrawals. Good casinos will not transfer the fee to you. When you withdraw using PayPal, the casino will again be charged and most of them transfer the fee to the player. The fee charged is a small percentage of the transaction total. Check with your casino to verify the fees.
If you are playing in an international casino, PayPal will charge currency exchange fee, but this too is a small amount compared to what banks charge.