Most of us use credit cards and bank accounts for all online payments and purchases without a second thought. However, there is one area of the web where this might not be a great idea, and that is online casinos.
Would you want your future employer or current spouse to see how much time you spend having fun at online casino slots? If the answer is no to either situation, you need to consider alternative payment options that offer a bit more privacy.
It is a bit like using a VPN while torrenting – you want to keep your online actions discreet and private. Luckily, there are many convenient payment options available for online casino players in 2020.
Let’s take a quick look at the different types of casino payment methods that do not directly reflect in your bank account, along with their major brands and availability at online casinos.
Also read: Free Spins Bitcoin Casino Bonuses
E-wallets
After VISA/MasterCard cards and net banking, e-wallets are the most common payment options available at online casinos. If you want more privacy while making cash transactions to online gambling establishments these are usually your best bet.
Skrill and Neteller are the two most famous brands in this genre – and they are both owned by the same respected company, Paysafe Group. Once you create a Skrill/Neteller account, you can add money to it from your credit card or bank account.
The only thing that will show up in your bank statement is the initial transaction. Any payments made from Neteller or Skrill to a casino is not shown in bank records since the e-wallet is acting as the middle-man.
In fact, both Skrill and Neteller became popular as they were created specifically for the casino customers. The only downside with these e-wallets is that they are often unavailable in countries that have banned online casinos, like Australia.
Prepaid Cards
These are the burner phones of the online casino payments world. You can buy them offline in shops and supermarkets, and at some online stores. The paper trail ends right when you buy the card voucher – it doesn’t even begin if you buy using cash!
The voucher is usually for one-time use only. Enter the code on the voucher at the online casino and the equivalent money is deposited in the account. Neither the casino nor your bank gets any sensitive financial data about you in this process.
There are two major brands out there in the prepaid cards business. They both target online casino players and online video game enthusiasts for the most part. These brands are Paysafecard and Neosurf. They may not be available at all casinos and markets though.
Cryptocurrencies
Having a bitcoin account can have multiple benefits – extremely private online transactions, and a potential investment that can make you a millionaire someday. That first point is more pertinent to our subject today.
Online casino players love bitcoin, especially if they reside in countries that are not gambling-friendly. Bitcoin and other cryptos operate 100% outside the control of banks and governments. This means that you get maximum privacy and security when using bitcoin for online casino transactions.
Aside from privacy, speed is another advantage of bitcoin. Card companies and banks take up to 7 days to put money into your account from a casino withdrawal. With bitcoin, you can expect that same process to take a few minutes or an hour max.
The problem though is finding online casinos that support this form of payment. If the casino accepts a lot of players from problem jurisdictions (like the US) you will probably have a better chance of finding bitcoin as a payment option.
Privacy is a significant concern for all users online. Due to the status of gambling as a sensitive/taboo subject, and the potential involvement of large sums of cash, privacy is more important for online casino players than the average internet user.
The payment methods mentioned above are safe, secure, reliable, and legal. If you want to keep casino information out of your bank statements, they offer you the best chance. E-wallets and cryptos can be used for deposits and withdrawals, while prepaid cards are just for deposits only.