At nearly all online casinos it is perfectly fine to play for fun. Virtually every game you play can be played for ‘play money’, so you can entertain yourself without risking any of your own, hard-earned moolah. However, for many people the ‘thrill’ of playing for free doesn’t quite cut the mustard, and they prefer to gamble (responsibly) for cash – after all, if you ain’t in it, then you’re not gonna win it!
If you want the extra excitement of wagering money, then you’re going to need a way for getting cash into your online casino account. Fortunately, there are several ways in which you can link a money services provider to your favourite casino – a credit or debit card, an eWallet, an eVoucher scheme (such as Paysafecard) or via direct banking. This page will give you a brief overview of many of the most popular payment methods available to UK players and players overseas, and will link you to pages where you can find out more and discover the most popular online casinos where such payments methods are accepted.
Top payment methods found in the United Kingdom
The UK’s most popular debit and credit card. |
Most online casinos will happily accept MasterCard |
The world’s most frequently-used eWallet scheme |
An eWallet that specialises in accounts for online wagering. |
Has become the world’s biggest eWallet since acquiring Skrill |
Safe and secure – you pay cash over the counter for your Paysafecard |
The new name for ‘ecoCard’, a provider of eWallet services |
iDeal is an online eWallet for people from the Netherlands |
Sofort is an eWallet scheme based in Germany with millions of customers |
A payment services provider that is very popular in Canada |
The world’s leading peer-to-peer online crypto-currency |
Australia’s leading online debit payment provider |
How to keep your financial details safe and secure online
Many people are still concerned about entering their banking details online. Internet fraud is a very genuine issue, and identify thieves are becoming more and more sophisticated in the way that they operate. Big businesses have to find complex ways in which to keep their details safe from hackers, less they suffer a reputation-shredding incursion.
When it comes to online casinos, most now use 128-bit encryption techniques in order to keep your details safe. This means that when you enter your details into a web browser, the casino does not actually receive your details – they are encrypted before they are transfered across, meaning that the casino only ever receives the encrypted version. It is impossible to de-encrypt information that has been encrypted by 128-bit Encryption.
When you want to make a deposit or a withdrawal, your details are only de-encrypted at the moment of payment, which means that the casino never stores your details while they are not encrypted.
For extra protection, the transfer of any data to and from the online casino is done so via something known as Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL for short. In effect, when you connect to a casino the very first thing the casino does is send an encryption key to your computer. Your computer then encrypts any data it sends to the casino using this key, which the casino then de-encrypts once received. This key is unique to every connection, and is impossible to hack.
SSL and 128-bit Encryption means that all your personal (including financial) details at an online casino are always one hundred percent safe!
Play with real money at all the best online casinos in the UK
You don’t have to play with real money at an online casino, but most gamblers agree playing with cash does add an extra level of thrill, if done so responsibly (remember, there are always organisations such as GamCare that exist to help you if you feel your gambling is becoming a problem).
Why not start the gambling-for-cash fun today by selected one of our chosen top online casinos for the UK?