PayPal is the world’s largest and most well-known EWallet, and it’s achieved so much success in the payments industry that PayPal today, offers far more than just the ability to send and receive online payments. With official banking licenses in Europe, and a huge user-base of tens of millions of users, PayPal continues to lead the way in online payments, and as such, many players want to use PayPal when depositing and withdrawing from online casinos.
However, the number of online casinos that accept PayPal is small (you’ll find out why in just a moment), and in this post, we’re going to look more at how PayPal works… how YOU can begin using it alongside your online gambling experience… and which online casinos currently accept the payment method.
What Is PayPal?
PayPal was originally founded in 1998, and was a direct competitor with eBay, as – at the time – eBay was trialling their own payment system. 2002 saw eBay and PayPal settle their competitive disputes with the company being purchased by eBay, and ever since, PayPal has grown exponentially to service millions of customers and businesses around the world each and every day. PayPal is completely free to use (minus fees), and can be used at millions of online stores around the world, to buy items, pay bills, and more.
Why Use PayPal?
- Globally Accepted
- 24/7 Access to your money
- Quick to create an account
- Free to deposit/receive funds to online casinos
- Safe and secure
- Immediate payments
Online Casinos That Accept PayPal
Unfortunately, while PayPal is by far the better online EWallet service available today, it’s somewhat limited, when it comes to online gambling transactions. The reasons for this is complex, and it stems from PayPal’s continually-changing views on online gambling. For most of its life, PayPal hasn’t allowed businesses to use their platform to accept or send payments to customers, if they’re a gambling established, although a couple of years back this was changed – online casinos can now use PayPal – but the rules are very strict, and PayPal are very selective over who they allow (business wise) to use their services.
Because of this, you’ll struggle to find many online casinos that accept PayPal, outside of the “big casinos”, and this is due to the complexities involved with getting a PayPal account for business gambling use.
In the chart below, you’ll see the online casinos that ARE able to accept PayPal – and all the casinos listed have undergone extremally thorough vetting to ensure their service is 100% fair, honest, and transparent to users. This means you can sign up at any of the online casinos below in absolutely confidence, so… if you’re looking for an online casino to use PayPal at, you can’t go wrong with one of the follow casinos:
How to Use PayPal
Creating a PayPal account, and using it to deposit or withdraw at an online casino is easy, and simply follow the steps below to get started.
#1 Creating A PayPal Account
Creating a PayPal account takes – at its core – just a couple of minutes, and you can do so by heading to the official PayPal website and clicking “Join”. Then, simply choose your account type (personal or business), enter your personal information, and you’re good to go!
Now while creating your PayPal account takes a matter of minutes, in order to “complete” the setup, there are a few things you’ll want to do in order to maximise your PayPal experience. These are shown below:
- Add and verify your bank account. This can be done by inputting your Account Number and Sort Code; PayPal will then send a small payment to your bank, which contains a reference number – simply enter this reference number online, and your bank is certified!
- Credit/Debit Card Verification. Much the same as adding a bank account, adding a credit or debit card involves PayPal making a small charge (a few pence), with a unique reference number.
- Provide ID and Proof of Address. You’ll want to complete this step if you wish to increase your sending/receiving limits – when prompted in your PayPal dashboard, simply upload the required documentation (usually photos of your ID and a recent Utility bill).
While you don’t have to complete all three of the steps above, doing so will greatly improve your experience, and will make PayPal account freezes (where they hold your money until you can prove you’re legitimate) a lot more unlikely. You can create a PayPal account by visiting their official site.
#2 Adding Funds To Your PayPal Account
Note: If you’ve added a bank account or Credit/Debit Card to your PayPal account, you don’t have to complete this step – head to step #3 to find out why.
If you want to add funds to your PayPal account, it’s easy to do so, and, thanks to the Faster Payments system, it’s also really quick. From your PayPal dashboard click the “Add Funds” button, and you’ll be presented two ways in which to fund your account. Either a bank transfer, or a bank payment. If you choose a bank payment, PayPal will debit your bank account with the amount you choose, and this will be available in your PayPal balance within 5-7 days.
Now that’s a bit long for most people – so thankfully there’s a much easier way. If you choose the Bank Transfer option, PayPal will give you a special Account Number, Sort Code, and Reference Number – simply make a bank transfer from your bank account using these details, and your funds will hit your PayPal balance within a few minutes – assuming your bank uses the Faster Payments system.
#3 Using Your PayPal Account to Deposit at an Online Casino
Now, using your PayPal account to deposit at an online casino is easy, and you’ll go through the depositing process as normal. Head to your chosen casinos Cashier or Banking section… choose the amount you want to deposit, and select “PayPal” as your payment method. You’ll then be re-directed to the PayPal website, where you can login to your account. PayPal then give you two options:
- You can choose to fund your online casino balance using the money in your PayPal account balance, or,
- If you have a Debit/Credit Card linked to your PayPal, you can choose to pay with this. The transaction will appear as PayPal on your bank statement, and you’ll still have all the protection of using PayPal, but the funds will come directly from your bank or card.
Both are completely instant, and you can even use both – for instance, if you have £20 in your PayPal balance and want to make a £50 deposit – and your deposit will appear in your online casino account within just a few seconds of confirmation!
#4 Withdrawing Using Your PayPal Account
To withdraw from your online casino account to your PayPal account, again, it’s very simple – just choose the withdrawal amount, and select “PayPal” as your withdrawal method, and you’ll then be asked to enter your email address. Make Sure To Enter Your PayPal Email Address!
The online casino will then process your withdrawal, and once it’s successfully gone through their banking team, the money should appear within your PayPal account instantly, although it can on times take a few hours.
Advantages of Using PayPal
Instant Payments: Sending and receiving money using PayPal is instant, and as soon as you make a deposit at an online casino, the funds will be available in your balance right away!
- Free To Use: It’s the merchants who pay the PayPal fees, not the customers, so making transfers, and receiving funds is absolutely free of charge!
- Easy To Use: PayPal is really simple, easy, and fast to use, and there’s no complex “finding your way around the site”, or trying to figure out what to do – simply remember your email address and password, and you can log in to your PayPal account anywhere in the world to make, or receive payments.
- Instant Withdrawals: While your first few withdrawals from PayPal will take up to 72 hours, once you’ve passed this “initial verification”, withdrawals made from your PayPal account to your bank are generally instant, and take just a few seconds!
Disadvantages of Using PayPal
- Verification: PayPal are notoriously strict when it comes to verifying their users, and if your account isn’t verified, you do risk having your account or money frozen until you do so.
- Limited Gambling Accessibility: As mentioned, PayPal are very tough on online gambling, and as such, many online casinos choose simply not to bother with the EWallet at all.
Other than that, there’s very few downsides to using PayPal, and it’s extremally recommended, for fast, safe, and easy deposits and withdrawals to online casino accounts. While the number of online casinos accepting PayPal is disappointing, the ones that do allow it are all of extreme quality, and you can find our selection of the best online casinos that allow PayPal in the chart below.