One of the biggest challenges facing poker players been making deposits – US poker deposit options. But the expansion of Bitcoin has certainly made that easier.
If you are located in the United States, several VISA and Mastercard options are available. But the lowest fees, safest deposits and easiest transaction is cryptocurrency. That means Bitcoin and variations such as Bitcoin cash. If you are intimidated by Bitcoin or don’t understand it, check out the tutorial and step-by-step process courtesy of Ignition Poker. Paypal long ago decided it would not permit gambling transactions.
What are the best US poker deposit options?
Below you will find a list of the most popular US poker deposit options.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin poker sites have become more and more popular in recent years, especially for those residing in the United States. If you have a Bitcoin wallet already, it’s pretty simple to sign up with a poker room and make a deposit. Typically, the money is there instantly and is transferred into USD so you know how much money you have. This is important as Bitcoin can fluctuate far more than regular currency.
If you don’t have a Bitcoin wallet, check out Coinbase.com, electrum.org, bread wallet or other wallets. Once set up, you can use your bank or credit card to buy bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Once that is done, its simple to send bitcoin to your chosen poker site. They typically pay out winnings the same way.
There is an element of anonymity with cryptocurrency which is also attractive to some people and gamblers. It has become the single most popular deposit method for US online poker players.
Credit Cards
As a new US poker player looking to make a deposit into an online poker site for the first time, look at using a credit card for deposits. It’s a fast and efficient method for sending money. After successfully managing to make a credit card deposit, you may be asked by the poker site to send them a copy of photo ID and a copy of the credit card used. This is a security measure implemented to prevent fraudulent transactions.
Visa and MasterCard issued credit cards are easily the most widely accepted and convenient deposit methods for American players. One of the biggest advantages of depositing with this method is the instantaneous deposits, so you will see the funds in your account within seconds assuming the transaction is approved. You can also expect fairly low minimum deposit requirements. Some online poker sites will also have American Express as an accepted deposit method although it’s not nearly as common as Visa/MasterCard.
If for whatever reason your credit card is not approved you can try again. After that if it still doesn’t work you will need to try out one of the other available deposit methods. Sign up with one of the approved poker rooms and their customer service will help with the best option for you.
Money Transfer Services
Western Union is a popular money transfer service that has become a convenient method for transferring funds online including deposits into online gambling sites. The process of sending funds using Western Union to US-friendly online poker sites is a two step process but straightforward all the same.
First, players are required to obtain information from the poker site so they can transfer the money to them. Then you must go to a Western Union location or go online to complete the payment. If you check their website you can find out which WU location is closest to you. There is a fee to send money but no fee to receive it. It’s a very secure payment method for poker deposits although the fees for sending money can be quite substantial especially for smaller deposits. Once you make the payment, the payment is made instantaneously to the poker site. So you should have access to the funds in your bankroll and be able to start playing basically straight away.
MoneyGram is similar to Western Union, and the fees associated with sending money using this method is generally less. You can send money online, in person at a MG location, or on the phone. You can check their website to find out which Moneygram agent locations are nearest to you.
Checks
Checks are another one of the US poker deposit options new players prefer. You simply have to post a check for the amount you wish to deposit, and then once it clears, the money will show in your account. But before doing that, you will need to first get in touch with the poker site. They will find out whom the check should be made out to and where you should be sending the money.
Of course, the downside of sending money using paper checks is the time it takes for the funds to become available to starting playing in real money games. Unfortunately though this deposit method is not available at most US-friendly rooms. It is a lot more common to see this option available to all players for withdrawals only.
You can always live chat with a customer service rep to find out the best US poker deposit options as well after you become a member.