Gambling over the internet has been a staple of British popular culture for years, ushering in new and exciting technologies. However, despite all these advancements, it’s the trusty Visa card that’s been making record strides at UK casinos recently.
This comes as a major surprise considering how alternative payment types such as e-wallets really took off when more people started playing casino online in the UK. At that time, most players didn’t want to use their debit cards for a variety of reasons, such as being cautious about giving out card information, separating gambling transactions, slow withdrawals, and more.
Fast forward to today and it’s clear to see that things are different. Many now choose Visa as their default payment method for making deposits and withdrawals. Pretty much every site accepts it too, so you can browse through the many online casinos that accept Visa to choose one that best meets your needs.
But what’s brought about this surge in popularity with Britain’s casino players? Here, we take a look at the entire experience of using these cards at online casinos and what advantages it brings.
Instant Casino Deposits with Visa Cards
Pretty much all UK players first use their Visa card to make a casino deposit. These transactions are completed instantly with the money being transferred into your casino account ready to use. This speed is imperative as no player wants to wait hours or even minutes to start playing.
It’s also rare to be charged a deposit fee for this method. While a handful of sites may include a charge for using other payment options, most online casinos absorb the cost they incur instead of passing it to players. This means you get to play with the entire amount you deposit, giving you a little extra bit of bankroll to enjoy the slots and games.
Of course, you do have to enter your card information to make a payment, something that was highlighted as a problem by players in the past. However, that seems to be less of an issue these days considering the increase in usage. In truth, most players likely have their card information saved on the device they’re using, so it only takes a second to autofill the details.
Casino Bonuses Accepted With Visa Payments
Bonuses are very attractive in online casino gaming, especially in the crowded UK market. From welcome bonuses that give extra money with first deposits to reloads, free spins, and more, there’s ample extra value that you can get from these sites.
However, some payment methods are more limiting than you might assume. For example, several popular e-wallets are sometimes not eligible to activate bonuses from certain sites. Instead, you can only use payments that the site specifically states.
Luckily for Visa users, it’s often included as one of the eligible methods. This means you can deposit with your bank card and enjoy the range of bonuses and promotions that the casino has to offer.
However, always make sure to check the terms and conditions of each bonus before making a deposit. This will guarantee that your card is eligible and also gives you other important information about the bonus – such as any obligations you need to follow.
Fast Casino Withdrawals via Visa
One of the biggest complaints about using Visa at casino sites in the past was the time it took to withdraw. In previous years, players would need to wait around 3 working days before the money cleared so you could start spending it. This was far too long for many to handle, especially when many alternative payments processed payouts instantly.
Fortunately, things have sped up considerably. New infrastructure has enabled the creation of Visa Direct for gaming payments, allowing players to receive payouts much faster than before. The funds will usually reach your account in under 30 minutes, but often it’s instant. Several UK casinos have signed up to this network as they know slow withdrawals can lead to players going to a competitor instead.
Yet, even for casinos that have not yet connected to this quicker network, processing times have gotten better in general. Nowadays, pretty much every withdrawal will be processed by Visa within 24 hours. That’s a huge improvement from the multi-day waits you once had to endure, thus removing a huge hurdle and persuading more players to use this option.
Will Visa Casino Payments Continue to Increase?
By all indications, the trend of using Visa at online casinos in the UK will only continue. The major cons of using these bank cards have been removed, allowing the pros to shine through.
Alongside the casino benefits mentioned above, there are other more general advantages. One of the biggest is not needing to open a separate payment account like you do with an e-wallet for example. This means you can skip the process of verifying your identity with yet another online account and instead just easily make payments using your card details.
The fact that these cards dominate the UK market is another reason why usage amongst casino players is likely to increase. Based on data from Statista, Visa is the biggest card issuer in the UK with over 80% of the market share. This means the vast majority of UK players will have these cards readily available, making it easy for those tempted to switch to this option in future.
With that being said, the payments landscape for UK online casinos is extremely competitive. E-wallets like PayPal still have a large and loyal following, while the prospect of newer technologies breaking through and stealing market share is also possible. But for now, there’s no doubt that Visa’s reputation as a reliable casino payment method has rocketed, with its continued growth in the industry almost certain.
