Sportsbooks Accepting Credit Cards
There’s no shortage of sportbooks accepting credit cards as a deposit option. The challenge is finding a few that can reliably push your deposit transactions through without their being declined. Some books can boast an impressively high acceptance rate while other books struggle. The same thing happens with online poker sites accepting us credit cards for deposits. Over the past few years, we’ve tracked the industry and have compiled a list of the most dependable sportsbooks accepting credit cards. These are the books that dedicate their resources toward improving the acceptance rate of their members’ Visa and MasterCard deposits.
There’s a good reason why funding your sports betting accounts with Visa or MasterCard can present problems. We’ll explain that reason below. We’ll also share our “Top 5″ list of recommendations for sportsbooks accepting credit cards. Lastly, we’ll give you a few tips for improving your chances at making a successful deposit.
Why Deposits At Sportsbooks Accepting Credit Cards Fail
At its simplest, the reason it is difficult to make a sportsbook deposit with your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express is due to legislation within the U.S. In 2006, Congress passed the SAFE Port Act. It contained the UIGEA provision. The UIGEA makes it unlawful for any bank or financial institution to transfer funds to an online gambling site. If they do, they could face heavy fines and censor.
That’s not to suggest that sportbooks accepting credit cards don’t try to put the transactions through. They do. Relentlessly. The problem is that banks and financial institutions have become more aggressive in blocking them. As a result, a few top-tier sportsbooks have become adept at pushing through their members’ credit card deposits.
Our Top 5 Sportsbooks Accepting Credit Cards
We periodically review our list of recommended sportsbooks with regard to their respective credit card acceptance rates. The reason is because those rates change. Occasionally, the payment processors used by a given bookmaker will become red-flagged by a large number of financial institutions. When that happens, that book’s ability to process their members’ credit card deposits tumbles. If the sportsbook’s acceptance rate tumbles far enough, the book will drop off our list until they make the necessary changes.
According to our most recent review, here are our Top 4 sportsbooks accepting credit cards:
Betonline.com – Betonline offers a Nil-Nil Refund! For those few times when neither team scores – you are no longer left out in the cold!
Bodog Life (bonus code “130347″) – BodogLife.com is offering new members an instant 10% sign-up bonus match. Use Bodog Life bonus code “130347″. Like Sportsbook.com, BodogLife.com maintains a higher-than-average credit card acceptance rate. They also offer a unique Live Betting feature that lets you place bets on individual plays throughout a given game.
Intertops (bonus code “XXXXXX”) – Intertops.com has been a sports bettors’ favorite since they launched their online book in 1996. They are one of the oldest sportsbooks accepting credit cards. Intertops is currently giving new members a 25% match up to $100 when you use Intertops bonus code “XXXXXX”.
Bookmaker (bonus code “AMP”) – Bookmaker.com lets new members take advantage of two bonuses. The first is a sign-up incentive; it’s a 20% match on your first deposit of $300 or more (there’s a $500 ceiling on the bonus value). Use Bookmaker bonus code “AMP” to claim it. The second is a reload bonus; you can receive a 10% match each time you reload your account with a deposit of $300 or more (again, the bonus is capped at $500).
Helpful Hints For Using Sportsbooks Accepting Credit Cards
Keep in mind that sportsbooks accepting credit cards can have deposit transactions declined by card issuers. To improve your chances of pushing your deposits through, try to process them several days before a big game. Thousands of sports bettors fund their accounts immediately before highly-anticipated games. The large volume of credit card transactions will often alert the card issuers, who begin to decline transactions. If you make your deposits ahead of time, you’ll avoid getting caught in the wave.
Also, keep other funding options open (for example, an eWallet service). If you’re unable to successfully push your credit card deposits through, having other options will be valuable.
Our advice? Visit Betonline.com to get your feet wet. Then, create accounts at the remaining four sportsbooks accepting credit cards. That way, you can compare the lines and always enjoy the best odds.
