Tom Watson, founder of IBM, once said “Nothing happens until a sale is made.” When it comes to online sports betting, nothing happens until a deposit is made. You can’t bet on your favorite athlete or team without funding your account. The good news is that there are plenty of online sportsbooks that accept Visa cards. The better news is that you don’t even need a credit card to make this option work for you.
Below, you’ll learn about the different ways you can use a Visa card to transfer funds into your sportsbook accounts. We’ll also explain why this is the best deposit method available. That said, there are a couple of potential issues that come with using it, which we’ll address further down this page. Lastly, we’ll tell you about the sportsbooks we like, all of which accept Visa as a funding option.
Which USA Sportsbooks Accept Visa For Deposits?
There is no shortage of US-friendly sportsbooks that take Visa. The trick is finding books that are legitimate, send payouts on time, and maintain a reasonably high credit card acceptance rate. A lot of betting sites accept Visa, but have a tough time getting deposits to go through successfully.
Bovada is one of the standout books in this area. It has historically been able to process a high percentage of deposits made with credit cards. Not every attempt is successful. But they come closer than most of the other books.
Another good choice is 5Dimes. It’s one of the oldest online sportsbooks and enjoys a stellar reputation in the industry. 5Dimes has managed to keep its Visa acceptance rate impressively high over the years. Keep in mind the minimum deposit amount using this funding method is $50.
JustBet.cx has attracted a ton of attention with its 100% Free Play bonus. The site is also quite good at processing Visa deposits successfully. There are a lot of other reasons to like JustBet.cx, which you can read about here.
Different Ways US-Friendly Sportsbooks Accept Visa
Utter the word “Visa” to most people, and they’ll immediately think of the credit cards stuck in their wallets. That’s a reasonable response. Most of us have become very accustomed to using our credit cards to pay for purchases. According to the New York Federal Reserve, U.S. consumers are carrying just shy of $20 billion in credit card debt.* To that end, sportsbooks that take Visa will accept it in credit card form.
* http://www.newyorkfed.org/research/national_economy/householdcredit/DistrictReport_Q12013.pdf
But it’s not the only way you can use Visa.
There’s a good chance you have a debit card in your wallet. If you have a checking account, your bank probably issued you a debit card so you can pull cash out of the ATM. Look closely at the front of the card. It likely has a Visa symbol on it. Most sportsbooks that take Visa accept debit cards with that symbol. (Note: some banks call them check cards, but they’re essentially the same.)
What about Visa gift cards? You may have received one during Christmas or on your birthday. They work almost exactly like debit cards. The amount available is paid upfront, like the cash you leave in your checking account. This type of Visa is also accepted at sports betting sites that take Visa. You can buy them from grocery stores, convenience marts, gas stations, and retailers like Office Max and Staples.
Bottom line: you don’t need a credit card to use Visa at select sportsbooks.
Why We Prefer Sportsbooks That Accept Visa Cards
In the previous section, we alluded to some of the reasons we like betting sites that accept Visa as a deposit option. But it’s worth highlighting the benefits.
- First, such sites are easy to work with. They realize most people either have a Visa or can get one easily. So, they cater to folks who want to use this banking method.
- Second, Visa cards are everywhere. You probably have more than one sitting in your wallet in the form of a credit card. If not, as mentioned, your bank probably issued you a Visa debit card. And if you don’t have a credit card or debit card, you can buy a gift card at the local supermarket.
- Which leads us to the third reason… using a Visa at sports betting sites is the most flexible funding option available.
- Fourth, when you transfer cash from a Visa credit, debit, or gift card, the money is made available to you almost instantly. You don’t need to wait for a check to clear. You don’t have to wait until a wire from your bank arrives at the sportsbook. Instead, you can start placing wagers as soon as you make your deposit.
Convenient, flexible, and fast. That’s how sportsbook banking should be.
Potential Downsides Of Using Visa For Sportsbook Deposits
Now that we’ve discussed the advantages of using a Visa card to fund your sports betting accounts, let’s talk about a couple of potential hurdles.
First, if you have ever attempted to fund your sportsbook account using a credit card, you know that getting deposits to go through is not guaranteed. The transactions are often-times declined, even if you have plenty of funds available on the card.
The reason has little to do with the sports betting site. Frankly, sportsbook operators want to complete the transaction as much as you do. The problem actually involves U.S. laws that have made it very difficult for online books to accept credit card deposits from USA players.
If your deposit is declined, try again. It helps that you have a lot of flexibility in the type of Visa card you can use (credit, debit, or gift card). If your credit card fails, try your debit card. If that fails, run to the store and grab a gift card.
The second downside is that withdrawals cannot be applied toward your Visa, even if you used the card to make your deposits. Payouts are usually made via check or wire. Here again, don’t judge sportsbook operators too harshly. They’re not to blame. The laws that make it difficult for them to accept credit card deposits from US sports bettors also make it difficult to send payouts to the cards.
These two drawbacks shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Visa is still the easiest and most convenient method for funding your sports betting accounts. And regardless of how you make deposits, you’ll still have to receive payouts by check or wire.
Other Deposit Options Accepted At USA Sportsbooks
Most US-friendly sports betting sites offer a number of banking methods. In the event you don’t have a Visa or can’t seem to get your Visa deposits accepted, you can still use these other methods. The options vary by sportsbook, but you’ll find them available at most sites. They include MasterCard, American Express, Western Union, bank wires, and of course, checks and money orders.
A majority of books also accept deposits from select eWallet services. Bear in mind that many of these services are unavailable to sports bettors living in the US.
Here’s our advice: unless you have a specific reason not to do so, we recommend using your Visa to fund your sportsbook accounts. It’s the quickest and easiest option available. There’s no legal exposure (disclaimer: I’m not an attorney). U.S. laws do not target individual sports betters. Instead, they try to thwart betting sites’ attempts to process transactions.
If you have trouble getting your deposits to go through, you can always use the sportsbook’s other banking methods. It’s not a perfect solution, but the options are there when you need them. That said, it helps to work with sportsbooks that have a high acceptance rate with Visa deposits.
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