MasterCard Casinos
Most online bettors know that as an online casino payment method, MasterCard is not quite as popular as the other major card in the world, VISA. However, we shouldn’t underestimate just how widespread and available MasterCard is for you to use at internet casino sites. Over 150 currencies are accepted, with most countries accepting the payment method. It is estimated that MasterCard processes around 74 billion payments each year, worth the equivalent of $5.09 trillion. Naturally, this makes MasterCard a significant player in the world of moving money.
Online casinos and the gambling industry are always on the lookout for payment methods that their players can use. Most of the top sites accept both VISA and MasterCard. Despite there being fewer MasterCards in circulation (compared to VISA), there are millions of bettors each year who process transactions and fund their online casino accounts with MasterCard.
If this interests you, how do you go about funding your online casino account with this bank card? Is there anything specific you must do, and are there any fees involved? How much is a typical MasterCard transaction worth in terms of deposit and withdrawal limits? Join us as we explain how to use your MasterCard when gambling online right here.
What is MasterCard?
MasterCard is a major provider of bank cards across the world. Over 25,000 financial institutions are affiliated with MasterCard and issue their branded cards to their customers. MasterCards can be made available as credit cards, prepaid cards, or debit cards, with the latter often known as Maestro.
MasterCard first began life in the 1960s as the InterBank Card Association or ICA. VISA (then known as BankAmericard) was turning a considerable profit, working with several banks in San Francisco. Eager to rival them, Karl H. Hinke of the Marine Midland Bank met with members of rival banks in Buffalo, New Jersey. Together, they launched the InterBank Card. The difference between this early MasterCard and VISA was that while the latter was localised to California, the former linked banks nationwide across the US. Even BankAmericard (the future VISA card) would sign up to the InterBank Card platform before splitting to become VISA.
Much like its famous rival, the InterBank Card began to operate in Europe, too. By 1966, the First National Bank of Louisville, Kentucky, coined the term “Master Charge”, and the combined red and yellow dots (notable for being MasterCard’s logo even today) came into being. The next decade and a half were plain sailing for the credit card company before, in 1979, they adopted the name MasterCard. They were also the first bank cards to feature holograms, utilising them in 1983.
In terms of imagery, the overlapping discs (Venn diagram) has remained a hugely recognisable symbol for decades. Supremely confident that they are now a household name, MasterCard took the bold move to remove their name from the logo in 2019.
Today, MasterCard is the second most used credit/bank card in the world after VISA. It is less accepted for online retail than its counterpart but is just as secure and safe to use, especially if you want to process transactions relating to gambling, such as funding your casino account. We’ll explain how you can do that below.
How to Make a Deposit at MasterCard Casinos
MasterCard is accepted at most major online casinos. The payment method appears at safe and trusted casinos and even less secure ones, so it is important that you ensure that you choose a reputable place to bet. MasterCard online casinos will typically have added protections to help keep your transactions safe, and they waste no time telling you all about those when you visit their sites. Note that unlike VISA and VISA Electron (Debit), just because an online casino accepts MasterCard does not mean that you can top-up with Maestro and vice-versa. Always be sure that you see the MasterCard logo displayed at a site and that it appears on the banking page before you choose to deposit at said gambling site.
To fund your gambling account, you simply need to head to the online casino’s deposit page. There, you can select MasterCard and enter your cards details into the boxes provided to process the transaction. Note that you will also have to use the MasterCard SecureCode confirmation feature to verify the transaction. The process of doing so won’t be any different to when you purchase goods from online retailers and shops, such as Amazon. Being able to fund your online casino or gambling site account should, therefore, be straightforward with this payment method.
In most cases, you’re going to find that online casinos will have minimum deposit limits that stretch anywhere from $10 up to $50 with MasterCard. Most of the time, the actual limit will hover somewhere around the $20 – $30 mark. Maximum deposit limits can vary from site to site. Some online casinos and gambling sites will require you to put a cap on your top-ups. You can, for instance, fund your account by up to $2,500 or $5,000 per transaction, but no higher than those sums. Others won’t feature deposit caps at all. The best MasterCard casinos are those that let you set your own caps on deposits.
You shouldn’t experience any delay when depositing at MasterCard gambling sites. In theory, top-up transactions should be processed in a matter of minutes, if not immediately. You should be able to fund your account in seconds and with no added charge. Some online casinos may charge for this privilege, but we do not condone this as there are many sites out there that let you fund your account freely.
It is true that UK and US players may experience some difficulties when attempting to deposit at online casinos using MasterCard (and VISA). US players are subject to banking regulations, and they may try to prohibit transactions to gambling sites. A simple way around this (most of the time) is to deposit strange sums, such as $74, $89, or $92, rather than fixed sums like $75, $90, or $100. Similarly, UK-based players cannot top-up at licensed, legal online casinos using a MasterCard if it is a credit card. Prepaid MasterCards and Maestro (debit cards) are fair game, though.
With that said, let us explain how you can start depositing at a MasterCard casino site straight away with these brief steps:
- Get a MasterCard: MasterCards are issued by your bank. If your bank card is a MasterCard, you’re in luck. If not, and your bank issues VISAs, don’t fret. You can still get a prepaid MasterCard from e-wallets and other resources.
- Join a MasterCard Casino: Once you’ve got a MasterCard (of some form), you can find a MasterCard casino to start betting at. We strongly recommend you peruse our array of MasterCard gambling sites, as they have been tested, vetted, and certified to ensure that they are safe. When you find one that you like, hit the “join” button, and fill out the e-form to become a new member.
- Head to the Cashier Page: After registering your account at a MasterCard online casino, head over to the cashier, banking or deposit page and select MasterCard as your chosen deposit option. Now enter your card’s details into the boxes provided. You should also choose your currency (of your card, ideally) and the amount you wish to deposit.
- Confirm and Verify: Make your top-up as if you were going to buy goods online. The process is virtually no different. After doing this, you’ll need to confirm the transaction and verify it. This is done by going through the MasterCard SecureCode verification step. It is akin to VISA’s Verified by VISA step and will be second nature to any MasterCard user who has purchased something online before. Once this step is done, your deposit should arrive, your account should be funded, and you should be ready to play immediately.
MasterCard Deposit Fees
MasterCard transactions may involve fees, or they may not. Ultimately, it is the online casino (and your bank) that will determine this. Most online casinos worth their salt won’t charge you a fee for depositing, as that would be absurd. You might get hit with a fee for withdrawing via MasterCard, but we’ll come to that shortly.
A MasterCard deposit at an online casino should be free of charge. However, if you do get charged, what sort of fees are you looking at? They are normally nominal, up to 2.5% of the total amount you used to fund your account. Some online casinos may decide to hit you with a flat, fixed-rate fee instead, and this could be kinder or harsher than the percentage-based top-up fee. Again, there are so many MasterCard online casinos out there; there really isn’t much reason (or point) for choosing a site that has deposit fees. You have many alternatives to choose from.
Withdrawing from a MasterCard Casino
Any online casino that accepts MasterCard deposits will likely permit you to withdraw using this payment method. Making payments to take home your winnings isn’t much different to topping up your account. Withdrawals, in fact, require you to do nothing more than reverse engineer the process you used to find your online casino account.
Because so many top online casinos accept MasterCard, it is a popular payment method for use at online casinos. It may not be the fastest option to obtain your winnings with, with transactions typically taking between one and five days to clear, but those payments are tracked, so you can follow them every step of the way. Again, US and UK players may encounter a few hiccups if they try to withdraw to a MasterCard credit card, so opting for no charge cards (such as debit and prepaid options) is advised.
In most cases, you shouldn’t expect to see charges applied to any withdrawals you make at online casinos using MasterCard. Of course, some online casinos may choose to break the mould and go their own way. We would advise online casino players to do the same as we did with deposits – avoid the sites that charge you. There is a wealth of options out there you can go with instead. Choose one of our recommended MasterCard casinos to avoid that process entirely. If you decide that you wish to play at an online casino that does charge you for cashing out your winnings, then expect fees that range from 1% up to 5% of the total amount withdrawn. Like the deposit process, some card-based betting sites may hit you with a fixed fee instead. This could be anything from $50 up to $100 or more, so you should really check those Ts and Cs ahead of time.
You’ll also need to pay attention to the withdrawal limits at MasterCard casino sites, as these can vary wildly. In most cases, withdrawals must typically be worth $20 up to $50. However, some US-facing online casinos (namely those licensed out of Curacao) will typically feature minimum withdrawal limits of $100 up to $500. As far as the upper caps go, these can also vary from site to site. The most reputable MasterCard casinos out there see your withdrawals hindered by silly limits, but there are online casinos out there that like to put withdrawal limits in place and have low ones at that. Again, choose our MasterCard casino sites to avoid this problem.
To better help you understand how depositing with MasterCard works, let us walk you through the necessary steps with our guide below.
- Check For Wagering Requirements: There is no point trying to process a withdrawal with any payment method unless you’ve first cleared the wagering requirements attached to any bonuses you wish to snap up. This step is of paramount importance. Failing to do so will see your withdrawal shelved, cancelled, or the amount you haven’t cleared (but won with bonus funds) subtracted from your winnings.
- Head to the Cashier Page: If you’ve cleared any outstanding bonus wagering requirements, then head over to the cashier/banking page at your online casino of choice. Choose your MasterCard as the preferred payment method and enter your card details into the boxes as provided. Be sure to double-check your entries, as you wouldn’t want this payment to end up elsewhere. Normally, you can only withdraw to your own card and one you’ve used to top-up at the site, but this is still worth checking beforehand.
- Complete the Payment: You can complete the withdrawal by submitting the withdrawal for processing. It will now go through a pending period, where your betting site will check out the details you’ve submitted and your winnings to see if they can process it.
- Clear the KYC Step: If the payment can be processed straight away, it will be. In all likelihood, though, you will need to clear the KYC step (the first time you wish to withdraw). Here, you’ll need to provide proof of ID, residence, and payment to customer support. This can take 24-48 hours. Once done, you won’t have to go through this step again.
- Watch and Wait: After all the above steps are complete, you will only need to wait for your withdrawal to arrive back on your card. This can be a smooth and speedy process or a slow and laborious one. We’ll explain why below.
MasterCard’s Withdrawal Speed
The speed with which the online casino processes your MasterCard withdrawal varies from casino to casino. Some sites can process withdrawals instantly, and others take their sweet time with cashouts. Generally, there is a 24 to 48-hour pending period where the online casino checks things out. This can drop (and can be removed) if you play regularly. Secondly, there is the transfer time, and this can mean a delay of an hour up to five business days for your withdrawal transactions to clear at the online casino.
Benefits of MasterCard
There are perks to using MasterCard at online casinos, and we’ve listed a few of these for you below. They include:
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Process Big Sums: MasterCard can be used to process transactions of considerable size. You can usually deposit epic sums or can withdraw vast totals because MasterCard is a credit card. By contrast, e-wallets and prepaid cards seldom allow you to withdraw or deposit such vast sums at online casinos.
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Widely Available: MasterCard is accepted in over 200 countries, so you are highly likely to be able to use it at your online casino of choice. On top of this, most major online casinos accept MasterCard, and you probably already have one yourself.
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Convenience: As touched on above, many players already have a MasterCard in their wallet or purse. Because of this, they don’t need to sign up with a new form of payment method. Instead, just open your wallet, grab your card, and you can top-up at online casinos straight away with the payment method.
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MC Bonus Eligibility: MasterCard is a payment method that can often be used to claim bonuses and promos. We can’t say the same for Skrill, Neteller and other e-wallet options. MasterCard deposits are often on the receiving end of match deposit deals, free spin offers and more. Again, this can vary between sites.
Disadvantages of MasterCard
Not everything is rosy with MasterCard. While we’ve covered the benefits of MasterCard above, it is only fair to also look at the disadvantages, which we have done below.
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UK/US Issues: MasterCard can be a problematic payment method for players based in the US and UK. As touched on, US players are going to need to try several times (likely) before their deposit or withdrawal payment goes through. This is very much a case of trial and error because of the Federal Wire Act. By contrast, UK players may not be able to deposit with MasterCard are UKGC licensed sites, as there is currently a ban on depositing with credit cards. Prepaid MasterCard and debit cards should get them out of this pickle, though.
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Security: MasterCard makes bettors verify their transactions using the SecureCode option. This process provides a two-step verification system that some other payment methods don’t offer. In short, you can only deposit using a card in your name, and checks are made to ensure that you are the holder of the card. However, you are still talking about providing your bank card details to a casino, which is always less safe and secure than, say, an e-wallet which may only have limited funds on it.
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Withdrawal Fees: Sadly, some online casinos so charge fees for withdrawing, and some have got the nerve to charge you a deposit fee. We don’t agree with this, so check our list of casinos to avoid the problem. MasterCard (or rather, your bank) may also charge you fees when using credit cards to deposit and withdraw at online casinos.
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Slow Transaction Times: VISA, AMEX and MasterCard are not the fastest payment methods by any measure. In fact, while it offers instant deposit times, MasterCard withdrawals can take anything from one to five business days to clear. This makes it one of the slowest payment methods (for withdrawals) around, barring courier cheques and some bank wire transfers.
MasterCard Casino Bonuses
Most MasterCard casinos carry bonuses and promos, and you should be eligible or receive them when you deposit with MasterCard. Other payment methods, such as Skrill, EcoPayz, Neteller or PayPal, may not be eligible to receive these offers.
In most cases, a typical MasterCard deposit made by a new player will see them qualify for a welcome bonus. This will typically either be a cash-based offer, a free spins deal, or a combination of both. At the same time, there are usually regular deposit bonuses (weekly, monthly, or one-off deals) that you can also claim when you deposit with your MasterCard.
A handful of casinos may also offer you a dedicated, specialised bonus for depositing with your bank card. These are known as “alternative payment method” or “preferred payment method” bonuses. They work in largely the same way as regular deposit bonuses, but they tend to give you an extra slice on top. For instance, it is not impossible to see such a MasterCard deposit met with a conventional 100% match but also pocket an additional 5% to 20% on top solely on the basis that you deposited with MasterCard.
Whatever bonus you choose to claim, always be sure to read the Ts and Cs before you do so. Remember, there may be wagering requirements that you need to clear, and these could hold back your withdrawal when you want to cash out your winnings.
MasterCard Online Casino Games
Virtually all online casinos accept MasterCard, so you should be able to play anything and everything you want at casino sites. You may find games from a single provider, or they may come from multiple developers. Either way, you’re going to want to choose games that have high RTP rates and that are RNG-certified for fair play. Don’t hesitate to read our slot reviews to learn more about the leading slots supported at our recommended sites. In most cases, you can find the following games at any run-of-the-mill MasterCard casino:
- Slots: Notable slots to feature at MasterCard casinos often include classic slots, fruit machines, video slots, progressive jackpot games, MegaWays, and Cluster Pays slot titles.
- Table Games: Tables found at these sites often include RNG (random number generator) versions of baccarat, blackjack, roulette, craps, table poker, sic bo, and war, amongst others.
- Live Dealer Games: Played over an internet video stream with a human dealer, live dealer games typically include baccarat, blackjack, and roulette, but may also include craps, poker, dice, money wheel, game show, bingo and lottery, and other titles.
- Others: Most other games you can find at online casinos supporting MasterCard payments include bingo, scratch cards, video poker, fixed odds titles, speciality, and instant win games. Other gambling options at your disposal often include e-sports, virtual sport and online sports betting, lotteries, live bingo and more.
Again, given the surplus of top MasterCard casinos out there, we’d encourage you to read our casino reviews. By doing so, you can find a wealth of sites and single them out based on the games and the software providers they offer.
Why Choose an Online Casino Offering MasterCard?
There are many reasons why you might choose to play at a MasterCard casino. Simplicity will likely be chief amongst them. However, good reasons can also include that you already own a MasterCard, that you want to deposit (or withdraw) massive sums of cash, or that you have found a site that doesn’t apply fees and charges or processes your transactions speedily. Whatever your reason, almost all major online casinos accept MasterCard, so you’re bound to find at least a handful of casinos that tick all your boxes.
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