Funding Your Online Casino Account

Many first time online video poker players are put off by the perceived difficulty in getting funds into and out of their player accounts.  Unlike a land-based casino, where chips, money, and tickets are readily interchangeable, in cyberspace the process is a little more clumsy.  However, today's online casinos have developed fairly efficient means of paying and receiving funds.  Below, we'll describe and contrast some of the available methods of getting money into and out of your account.

	Credit cards
	Neteller
	Firepay
	Cashier's check, wire transfer or bank draft

The obvious choice, initially, is to use a credit card (Mastercard or Visa, for example), since most online casinos accept credit cards.  However, this is normally not a workable solution.  Credit card companies don't really want to be in the business of collecting gambling debts.  So, early on in the history of online gambling, the major credit card companies began refusing charges for gambling funds.  While it is worth a try, you are likely to find that your credit card company will decline any attempt to charge gambling funds.

Most online casinos will accept deposits in the form of cashier's checks, wire transfers, or bank drafts.  In general, you can review the casino's website for the necessary information:  Wiring instructions, for wire transfers, or mailing/delivery addresses for cashier's checks and bank drafts.  Funding your account in this way is going to require a couple of days, at least.

The best way to fund your account (and make withdrawals) is to use Neteller or Firepay.  Neteller and Firepay are services which serve as conduits between the online casino and your funding sources.  Using these services, you can easily and safely transfer money from your bank account into your casino account or other funding source.  Neteller and Firepay provide fast, flexible funding options.  For most players, one of these services will be the best option.  Important:  If you use these services, use them from the Cashier screen in your online casino account.  Most online casinos will pay any fees connected with using the service so long as you make your deposits and withdrawals from within their software.  Withdrawals from your account work the same way.  You can transfer your money back to Neteller or Firepay, or request a check.  Neteller and Firepay offer the most flexibility, and you should consider setting up an account at Neteller.com or Firepay.com if you plan to play video poker or other casino games online.   One important point:  While Neteller and Firepay are your best options, don't expect immediate cashouts even via these methods -- many online gambling facilities will delay the transfer of funds for up to a few days (it is difficult to see a true reason for this, other than to give you time to re-think your withdrawal).

Finally, an important advantage to using Neteller or Firepay is that you can set up a single account and use it to fund play at numerous online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms.  In this way, you have a single conduit through which all of your online playing funds pass. 

Using these methods, the transfer of funds to and from your online gaming accounts is simple, fast, and efficient.  The advent of these methods was a key factor in putting online casinos on the map, as previously, players had to wait and deal with unwieldy methods of transferring funds like cashier's checks and wire transfers.  These independent organizations are known for their reliability and trustworthiness, and over time players' comfort with using them has grown.