- Twitch
- Kick
- CS2
- Dota 2
- LoL
- More Games
- Esports Betting
- Esports Betting Sites
- Social Betting Sites
- Sports Betting Sites
- Online Casino
- Esports Betting Tips
-
PayPal has been around for yonks. It’s super-secure, available in 200 different countries, and is usually pretty fast – but are betting sites with PayPal listed as a payment option worth playing at?
Well, much like any other e-wallet, PayPal comes with its inevitable pros and cons. That said, it’s generally a solid choice for sports betting purposes. PayPal betting sites have become commonplace in recent years, too, giving gamers plenty of trusted options. But which PayPal-friendly bookmakers are best?
Whether you’ve been an on-off PayPal user for a number of years, or it’s your first time checking out sports betting sites or betting apps for sports that support PayPal transactions, I think you might be surprised by how well the two work in tandem. PayPal’s a good choice, too, boasting a water-tight security rep that dates back to 1999 and generally faster transaction times than many of its closest competitors. Here’s my guide on how to use PayPal at betting sites globally.
The first thing you’re going to need to do is of course find yourself a sports betting site that offers proper PayPal support. Now, a few things to keep in mind here:
By far the fastest (and easiest) way to locate PayPal-friendly betting sites is of course by using Jaxon’s guides to compare them. Then it’s simply on you to decide which most appeals to your own betting tastes.
Okay, so once you’ve found a brand that fits the bill, you’re going to want to make your first minimum PayPal deposit so you can start placing some bets.
Using bookmaker deposit methods such as PayPal for the first time might require you to jump through a hoop or two. Depending on the brand you’re betting with, the process will vary slightly. Generally, though, you’ll need to follow these steps to make your deposit:
Note: This should really be all the process involves, but keep in mind that depending on the betting site with PayPal you’re playing with, Know Your Customer (KYC) checks might be required before you can drop your first deposit. If so, all you need to do is upload a photo of your ID and share some basic address information when prompted. You can also check out minimum deposit betting sites that use Paypal.
Most betting sites with PayPal make it equally easy to request a PayPal withdrawal. In fact, the process is usually eerily similar to putting down a deposit. You’ll need to:
Note: as I said before, all betting brands are different when it comes to their own individual rules, and the betting sites withdrawal time can vary. An example of this? Sometimes, you might be asked to complete KYC for your first withdrawal rather than alongside your initial deposit. So, documents at the ready…
Speed-wise, no two PayPal-friendly betting brands are ever the same. It’s annoying, we know, but this is an unfortunate fact of iGaming – sites set their own rules in terms of deposit and withdrawal times, fees, and so on.
At PayPal’s own end, “Instant Transfers”, which are the kind used by most betting sites for deposits and withdrawals, are usually instantaneous. Many PayPal-friendly platforms allow for fee-free deposits. Some support fee-free withdrawals, too, but not all.
Note: if your betting site opts for a “Standard Transfer” as opposed to an “Instant” one, you could be left waiting up to three business days when requesting a cash-out. Bummer, right? I’d suggest asking the betting site’s support staff which type of PayPal transfer is used if you’re unsure.
PayPal gets a lot right. As one of the oldest e-wallets around, their online security and encryption are top-tier, for example, and processing times are awesome on “Instant” transactions. But you might want to watch out for these potential pitfalls:
PayPal reserves the right to hold funds as “pending” for up to 21 days on the first few payments you receive into your account if you’re a PayPal newbie. Now, this can be annoying, but is more likely to occur if you’re using PayPal to sell stuff on eBay rather than to play at betting sites, so don’t worry too much. If it does happen to you, your best bet is to use PayPal for at least one month for regular, day-to-day transactions before using it at online betting sites.
With PayPal, commissions of 3-4% apply to foreign currency transactions. This might catch you out if, for example, you’re depositing CAD$ onto a USD betting site where bets must be placed in USD, so be careful.
PayPal themselves are actually quite strict about online sports betting. For example, if you’re a PayPal account holder in the US, and living in a state that doesn’t regulate online gambling, you won’t be able to use PayPal for sports betting-related transactions at all. In a nutshell, you can only use your PayPal account for deposits/withdrawals with PayPal-approved casinos and betting sites – which brings us back to the importance of looking out for that blue-and-white logo.
Right, who’s ready for a quick history lesson? Don’t worry. I won’t bore you with PayPal’s unabridged life story, but in case you were curious, here’s a few quick facts about how PayPal for betting sites came to be.
Generally, unless you live in a region where gambling-related transactions via PayPal are blocked, I’d say PayPal is a pretty great choice, on account of their generally fast transactions, top-tier security, and all-round reputation as one of the go-to e-wallets for… well, pretty much anything.
Having said that, PayPal is far from the only option out there, and it might be worth looking into the following alternatives, too…
| Payment Method 💳 | Countries Available 🌏 | Currencies Supported 💱 | Deposit/Withdrawal Speed 💨 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skrill | 130+ | 40 | Instant |
| Paysafecard | 50+ | 30 | Up to three days |
| Neteller | 180 | 22 | Instant |
| PayPal (for comparison…) | 202 | 25 | Instant to three business days depending on transfer type |
The above table shows you some great ewallets to use as an alternative to PayPal, and even prepaid cards are worth a closer look. However, there are plenty of other sports betting payment methods out there that you can use for online betting. Here are just some of the payment options that you might encounter at any of the betting sites featured in the banners of this page:
The vast majority of sports fans still use credit and debit cards for funding their sports betting. Much of this is down to the sheer familiarity of major card providers like Visa and Mastercard. However, that’s not the whole picture because cards also let you enjoy instant withdrawals, high limits and the latest security technologies most especially while making use of them on credit card betting sites. Plus it’s worth noting that your card deposits will unlock most betting welcome bonuses.
The downsides of using cards include the fact that it’s not exactly convenient or reassuring to have to type in your long card number and other details into a betting site. Plus there is the fact that card withdrawals can be relatively slow with most payout requests only hitting your account after three working days. There are several Mastercard betting sites and betting sites with Visa out to there to explore their range of services.
It’s kind of reassuring to see that many betting sites still let you make your deposits and withdrawals via bank transfer. This means that you can deposit with some very high limits, enjoy high levels of security and gain full access to all of those betting sign up offers.
Obviously, it’s not always the most convenient betting payment method, and again, there is something a little awkward about giving all of your bank details to a relatively unknown sportsbook.
However, the biggest reason as to why people avoid using bank transfers for betting is the slow processing times. With up to two working days for bank transfer deposits and beyond three working days for withdrawals, chances are that you’ll be seeking a faster payment option.
I’ve noticed that more and more betting sites are starting to accept cryptocurrencies. This is to meet the growing demand of people who now use cryptos to purchase a range of goods and services online. As such, you just have to check the banners on this page to find any number of sportsbooks who’ll let you make deposits with all manner of coins from Bitcoin and Ethereum through to Dogecoin, Litecoin and beyond.
Perhaps the key draw of using cryptocurrencies is that they let you make betting payments without the approval of any bank or financial institution. This effectively lets you bet at betting sites out of your location, and you won’t even have to bet in your own currency.
Balancing this up are the facts that crypto payments can sometimes be slow depending on network activity, and then you have those miner or ‘gas’ fees to factor in. Plus there are numerous scam crypto betting sites out there, so you should only play with the recommended brands featured in the banners of this page.
There are also several reputable Apple Pay betting sites out there that adopt Apple Pay digital services as well as Google Wallet.
While PayPal is generally a great option for funding your sports bets, it’s not so good in terms of letting you get some betting welcome offers. This is because many sign up offers will have small print that means that you won’t get your bonus credit if your first deposit is made via PayPal, as well as other ewallets such as Skrill and Neteller.
Although this is true, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t use PayPal to get some excellent betting promos. You might have to look a little harder, but I’m fairly sure that some of the betting sites featured in the banners of this page will let you get some great sports betting bonuses with a PayPal qualifying deposit. If so, here are just some of the different betting deals that you might be able to get:
I’m confident I’ve given a pretty solid overview about how betting sites with PayPal work. That said, here’s a few FAQs I hope might come in useful if you’re unsure of something…
Yes – there are a ton of online casinos with PayPal support out there. Many sports betting brands actually double-up as casinos themselves, and will let you use PayPal to fuel both activities.
PayPal itself does impose maximum transaction limits, which any high rollers among you might want to be aware of. You can only “send” (i.e., deposit) a maximum of up to $60,000 USD in one transaction, for example, and might only be able to “receive” (i.e., withdraw) a maximum of $10,000 at a time with a regular PayPal account. On top of this, your betting site may of course set their own limits – so be sure to double-check.
It’s common to be offered a sign-up betting bonus when registering with a new betting site. That said, bonus T&Cs may sometimes state that certain promotions are only available to players who deposit via a specific payment method. Always read the small print just in case PayPal is excluded.
So, PayPal is an age-old e-wallet with longstanding links to iGaming. They’re known for their state-of-the-art security and usually instant transactions but aren’t perfect if you’re living in certain parts of the US. It can sometimes take up to three business days to process withdrawals if your betting site opts for “Standard” transactions over “Instant” ones.
As such, I’d suggest only signing up for betting sites with PayPal that promise instant deposits and withdrawals. Or alternatively, using PayPal as a method of acquiring cryptocurrencies that you can use at crypto betting platforms. And if ever you’re unsure whether PayPal is supported? Well, just look out for that iconic blue-and-white logo…
Several betting brands offer full PayPal support these days, but some are superior to others when it comes to odds and coverage. Find out which brands are best with Jaxon.
Usually transactions are instantaneous, but this could depend on your betting site’s own rules. Learn more about why by checking out my full guide.
You can, but only if your preferred casino supports PayPal deposits. Find out which casinos are your best bet now.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
