Visa is one of the most popular, efficient and best-loved payment options at betting sites these days. Let’s look at the advantages of using Visa cards, how to make a deposit with one and a few things to be aware of when getting your money in and out with a Visa card. Below is the list of Visa betting sites, take a look and read our expert sportsbook reviews to learn more about each of them.
There are plenty of choices these days when it comes to banking methods, ranging from the old-school tried and tested bank transfer to e-wallets, cryptocurrencies, pre-paid cards and of course, debit cards. Under the category of debit cards, two names loom large: Visa and Mastercard.
With hundreds of Visa betting sites out there, once we've established that they accept Visa transactions, it's also necessary to look at other features of the site, such as bonuses and offers, safety and security, the number of sports and betting markets covered, and the quality of their customer service.
Keep on reading, and you'll find out all you need to know about sports betting sites that accept Visa.
Benefits of Choosing Visa as Your Preferred Betting Payment Method
What makes Visa betting sites such a good option? Let's find out.
- (Almost) all sportsbooks accept Visa: If you were to look at all the betting payment methods accepted at all the betting sites around the world, it's a pretty safe bet that Visa, possibly alongside Mastercard, is the payment option accepted by more sportsbooks than any other. That means that if you already possess a Visa card (see below), you can pretty much choose to play at any online bookie of your choice.
- You're likely to already have a VISA card: The odds are that if you have two or more bank cards in your possession, at least one of them is a Visa, meaning you don't have to go out and purchase a particular payment option just for the purposes of depositing at a betting site, as you'll already have one.
- Secure and easy to use: As one of the major card providers in the world to millions of customers worldwide with thousands of members of Visa staff employed in their security division alone, you know that you're in good hands when it comes to using your card without worrying that someone is about to steal your money. That's partly due to the 256-bit protocols that ensure your money only goes where you intend it to go.
- Fast deposits: Fast deposits are essential, especially if you're looking to deposit money into your account to place a time-sensitive bet. While some methods, like bank transfers, sometimes take as much as 2-3 days before the money is in your account, Visa transfers are far quicker (pretty much instant).
- Big range of depositing amounts: You can often make deposits of just £5 using a Visa card, while the maximum amount (depending on your own personal limits agreed with your bank) is normally very large compared to some other methods. In other words, both the minimum and maximum deposit amounts are more flexible than with other payment options.
How to Make a Deposit for Betting With Visa
Assuming you're not playing at one of those new betting sites that only accept crypto payments, you'll be able to make a Visa deposit. Here's how to do it:
- Open an account: Choose from the list of betting sites that use Visa provided on this page and open an account. You'll need to provide personal details such as your email and postal address, mobile number, and date of birth, as well as choose a username and password.
- Go to the deposit section: There may be a big button/banner on the homepage of the Visa sports betting site saying ‘Deposit', or you may have to go to your account and choose the depositing section from there.
- Choose Visa: At this point you'll need to choose the payment option from all those provided. In this case, you obviously need to click on Visa.
- Enter your Visa details: You'll need to provide the name of the cardholder (your own name), the card number, the card's expiry date and the CVV number, which is the 3–4-digit number on the back of the card.
- Choose your depositing amount: All betting sites that accept Visa debit cards will have a minimum deposit amount and a maximum deposit amount as well. The minimum amount is generally £5 or £10 for Visa transactions, whereas the maximum amount depends on the site. Choose an amount that falls between the minimum and maximum allowed, and the funds should be available in your account soon after.
How We Choose the Best Visa Betting Sites
As we started by saying, most sportsbooks are, by definition, Visa betting sites, so you'll need to consider plenty of other factors before deciding which you feel are worthy of your custom. Here are some of the things to consider.
Licence and Reputation
You'll want to open an account at the best Visa betting sites that hold the UK or Malta gambling licences, as those are the two most respected ones. You also want to be playing at a site with a good reputation for being ethical, fair, transparent and with a good track record of not attracting much in the way of customer complaints. Check the Complaints Section of the AskGamblers website to see which Visa sports betting sites do or don't have past or ongoing complaints against them.
Welcome Offers and Bonuses
Welcome offers at sports betting sites these days tend to be in the form of free bets, or deposit match bonuses. The bigger the free bets or the deposit bonus and the lower the wagering requirements (if any), the better. But it's also important that the site has further free bets, Odds Boosts, the Best Odds Guaranteed promise on horse racing, boosts to your accas and other rewards available to existing customers, as well.
Sports and Betting Markets Offered
The more sports on offer, including niche ones like squash, bowls or surfing, the more choice you'll have when it comes to what to bet on. You'll also want the sportsbook to cover as many events within that sport as possible and to have as much variety when it comes to different betting markets within that match, tournament or race.
Livestreaming, Blogs, Tips and Stats
All of these come under the umbrella of ‘free content'. Good quality live streaming at sports betting sites that accept Visa allows you to watch events you're betting on for free if you don't have a TV. Blogs are often insightful and entertaining, tips can help you win if the tipster is good at their job, whereas on-site stats allow you to make better betting decisions without leaving the site.
Disadvantages of Betting Sites With Visa
Few things in life are perfect, and payment options at betting sites are no exception. Here are some of the disadvantages of using Visa to get your money in and out of your betting account.
- Visa credit cards out of the equation: In the unlikely scenario that the only Visa card you possess is a credit card, you won't be able to use it at a UK online bookie. Since April 2020, the use of credit cards has been banned at betting sites accepting UK customers.
- Withdrawals are not the quickest: The average waiting time for a withdrawal made from a betting site with a regular Visa card to reach your bank account is 1-3 days, which can easily become 5 or 6 if there are weekends or public holidays involved as part of that waiting period. Using a Visa Direct/Visa fast funds card is much quicker. The problem is that not many people currently possess such a Visa card.
- Blocked transactions: Some banks or financial institutions block transactions related to depositing at online gambling sites. So, if your bank is one of those, you'll either need to request that the bank authorise it, or accept that you won't be able to use your Visa card at a betting site.
- Visa bank statements can be revealing: There's arguably less privacy when using a Visa card than for other payment options. Payments to a sportsbook will appear in your bank statements, which is something you should be aware of. Other payment options offer greater levels of privacy from prying eyes.
Most Important Things to Remember When Betting With Visa
That's most of what you need to know about Visa as a payment option covered. But here are a few last things to remember when using a Visa card.
- Transfers may need an extra step: As an added level of security, Visa or your bank may need to send you a one-off code by SMS or email for you to enter on the betting sites that use Visa to verify your identity and prevent unauthorised use. Check with your bank/Visa if this is the case.
- Avoid public computers/Wi-Fi: Making a Visa transfer from a public computer or a computer/phone that uses public Wi-fi is dangerous, as others can access sensitive information such as your card number or CVV code. Make sure any Visa payments are made from your own devices and on a secure network.
- Personal details need to be the same as card details: When opening a betting account at sports betting sites that accept Visa, you'll need to provide personal details such as your full name and postal address. Check that these details are exactly the same as those associated with your Visa card, or else your card/transaction may not be approved.
- You may not be able to claim a bonus: Some offers that are dependent on making a deposit may insist that you only use a particular payment option, or that you don't use a particular one. If you're keen to claim a bonus and the T&Cs state deposits made with Visa exclude you from receiving the bonus, you'll need to choose an alternative payment option in order to get the bonus.
- There may be fees: Every betting site and payment option will have its own policy regarding transaction fees. If they're too steep on an ongoing basis, avoid either using that site or using Visa at it. If they're on the low side, decide if you're ok with that.