PayPal are one of the most popular online payment solutions but should you use PayPal betting sites in 2019?
Read on to find out more.
PayPal betting sites
In this article we’ll look at why you should consider using PayPal for betting along with which PayPal betting sites are the most popular in 2019.
Before we get into the meat of this article and look at which betting sites accept PayPal, let’s look at what makes PayPal such a popular choice for UK bettors.
Founded back in 1999 by a group of tech entrepreneurs, PayPal is one of the world’s leading online payment solutions.
With over 267 million active accounts worldwide and a total of 7.6 billion payment transactions in 2017, PayPal is certainly the number one eWallet provider.
Paypal offer a reliable, fast and secure transaction that can be used for many different purposes, one of which is PayPal betting sites.
Which betting sites accept PayPal?
If you’ve skipped to this section, you’re obviously interested in which betting sites you can bet with PayPal.
In the modern world of online gambling, bookmakers need to appeal to as many customers as possible.
Bookies need to ensure the process of depositing and withdrawing funds is easy, reliable and secure. To accommodate for different needs, they offer a huge range of payment methods from debit/credit card transfers to eWallets to wire transfers. They’ve got it all.
As PayPal is one of the most popular online payment solutions, bookmakers are likely to include this option.
Here’s a list of the 10 most popular PayPal betting sites rated by our community here at The Sure Bettor.
- Bet365
- Betfair
- PaddyPower
- Betway
- Betvictor
- William Hill
- Ladbrokes
- Coral
- 888Sport
- SkyBet
There are plenty more PayPal bookmakers out there, the ones listed above are just the most popular.
Depositing and withdrawing funds using PayPal
One of the key ingredients to online betting is being able to deposit and withdraw your winnings easily. PayPal makes this an absolute doddle…
The process of depositing and withdrawing money from your betting account is made incredibly easy with PayPal and this is one of their key selling points.
In this example I’m using a Coral account although most bookmakers are very similar.
Simply log in to your bookmaker account and head to the quick deposit section in the top right.
Note: this process should be similar if this is your first deposit with Coral.
From there, click on the Add PayPal link.
You’ll then be asked to enter the amount you want to deposit. Once you’ve done this you’ll be redirected to the PayPal website where you’re asked to confirm your deposit.
If you’re adding a PayPal account for the first time, you won’t need to repeat this process. You’ll be able to sign in, meaning your deposits will be much quicker in the future.
The withdrawal process is very similar so we won’t go into the details.
How quickly will your money transfer?
Your money should transfer from your PayPal account to your bookie account within a matter of seconds. However, it can take longer than this so give it a few minutes.
In terms of withdrawals, your funds should be back in your PayPal account within 48 hours. Again, this may differ depending on which bookmaker you’re using.
From experience, PayPal offer some of the quickest eWallet payment transfers making PayPal for betting a great choice.
The benefits of using PayPal for betting sites
PayPal are certainly one of the best eWallet solutions to use for your betting accounts.
Here are some of the key benefits of using PayPal:
- Ease of use
- Speed of transactions
- Security
Ease of use
As you’ve probably understood from reading this guide up until now, PayPal is incredibly easy to use. There’s no need to worry about separate passwords and security information for different betting sites.
Once you have an account with PayPal, it’s literally just plug and play. Add your information to your betting account and you’re away.
Overall, this makes dealing with payments incredibly easy meaning you can focus more of your attention on what matters; what bets you’re going to place!
The PayPal mobile app also helps in this regard. You can easily see your overall activity including where your money’s gone and when you made a withdrawal amongst other things.
PayPal is also a great option if you’re looking to place bets from your mobile.
In my opinion, the PayPal mobile app is what really sets this platform apart from its competitors.
Speed of transactions
Another benefit and one that we’ve already touched on a little earlier, PayPal offer some of the quickest payment transactions in the industry.
Speed of transactions is vital for online payment methods in 2019 and bettors are always after quick transfers. PayPal do not disappoint!
You can deposit funds into your betting account within a matter of seconds and your withdrawals generally take no more than 48 hours to enter your PayPal account.
Seen some great odds but don’t have enough funds in your account? No worries, with PayPal your transfer will be instantaneous.
Security
With the age and size of PayPal, you can be sure that they offer a very reliable and secure platform.
PayPal spend millions on cyber security giving you peace of mind when it comes to financial transactions over the internet.
One of the benefits of using PayPal over debit and credit card transfers is that you don’t have to give out your bank details more than once. Your details stay secure with PayPal once you’ve created an account.
Whilst there are still things you need to look out for (more on this below) PayPal offer one of the most secure online payment methods for betting sites.
The drawbacks of using PayPal for betting sites
Like everything, using PayPal for betting sites has its drawbacks. Here are a couple of cons of using PayPal bookmakers:
- Restricted promotions
- Transaction fees
Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail.
Restricted promotions
The main drawback of using eWallets for betting sites are the restrictions on promotions.
A lot of bookmakers don’t allow customers to qualify for their free bets, bonuses and other promotions if they use an eWallet provider like PayPal to deposit their funds.
This is especially the case for sign up promotions for new customers. Most UK bookmakers restrict their sign up offers to customers who use debit/credit card transfers to fund their accounts.
Going back to Coral, they state that customers who deposit using PayPal will not qualify for a free bet or enhanced odds when creating a new account.
The way to get around this is to create your account using a debit or credit card, take advantage of the free bet or enhanced odds and then add your PayPal account at a later stage.
If you’re specifically looking to take advantage of bookmakers promotions on a regular basis or you’re interested in strategies such as matched betting, I recommend you stay away from using eWallets such as PayPal.
More often that not, the terms and conditions will state that you can’t take advantage of a free bet, bonus or other kind of promotion.
As with most things in betting, it’s best to check the terms and conditions before making any decisions.
Transaction fees
The only other drawback of using PayPal for betting sites is the transaction fees. Whilst a lot of bookmakers won’t apply fees to transactions, there are some that may do. Once again, it’s best you check the terms and conditions.
PayPal also charge their own small fees for certain transactions. Such things as currency exchanges may have fees applied so just be mindful.
Things to look out for when using PayPal for betting sites
There are a number of things you should keep an eye out for when using PayPal for betting sites.
Whilst PayPal offer one of the safest and most reliable online payment solutions, there are still those who get caught out.
Unfortunately, there are individuals who lose money through scams and other phishing methods.
However, you can do your bit to avoid getting caught out if you’re careful and watch out for tell-tale signs.
Keep your personal information safe
Never freely hand over your personal information like usernames, email addresses, card information etc. to anyone you don’t know or trust.
This one is probably very obvious but it’s worth mentioning as you don’t want your information in the wrong hands.
Before entering any personal information, make sure the site you are using is legitimate. Here’s a few things you should look out for.
All websites that take payments over the internet are required to have SSL encryption on their site.
In simple terms this means that information passed over the internet is secured and encrypted. No one can steal or get their hands on any of that information.
To ensure the bookmaker is using SSL, you simply need to look at the URL in the search box. It should say https rather than http.
You can see in the example below that both these bookmakers are using SSL. In Chrome, there’s also a padlock shown next to the URL for sites that Google deems to be secure.
Use these tips and you should be in safe hands when it comes to online payments.
PayPal vs other eWallets
There’s a huge range of different online eWallets so what makes PayPal the best choice?
For starters, PayPal is by far the most widely known and popular eWallet meaning more bookmakers are likely to accept it for deposits and withdrawals.
As I mentioned earlier, PayPal have invested thousands in their platform meaning they have a very reliable and trustworthy system that beats other eWallet providers.
Having said that, there are a number of alternatives to betting with PayPal. We’ll have a look at the options in the next section.
PayPal betting alternatives
Here are some other popular eWallets you can use when it comes to funding betting sites:
- Skrill
- Neteller
Skrill
Skrill is another popular online payment solution. Founded in 2001 they’re a few years younger than PayPal and they’re also considerably smaller.
However, don’t let this put you off.
Skrill is accepted by a huge range of online bookmakers and it turns out that most bookmakers that accept PayPal, also accept Skrill.
For those of you that already have an account with Skrill, this makes betting with eWallets incredibly easy.
For those that don’t, opening an account with Skrill is incredibly easy and you’ll have plenty of freedom when it comes to your betting accounts.
However, as with most eWallets, you’ll need to keep an eye on any fees the bookmaker may charge.
Some betting sites charge a withdrawal fee. Ultimately this affects your betting profitability meaning you may want to avoid using Skrill.
All in all, Skrill are certainly worth considering for your betting accounts as long as you are mindful and aware of the fees that come with it.
Neteller
Similar to that of Skrill and PayPal, Neteller are another smaller yet nifty payment solution you could use as an alternative to betting with PayPal.
Founded in 1999, Neteller are the same age as PayPal yet, like Skrill, they’re significantly smaller.
Neteller is generally accepted at all the bookmakers that accept PayPal and Skrill.
Once again, you’ll need to keep an eye out for the fees. Betting sites generally have a fee for withdrawing funds from your account.
Again, if you’re looking for an alternative to betting with PayPal, Neteller are certainly one of the most popular choices.
Should you use PayPal betting sites?
So, should you use PayPal betting sites in 2019?
The answer to this question is going to depend on your situation and ultimately what you want to get out of your betting.
If you’re after quick, reliable transactions PayPal is just for you. If you’re looking to take advantage of the bookmakers promotions on a regular basis I would advise against using PayPal.
In this scenario I suggest you stick to debit and credit card transfers.
I’ll leave the ultimate decision with you.
Let me know what you think about using PayPal for betting by leaving a comment below right now.
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