When it comes to sports betting, the US regulations are rather strict and that's why most fans of sports betting are oriented towards online sportsbooks. There are numerous Internet sportsbooks out there and only few of them are safe for US players. After finding an appropriate online sportsbook, the next worry for a player, whether he is from the USA or from countries where there are no law barriers on sports betting, such as Canada and the UK, is to select the most appropriate deposit method.
Credit/debit cards, as such, are among the most popular payment methods, particularly for online payments. And one of the most popular and widely used cards, both in the USA and abroad, are VISA cards. Statistics show that more than one third, or 36% to be more precise, of the credit cards issued in the USA are VISA cards. And since the number of cards per person is 3.5, it turns out that almost every American that owns a credit card, owns a VISA card. Although sportsbooks offer various payment methods for US players and in general, there's hardly a payment method that's more widely offered than VISA Cards. Practically, there isn't a sportsbook which doesn't Include VISA Cards as one of the deposit methods. In this article you can read about the VISA Cards as a payment method for online sportsbooks, about the advantages and disadvantages and the safe online sportsbooks that offer payments via VISA Cards for US players.
Advantages of VISA Cards
Using VISA Cards to make deposits at online sportsbooks has certain advantages. Knowing how well accepted and widely used VISA Cards are, both in the USA and abroad, certainly makes things easier for bettors and for the sportsbooks. The procedure is easy, simple and short. If you use VISA Cards as a payment method you are eligible for certain bonuses. In most cases, there are no additional fees. Furthermore, besides VISA credit and debit cards, you can also use VISA gift cards and prepaid cards, provided that you have the necessary minimum deposit amount on your card. Therefore we would suggest VISA Cards as a safe, fast and convenient deposit method for sportsbooks.
Disadvantages of VISA Cards
Besides the fact VISA Cards most often aren't listed as one the withdraw options, the only drawback of using a VISA Card for deposits is the fact that sometimes it might be rejected by the sportsbook. The reasons can be various and in such cases you can either try using another card, or call the customers services. The more reliable sportsbooks usually have good customer service operators and they will probably be able to help you, if such a problem occurs.
How to make a VISA Card deposit
Deposits via VISA Cards are easy and simple. If you already have an account with the sportsbook, all you need to do is choose VISA Card as a deposit option. Otherwise, you'll need to open an account, which won't take long and then choose VISA Card. Then you would need to provide your VISA Card number and the expiry date, which are featured on the card, choose the amount you want to deposit and the deposit will go through. At most sportsbooks the deposits will go through instantly and you could start betting right away. Even if there is a waiting period, it's usually half an hour or 45 minutes and it's never longer than 2 hours. Also, once you've provided your information for the first time, the second deposit would be even easier, because they already have all the necessary information.
Safety of VISA Card deposits
The reliable sportsbook websites have �built-in' protection, thus ensuring that a cyber-intruder won't access your VISA Card information and misuse it. You won't need to provide any additional details, other than your name and the Card number, and the sportsbook won't disclose your sensitive information to third parties. VISA Card sportsbook deposits are among the safest online transactions, due to the high level of security and protection of sportsbook websites and the efforts that these companies put in order to protect their customers.
Withdrawals
Most sportbooks don't include VISA Cards as a withdraw method. So, if you deposit money from your VISA Card and you win a bet, you won't be able to get the money on your VISA Card. Instead, you would need to choose between one of the other withdraw methods, such as courier checks, bank wire transfers or other methods such as Western Union or MoneyGram. However, there are exceptions. 5Dimes, for example, has a Debit Card Funds Application, which allows you to withdraw money from your VISA Card.
VISA Card fees
One of the benefits of using a VISA Card is the fact that most online sportsbooks won't charge you an additional fee at all, or the fee would be lower than 5% of the sum that you want to deposit. Practically, the amount that you deposit is the amount you get to bet with, plus the bonuses that you are eligible for. Naturally, if you own a VISA Credit Card and you have gone over the limit, the bank would charge you interest fee, but that's a completely different issue.
VISA Card bonuses
Players who use VISA Cards to make online sportsbooks deposits are eligible for certain bonuses. And sometimes these bonuses are rather lucrative. Bovada, one of the most popular sportsbooks for US players, offers a 50% sing-up bonus of up to $250. This means that if you deposit a certain sum of money from your VISA Card, the sportsbook will match 50% of your deposit, but not more than $250. So, if you deposit $500, you will gain additional $250 for free. 5Dimes also offer a 50% bonus, as well as GTBets which offer an additional 10% reload bonus for regular customers. BetOnline's match bonus is 25%.