Deposits are the first and possibly most important parts of joining a USA online sportsbook. If you can’t safely add funds to your account, then you can’t wager or win anything. This is not an issue with the sites that we will point you to, as each one offers some excellent deposit methods. That’s what this page is for, to teach you how each method works.
This page is going to cover a lot of ground. We will explain what makes a deposit safe so you can be sure that you are choosing a good one. We will cover how to make a deposit, and which methods are out there. In addition, we will review a few sportsbooks that offer the best funding methods in the business.
Yes, as long as you are using a trusted US sportsbook, you can be sure that the methods are safe. These sites take safety seriously, and employ the top lines of defense that are available right now. These include masterful encryption techniques, the latest and greatest security software, and financial auditors checking the sites monthly. Moreover, there has never been a case of a member losing funds, suffering an information leak, or any other cybercrime. You will be putting your money in to a virtual safe deposit box when you make add funds to your account, and only you will have the key.
More: How Safe Is My Money?
When you sign up for a safe sports betting site for US players, you will first probably want to explore the place. Take yourself on a tour of the sportsbook, and check out the poker rooms and virtual casino while you’re at it. Eventually, you will want to start wagering for real money. These sites make depositing simple, painless, and fast.
Most sites offer multiple deposit methods, with all of them at least having a credit/debit card option. Some offer many alternative, while some offer one or two. Most of the sites that we will point you to have upwards of no less than ten deposit options which are safe to use. While credit/debit deposits are the most popular, every method will have its advantages and disadvantages. For instance, some credit card companies put restrictions on overseas transactions. If this is the case, you would want to try another card or choose a different method.
Each deposit option will have varying speeds, limits, and minimums/maximums. Some have no fees, and some have no limits, it all depends on the site and what they offer. We will go over the many deposit options that you will come across most frequently, and explain how they work, and what restrictions they have.
This is by far the easiest and fastest way to make a deposit. You will just access the online cashier of the site you are using, choose this method, and enter your card information along with the amount you would like to deposit. The site will take it from there, and your money should show up in your account in minutes.
Fees - Credit cards usually come with small fees ranging from 3.2% to 6.8% of the deposit amount. This varies from site to site, but usually it won’t be much. This makes credit/debit cards excellent methods for depositing any amount.
Processing Times – Credit/debit deposits are very fast, usually taking less than a minute. If the card is declined for any reason, you should know within a few minutes. There is no worry in trying multiple cards if this is the case.
Minimums/Maximums – Credit/debit deposits usually come with $25-$50 minimums, and $600-$3,000 maximums depending on the site you are using. This maximum can be daily or weekly as well, so you could make up to seven card deposits during a week on many sites if you would like.
A cash wire means Western Union, MoneyGram, or a few other wire services. To make a deposit this way you can either go to your local retailer that offers cash wires, or you can simply do it online at most sites. You will fill out the cash wire information, the amount you would like to deposit, and you will be all set.
Processing Times – Cash wires are very fast, making them almost as popular as credit/debit deposits. They usually take less than 48 hours to process.
Fees – Cash wire fees are relatively high. They usually run about $25-$45 depending on the amount you deposit. Many sites will cover the fees for deposits that are $300 or more. This is a great method for medium-to-large deposits.
Minimums/Maximums – Cash wires come with minimums in the $50 range, and maximums of about $600 - $900. These are popular for medium-to-large deposits under $1,000. If you want to deposit more, just choose another method.
Money orders are simple and effective ways to fund your account if you don’t mind waiting a bit. You can purchase a money order from your local retailer that sells them. You can then just fill it out and send it to the site; they will take it from there.
Processing Times – Money orders take longer than any of the methods we have mentioned. You have to wait for it to arrive at the sportsbook, which can be anywhere from a few days to one month. Usually, they take around a week. Once the site receives the money order, your account will be credited immediately.
Fees – Many sites have a flat fee of around $80 per money order, but some waver on this. Some will cover the fee if the deposit is over a certain amount, just like cash wires. Check the online cashier to see what the fee situation is.
Minimums/Maximums – The minimum for a money order is usually around $80 - $100, and the maximum is usually very high, around $25,000. This is a great method for very large deposits.
Those that wish to make very large deposits mostly use Bank wires. This transfers funds directly from your savings or checking account. To do this, you just contact customer service and supply your bank wire instructions, and the amount you would like to deposit. They will take it from there.
Processing Times – Bank wires are quite fast, usually taking 1-3 days. The site will credit your account as soon as the wire goes through.
Fees – Bank wire fees vary greatly between sportsbooks. You can expect the fee to be somewhere around $24-$80, depending on the amount, although some sportsbooks require no fees.
Minimums/Maximums – Bank wires are only good for large deposits, and this is why. The minimums rarely go under $1,000, while most sites don’t have a set maximum. Bank wires are for the high rollers that like to put huge sums of money on a game or three.
Many sites allow you to use My Cash cards, or gift cards for places like Amazon or Walmart. Most sites will require you to have made at least one withdraw using this method before you can deposit with it. Making a deposit this way is similar to making a credit/debit deposit. Just enter the card information and you will be all set.
Processing Times – Cash/Gift cards are very fast, usually taking only a few minutes. These work much like credit/debit cards, and can all be done online.
Fees – There are generally never fees on cash/gift cards. We have not come across a site that charges a fee, but there might be some out there that do.
Minimums/Maximums – Cash/gift cards usually come with set amounts that you can deposit, or require you to deposit in certain increments. For example, My Cash cards may only available in $500 denominations, while Amazon and Walmart gift cards can be any amount, but only in increments of $50 or so. Check your sportsbook to see what they offer.
Bitcoin is quite popular amongst those that purchase a lot of stuff over the internet. Most sportsbooks will allow you to transfer funds directly from your bitcoin account in to your sports betting account, and vice versa. Just select bitcoin as your deposit option, enter your account information, and you will be ready to deposit.
Processing Times – Since bitcoin transfers are done online, they are one of the fastest methods available. Usually they will take minutes, but sometimes can take up to 48 hours. It is rare that they take that long, but sometimes system communication can delay the process.
Fees – Bitcoin rarely, if ever, comes with fees. This is one of the great things about this new method. A lot of people are using bitcoin exclusively to fund their sportsbook accounts.
Minimums/Maximums – Bitcoin is quite variable. Minimums will usually be in the $20 range, with maximums of about $25,000. This is a great method for deposits of any amount.
While all of the methods that we have gone over are safe, some are occasionally unavailable or altered. For this reason, we would say that the most consistent, simple, and fast method is by credit/debit card. Not only is this the most convenient method, it’s also the least time consuming. You can choose to have your information held so you don’t have to enter your card number every time you deposit. It is super-fast, there are low fees, and there are relatively high limits. Don’t get us wrong, every method is worth a try, but credit/debit cards are the simplest.
Now you should have a decent grasp on the whole deposit situation. If you would like to learn more specifics, simply head over to the online cashier of the site you are using. They will list all fees, speeds, and limits for each option. Some sites have only a few deposit methods, while others have upwards of 15. You can be sure that choosing any of the trusted sports betting sites we recommend will be safe. These are trustworthy, legal, and reputable online sportsbooks for US players.
If you are seeking out a site with a variety of deposit methods, BetOnline is the place for you. Not only is this a massively popular and reputable sportsbook, it is one of the easiest to deposit with. There are options for everybody including credit/debit cards, money orders, cash wires, and bitcoin. Check out the cashier for more details, but we can assure you that you will have no problem adding money to your account quickly.
Another great thing about BetOnline is the mobile betting feature. This free and powerful tool will allow you to access your entire account from the palm of your hand. All you need to have is a mobile device that connects to the internet, and a valid BetOnline account. From there, you can simply sign in at any time, from anywhere, and start wagering. You can even make deposits and withdrawals from trusted sportsbooks on your device, giving you a full-fledged sports betting site at your fingertips.
Sometimes you just want a simple and straightforward sportsbook that dispels with all the bells and whistles and just gets down to business. If this is you, then 5Dimes is a place you need to check out. This is the epitome of a professional betting site. There are no superfluous ads or distracting pop-ups, just straightforward sports betting action. The site is geared towards those that have some experience using a sportsbook. There is, however, a decent help section for beginners. If you know the difference between a straight wager and a parlay, then you have been waiting for this site.
5Dimes offers a vast array of deposit options so that you can get your account funded with the quickness. The usual credit/debit cards and rapid transfer options are there, but you can also use My Cash cards, Amazon and Walmart gift cards, and bitcoin…to name a few. Most methods come with $0 fees if you deposit a certain amount, so check out 5Dimes today!