We live in a digital age where nearly everything moves at lightning speed—including financial transactions. From making an eCommerce purchase to paying bills or sending money to family, credit and debit cards have made these tasks quick and convenient from the comfort of your home.
Even businesses that once avoided card payments now widely accept them. For sports bettors, credit cards offer a simple and familiar way to fund an account without the delays of wire transfers or other secure payment methods.
At MyTopSportsbooks, we’ll walk you through how to use your credit card to open an account with online sportsbooks, along with the pros and cons of doing so. Please note that some online casinos may also require you to link an e-wallet if you’re using a prepaid credit card.
So, let’s get started!
What are credit cards?
A credit card is a short-term line of credit issued by a financial institution, allowing you to borrow funds up to a predetermined limit. You’re required to make at least a minimum payment each month to stay in good standing, though paying the full balance avoids interest charges. When you use a credit card, the issuer fronts the money on your behalf and typically offers purchase protection at the point of sale.
Betting with credit cards
Betting with a credit card is making a payment to a website for entertainment purposes. Your online sportsbook or casino takes the payment, credits your account, and you are flush with funds to gamble. Using a credit card to add to your account is an instant payment deposit method, no waiting for monolithic structures to move your money through a bureaucracy. Rather, your card is your gateway to instant online sports gambling gratification, and it happens in seconds.
What are the Benefits of Credit Card Use?
There are several benefits to using credit cards, particularly in the world of online sports betting. For example, credit cards are:
- Accepted by most online sportsbooks.
- Quick and convenient for sports betting sites.
- Capable of making high deposits and receiving high payouts.
- Safe and secure.
What Credit Cards can I use at Online Gaming Sites?
Here are some of the most popular credit cards for making deposits at online sportsbooks:
Visa
There are several benefits to using Visa with top sportsbook betting sites. A Visa credit card is the best credit card to use and one of the most popular credit cards available to the consumer. With its popularity comes a host of merchants who accept the card for purchases, like your friends in the gambling world.
Your online betting site of choice will accept the card for deposits and withdrawals as a payment option for funds on your card. Many sites will provide a welcome bonus when you use a Visa to gamble, and there could be other offers depending on the site and the promotions available.
Mastercard
A Mastercard is the second most popular method of credit card deposits for online sportsbooks and casinos in the US market. The same provisions that govern Visa deposits hold true when betting with a Mastercard. Promos and bonuses are there for the player as an introductory offer to stimulate play on the site.
American Express
Many online sites and bookies have been slow in accepting bettors using an American Express card for gambling. No reason has been given, but as time passes and familiarity with the gambling industry becomes confident, more and more sites are now accepting Amex credit cards for play at the sportsbook. In 2025, some sites are very pro-Amex and go to great lengths to capture Amex players with lucrative bonuses and promos on first deposit to attract credit card gamblers. However, it is still not as widely accepted as Visa and Mastercard.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Credit Card Gambling?
Advantages
There are multiple credit card betting advantages, including:
- Sportsbooks offer credit card coupons, bonuses and promotions.
- Cash-back opportunities from banks and credit card companies provide rewards and promotional benefits.
- No fees on card transactions.
- Extra safety and security.
- Deposits are instant.
Disadvantages
There are also several disadvantages of sports betting with a credit card, including:
- Some bookmakers don’t permit credit card withdrawals.
- Some credit card providers won’t authorize payments to sportsbooks.
- Gamblers in some countries like the United Kingdom and others cannot use credit cards to fund their bookie accounts.
As you can see, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages here. We don’t advocate using money you can’t pay back, but we wanted to show how using a credit card for responsible gambling makes the process smooth and straightforward.
Why Might a Betting Site Have Declined my Credit Card?
This may have happened for several reasons. For example:
- You may have entered the wrong number.
- Your bank or credit card provider may not allow online betting purchases.
- You may have tried to deposit an amount that is below the minimum or above the maximum established by the site.
In these cases, your best bet is to contact the bank or betting site as soon as possible to explain what has happened.