My State Banned Credit Cards at Sportsbooks. My Advice for MA Bettors?

With Massachusetts online sports betting, credit cards won’t be an option for depositing money.

Credit and debit card deposits are usually tied together in deposit methods. But in jurisdictions where this isn’t available, like Massachusetts, only a debit card option will be listed. On the deposit screen, sportsbooks will clearly detail that credit cards are not accepted.

So, what are the best ways to deposit? Does this hamper the sports betting process in any way? Is it really that big a deal?

I live in a state where credit cards also aren’t accepted for sportsbook deposits. Here is my experience.

Massachusetts Sportsbooks Will Accept Debit, But Not Credit

FanDuel tends to have the clearest message with an immediate notification at the top of the screen.

PointsBet shows the deposit limit on the “Debit Card” option.

DraftKings notes that the local jurisdiction can only accept debit cards when the option is selected.

All Massachusetts sports betting platforms will provide a notice that the bank account may not accept gambling transactions. This is happening less often as sports betting becomes legalized across the US. But this may be a limitation found at more local banks.

Even if credit cards were an option on the deposit screen, I wouldn’t use them on a personal level. Frequently, cash advance fees are charged when using them. Remember that credit is money that is accessible, but that cash doesn’t belong to someone. 

It’s also not a positive mindset for me to believe I have thousands of dollars directly available. I’d have to pay high interest rates for not paying off those credit card bills. Instead, here are some other methods I’d use for online sportsbook deposits.

Methods I’ve Used for Sports Betting Deposits

Debit Card

These days, the default method I use for depositing money into any account is a debit card.

This option is now available on most major sportsbooks within the industry. If a debit card uses Visa or MasterCard for processing, there should be no issues with transactions unless the bank limits gambling transactions. Other options (Discover, American Express, etc.) will be limited, but the sportsbook will display what they accept on the deposit screen.

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The debit card process is very simple. Enter the card number, expiration date, and three-digit security code. Then enter the deposit amount desired and confirm the transaction. If a name is not required, the debit card must be under the same name as the account holder. Usually, the sportsbook will save the debit card information for even quicker deposits.

Without question, the biggest benefit of using debit cards is lightning-fast withdrawals. By using the same card, money can be withdrawn from a sportsbook account extremely quickly. In many cases, money will be put back into an account through the debit card in less than 24 hours. 

Typical withdrawals for myself have usually been completed within five hours when using sportsbooks like DraftKings and BetMGM. Note that the debit card withdrawal process may not be available even if the deposit method is.

Online Banking

Another easy process to deposit and withdraw with the same method is online banking.

This process has become uniform across the majority of sportsbooks. Transactions are completed and secured by a third-party company, Trustly. Sportsbook operators never get personal banking information with this deposit or withdrawal method. Trustly also accepts a large variety of bank accounts.

This process was the default method I used until debit cards became more widely accepted. While deposits are instant, withdrawals can take a bit longer to process and complete. In general, most withdrawals this way for me were completed in one business day.

Can I Use a Credit Card Through PayPal?

Bettors will not be able to game the system by using a credit card through an online wallet like PayPal.

Going through the process, PayPal will reject any credit card that is attempted through the deposit method. Some sportsbooks, like FanDuel, don’t even accept card transactions through PayPal. In those cases, money is only accepted with what’s already in the PayPal balance or if a bank account is connected.

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