Mastercard Review

Mastercard Casino Banking Method Review

Visa and Mastercard are often used pretty interchangeably as terms for credit cards. For the most part, that's fair enough, and gamers will generally find that both Visa and Mastercard have the same faults when compared to alternative forms. The big competitor to credit cards is the e-Wallet (mostly Neteller and Skrill/Moneybookers), and here Visa and Mastercard stand and fall together. Almost everyone has access to either Visa or Mastercard, and the large number of outlets that allow for payment using either form, makes them incredibly convenient. Combine this with the ability to take out money on credit, and it's clear why these cards aren't going away any time soon.

However, they aren't cheap alternatives, not when it comes to gaming sites. It'll generally cost you nothing to move money to and from an e-Wallet, whereas Mastercard will be subject to a transaction fee. Admittedly, the fee won't be large, and we're really talking about an additional 1.5-3%. But in addition to this, there may be a separate 'cash advance fee'. This extra sum might only be £5 or so, but it'll still hurt if you're depositing £50, and seeing a decent chunk of it going in transaction and cash advance fees. That's particularly annoying given that you're unlikely to have to pay anything at all when performing the same action using an e-Wallet.

Like Visa, Mastercard isn't amazingly fast for withdrawals. Deposits to a gaming site will be almost instant, but withdrawals are likely to require 3-5 days before appearing back in the Mastercard account. In contrast, an e-Wallet account is almost certain to have your money back within 24 hours and, in all likelihood, in around a third of that time.

For gaming, then, Mastercard isn't generally as good an option as an e-Wallet account. But, in fact, it's often not even as good as Visa. That's because Mastercard takes a particularly hard line towards gaming sites. In many cases, you may not even be allowed to use your Mastercard to deposit with a casino. When your gaming reputation is on the line, never knowing whether a casino is going to accept your money is no way to go. Mastercard also has some strange rules when it comes to deposits, sometimes only allowing you to withdraw as much to your card as you deposited in the first case. If you're looking to make substantial profits, then, Mastercard is unlikely to give you much encouragement.

Mastercard, then, isn't really a great choice for gaming. However, if it's the high availability and facilities for borrowing money that you want, you're likely to remain a supporter. Just be aware that you may suffer a frustrating and expensive time playing at your favoured casinos.