Introduction to Paypal
PayPal is arguably the most widely popular and accepted e-wallet service across the globe. It first appeared back in 1998, and only a few years later, managed to merge with one of the largest e-commerce platforms – Ebay. As a result, the payment processor not only gained further credibility and reliability but also managed to get its popularity among users on a whole different level.
Since 2014...
...when the company was officially separated and established as an independent organization, PayPal continued in its progressive tracks. The service spread across online retail platforms of all kinds, and is nowadays a familiar method of payment for users of all ages.
How to Get a PayPal Account?
A dominant factor in the growth and development of the PayPal service is its simple and straightforward platform and signup procedure. Interested users only need to register straight from the official website and locate one of the numerous retailers who have partnered with the service.
The registration process requires users to enter their personal information, but this shouldn’t worry potential users. The basic information input during this process are kept safe and secure in the company servers, and the same goes for the banking information you will need to input next.
After all, the PayPal e-wallet account needs to be funded with real money in order to be used for payments. In this regard, users can choose from a range of credit and debit cards, other e-wallets, online payment services, banking transfers and the likes.
The Visa payment method has managed to build up a worldwide network of partners during its existence. As a result, it is accepted at a large portion of land-based retailers, sellers and service providers. With the rise of e-commerce, it was one of the first payment processing solutions to meet the newly created need for remote payments.
Other than the intuitive mechanics of the service:
PayPal’s popularity is just as largely due to its security. The company has strict regulations when it comes to its partnering merchants, which is why customers are commonly said to be the most privileged. According to company policy, the e-commerce establishment needs to be fully licensed, secure and regulated by the jurisdiction’s specific regulative.
What is more, it is most known for its policy regarding complaints – a larger number of submitted complaints, along with a thorough investigation regarding the partner’s policies often lead PayPal to remove their payment channel from the respective platform.
Casino Payment Method
Online casinos and similar online gambling platforms – sportsbooks poker rooms, bingo gaming and the likes – have grown into a major portion of the e-commerce market. As a result, PayPal has swiftly found application at the many sites offering this service. Its initial beginnings in the online gambling industry have noted some of the most prolific times for the service, as many players were already aware of or even familiar with the service. Using PayPal for online casino deposits and withdrawals was practically a key online gambling strategy.
In order to fund your live dealer blackjack action, online slot gameplay and the likes, it is first essential that you choose the top PayPal casino that best fits your needs and preferences. In this regard, there is hardly any chance to go wrong with the choice, as potential customers looking to play at PayPal casinos will be able to use all the benefits of the reputable service.
Afterwards, all you need to do is log in or register for an account with the platform, and choose PayPal as a banking method. Considering you have pre-funded your e-wallet with a banking method of your choice specifically, the funds should be immediately available and transferable to your online casino account.
Withdrawals make use of the same procedure, only in the opposite direction, allowing players to cashout their winnings from the top software titles available.
Advantages & Disadvantages of PayPal Online Casino Payments
With PayPal’s widespread use across global retailers, there is no denying the benefits of using this service. Familiarity and reliability of the e-wallet inevitably make up for a boost in its sails, but it is its security policy for the most part that has turned it into a global phenomenon. With strict regulations and instant precautions against unregulated activities, PayPal is quite the optimal online casino payment solution.
The one major disadvantage is its country restrictions. Thus, despite its US-central market position, it only recently became available at the top US casino platforms, and the same is true for numerous jurisdictions whose players aren’t allowed to play and off-shore licensed websites.
PayPal for US players: the MatchPay route
If you are in the US, the list above shows no PayPal casino, and that is accurate for a PayPal button in the cashier. PayPal's Acceptable Use Policy only allows payments for casino games, sports betting and other gambling when the operator has PayPal's prior approval and the operator and its customers are all in places where that gambling is legal. The offshore casinos that accept US players do not have that approval.
What US players can use instead is MatchPay, a trading platform inside the cashier at Bovada, Ignition, Cafe Casino and Slots.lv. You buy account credits from a player who is cashing out and pay that player in PayPal. All four casinos name PayPal in their help centers as a MatchPay app, for deposits and for withdrawals.
How to deposit with PayPal through MatchPay
- In the casino cashier, choose Deposit and select MatchPay.
- On your first trade, tap Join Now and create a MatchPay ID and password. MatchPay checks your email and phone number, and the ID is permanent.
- Create an order for the amount you want and tick PayPal, plus any other app you can pay from. More apps means more players you can be matched with.
- MatchPay matches you with a seller and opens a chat. Only use the PayPal details the seller shares in that chat.
- Send the payment as Friends and Family, or Gift, from your PayPal balance or bank account. Once the seller confirms it arrived, the credits land in your casino balance.
How to withdraw to PayPal through MatchPay
- Choose Withdraw in the cashier and select MatchPay.
- Once the casino approves the withdrawal, create an offer for the amount in your MatchPay account.
- A player who wants to deposit is matched with you and pays you in PayPal.
- Check that the money is available in your PayPal balance before you confirm the trade.
Never send a trade as Goods and Services. The MatchPay best practices that all four casinos reprint say PayPal holds a Goods and Services payment for a period of time, so the seller cannot use it. If a payment shows as Pending, cancel it and resend it as Friends and Family or Gift. PayPal charges nothing for a personal payment from your balance or bank account; paying by card costs 2.9% plus a fixed fee.
All four casinos publish the same MatchPay withdrawal limits: $10 to $2,000 a trade and two withdrawals a day. Bovada, Cafe Casino and Slots.lv publish the same $10 to $2,000 range for deposits, and a casino may hold you to three MatchPay deposit attempts a day depending on your account. The MatchPay best practices give a narrower $20 to $1,000 per trade, so staying inside that range is the safe choice.
The welcome offer may not follow you. Bovada, Cafe Casino and Slots.lv say their welcome bonuses do not apply to MatchPay deposits unless the bonus terms say otherwise. Ignition says MatchPay deposits currently qualify for its welcome bonus, for what may be a limited time.
Buying crypto in PayPal for a casino deposit
The second route for US players skips the other player entirely. PayPal sells Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash, and after an extra level of account verification it lets you send them to an outside wallet address, such as a casino's deposit address. That opens every casino on our Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum lists, not only the four above.
- Buy the coin in PayPal. Crypto bought with a debit card can be sent straight away; crypto bought by bank transfer may take several days to clear first.
- In the casino cashier, choose the same coin and copy the deposit address it shows.
- In PayPal, open the Finances tab, tap your crypto balance, tap the transfer arrows, then Send, and paste the casino's address.
- Enter the amount, review the network fee PayPal shows, and send. Transfers on the blockchain usually take around 2 hours to complete.
| Purchase fee | 2.2% from $1 to $74.99, 2% from $75 to $200, 1.8% from $200.01 to $1,000, 1.5% above $1,000, plus a spread estimated at 1% |
| Sending outside PayPal | A network fee, paid in the coin you send |
| Smallest outside send | 0.001 BTC, 0.01 LTC, 0.01 ETH, 0.01 BCH |
| Weekly limits | $100,000 of purchases and $25,000 of crypto sends |
| Deposit at the four casinos above | Up to $5,000 per deposit; no casino fee |
A crypto send cannot be undone. PayPal says crypto sent to the wrong address or over an unsupported network is lost, and that Bitcoin Cash sent to a Bitcoin address is lost too. PayPal Purchase Protection does not cover anything you do with crypto.
Getting winnings back into PayPal
With MatchPay, the withdrawal steps above put dollars straight into your PayPal balance. With crypto, generate a receive address in PayPal for the coin you will withdraw (a new one is created every time), request the withdrawal in that coin at the casino, then sell it in PayPal. Bovada says an address entered in its cashier cannot be used again, so always use a fresh one.
Moving the dollars to your bank is free with a standard transfer, or 1.75% for an instant transfer (at least $0.25, at most $25). PayPal's crypto provider issues IRS Forms 1099 for crypto sales and files them with the IRS.
Know PayPal's position before you start. PayPal says breaking its Acceptable Use Policy is a breach of its user agreement, and its crypto terms let it hold the balance of a crypto account and the PayPal account linked to it for up to 180 days if you have broken that policy. Either route here carries that risk, and it is yours to weigh.
Other apps work the same way through MatchPay: Venmo (owned by PayPal, with the same crypto fees), Cash App, Zelle, Apple Pay and Chime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can US players use PayPal at an online casino?
Not as a cashier payment at the offshore casinos that accept US players. PayPal only allows gambling payments to operators it has approved. US players can use PayPal through MatchPay at Bovada, Ignition, Cafe Casino and Slots.lv, where they pay another player instead of the casino.
Can I withdraw casino winnings to PayPal in the US?
Yes, through MatchPay. All four casinos list PayPal for MatchPay withdrawals, from $10 to $2,000 a trade and up to two a day. You can also withdraw crypto to your PayPal crypto address and sell it.
Should I send a MatchPay payment as Friends and Family?
Yes. The MatchPay best practices say to send it as Friends and Family or Gift. A Goods and Services payment is held by PayPal for a period, so the seller cannot use it and the trade stalls.
Can I buy bitcoin with PayPal and send it to a casino?
Yes. PayPal sells Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and Bitcoin Cash and can send them to an outside address once you complete its extra verification. Purchases cost 1.5% to 2.2% plus a spread, and you can send up to $25,000 of crypto a week.
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