Funding Options for US Internet Bingo Players
Posted on June 15th, 2010
Internet bingo players in the UK have no difficulty finding a bingo site to play at and literally have hundreds of choices. For US players finding an online bingo site can be tricky thanks to radical anti gambling legislation passed in 2006. UK and European bingo players have a wide variety of funding and withdrawal options available to them while US players can encounter difficulty finding suitable payment and withdrawal options. While US laws do not directly make online gaming illegal they prohibit banks, credit card companies and financial institutions from processing gambling related transactions. In the past the US has actually prosecuted executives of online payment services. A few years ago executives from ewallet service Neteller were arrested in the US for activities that are perfectly legal in the jurisdiction where the company was licensed. The US government extorted millions of dollars from the company and Neteller withdrew from the American market. After the prosecution of Neteller executives most ewallet services exited the US market making it difficult for American online bingo players to fund accounts and withdraw winnings. Companies that exited the US market include, Neteller, Citadel, My Citadel, InstaDebit, FirePay, Central Coin, and Pre Paid ATM.
In addition several internet bingo sites blocked US players and most of the bans are still in effect. One unintended consequence of US anti gambling laws was forcing US bingo players to use less than credible sources for deposits and withdrawals on internet bingo websites. Despite the obstacles US bingo players can use a variety of methods to fund bingo accounts. Offshore bank accounts are one option but involve a lot of paperwork and some banks have deposit requirements that may be beyond the reach of the average player.
Other funding solutions include, EwalletXpress and accounts may be funded by bank wire or money orders, Xpressfunds, and 900pay. 900pay is a highly original and safe way to fund an online bingo account. Deposits and transactions with online bingo sites appear on the client’s phone bill and using 900pay is quick and easy for US players. ePassporte is another good solution for online bingo players. ePassporte accepts US players and accounts can be funded with credit or debit cards. All that is required is a valid bank account. Western Union is one of the oldest payment methods but there is some disagreement about the status of gaming transactions. Immediate Deposit is a unique way of funding online bingo accounts. Players can use their Mastercard or Visa card to buy a calling card which can be used to purchase casino credits. Immediate Deposit is only good for deposits and the player will have to find a withdrawal method.
US based online bingo players still have a wide variety of bingo sites to choose from and several reliable funding and withdrawal options. Most industry experts believe that in the very near future the US government will legalize online bingo eliminating the need for players to use offshore funding sources.
