Casino app payment method exclusions

What casino app payment method exclusions are

An exclusion is a line in an offer's terms saying that deposits made with certain methods don't count. The method still works for depositing and playing. The deposit just doesn't qualify for the welcome offer, so the free spins or bonus never appear in your account.

Exclusions turn up in three places, and it helps to keep them apart:

• Offer exclusions: methods that don't qualify for a promotion. These are what most people mean by the term, and most of this page is about them.
• Payout restrictions: rules on where money can be withdrawn to, mostly driven by closed-loop payments.
• Outright bans: methods no UK casino can accept, chiefly credit cards since 14 April 2020.

On a phone, offer exclusions are easy to miss. The offer banner is on the home screen, but the payment conditions sit several taps down in the full terms. The cashier won't stop you choosing an excluded method.

Payment exclusions in our partners' welcome offers

This table sets out each partner offer and its published payment conditions. All offers are for new customers aged 18+, and terms apply.

"Not named" isn't a promise that a method qualifies. Terms change, and full terms can be longer than any summary. Read the payment section on the day you deposit.

Why e-wallets and prepaid cards are excluded from offers

The pattern is consistent across UK casinos, and the reasons are mostly about stopping people from claiming the same welcome offer more than once.

• Duplicate accounts. An e-wallet or prepaid card can be opened quickly, which makes it easier to set up several casino accounts that look unconnected. Bank-issued debit cards are tied more firmly to one verified person.
• Identity strength. Debit cards and bank payments come with the bank's own identity checks. Some prepaid products and vouchers have lighter checks.
• Cost. E-wallet transactions can cost operators more, and a welcome offer is already a cost to them.
• Payout routing. Many prepaid cards can't receive withdrawals, which complicates closed-loop payouts.

None of this means the excluded methods are unsafe. PayPal casino apps and other e-wallets are popular partly because they keep card details away from the casino. They just don't trigger most welcome offers.

The "certain debit cards" exclusion at Coral

Coral's terms add "certain debit cards" to the list without saying which ones. Ladbrokes, run by the same company, LC International Limited, doesn't include that phrase in its list as we summarise it. For anyone paying with a card from a digital bank such as Revolut, or with a less common card type, that leaves a question mark over Coral's offer.

The sensible approach is to ask Coral's live chat before your first deposit, naming your card issuer, and to screenshot the answer. Alternatively, use a method that isn't on the list at all, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Pay by Bank, which Coral publishes as deposit options.

How to make sure your first deposit qualifies, step by step

1. Before registering, open the offer in the app and tap through to the full terms; on most apps the link is under the offer banner or in Promotions.
2. Find the payment section and note every excluded method, using your phone's find-in-page if the terms open in a browser.
3. Register, and opt in if the offer requires it (Casumo's does), or choose the casino offer at sign-up (10bet's requires this).
4. In the cashier, pick a method that isn't excluded. If Apple Pay or Google Pay appears, check which card sits behind it.
5. Deposit at least the qualifying amount: £10 for Coral, Ladbrokes and PlayOJO, £20 for Casumo.
6. Complete any play requirement, such as betting or spending £10 on slots at Coral and Ladbrokes.
7. Check the offer has appeared. Ladbrokes' daily spins are claimed from the in-app inbox before 23:59, and Coral's must be accepted within 48 hours.

What happens if you deposit with an excluded method

The deposit goes through and the money is yours to play with or withdraw, but the offer doesn't trigger. Because welcome offers are tied to the first qualifying deposit, it's often not possible to fix it with a second deposit. Support can't usually add the offer manually either, since the terms are applied as written.

The value at stake shows why it's worth checking first. At Ladbrokes, 50 spins a day at 10p each is £5 of spins a day, or up to £50 over 10 days. At Coral, 100 spins at 10p is £10 of spins. At PlayOJO, 80 spins at 10p is £8 of spins, with winnings paid in cash. These figures are the spin value, not expected winnings: results vary, and over time the house edge means losses are the likely outcome. Our casino app bonuses guide explains how to judge an offer's value.

With a matched bonus, the maths is different. A £20 first deposit at Casumo brings a £10 bonus (50%), which must be wagered 10 times, so £100 of bets, within 7 days, at a maximum of £5 per bet. At 10bet, a £25 deposit brings a £25 bonus with £250 of slot wagering due within 3 days. See our wagering requirement entry for how that works.

Payment rules that affect withdrawals

Separate from offers, some methods come with conditions on payouts. Here are the ones our partners publish.

The general principle is closed loop: money goes back the way it came where possible. If your deposit method can't receive funds, you'll be asked for another one in your name, as our guide on changing your withdrawal method explains.

Limits on how many payment methods you can use

Coral's and Ladbrokes' help centres say UK customers can have up to three active payment methods in a rolling 30 days. Add a debit card, PayPal and Apple Pay, and a fourth method won't be accepted until the window rolls on. Such limits help with fraud and money laundering controls. They also stop rapid switching between cards when one is declined, which can be a sign of harmful play.

Other apps may apply similar rules without publishing them. If the cashier refuses a new card, our guide to changing payment method in a casino app covers what support can and can't do.

Methods banned outright for UK gambling

Credit cards are the main one. Since 14 April 2020, no gambling business in Great Britain can take a credit card payment. The ban also covers credit cards used indirectly through e-wallets or phone wallets. If your Apple Wallet's default card is a credit card, an Apple Pay deposit will be refused; switch the casino payment to a debit card. Paying for gambling with other kinds of borrowing isn't wise either, even where no rule names that product.

Cryptocurrency isn't accepted by any of the apps we work with that publish payment lists. Our page on crypto casino apps UK explains why.

Finding exclusions inside the app on iPhone and Android

Offer terms usually open in an in-app browser. On iPhone, tap the share or aA icon in that view and choose Find on Page, then search for "deposit" or "excluded". On Android, the three-dot menu in the in-app browser usually has a Find in page option. If the terms open as a pop-up without search, try opening the same offer on the casino's mobile website in Safari or Chrome, where search works normally. The first deposit guide shows where the cashier and offer screens sit in a typical app.

Apps with clearly published payment exclusions

Ladbrokes and Coral list their excluded methods in the offer terms, and the 10bet offer we summarise names none. All three are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Offers are for new customers aged 18+, and terms apply. Pick a qualifying method, set a deposit limit at registration, and see the payments hub for method-by-method guides.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.