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American Express is one of the most prestigous credit/debit card providers in the US and abroad with a long history of exceptional financial services. The company was around in the 1850s, but came to fame in the 1960s for their introduction of charge cards, or credit cards.
Today, American Express credit cards (AMEX cards) are some of the most sought after credit cards on the market. They have great rewards, high-levels of customer support, and a long-standing reputation.
These same cards are also popular among online gamblers for their versatility and dependability. If you’re looking to sign up at an online casino, and aren’t sure which banking method to choose, American Express is a solid option. We’ll run through all the pros and cons of using American Express cards for gambling, as well as give our recommendations for the best AMEX casinos you can sign up with today!
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One of the common issues with using American Express cards for gambling is that many casinos accept AMEX as a deposit method, but not many allow you to withdraw with AMEX. This really can’t be avoided, unfortunately. We picked out some of the best AMEX casinos, but many of them only accept deposits:
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|---|---|---|
| Deposit $50 – $2,499 with AMEX | Deposit $25 – Unlimited with AMEX | Deposit $20 – $1,500 with AMEX |
| AMEX Withdrawals Not Supported | Withdraw $150 – $2,000 with AMEX per week | AMEX Withdrawals Not Supported |
| 100% Deposit Bonus up to $2,5000 | 200% Welcome Bonus up to $7,500 | 200% Deposit Bonus up to $2,000 |
| 450+ casino games, live dealer casino, and sportsbook | 150+ casino games and a live dealer casino | 200+ casino games, live dealer casino, and poker room |
| Licensed by Curacao eGaming Authority | Licensed by Curacao eGaming Authority | Licensed by Curacao eGaming Authority |
| Read Review | Read Review | Read Review |
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Before we even think about adding a casino or sportsbook to our list, we always like to run through a few different ranking criteria. We verify the site has an official license from a reputable authority, because the biggest tell as to their quality. Among other things, we check:
- Safety and Security – Is the casino site protected with industry-standard TLS-encryption? Does the casino adhere to the guidelines laid out by their licensing authority?
- Banking Methods – All of these sites have to have AMEX compatibility, but since AMEX is mainly for deposits, there also has to be reasonable withdrawal methods, like bank transfer or check.
- Bonuses and Promotions – Does the casino site offer players the opportunity to claim bonus funds? Can they claim them with their AMEX deposit?
- Customer Service – Does the casino site have an accessible customer support team? Is it available via live chat, phone, and email? Are they helpful?
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American Express only has about 19% market share of a the payment network industry, but it’s the gold standard for credit cards. AMEX has long been hailed as one of the best credit cards in the world, with superior protection, benefits, and access.
American Express is both a payment provider–meaning they host a network where other financial institutions can use their own AMEX cards–and a card issuer–meaning they run a credit card company. Signing up for an AMEX card through American Express can make your life a lot easier since instead of dealing with both a card network and an issuer, you’re just dealing with one.
There are plenty of AMEX cards to choose from, including the Blue Cash Preferred Card, the Gold Card, or the Platinum Card. These cards can all earn you something different, such as 6% cashback on streaming services, 4x points at supermarkets, or access to 1,400+ airport lounges.
You are responsible for paying a yearly fee for most AMEX cards, ranging anywhere from $200 to $700. That being said, AMEX is an exceptionally good card for the casual gambler because of it’s fraud protection and added bonus incentives.
Let’s see how AMEX stacks up against other popular card providers:
AMEX vs Mastercard
Mastercard has a significantly higher user-base than AMEX, with 200+ million cards in circulation in the US in 2020. However, AMEX is often known as being an exclusive card-type, with users required to have at least a 700 credit score to even apply. So while they have fewer cards in circulation, their users are often making larger purchases. AMEX cards are supported in 160+ countries while Mastercard is supported in 210+ countries.
The primary difference between Mastercard and AMEX is that Mastercard is only a card network, while AMEX is both a network and a card issuer. This means that you can have an AMEX card issued by the American Express bank, while Mastercard is only responsible for supplying cards to other banks and credit unions.
On average, American Express cards come with a 2.3% transaction fee at many online retailers, including online casinos, whereas Mastercard’s is a bit lower, at about 2.26%.
AMEX vs. Visa
Visa is the largest payment network in America, with a 52.9% market share. While the number of merchants that accept Visa and AMEX in the United States are very similar, Visa is much more accepted abroad, with 70 million globally accepted merchants in 200+ countries.
Visa is like Mastercard where it is only a payment network, not a card issuer. AMEX has a one up on Visa in this regard, being both a card issuer and a payment network. One of the reasons Visa has many more cards in circulation is because they are contracted out as the network for far more banks than American Express. AMEX issued by the American Express bank requires users to have a certain credit score, while the guidelines are much more lenient for Visa users since each bank has their own requirements.
Visa’s transaction fees are around 2%, while American Express’ are between 2.3% and 3%. However, when it comes to online casinos, most Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX deposits have a similar fee.
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After you’ve made an account at one of the top online casinos that accept American Express, you can finally make a deposit and start gambling! Here are a few quick tips to help you get started
Step 1 – Once you’re logged into your casino, navigate to the cashier or banking page. Here you can choose your method and the amount you want to deposit.
Step 2 – Before you deposit, double check that you’ve applied a bonus! Welcome bonuses only work on initial deposits, so if you miss this step, you may be forfeiting a lot of free cash or credit.
Step 3 – To initiate the deposit, simply enter the 15-digit number on your AMEX card. You’ll also have to supply the name on your card, the expiration date, and the security code.
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Withdrawing your winnings from an online casinos is probably the best part of the whole experience! Unfortunately, not many sites allow you to withdraw using AMEX. It’s simply a matter of the industry.
For that reason, it’s best to have a backup plan in place so you can get your winnings in a timely manner. Credit/debit card withdrawals can take anywhere from 3-5 business days to appear in your account, while bank transfers and check via courier can take up to 2 weeks!
So what’s the best way to cashout if you aren’t allowed to use AMEX?
Well, using an eWallet is a good middle ground. You can receive payouts much faster, sometimes same day, while also using your AMEX card! Services like PayPal, Neteller, and Skrill are eWallets that you can fund with your AMEX card and then use them to make gambling transactions. Not only are you getting a faster transaction method, you’re also not revealing your AMEX card information to the casino.
It’s also worth noting that before you can initiate a withdrawal, you’ll need to complete some additional verification steps. Because all our recommended casinos are officially licensed, they are required by law to collect a copy of your government-issued ID, proof of address, and a credit-card verification form. You’re unable to process a cashout until this information has been authorized, which can take up to 72 hours in some cases. It’s always a good idea to contact customer support as soon as you create an account to get this step cleared away.
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Pros of Using AMEX
- AMEX is both a payment network and a card issuer
- American Express offers prepaid gift cards that can be used at online casinos
- Supported in over 160 countries
Cons of Using AMEX
- Online casinos rarely allow AMEX withdrawals
- AMEX cards come with a slightly higher transaction fee
- AMEX members have to pay an annual fee–sometimes around $700–to have access to their card service
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So you might have gathered that AMEX isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Sure, they offer great benefits for card holders, but not being able to withdraw from multiple casino sites, annual fees, and a high transaction percentage can stack up against them.
What are the alternatives?
We already mentioned eWallets like Neteller, Skrill, and Neosurf, all of which allow users to interact with online casinos without revealing their credit card numbers. Visa and Mastercard are accepted for withdrawals more than AMEX is, but you’re still going to have issues with waiting 3-5 days for payouts and forking over a fee for each transaction. Prepaid gift cards, including prepaid AMEX cards, help to alleviate some of this strain, as they’re disposable and not connected to your primary bank account. They’re a safer option for people that still want the convenience of using credit cards, but are more concerned with safety.
Cryptocurrency is the other primary banking option for online gamblers, and it eliminates some of the issues we’ve seen with AMEX cards.
Cryptos like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin offer lightning-fast transactions, very low fees, and anonymous transactions. Plus, crypto is accepted much more widely as both a deposit and withdrawal method, which means you aren’t limited to which casinos take AMEX (of which there are few)
Bitcoin
As the original crypto, Bitcoin is widely accepted at online casinos. It’s easy to set up and fund your gambling account with Bitcoin!
Litecoin
Created years after Bitcoin, but directly inspired by it, Litecoin is a faster cryptocurrency that allows for speedy gambling transactions.
Ethereum
Ethereum is the second largest crypto by market cap, and it operates on it’s own blockchain, which is faster than many conventional payment methods.
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Depending on what kind of card you have and the tier you are, there will be different restrictions for how much you can spend in one week.
Online casinos have their own rules about deposit/withdraw limits, often revolving around your rank in their VIP program. Generally, you’ll have to deposit at least $25 to get claim bonuses, and withdrawals can vary
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We like Ignition Casino a lot. They are one of the best overall gambling sites because of their bonus offers, customer service, and game variety. However, they only accept AMEX deposits, so you will have to request a withdrawal in another way.
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Yes, American Express does allow users to make deposits at online casino sites. However, make sure that you are operating within the limits of your card, otherwise it may be declined.
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Typically, online casinos will forego AMEX because they charge higher fees than Mastercard or Visa. You might not feel these charges, but businesses have to pay card networks for accepting payments through them, so casinos will make more money from credit card users if they’re using Mastercard or Visa.
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