Western Union is a highly recommendable banking method for online gamblers. It’s as safe as they come, seeing as you don’t have to reveal any of your personal or banking information to third parties, and it’s widely accepted, even though many casinos that would accept this method might not say so explicitly.
In the latter’s case, players may find that the casino of their choice would state that it accepts P2P transfers, cash transfers or money transfers. A Western Union money transfer is one such transfer.
Users may also find that there are several casinos that offer additional bonuses for Western Union users and Western Union itself comes with an attractive in-house rewards programme. High rollers may find Western Union particularly attractive due to the high deposit amounts normally allowed by casinos through this method.
Western Union was established back in 1851 and was, in the 19th century, best known for its telegram services. Today Western Union is more widely known for its person-to-person money transfers with over half-a-million agents in over 200 countries around the world.
Western Union also serves as a convenient banking option for deposits and withdrawals from online casinos — especially if those online gamblers are US residents prevented from transferring money to gambling sites online by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.
Western Union transfers may be made in three different ways:
First they can be made in person at a nearby Western Union agent. This is the most commonly used method.
Once you fill in the required paperwork at an agent you will be asked to submit a payment, using cash or a debit card, equivalent to your transfer amount and the Western Union charge. Once this is done you will be given a code by which to track your transfer. You will need to share this code with the casino of your choice for that casino to be able to cash out your transfer.
Another way to use Western Union is via telephone. Numbers differ according to your geographic location; US customers dial 1-800-CALL-CASH. A Western Union representative will walk you through the process in this case. Transfers over the phone may be made by both credit and debit cards. A tracking number is involved here too, so ensure to take note of this vital piece of information.
The third way in which you can transfer money using Western Union is online. First you need to create a quick and free profile on Western Union’s official site. The recipient’s details would have to be entered and your payment may be made through a credit or debit card.
Once again, you’ll be given a tracking number that you have to pass on to the online casino for them to be able to pick up the payment from a Western Union agent.
Once you decide you are going to use Western Union for your deposit, you will contact the casino and let them know. The casino will give you the information you need to complete the transaction. Then, you will go to the Western Union agency nearest to you in person, fill out the required slip and give them the money.
Take the receipt the Western Union agent gives you and keep it safe; it has a code on it that you will need to complete the deposit. This code is called the Money Transfer Control Number. Once you have done this, contact the online casino again and give them your account information, as well as the Money Transfer Control Number and the amount of your deposit. They will verify this information and complete the deposit for you. Once the process is complete, you will have access to your funds, so you can enjoy all the real money casino games you want.
Similar to how you’d use Western Union to send any kind of money transfer. Fund the Western Union account in person, via phone or online with your credit card or a bank transfer and it’ll likely be instantly acceptable by most online casinos. Some casino won’t say they explicitly accept ‘Western Union’ in their list of deposit methods but if it says “cash or money transfers,” that covers Western Union.
You may also be able to use Western Union for your withdrawals as well. You should be aware that it can take a bit for you to get a withdrawal that’s done via Western Union. In order, it can take as much as ten days for you to get your payment.
Transfer times may or may not be an issue when using Western Union to bank with online casinos. This is because the sender has a choice to accept the payment within a few minutes or on the following day. Needless to say, the prior would cost the sender a little bit more in terms of fees, but would have the player playing within minutes.
