BetMGM Credit Card Ban Hits US Platforms March 31

BetMGM has confirmed it will phase out credit card deposits across all of its US platforms, becoming the latest major operator to move away from the payment method. The BetMGM credit card ban takes effect March 31. From that date, players can no longer add new cards to their accounts. Existing cards will then be removed gradually over time.

Chief Compliance Officer Rhea Loney confirmed the policy shift at a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board hearing on March 30, 2026.

A Fine and Fraud Failures Behind the Decision

The timing was not coincidental. BetMGM agreed to pay a $100,000 fine to Pennsylvania regulators at the same hearing. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board found that the operator failed to maintain adequate safeguards against fraudulent activity on both its BetMGM and Borgata-branded platforms.

Deficiencies in BetMGM’s Know-Your-Customer protocols sat at the core of the findings. Those gaps allowed bad actors to open and operate multiple accounts using stolen identities. Some of those accounts were funded with fraudulently obtained payment devices. Regulators identified four separate fraud rings tied to these failures.

The most significant scheme ran for 29 months until November 2023. It used 119 fraudulent accounts to place wagers totalling $895,092. Other operations lasted between 19 and 34 months, involved hundreds to over a thousand accounts, and generated substantial betting volume before detection.

DraftKings and FanDuel Already Made the Move

BetMGM is not the first major US operator to go down this road. DraftKings removed credit cards as a deposit option in August 2025. The company cited the fees and interest rates players face when using the payment method for gambling transactions. FanDuel introduced its own nationwide ban on March 2, 2026, framing the change as an improvement to its deposit experience.

With BetMGM now following suit, three of the biggest names in regulated US online gambling have dropped credit card funding within roughly seven months of each other.

State-Level Bans Already in Force

Operator decisions are only part of the picture. Several US states already prohibit credit card deposits for online gambling by law. Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, Oregon, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Vermont all have such restrictions in place.

Massachusetts has been particularly firm on enforcement. DraftKings faced a $450,000 fine there after allowing credit card deposits on multiple occasions. The statewide ban applies even to transactions processed outside the state’s borders.

Lawmakers in other states are pushing similar legislation. Maryland’s House passed a broader consumer protection bill on March 18 by a 132-0 vote, which includes a credit card restriction for online wagering. Virginia legislators moved House Bill 515 through to Governor Abigail Spanberger. Maine’s lawmakers approved comparable rules and sent them to Governor Janet Mills for a final decision. Proposals are also active in New York and New Jersey.

What This Means for Players

The practical impact for BetMGM users is straightforward. From March 31, players cannot link new credit cards to any account. Those with a card already saved will retain access temporarily, but full removal will follow. BetMGM has not published a timeline for how long that transition will last.

Alternative payment methods remain widely available. Debit cards, bank transfers, PayPal, and prepaid options all work across regulated US platforms. Players will still have plenty of ways to fund their accounts without a credit card.

Credit Cards Losing Ground Across the Industry

The BetMGM credit card ban fits a clear and growing pattern. Across the US market, operators and regulators are reaching the same conclusion: credit cards carry meaningful risk, both for fraud and for consumer harm. Some operators acted after internal risk reviews. Others moved in response to regulatory pressure. Either way, the result is the same.

Players who expected credit cards to remain an option at major platforms will need to adjust. Legislative momentum is building in multiple states, and the industry’s biggest operators have already committed to the change. Credit card deposits for online gambling in the United States are rapidly becoming a thing of the past.