A Maestro card is not the best online casino deposit option

Following the latest newspaper reports regarding the theft of our personal data and banking details, we should perhaps take another look at how we use the internet to source and purchase goods and services. Most of us have got into the habit of reaching for a credit card for internet transactions, which for many of us in Ireland means a Maestro card. There are very good reasons for using a Maestro card for internet purchases not least the built-in insurance element should something go wrong, but what about funding playing casino games at an online casino. Whilst some of our most popular online casinos are Maestro casinos and will accept a Maestro credit card as an online casino deposit option, there are a number of potential problems associated with using a Maestro card for this purpose. The first of these applies to all credit cards because using any credit card to fund playing casino games is effectively gambling with borrowed money and certainly not to be advised. That is also the reason why the banks take a dim view of using a credit card as a casino deposit option and will almost certainly apply a surcharge of up to 2% on any such transaction. Irrespective of whether you pay off your credit card bill every month, you will also be charged interest from day one because it is considered to be a cash transaction. The Maestro card also has another problem because although it is well known in Ireland it is less well known elsewhere and there are many online casinos who will not accept a Maestro card as a deposit option, severely reducing the choice of casino games we can play. We have said this many times over the years, but the best online casino deposit option is an e-wallet such as Pay Pal or Neteller which once opened can be used for a variety of internet transactions including funding playing casino games. (more…)

Not all online casinos accept a Maestro card

We are constantly being advised to take care when purchasing goods and services on the internet, and the same advice applies to making deposits into an online casino account so that we can play the casino games they offer. There is however one big difference in what the best advice is likely to be. Most people would automatically choose to use a credit card such as a Maestro card for most online purchases because of the built in insurance element offered by the credit card suppliers, but when it comes to funding online casino games the Maestro card in particular can lead to problems. Although the Maestro card is in widespread use in Ireland it is virtually unknown outside of Ireland and many of the online casinos we can access do not accept a Maestro card as an online casino deposit option. Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Party casino are however all Maestro casinos and will accept the Maestro card as a way of funding playing their casino games, but the reduced choice of online casinos is just one of the problems associated with using a credit card as an online casino deposit option. The Maestro card or indeed any credit card used for the purpose of gambling will attract additional charges applied by the issuing banks. A surcharge of up to 2% will almost certainly be applied to any credit card transaction associated with playing casino games, and will also attract interest at credit card rates from day one because it is considered to be a cash transaction in the same way as withdrawing money from a cash point using a credit card. So although there are a few excellent online casinos that will accept a Maestro card as an online casino deposit option, it is a costly choice. (more…)

Beware the Maestro card as an online casino deposit option

With more and more people starting to play casino games at an online casino, we believe that it is important to help these new casino games players avoid expensive mistakes if at all possible. To this end we are going to return to one of our favourite topics and that is which of the numerous online casino deposit options is the easiest and most cost effective. All the major online casinos offer an extensive range of deposit options to enable us to play their casino games, including credit cards, debit cards and e-wallets. Regular readers of this site will know that we are constantly warning prospective casino games players of the additional costs involved in using a credit card as an online casino deposit option, but some banks also apply additional charges when customers are using a debit card for anything related to gambling. Clearly using a debit card is a better option than a credit card, because you are not borrowing the money but in Ireland many people face another problem when attempting to use a debit card. Many of the major online casinos are Maestro casinos and accept the Maestro debit card as a deposit option, but the Maestro card transactions are usually processed through the Laser credit card systems in Ireland which means that they can be subject to the same additional costs as using a credit card. If you want to use a Maestro debit card to fund playing casino games at an online casino, the best way to do it is to open an e-wallet account such as Pay Pal or Neteller and use that account as the source of your casino games funding. (more…)

Online casino deposit options and the Maestro card

Playing casino games at an online casino should always be regarded as a leisure activity which is likely to cost you money in the long run, just like most other pastimes we enjoy when not at work. This is because all the casino games we play at an online casino have a built-in house edge which will always provide revenue for the online casino operator over time. Here at onlinecasino.ie we can and do advise on which casino games have the lowest house edge and consequently provide our readers with the best chance of winning, but in the end that always depends on luck combined with perhaps a bit of skill for some games. There is however one area where we can offer advice to save you money, and that is the question of how best to fund playing online casino games. The online casinos all offer a wide range of deposit options to their customers, including credit and debit cards, and e-wallets. The most expensive of these options is a credit card because the banks will almost certainly apply a surcharge of up to 2% on any transaction involving gambling, on top of which they will charge interest from day one at credit card rates. Using a debit card is a better option of course because there are no interest charges, but can also sometimes be a problem particularly for Irish holders of a Maestro debit card. Many online casinos are Maestro casinos and accept the Maestro card as a deposit option but Maestro cards are usually processed through the Laser credit card system in Ireland and can therefore incur the same surcharges as a credit card. (more…)