Web wallets, along with credit cards, are among the most popular payment methods in online gaming venues – and PayPal is by far the most popular electronic wallet provider on the net. So it’s no wonder that many players ask themselves: Can I use PayPal for my deposits and withdrawals in online gambling? The short answer: yes, you can. But there are some developments since the end of 2018 that you should be aware of. And even experienced PayPal players should know some special rules that apply to gambling payments. We summarize the most important things on this page and, of course, present the best PayPal Casinos in our ranking below.
PayPal gambling houses – current developments
PayPal gambling rooms – GVC and 888 are out of the game
Let’s go back in time a bit. Where the inability to pay at all casinos with PayPal began. 2018 ended with very bad news for several major online gambling groups: Two gambling groups, GVC and 888, received notice from PayPal. Within days, 888, 777 (both part of the 888 holding company) and the GVC brands Party, SlotClub and Bwin were forced to remove the popular provider from their payment options. For players, this meant that they could no longer make deposits using PayPal, nor could they withdraw money to their PayPal account, as the payment provider no longer serviced the transactions of the aforementioned casinos. Of course, it was still possible to make deposits and withdrawals, but players had to use a bank transfer, credit cards like Visa, or other e-wallets like Neteller or Skrill, depending on their availability. Today the situation with PayPal on the gambling market is not clear yet and not all gambling houses can offer this method of payment, but only a small number of reliable casinos. We are waiting for the decision of the situation.
You’re probably asking yourself right now: Why can’t I pay with PayPal on 888 anymore, or why Party no longer accepts PayPal – and we also have to admit that the sudden abandonment of this payment method surprised us. How could this happen? We’ve compiled some background information on this below. However, since you can still use PayPal in other online games, we wanted to take a look at the alternatives first. Leo Vegas, Platinum, DruckGluck, or Lapalingo still have some of the top gambling providers that accept payments through PayPal. So how can you fund your account this way? We’ll explain it to you in the following paragraphs.
How to get started in online casinos with PayPal?
In order to make deposits in PayPal Casinos, you should first of all have a PayPal account – or open one, if you do not have one yet. You can do this easily via the PayPal website. To open an account, you only need to enter your email address and set a password. In the next step you have to link your bank account and/or a credit card to your account – because the web wallet always needs a source from which the money can be debited when you spend it online. For your security, PayPal verifies this information. This can take two to three days. Sometimes, however, for example with online credit cards, you can see very quickly which code the payment provider has sent you for activation. Simply check the statement and enter the four-digit code. If your bank account and credit card are verified, you can use your PayPal account in online gaming stores.
How do I deposit with PayPal?
Depositing money in online casinos is – as you are used to it from PayPal – very easy and uncomplicated. If you want to deposit real money with PayPal, open the cashier, select the payment method and enter an amount you want to deposit. You will now be redirected to the payment service provider, where you will have to log in with your PayPal account information (consisting of your email address and password). Afterwards, one click is enough to confirm the transaction. As a rule, you will then be immediately redirected to the PayPal casino, where the funds are already on your player account. A payout is just as uncomplicated and fast. Here, only the processing time of the online casino can be added. Payouts are randomly, from a certain amount generally, checked by customer service and released.
Fees in PayPal Casinos
There are usually no fees for you as a player when depositing at PayPal gaming sites. Almost all PayPal casinos offer you a free deposit. Withdrawals are also free of charge. If you want to withdraw winnings from your PayPal account back to your bank account, there are usually no fees for you. For you as a player, the use of PayPal as a deposit and withdrawal option is therefore an extremely favorable and practical alternative.
Can I use the buyer protection to get my money back?
The thought is obvious – but no, unfortunately this does not work (anymore). PayPal has explicitly excluded buyer protection for online gambling. Presumably, there were just too many customers who wanted to get their lost money back in a supposedly simple way after a streak of bad luck – and a lot of trouble accordingly. Back in 2016, Paypal therefore decided not to provide buyer protection for online gambling. The payment provider’s consumer protection clauses make it possible to file a complaint if you haven’t received an item you ordered or if an incorrect or defective item was shipped. If the merchant is stubborn, PayPal customers are relatively easy to get your money back. But in casinos, as mentioned, this unfortunately does not work.
What is the advantage of an online gambling house with PayPal?
PayPal is very conscientious in the selection of its partners. Therefore, not every online gambling house is able to offer PayPal as a payment option – the withdrawal from the offer of GVC and 888 at the end of 2018 underlines this once again. The few online gambling houses that offer the option for deposit and withdrawal can therefore consistently be considered reputable and trustworthy. Those who choose one of the PayPal Casinos listed below therefore not only have the advantage of being able to use a convenient and secure payment method. In addition, the gambling houses have all passed a quality control by PayPal, which provides additional security.
Why do GVC and 888 no longer offer PayPal?
As we briefly touched on above, PayPal unexpectedly ended its partnership with two major gambling groups at the end of 2018. GVC and 888 Holding independently announced that the payment service provider would disappear from the offering and would no longer be available. So far, we haven’t seen an official statement about the reasons. However, there is speculation that the implications of the Paradise Papers are putting increased pressure on payment service providers such as PayPal. The Paradise Papers investigation uncovered, among other things, the ways in which gambling companies engage in online gambling, which is illegal in this country, through foreign subsidiaries. As a result, the Gauselmann Group, which includes Merkur Online Slots as well as its gambling halls, pulled out of some online markets entirely at the end of 2017. So could it be that the investigations caused the payment providers to go cold? That’s most likely what happened.
In favor of this hypothesis is the fact that PayPal seems to stop working with only some customers, while players from other regions can still use the web wallet to play poker and slots. This thesis is also supported by the fact that online sports betting was originally excluded from the ban. Here, there have been trends over the years to at least license and legalize online offerings under certain conditions.
If observers who link PayPal’s departure from GVC and 888 to Paradise Papers are right, many other casinos may follow in the years to come, having to pull PayPal out of the program. Because, of course, brands like Party, SlotClub, 888 or Bwin are not the only providers that operate illegally according to legal opinion – on the contrary: the aforementioned providers are even among the famous and reputable casinos, so a particularly harsh approach does not seem plausible to us. And as of today, there are a small number of only the most reliable casinos left with the PayPal payment method.
What draws attention, however, is the fact that both GVC and 888 operate with a Gibraltar license. Although this British exclave is part of the EU, it is not part of the internal EU market in terms of the free movement of goods. Therefore, Gibraltar-licensed gambling establishments are not subject to the same rules as EU-licensed gambling establishments from Malta, for example. So it could very well be that PayPal is stricter on Party, 888 and Co for this reason than, for example, on competitors like LeoVegas or DruckGluck. We will keep an eye on further developments and let you know as soon as more online gambling sites are forced to cancel PayPal.
Background: PayPal – The leading online payment provider
PayPal was founded in 1998 and quickly became the leading web wallet provider, primarily for eCommerce transactions. This growth did not go unnoticed by other companies, and so the company was acquired by the online auction house eBay in 2002. Ebay helped PayPal to become more and more popular and to grow faster and faster. In 2013, Paypal became an independent company. In the third quarter of 2018, PayPal turned over nearly US$3.7 billion, and PayPal transactions are many times more.
Initially, PayPal avoided working with the gambling industry. Thus, in almost all gambling houses, a deposit with PayPal was not possible. Due to the fact that online gambling is now better regulated by gaming authorities of individual EU countries, PayPal changed its corporate strategy and now cooperates with companies from the gaming industry. However, PayPal is very strict in selecting its partners, as the withdrawal from 888 and GVC shows. When it comes to the question of whether online gambling companies can offer PayPal as a partner, the points of licensing, company history and respectability play an important role. The advantage for players is obvious – if an online gambling house offers deposits and withdrawals via PayPal, you can assume that the respective provider is a reputable online gambling house.
Top 3 PayPal casinos – selected by the editorial team
Here you can see all the online gaming sites with PayPal that we have tested in a clear list.
| № | Casino | Benefits |
| 1. | Mr.Play | 500€ bonus + Free spinsGood selection of slot machines Fair bonus terms and conditions |
| 2. | PlayOJO | No turnover requirementsMerkur and NetEnt Slots50 free spins |
| 3. | Platin Casino | 100% bonus up to a maximum of €200Live chatWith EU license |
Selected PayPal gaming arcades
As already mentioned, PayPal is very conscientious and accurate with the selection of its partners. Therefore, not every gambling house is able to offer PayPal as a payment option. Casinos that have a partnership with PayPal are therefore to be considered as extremely reputable. We have compiled an overview of the best PayPal gaming arcades for you and would now like to introduce these gaming arcades to you in more detail. For all fans of Novomatic games we have created an extra overview page: Book of Ra with PayPal Games.
PushGluck
Although DruckGluck has not been on the market for too long, the provider has already managed to achieve a high level of recognition. The reason for this, in addition to intensive marketing measures, is above all a good range of games as well as good bonus offers. For new players who register with a real money account, there are ten free spins without deposit. This represents an ideal opportunity to take advantage of the offer without any risk. Besides PayPal as a deposit and withdrawal option, DruckGluck offers a variety of other payment options. PayPal payouts are usually available on your PayPal account within 24 hours.
Sunmaker
Sunmaker has long specialized in games from the software manufacturer Merkur, but had to rebuild its offer from scratch after the withdrawal of Gauselmann. It has succeeded in doing so. Many popular slots and table games are available to choose from at Sunmaker. PayPal deposits and withdrawals are processed quickly and easily. New players receive a deposit bonus of 150% up to €150 at Sunmaker. In addition to a good selection of slots, Sunmaker also offers live action and also has a sports betting offer.
Bet365
Bet365 is probably the best known sports betting provider in Europe. In addition to sports betting, however, Bet365 also has an extensive range of games. At Bet365, there are plenty of games from well-known software providers to choose from. In addition to slots and table games, you can also play in a very good live dealer offer. We were particularly struck by the fast processing time for withdrawals. These were usually available on our PayPal account within a few hours. A very good customer service is available for all questions and problems. If you are looking for an extensive PayPal gaming hall, you should take a closer look at Bet365’s offer.
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes is an English sports betting provider. Similar to Bet365’s competitors, Ladbrokes also offers an online arcade. Here, they primarily work together with the software manufacturer Playtech and can thus offer players an extensive range of slots, table games and a live dealer action. You can create a player account with PayPal Quick Registration in just one step on your smartphone or tablet. Ladbrokes offers an attractive first deposit bonus of 100% up to €500.
Tipico
Tipico is an extremely well-known sports betting provider in the gambling market due to various marketing activities. Of course, Tipico also offers the obligatory online casino in addition to sports betting. Tipico scores especially with an extensive range of games from the popular Scandinavian software manufacturer Netent. All popular slots and table games are available from this provider. New customers get a 100% up to €100 deposit bonus at Tipico. Tipico, like Ladbrokes, offers PayPal quick registration for mobile players and desktop players.
