Best Online Casinos that Accept Maestro Payments in 2021

Maestro is a globally recognized debit and prepaid card brand that is owned by Mastercard. It uses Chip and PIN-based technology to allow users to make purchases and withdraw cash, as well as convert funds into local currency.

Its universal status means that hundreds of online casinos accept Maestro as a deposit method. By reading this page, you'll find out more about Maestro as a brand, the pros and cons of its service, and how to find the best Maestro casinos — plus the bonuses they offer.

1. History of Maestro
2. The pros and cons of Maestro
3. How to use Maestro in online casinos
4. How to find the best Maestro online casino
5. Maestro casino bonuses

Maestro: the world's first POS network that's still a payment leader today

The creation of Maestro as a brand can be traced back to the late 80s, when Mastercard acquired the Cirrus ATM network: a pioneer in the installation of electronic cash machines. The plan was to launch an ATM-focused debit card, which would allow users to withdraw money from Cirrus ATMS all over the world.

Thus, Maestro came to life in 1991, and was an instant hit with customers. It was the first online point-of-sale (POS) network; extremely simple to use and it kickstarted a card payment revolution. Customers could withdraw money as they traveled, in the local currency, which eliminated the need for conversion.

The brand was also among the first to employ Chip and Pin technology, also known as EMV, so called after the three founders: Europay, Mastercard and Visa. Until that point, all card transactions had to be swiped into the terminal and signed for by the user. However, this posed a security risk and EMV offered a safer solution. The use of Maestro grew as a result, with the service becoming available in many countries in the Americas, Asia and Europe.

The start of the 21st century saw the widespread use of online payments, and Maestro gained more of a digital focus. Customers could now pay for products online, with many merchants accepting the service due to its high reputation. By 2015, an estimated 15 million outlets included Maestro among their payment methods, and today Maestro stands as one of the leading payment methods in the world.

The pros and cons of Maestro

Maestro is a popular payment method for several reasons. Its sky-high reputation means that merchants around the world accept it as a means of paying. You could be in a remote corner of the world, but it's probable that you'll find a Maestro facility in any small town.

As with all Mastercard brands, Maestro also follows strict security protocols. Users benefit from zero liability protection, meaning you'll receive a reimbursement should someone fraudulently take money from your account. However, be sure to check your terms and conditions if you have a prepaid card, as they often don't qualify for this.

Other security mechanisms include payment encryption and tokenization (where your card details are replaced by a unique token in the merchant's database), making it very difficult for someone to hack your card.

Another big positive is the card's transaction speed: you should expect payments to be made instantly due to their electronic nature: although this is becoming a standard facility among online payment methods.

In terms of negatives, it can be a time-consuming process to get hold of a Maestro card. Mastercard may conduct a credit check, and it sometimes takes several days for the card to arrive via the mail. This could prove frustrating to people who want to use the service right away, and there are many digital payment methods that do offer easier access.

How to use Maestro in an online casino

Maestro's universal status means that it's accepted as a payment method in many online casinos. Once you've found your favourite Maestro casino, it's important to know how to deposit funds into your account with the payment method. For those familiar with them, this process is similar in casinos that accept Visa, Mastercard and Amex deposits.

First, sign up to the online casino in question: this should only take a minute or two as most casinos make it an easy process for new users.

Then, check that you have enough funds to cover your deposit in your Maestro account. If you have, then the process can be completed via the following steps:

1. Sign into your casino account and go to the site's cashier.
2. Choose 'Maestro' from the list of payment methods.
3. Enter your Maestro card details ― normally the 16-digit card number, expiry date and CVV code ― and the deposit amount.
4. Enter your Maestro security code.
5. Click to confirm your deposit amount and execute the payment.

Once this is confirmed, you should have your funds immediately available so you can begin playing your favourite casino games.

In terms of withdrawals, it is possible to use Maestro to transfer money from your casino account into your bank account. However, this may be subject to fees and the process often takes several days: be sure to check with the casino regarding this.

How to find the best Maestro casino for you

When it comes to finding a suitable Maestro casino to play on, it's important to take several factors into account, such as whether the casino can be trusted to pay out. This page will do this process for you via Casino Guru's systems of reviews, ratings and filters. To find out more about how we review and rate the casinos, check our How we review online casinos guide.

In terms of filters, you'll be able to see the full list of casinos that accept Maestro deposits by selecting the 'All' tab at the top of the page. To sort through them, you simply select another tab. Choosing 'Recommended', for example, gives you the very best Maestro casinos on offer: those that passed our rigorous testing with flying colours. You can also opt for the 'Newly opened' tab, which will show you the newest Maestro casinos on our database, in case that's what you're looking for.

How to find bonuses offered by Maestro casinos

As a final note, it's worth knowing how to find bonuses offered by Maestro casinos. After all, a deposit or no deposit bonus is a great way to get to know a new casino.

To look for a certain kind of bonus, start by looking at our list of casino bonuses, and choosing the 'Maestro' filter once there. This will give you the full list of Maestro bonuses, then you can filter by bonus type. To see only no deposit bonuses, for instance, select the 'No Deposit Bonus' option in the 'Bonus Type section'.

You can also get the same results by going to our list of no deposit bonuses and checking 'Maestro' there. You can do this for any bonus type by going to the relevant list and performing the same routine.