Information about Visa casinos
The words 'VISA' and 'card payment' go together like 'casino' and 'gambling': two things so closely related that they're almost synonymous. That's because VISA products process hundreds of billions of transactions across the globe every day.
Seeing as you're most likely here to find an online casino that accepts VISA payments, this page is going to show you how to identify the best ones via our reviews and filters. You can also read more about VISA Inc., the pros and cons of using VISA online, and also how to use bonuses in VISA casinos.
Table of contents:
VISA: A universal financial services provider with a special strategy
The main reason for VISA's incredible global success is that they stand out from their rivals in one important way. Instead of issuing cards directly to consumers, they provide leading financial institutions with VISA-branded products — giving them access to a huge customer network.
It's a simple yet effective strategy that has been in place over half a century. Back in 1966, Bank of America (BofA) started to license its BankAmericard — VISA's predecessor — to banks as a way of competing with the then Master Charge card. Its success led to BofA forming an alliance with some of these banks to form what is now VISA in 1976.
By this point, the card had already been licensed to banks in 15 countries, including Canada (where it was known as Chargex), UK (Barclaycard), and France (Carte Bleue).
The company's expanding network led to them setting up headquarters on several continents, as well as their base in California. Nearly all VISA transactions are processed through one of four data centers; in Virginia, Colorado, London and Singapore. These facilities are heavily protected against crime, terrorism and natural disasters; can operate independently of each other; and can handle billions of computations per second.
Today, VISA provides institutions with branded debit, credit and prepaid cards, as well as specially VISA-operated ATMs and contactless payment terminals. The arrival of the digital age has also seen them team up with Apple to provide a mobile wallet feature in their handsets, something that is used by millions of Apple consumers.
Pros and cons of VISA
One of the big advantages of using VISA is just how widely accepted it is. Wherever you go in the world, it's highly likely that you'll come across a VISA terminal, so having one of their cards normally means you can make hassle-free payments.
The same can be said for online casinos. The vast majority of casino sites accept VISA as a payment method, so users can sign up to their desired casino, make a quick and easy deposit, and play their favorite games in minutes.
VISA's security measures are also among some of the best in the world. Their 'Verified by Visa' is perhaps the most well-known security check for online payments. Other features include tokenization (replacing card details with a unique user token), advanced EMV chip technology, and biometric tools, such as facial and fingertip recognition. There are even predictive analytics that can tell you when fraud is likely to take place by spotting unusual card actions. Users are contacted immediately when these occur.
Another perk for VISA users is its rewards system, which is available on some of its credit and debit cards. These vary according to the type of card and normally operate on a points system. Advantages include sign-up bonuses and discounts on travel, dining and shopping; but sometimes users need to prove their income details and credit history to be eligible.
Despite its widespread use and sophisticated security features, VISA has been hit with a series of controversies in recent years. The company has been accused of breaching anti-competition guidelines along with Mastercard; including bullying rivals and fixing ATM fees.
Note: Several companies, such as Walmart and Kroger, have also sued the firm for high swipe fees, a cost that is often passed onto ordinary consumers.
Despite this, VISA's stock remains high among consumers who value the company's efficient and secure service.
How to use VISA in online casinos
Using VISA is an extremely safe way to deposit money in online casinos, whether it be with their credit, debit or Electron cards.
Note: Slight differences between these may apply; for example, Electron cards don't have an overdraft facility so you can only deposit what's in your current account. However, to deposit money, they all follow roughly the same process.
First, you'll have to sign up with your chosen casino, if you don't already have an account. Once you've done that, go to the cashier section of the casino where you can select the VISA payment method. Then all you need to do is enter your VISA details — your card number, expiry date, CVV (security code), and your name — along with the deposit amount. VISA deposits should show up in your account right away, as with most major providers.
If you're a VISA credit card user, then one thing to look out for is whether your country allows the use of credit cards in online casinos. The UK and Sweden are two of the countries that don't, so users from those places won't be able to use their credit cards in online casinos.
Note: Even if your country does permit the use of credit cards in online casinos, it's always safer to use your own account money than the bank's; i.e. their credit facility. A golden rule of gambling is only betting money you can afford to lose, and this normally isn't the case if you need to borrow it. Check out our safe gambling guide for more details on this.
For those casinos that allow withdrawals onto a VISA card, the process is very similar to making a deposit, only it might take longer for the money to reach your account and it could be subject to fees: again, this should be checked with the casino before withdrawing.
How to find the best VISA online casino for you
So, to get to the point, let's ask the question: how can you find the best VISA casino for you to play on?
The Casino Guru team has spent many hours analyzing each VISA casino on our database, what features they have and whether our visitors can trust them. For each casino, there is a detailed review and a rating, so that you can easily see what we think of them.
You'll be able to see the best ones on this page by default, as the 'Recommended' tab at the top of the page is the one that loads up when you open this page.
You can use the other tabs to filter to other categories. Clicking 'Newly opened', for example, will give you new VISA casinos. Or you can click 'All' to see the full list of VISA casinos on our system.
All of these options will be relevant due to our team working regularly to keep the list updated.
VISA casino bonuses
One last note. As a casino player, you'll probably want to know how to find the best bonuses offered by VISA casinos. No deposit bonuses, for example, are a great way to try out a casino.
To do this, go to our list of casino bonuses and mark the 'VISA' box in the payment method filter. This will give you the full list of eligible VISA casino bonuses.
You can refine this further by choosing the type of bonus you need in the 'Bonus Type' filter. For deposit (welcome) bonuses, select the 'Deposit Bonus' option to get the relevant casinos. Alternatively, you can go to the list of deposit bonuses and check the 'VISA' box there.