How We Review Casinos that Accept PayPal
There is a lot of features and attributes for each casino that we consider before it can be included in our list of top picks. Here are some of the key criteria we take into consideration:
- Licensing – A non-negotiable feature for a casino to be featured on our list is that it holds a valid licence from a governing gambling commission. In Canada this is done at a provincial level. Each province has their own independent commissioning bodies. In order for a casino to make it into our list they must have a licence from their respective provincial commissioning . This licence ensures that sites stick to stringent safety and fairness standards.
- Payments – One of the first things we check with a casino we intend to review is the available banking methods. We also check to see if the banking method qualifies for bonuses and keep an eye out for any unique terms and conditions associated with using PayPal, such as higher withdrawal limits.
- Transaction Fees – Fortunately, online casinos rarely impose fees for PayPal transactions. To prevent any unwelcome disappointment, it is always advisable to check the T&C’s of each casino to confirm this. In our experience, we have found it more likely to encounter withdrawal fees that apply to all payout methods as opposed to specific fees associated with PayPal. These fees are also rare.
- Bonuses – Casinos offer a varied lineup of bonuses and promotions, typically linked to a qualifying deposit. We review bonus terms to ensure that PayPal deposits qualify for these promos. While it’s not a deal-breaker if they don’t, as long as PayPal remains available for regular deposits, it’s certainly a plus.
- Mobile Functionality – Since many players prefer playing their favorite slots and games on smartphones or tablets, we have assessed each site’s mobile capabilities. While most casinos provide a mobile site, the ones that earn the top spots on our toplist are typically those that also offer a native mobile casino app.
- User-Friendliness of the Site – Our expectation from online casinos is that they should look the part, featuring attractive designs and user-friendly navigation. We look for a hassle-free experience, ensuring you can effortlessly find your way around the site and enjoy a smooth interface while navigating and playing games.
- Customer Support – While major issues are rare at licensed casinos, it’s reassuring to have support options available. The best casinos provide a helpful mix of telephone and email support, along with 24/7 live chat. It’s also worth remembering that PayPal itself offers excellent customer support.
Depositing and Withdrawing Funds
Not only are deposits made using PayPal instant, but withdrawals are often faster than more traditional methods, too. This is of great benefit to players who want to cash out quickly. Plus, new players can sign up for a PayPal account free of charge. You can even make quick, easy payments on the go and manage your PayPal wallet through the native mobile app which is available for download on Android and iOS devices.
Depositing is a quick and easy process. Here’s how to do it:
Choose Source of Funds
You can either link your PayPal to your bank account for faster deposits, or manually deposit funds into your e-wallet. You’ll be able to choose the source of funds every time you make a deposit, including a bank account or debit card.
Deposit
Head to the casino’s cashier page and select PayPal as your preferred banking option. Then enter the amount you wish to deposit and hit confirm.
Authorise
Once you hit confirm, you’ll be directed to the PayPal login page. Simply log in to your account and authorise the payment.
Play
PayPal deposits are processed instantly, so your funds will be available straight away.
Now that you know how to deposit funds using PayPal, lets look at some of the aspects most customers are interested in.
- Deposit Times – Across the top casinos, deposits are usually instant.
- Deposit Limits – Casinos accepting PayPal are known for having high maximum deposit limits. This makes PayPal an obvious choice for high rollers. That being said, these casinos also have low minimum deposit requirements ranging anywhere from $10 to $50. This makes it accessible to more casual players also.
- Withdrawal Times – Withdrawal times can vary amongst different brands. What we have seen during our research is that the time taken to process withdrawal from the top PayPal brands ranges anywhere from instant to two days. It is also worth keeping in mind that these times do not include the casino processing time. This also can vary across casinos from immediate processing up to 48 hours after the withdrawal request has been made.
- Withdrawal Limits – Similar to PayPal’s high maximum deposits, these casinos offer high maximum withdrawal limits too. When it comes to minimum withdrawal limits, the amount varies from casino to casino however, minimum limits are usually $10 or $20.
- Fees – PayPal does not charge a fee for depositing or withdrawing money to or from your casino account. Your bank may charge a fee depending on whether you are using your bank account, credit/debit card or another payment method. Most online casinos that accept PayPal also don’t charge a fee for deposits or withdrawals, but we’d recommend always checking the terms for each site just to be sure.
Claiming Bonuses
You might find that while some casinos do accept PayPal as a payment method, they state that depositing with PayPal disqualifies you from claiming a welcome bonus. This isn’t a frequent occurrence, and is much more common with other e-wallets such as Neteller and Skrill. We recommend playing it safe and always check out the terms and conditions of any bonus offer before accepting a bonus.
Different Types of Bonuses
- Matched Deposit – A match bonus sees your first deposit met with additional casino credit that can be used to play games at the site. This bonus credit can’t be withdrawn, nor can any winnings until you’ve met the attached wagering requirements. But it’s a great way to familiarise yourself with new casinos.
- Free Spins – Available at most slot sites, free spins give you the opportunity to try out a game without betting your own cash. They are often handed out as part of a welcome package, but many casinos dole them out on a weekly or even daily basis too. Winnings may be treated as bonus credit with wagering requirements, or as real cash you can withdraw straight away.
- No Wagering Bonus – Bonuses with no wagering requirements give you a higher chance to withdraw some winning from your bonus. They’re typically smaller as a result, but remain sought after by the savviest players. No wagering bonuses usually come as free spins, but many cashback offers are paid as real money too.
Terms and Conditions
It is always advisable to read through the terms and conditions when considering bonuses offered at any Canadian casino. Below is an outline of the main T&Cs to look out for, however for more information check out our casino bonuses page.
- Minimum Deposit – Except for no deposit casino bonus offers, most casinos specify that players must make a minimum deposit to claim any offers. This minimum deposit can vary, depending on the site’s rules and the value of the bonus up for grabs, but will usually sit around the $10–$20 mark.
- Payment Exclusions – Despite most Canadian casinos accepting PayPal as a banking method, some welcome bonuses may be off limits if you make your first deposit through this e-wallet. This is because PayPal charges vendors for each transaction made. So, if you were to claim a bonus via PayPal, the casino would need to pay the e-wallet company, and therefore find themselves out of pocket.
Details will be found in the terms and conditions of each casino, so it’s worth reading through before wagering.
Wagering Requirements
Wagering requirements require you to wager the bonus balance a certain number of times before they can convert any winnings into withdrawable cash.
You will find that each game type may contribute differently towards wagering requirements. You can usually expect slot games to contribute 100% whereas table game like roulette or blackjack might contribute significantly less or nothing at all.
How Does PayPal Work?
As part of our research into the best PayPal brands currently available in Canada, we had to understand exactly how this payment method works.
Users must first setup a PayPal account using their first and last name, address, phone number, and email address. Once this is done, you can transfer funds into your account via a number of different options including bank transfers or directly from credit/debit cards. Once the funds are in your PayPal account you can then head over to your favourite casino, make an account on this casino and then deposit money instantly from your account.
Security measures
There are a number of measures in place to prevent fraudulent activity. The PayPal Security Key is their own two-factor authentication. In addition to your password, you enter a one time pin that’s unique for each login, giving you enhanced account security.
Key pinning is a feature of the PayPal iOS and Android mobile apps. Essentially, this locks your device to the PayPal server, meaning no imposters can intercept the connection request and imitate PayPal.
Play Using PayPal
Below we have listed the steps that you need to follow in order to be able to use PayPal at these sites. This should give you a good understanding of how the system works.
- Create a PayPal account – You will need to register an account with PayPal if you want to use it at your chosen online casino. Many players already have a PayPal account but if you don’t, simply pop over to their website and create one. It’s a very easy process which only takes a minute or two to complete. To open a personal account, you’ll need to provide your first and last name, address, phone number, and email address.
- Find a Suitable Casino – Before you can make a deposit and start playing, you’ll need to register an account at an online casino that accepts PayPal. Not sure where to start your search? We’ve done the legwork for you. We have carefully curated a list of the very best online casinos that provide full PayPal support. All casinos on our site hold a valid license, so you’re guaranteed safe payments and fair gaming.
- Select your Casino – Once you’ve picked out a favourite site, follow our link to sign up and become eligible for your exclusive casino welcome bonus.
- Make a Deposit – Head over to the cashier page of your chosen online casino to make your deposit. If you’re a new player, you can usually expect to receive a welcome bonus immediately after your first deposit or your first wager, unless you’ve opted for a no deposit bonus. If you have a deposit bonus code, you’ll be prompted to enter this on the cashier page when making your deposit. Simply choose PayPal as your payment method and follow the on-screen instructions to make your deposit.
- Enjoy – PayPal is renowned for its speed, so you’ll be able to use your newly deposited funds to play almost immediately. Once your account is funded and ready to go, you’ll be able to play some of the best online casino games, from slots, blackjack and other table classics to video poker and live dealer casino games.
Comparing PayPal to Other Payment Methods for Online Casinos
Despite the advantages associated with PayPal, there are occasions where you might want to opt for one of the other banking methods available at casinos.
Different payment options come with their own advantages and drawbacks, such as availability, payment speed, and additional functionality.
- Skrill – This e-wallet is a popular PayPal alternative that is available at many online casinos. It has many of the same benefits as PayPal, plus features like a prepaid card, but there are some fees when cashing out your e-wallet balance to your bank.
- Neteller – Broadly similar to Skrill in its offering (both e-wallets are owned by the Paysafe Group) You will often find Neteller available where PayPal is not. Like Skrill, it’s sometimes excluded from bonuses and has a few small fees.
Secure Banking
PayPal isn’t the only casino banking option that guarantees secure payments. There are other options at your disposal which offer a comparable service, so what is it that sets PayPal apart? Essentially, it boils down to convenience, trust, speed and reliability.
PayPal users know that they are using a reputable and trustworthy service that has nearly 20 years of experience in safely and securely processing payments. Of course, this reputation was built upon the outstanding service on offer. Using PayPal doesn’t require you to share your credit or debit card details with any third party, such as your chosen online casino. PayPal takes a number of technical measures to help you stay secure, including email confirmations, key pinning and data encryption.
Although PayPal is one of the most secure payment methods out there, but there are a few steps you can take to make things even safer when you play at online casinos:
- Only play at licenced casinos.
- Activate security functions like fingerprint identification, facial recognition and use a strong password.
- Don’t make transactions on public or shared devices, and also avoid banking while connected to public Wi-Fi.
- Make sure you’re using PayPal at secure sites by looking for the padlock symbol in the URL.
- Enable two-factor authentication.
- Look out for phishing emails claiming to be from PayPal. PayPal will never ask for any sensitive information. Make sure you never click on any and definitely don’t download any attachments.
- Contact PayPal’s customer service if you ever have any concerns about the security of your PayPal account.
Pro’s and Con’s
Pro’s –
- Free, instant deposits – Your money will be deposited immediately to your chosen online casino.
- Fast withdrawals – PayPal is one of the payment solutions that provides speedy withdrawals from your casino account.
- Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority – This can give you confidence that a site’s processes and applications are monitored, with high expected standards of customer service.
- Mobile app – Managing your account via an app means there’s no need to find URLs and remember login details. It is quick and easy to find on your mobile’s home screen.
Con’s –
- You’ll need to set up a PayPal account – There are several payment solutions that don’t even require the setting up of an account, such as Trustly.
- Excluded from some bonuses – Typically, deposits from e-wallets like PayPal render a bonus invalid.
Summary
Now you’re all clued in about using PayPal at online casinos, all that’s left to do is find the right site for you. Look no further than our top-rated list of Canada’s very best casinos, where you can easily compare the top bonuses on offer. Simply compare and sign up to enjoy playing at a top casino.
