Many believe that electronic checks, or e-checks, will become the primary deposit method for online casinos, especially those that deal with American customers. Since the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, many financial institutions are weary of getting in trouble with the feds for being used for the transfer of funds from “illegal” online gambling. Their worry hinges in large part on the fact that UIGEA does not either make any gambling illegal or clearly define what types of online gambling are illegal. Since the law is so murky, there is the potential for abuse.

For that reason, Visa and Mastercard have both started blocking all transactions between American customers and online casinos, sports books or any other online gambling sites. Other credit card companies may follow suit and even if they don’t, Visa and Mastercard make up the vast majority of the market (with Discover and American Express a ways behind).

There are, of course, other options for making electronic payments. There are a ton of e-wallet sites out there, but some people don’t like using them and for some, they are difficult or tiresome to use. For that reason, many prefer to use electronic checks. To pay by e-check, players only need to enter their checking account number, routing number and social security number (to confirm their identity) on the website. E-checks are even often used to transfer funds on e-wallet websites, so in those cases a casino that allows e-check payment would be cutting out the middle man.

There are not currently a lot of online casinos that offer payment via e-check, though Lucky Red Casino and Aladdin’s Gold are two that do. In the near future, experts believe that a majority of online casinos that serve American customers will have e-check payment as an option in order to avoid losing business. Some sites even offer incentives, such as bonuses, for paying via e-check, since it is cheaper for the casino than a credit card payment.