American Express Betting is one of the most popular depositing options in the world. Sports bettors, naturally, want to be able to fund their bankrolls using it, both because it’s fast and can help drive up their rewards points. Unfortunately, not every sportsbook accepts it. But some do. And we have the lowdown on them all
Why should you bet with American Express?
Quick processing
High spending limits
Can double as a payout method
Only the first deposit is free from fees
Fees
There are no fees associated with using your American Express card at Bovada on the first transaction. After that, there will be a 5.9 percent fee to each deposit.
Speed
Completing deposits with American Express is fast once you’re able to get them processed. The funds should be available in your account instantly.
Bovada is definitely one of the more American Express-friendly sportsbooks out there. It can be a hassle to make deposits over the phone—and it’s easier for non-americans to do overall—but the alternative could be using a sportsbook that doesn’t accept Amex at all.
Read Bovada Review
Fund your account instantly
Match a competitor’s bonus
High deposit limits
Needs to be processed over the phone
Fees
You will incur a service fee of up to 6 percent when using American Express at BetOnline.
Speed
Once you speak with customer service and they input your information, the money should be immediately available in your account.
If you’re willing to make a deposit over the phone—and most sportsbooks require it with American Express cards—BetOnline can get your account fully funded within minutes. That you’re also able to take advantage of all their promotions in the process is a legitimately big deal.
Read BetOnline Review
Zero Fees
Instant Approval
Qualify for reload bonuses
Needs to be processed over the phone
Fees
Many sportsbooks charge fees on American Express cards, as well as other issuers. Bookmaker isn’t one of them. All of your deposits should come without a service charge.
Speed
Credit card deposits are among those fastest approved. You should be ready to spend your money within minutes of giving Bookmaker your Amex information.
It’s hard to say anything bad about Boormaker’s American Express accessibility. Whereas many other sportsbooks either don’t accept it or charge fees to process credit card transactions, you can use your Amex without any additional charges.
Read Bookmaker Review
Low deposit minimums
Instant processing
Zero fees from Bodog
American Express might charge a fee
Fees
Bodog will not charge you a fee for making deposits with your American Express card. However, Amex may have its own fees attached for processing international transactions.
Speed
Making deposits with your American Express card is a breeze at Bodog. Transactions are approved almost instantly.
Bodog is a great landing spot for those who wish to bankroll their sports betting with an American Express card. Inputting your information doesn’t take long provided you already have an account, and you only need to deposit a minimum of $20.
Zero fees
Quick Approval
Save Amex card for future deposits
Higher minimum deposit
Fees
You won’t be charged any fees for using an American Express card at Sports Interaction.
Speed
It takes almost no time to make Amex deposits at Sports Interaction. Your funds will be available almost as soon as you input all the necessary information.
Completing mobile deposits can be difficult. Sports Interaction makes it easy. You can type in all your credit card information and be gambling in just a couple of minutes. Only for Canadian players.
We know that different players have different needs, so we bring you the best overall American Express Betting Sites for the USA and for Canada, and sites with the fastest payments, biggest bonuses, lowest deposit fees.
Using your American Express card to bankroll your sports gambling is pretty straight forward. Whether you’re processing it online or with customer support, you’ll input all the necessary information and be betting in seconds.
That said, you need to be prepared for a limited selection of sites that actually accept it. Most of the biggest sportsbooks—like Bovada and BetOnline—will take it, but when you get into smaller operations such as BetBoo or PaddyPower, they typically only take Visa and Mastercard.
This can be problematic for gamblers who like to hold active accounts at multiple sportsbooks. Sooner or later, you’re bound to encounter a place that doesn’t take it. Unofficially speaking, you’re probably looking at a majority of sportsbooks that don’t—or at least half.
When encountering a problem, you have one of two options: move onto a sportsbook that does or call up the sportsbook’s customer support line and see whether they’re able to make exceptions.
Beginning to use your American Express card at sportsbooks isn’t hard. Let’s run through all the crucial components.
Before you sign up for one, you just need to figure out which sites accept Amex as a valid form of payment and whether they’ll allow you to process it online or over the phone. All this information can typically be found in a frequently asked questions section or by contacting customer service.
We’ve cut out some of the leg work for you. Here are the top betting sites that take Amex deposits:
Bovada Deposit Screenshots
The best way to make sure your Amex deposits go through at your sportsbook of choice is by processing the transaction with your site’s customer service. This is particularly useful if the sportsbook doesn’t make it clear whether they take Amex.
Rather than just input all your information on your own, a customer service rep can tell you beforehand and then take you through the process every step of the way. It takes a little longer to finalize the deposit this way, compared to entering it yourself, but it also ensures your money is available posthaste.
One strategy to always keep in mind when sussing out sites that accept American Express: prioritize all the options with the lowest—or zero—processing fees. This is a big deal in the credit-card deposit games. Some sites charge between 4 and 8 percent to process such transactions. Meanwhile, others don’t collect a single cent.
On top of that, you’ll also want to make sure Amex doesn’t charge a processing fee of its own for certain sportsbooks. They do that depending on the territory. To find out whether you’ll incur a fee on behalf of Amex, you should be able to contact your sportsbook’s customer support and ask, as they’ve surely handled Amex transactions in the past.
Useful still, be on the lookout for sportsbooks that offer specific bonuses for such a deposit method. You won’t get free cash or extra spins at an online casino for using your Amex specifically, but some sites—particularly in Canada—will offer special bonuses for those who bankroll their account with any credit card.
Taking advantage of these bonuses is critical. After all, not only will you potentially be subject to transaction fees, meaning you should be looking to get some of your money back, but Amex typically isn’t a valid payout option for many sportsbooks. You’ll instead need to choose an alternative form, which can be frustrating for many.
Sportsbooks have come a long way from their early days when everyone thought they were hotbeds for phishing scams. As the industry has become more and more popular, the security level of each site has also exponentially tightened up. You can use your Amex card knowing full well you’re not at any greater risk of being hacked.
Beyond that, Amex themselves does a great job keeping an eye on your finances. They’ll contact you if they see an expensive, fishy or international charge. This way, you’ll have the ability to approve your deposits and overall international transactions, thus ensuring you’re not at great peril even if your information is compromised.
If you’re in the market for a little extra safety, you can always set a daily or weekly deposit limit with your sportsbook, this way Amex will be alerted to any unusual activity or fraudulent transactions will be outright rejected. Doing this is simple. You usually have the option when registering for an online sportsbook account. If you’re an incumbent user, you should still be able to find this option under your site’s “deposit” or “my account” section.
Our American Express Conclusions: Not For Everyone
American Express Isn’t Widely Accepted
Though American Express is one of the most popular credit cards around, bettors need to know going in they’re not accepted at every sportsbook. The bigger operations will give you no issues; it’s the mid-end and smaller shops that could become a problem.
Be Wary of Amex Fees
Not only do certain online sportsbooks charge fees of up to eight percent for credit card transactions, but American Express might also collect a processing charge for certain international transactions. These are usually somewhat negligible—under 5 percent—but they can most definitely become an expensive problem for anyone looking to make high-roller deposits.
One of the Fastest Deposit Methods Around
If you are using a sportsbook that processes Amex deposits, you’re in serious luck: Transactions are finalized ultra-quickly. It may take a tick or two longer if you have to confirm your deposit with Amex as well, but if not, you can have your betting account funded in mere seconds.
Equally important, because Amex cards usually have higher limits than most other issuers, sportsbooks tend to raise the maximum that you can deposit with them relative to other credit cards. This may not be of consequence to many bettors, but it is most certainly something for the high rollers among us to keep in mind.
About the Author
Trent's your man when it comes to all things sports. He covers a wide range of sports for Sports Betting Sites, and has been published in some pretty reputable outlets, such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's got the inside track on all the happenings in the world of sports.
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