There are many ways to skin a cat, as they say, and Maestro Card is one of many ways to fund an online casino account.
Is it a good one though?
We think so, for numerous reasons, and they’re reasons that are at the front of the mind of most online casino players these days so in this article we’ll tell you why we think:
- Maestro Card is safe to use at online casinos,
- Maestro Card is a secure online casino payment method,
- It is a good value online casino payment method, and
- Can help keep you safe online.
Let’s see why.
Best UK Sites Accepting Maestro Card
What is Maestro Card?
Maestro Card is a brand name. It can be associated with either debit cards or prepaid cards, either of which can be used to fund online casino accounts.
Maestro is owned by MasterCard, one of the two biggest debit card companies (along with VISA), and they either issued through banks, in the case of debit cards or bought online or in shops if they are prepaid cards.
Most people in the UK today understand debit cards and use them every day. Debit cards are linked to your bank account and can be used to make payments off and online. Off-line this is done through chip-and-pin readers. In the internet space, customers are asked to input the unique details of their card, and payment is then instantly – or as close to instantly as makes no difference – transferred from the linked bank account to the merchant.
Maestro is probably the third most-used debit card brand in the UK.
Maestro prepaid cards are a relatively new product and they are designed for specific purposes, one of which is online use.
Prepaid cards can be used to spend in exactly the same way that a debit card is. However, they are not linked to a bank account. Instead, the cardholder loads the card with cash by making payments either through a website or in a physical venue or by buying a card of a set face value. A pin number or passcode. The cards can be used just like debit cards in the real world, or via unique codes on the internet.
These cards can be used by people who do not have a bank account to spend money online. They are also a way to gift money to people. Prepaid Maestro Cards can, if used in some ways, have some advantages for online gamblers.
How to Use Maestro Card at Online Casinos
To use either a Maestro debit card or a prepaid card one must first find a site that accepts them. As this is the vast majority of UK online casino sites, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
You can also search for sites that list casino sites by payment method, and use review sites to check that you have good quality and legitimate sites.
Most casino sites know that the right payment methods are a big plus for online casino site users – in some cases, it’ll be a deal-breaker, as no-one can spend money if they don’t have an accepted payment method – so they very often show which payment methods they accept on their front pages.
Debit cards from Maestro are still more commonly accepted than prepaid cards, but prepaid cards are becoming more and more popular, particularly in the gambling world.
Depositing money with Maestro Cards at Online Casinos
Making deposits with Maestro cards is simple.
While almost all casino cards follow something like this procedure it’s not possible to provide an example that all sites follow.
Typically though, deposits are made through a cashier page of a pop-up.
This page will give you two options: how much would you like to deposit, and how would you like to deposit it.
In most cases, it is simply a matter of typing in a value and then selecting a payment method from a drop-down menu.
As prepaid cards generally come in round-number values you may find your deposits limited to multiples of these numbers. In fact, as it makes them more likely to receive higher deposits, casino sites often use this protocol in any case.
Payments from both Maestro debit and Maestro prepaid cards are usually instant, so you can simply finish the payment and head to your account page to check that the balance has increased by the right amount.
Can you Withdraw Money on a Maestro card from an online casino?
In most cases, you can also withdraw winnings, refunds or any other real-money funds to a Maestro debit card.
Maestro prepaid cards can also accept online payments.
However, there are a couple of things to bear in mind.
Most casino sites default to making withdrawals to the last payment method used to make a deposit. Or even to the payment method that was used to open your account.
It’s worth considering this when you consider what payment methods you want to use.
You will also need to prove your identification to a high standard before you receive payments in most casino sites. This might require you to upload or email scanned copies of ID documents like driving licensed and passports or utility bills.
These precautions are to help prevent fraud and money laundering, and while they can feel like an imposition they help to keep the industry as a whole safer, and that helps to keep players safe.
How long do payments to Maestro Cards from an online casino take?
We’ve told you that Maestro payments can or should be instant. That’s the case, however, that is not always the case in the online casino industry.
First of all many sites use a “pending” process to clear payments. This process is advertised as a security measure to make sure that payments are legitimate. It can last any period up to and including several days.
Then payments need to be processed.
This involves both the casino site and your bank, and the most recent example we’ve seen warned of payment processing times of 1 to 3 working days for payments to Maestro debit cards.
Where payments to Maestro prepaid cards are available they will also be put through a pending process. The example we looked at didn’t make payments to Maestro prepaid cards, but the comparable Paysafecard could receive withdrawals via bank transfer in between 3 and 5 working days, and cheques could be sent within 10 days.
How to assess payment methods at online casinos
Finding a site that accepts your preferred payment method shouldn’t be the end of your investigations, you should also take a look at the terms and conditions associated with the method.
This will include:
- Deposit limits, minimum and maximum,
- Withdrawal limits, minimum and maximum,
- Payment processing times, for deposit and withdrawal.
You can normally find this information by clicking on the FAQ page, in the site’s terms and conditions, or even by clicking on “banking” if that page is available to non-site members.
How to use Maestro Card casinos safely
Safety should be your number 1 priority in all of your online gambling decisions. This should include keeping your payment methods safe and secure, keeping your device up to date and secure, and making sure that you’re behaviours are safe and you are not starting to make poor decisions about your online gambling.
Maestro Cards, both debit cards and prepaid cards are themselves very safe payment methods. If you use a debit card you have some protections that come with your bank account.
However, you can’t simply turn off your mind and leave it at that. You do need to do some work yourself.
Make sure you have a good understanding of how to keep your bank details, your passwords, and your online accounts safe. Remember, your debit card links to your bank account, if you lose control of it in some way you open the door to your whole account.
So be sure to use unique passwords on every new online casino account you open. You might even consider a password management system.
Use basic personal security measures around online gambling too. Don’t use shared computers to make payments. Don’t use unsecured public Wi-Fi to access accounts, gambling sites, or banking information.
You also need to know that the online casino site you’re using is completely up to date and legal.
Never play at a site that doesn’t have a current UK Gambling Commission licence and make sure that you check the licence – which must be linked from the front page of the site.
Safe gambling with Maestro Cards
Anyone accessing online casino sites also needs to know how to keep themselves safe.
Unsafe gambling or addiction can strike anyone and one of the best ways to keep yourself safe is to understand the warning signs and be ready to take action if you see them.
The industry is willing to help you here. All sites have to offer tools like self-exclusion and good monitoring systems. They also have to give you access to advise from industry approved safe gambling organisations and support groups.
All of this is very useful.
If you use it.
And that’s the problem with addiction: denial is one of the early warning signs. So this does rely on you, to be honest about your gambling.
If you feel that you are gambling in order to deal with difficult emotions or to avoid difficult situations then that might be a sign that you’re in danger of developing an addiction.
If you feel uncomfortable or angry when you are asked about your online gambling behaviours then this could be a sign too.
Maestro prepaid cards can have a role in this.
As prepaid cards are not linked directly to a bank account they can supply a fire break in the money supply that funds a gambling habit.
However, prepaid cards are also extremely discrete, and can be a way to spend money on gambling that doesn’t show up in a bank account or in another way that can be monitored.
A bit of self-knowledge and a lot of honesty is needed to deal with addictions. You should never blame yourself or be angry with yourself if you find yourself developing a problem. Addiction can happen to anyone, it is not a sign of personal weakness and the bravest and strongest thing anyone can do is ask for help.
Should I use Maestro Cards for Gambling?
There are a lot of good reasons to use Maestro Cards for your favourite online casino sites.
The system is well-established and trusted. It comes from one of the world’s biggest financial brands, and there are protections and backstops that come with this that can help keep your funds safe while you play.
Maestro cards are free and provide a very fast payment transfer service. They are always one of the fastest withdrawal methods where they are accepted.
Maestro prepaid cards can be a self-limiting took when used in the right way.
Enjoying Maestro Card Online Casinos
The best way to have a long and healthy relationship with your Maestro Card online casino site is to get a basic understanding of the casino industry what its aims are and how it makes its enormous profits.
Also, get a good understanding of how you play at online casinos and how to spot possible danger signs.
The best way to play online casino games with any payment method is to play them for fun with no consideration of money (beyond setting and sticking to limits on your spending) and playing games only when you’re having a good time doing so.
Maestro Cards can help you have a safe, sustainable relationship with online casino sites.