It is a common misconception that cash cannot be used to fund online betting accounts. Many bookmakers have maintained and even grown their high street operations in the UK and most of these bookies will allow you to fun an account and withdraw using physical Cash once you are registered.
Some companies, such as Paddy Power, also allow you to apply for prepaid cards that allow instant fee-free cash withdrawals from ATM’s as well as the ability to directly spend in stores. Transactions in cash are often instant, do not require a bank, can be withdrawn straight away, carry no fees and the deposit limits are no higher than standard (sometimes as low as £1).
In the table below we show you cash betting sites with the facility to fund using cash, funding limits, number of stores and any other requirements. Further down we discuss how to use cash to bet.
Coral - Best Cash Betting Site
If you want to deposit, bet and withdraw to an online account in cash then you need to choose a bookie with a high street presence and Coral are the best bookie to do this with for a number of reasons.
Firstly they have a lot of shops in the UK, meaning the most choice for punters, this is the most important aspect as you cannot transact in cash if you can’t find a shop to do so. Secondly they have a low minimum deposit and withdrawal level of £10, convenient for those that want to fund their account with smaller amounts.
Finally the Coral Connect system allows you to link your online account to your in store transactions meaning you can earn the same rewards and enjoy many of the promotions usually reserved for online-only customers.
Online Bookmakers That Accept Cash
| Site | Name | No Of Locations | Min Deposit | Min Withdraw | Visit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Betfred | Cash In Store | 1350+ | £10 | £ |
T&Cs Apply, 18+
|
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Ladbrokes | The Grid | 1800+ | £1 | £5 |
T&Cs Apply, 18+
|
|
Coral | Coral Connect | 1500+ | £5 | £5 |
T&Cs Apply, 18+
|
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Boylesports | BoyleXtra | 340+ | £5 | £5 |
T&Cs Apply, 18+
|
Why Deposit / Withdraw With Cash?
People want to use cash to fund a betting account for any number of reasons. Maybe you do not want betting transactions on your bank account statement, maybe you don’t have a bank account or your account is based in a country with restrictions on funding betting sites. Whatever your reason be assured there are plenty of ways to bet in cash and still get access to the fantastic online-only introductory and regular offers and odds.
Betting with cash in many ways can actually allow a punter to keep track of their gambling better. Think about it, it is harder to handover £500 in cash than deposit from a bank account or through a credit card. Likewise a win can feel even better if you are holding physical bank notes as opposed to looking at a digital balance. Be careful though as the downside to cash betting is security, there is no way to track or refund your cash if it is lost or stolen.
Want to fund a betting account you hold with a non-high street bookie? There are other alternatives available too, pre-payment cards and vouchers are another means of betting using cash. Simply pop into a store displaying the PayPoint symbol where you can convert cash into vouchers such as PaySafeCard that can be used to fund many accounts. Alternatively some sites offer pre-paid cards that can be used to withdraw cash fee-free from cash machines.
Cash Gambling Online
Betting in cash is one of the easiest ways to bet and up until about 20-30 years ago was accepted as one of the only ways to gamble. Before online betting very few people would walk into a betting shop and wager using their bank card or a cheque, certainly not with something like PayPal.
Modern online betting sites have encouraged us to deposit directly using our bank or through digital wallet services, but should you still want to bet with cash there are no restrictions that will prevent you. Gambling in the UK is tax free for the punter so there are no problems with cash transactions for this purpose, where you win the money (online or offline) has no bearing on how you withdraw it.
Many high street shops do often limit the amount of cash that can be withdrawn in one transaction, especially if you are a walk up customer. This is more to do with guaranteeing the shop has enough cash rather than restricting the punter, many bookies will let you withdraw more if you arrange it in advance so they can guarantee there will be enough cash in store.
Even though some UK betting sites will allow you to bet in cash they will still need to verify your age and address by law, irrespective of the payment method you choose to use. Also you will need to have ID on you when you withdraw to prove who you are. Often if you have deposited to the betting site using a bank card you will also need to show this when you withdraw.
How to Use Cash Deposit Into A Betting Site
Most companies will make you register for the cash product first (e.g. Coral Connect) to be able to deposit with cash. Some real world bookies (e.g Betfred) will however let you just rock up with your account number, username and identification, and let you deposit. Information on different bookmaker cash terms can be found in our individual betting site reviews, to see the review of the sites that offer cash betting in the table at the top of the page click on the logo.
Register and join up with any cash betting site online as normal. By doing this way you making sure you are making sure you are entitled to any sign up bonus and existing customer offers. Promotions and odds are often more generous online simply because there are lower overheads for the operator in running a website over a shop. By joining this way you are taking advantage of the best value route but still giving yourself the option to bet in cash.
Next you can register for the cash product of the relevant site and link this immediately to your account. This again can come with benefits as many operators will give you additional free bets, rewards or incentives for activating or using their cash products for the first time.
Once you have a cash account with your bookmaker simply turn up to one of the shops with your cash and account number (or membership card, fob, digital key, if issued to you) and ask to deposit your cash into your online account. Once credited the cash should then appear in your account virtually instantly.
Although using cash does not require a bank account it is still worth stressing that this will still mean you have to verify who you are to the bookmaker as part of their legal requirements.
Withdraw From An Online Betting Account In Cash
Withdrawing may require a little more work as there is added security required here. You wouldn’t want just anyone turning up and taking your hard won money out of your account.
Once registered for withdrawals (this may require a physical access card, pin number or password in addition to your normal login details) then withdrawing cash is as easy as depositing. Different bookies will have various withdrawal limits but these are usually set to prevent the shop running out of cash.
If you would like to withdraw more than the stated limit then this is usually possible by contacting the bookmaker in advance to give them time to stock enough money. The same would happen if you had a big win in the betting shop and they didn’t have enough money, they would usually ask you to come back the next day.
With some operators you can register for a cash MasterCard that will also you to withdraw winnings directly from ATM’s or spend them online or in store.
History of Cash Betting
The use of cash in betting goes back to the beginning of well, cash. For as long as we have had commodities to trade and the intelligence to predict or guess an outcome then betting has taken place. Only in modern history have we begun using non-cash alternatives for transactions and even then cash is still a preferred method used by many to bet due to its anonymity.
The earliest 6 sided dice was discovered in modern day northern Iraq (formerly Mesopotamia) dating back over 5000 years. In China emperor Yao invented a game with hundreds of pieces on which onlookers could bet in 2300 BC. By 1500 BC in India people were betting whole herds of cattle on dice games and chariot racing. By the time of the Romans gambling had become so popular that Justinian actually banned the practice.
In modern times UK cash betting was initially only legal at registered racing tracks. With the exception of the football pools, a low wager coupon, it was impossible to place cash bets away from the track. Only in 1961 did the government relax legislation allowing off-site betting with cash in betting shops. Ever since you have been allowed to bet in cash where and when you want but only with a licenced bookmaker. We have all had a cheeky fiver bet with our mates, but in theory that is not legal!
Countries Where Cash Can Be Used For Gambling
If you include both legal and illegal bets then cash is used for gambling in every single country in the world. The only actual restrictions are the gambling laws of the country. In any country, state or region where gambling is illegal then cash betting is also.
In the US, for example, cash betting is only allowed in licenced casinos. If online betting is illegal then it doesn’t matter how you fund your account with cash or not it I still not possible. In the UK shop and online betting is legal and so cash betting is allowed universally.
Of course availability also depends on whether the operator has the shops in the first place to allow you to deposit in cash. In the UK we have a betting cluture with thousands of betting shops in major towns and cities, abroad it may be much harder to bet in cash.
Security
This is the big issue with cash betting. Cash is the least secure form of payment, there is no way to track bank notes if they are lost or stolen and the only means of recovery is through the police device, so good luck with that.
In all seriousness though if you want to deposit or withdraw in cash take all of the usual precautions you would take if carrying around quantities of money. Don’t go bragging to people that you are only your way to pick up a wedge from your bookie.
Other cash payment systems exist that give extra security. Pre-payment voucher and card services such as PaySafeCard allow you to convert cash into vouchers that can be added directly to your online betting site account through a unique voucher code. If registered for the service and your voucher is lost or stolen then this can be cancelled and re-issued giving you far more security. Read more.
Fees
There should never be fees charged to you for either depositing or withdrawing in cash, if your bookie does charge you a fee then frankly I would consider taking your business elsewhere.