A Review – Skrill Payments at Your Favourite Betting Sites

Formerly known as Moneybookers up until the year 2011, Skrill ltd allows you to make super-fast, super-secure online payments to over 200 countries with extremely low, or no extra added fees, without the extra added hassle of adding your bank account details everytime. To add to this, they have an official working partnership with some of the UK’s biggest bookmakers such as Ladbrokes and William Hill. As a result Skrill users are able to make instant and secure deposits, gain instant access to their online accounts, and also claim exclusive bonuses and promotions.

The following review will give you the full report on the pros and cons of using the service, provide tips on how to avoid internet scams, and also offer some useful recommendations on a few additional e-Wallet payment options that are worth taking a look at.

*** All the fun of the scrum. Tackle some free bets at William Hill! ***

Skrill-Friendly Betting Sites

In all honesty, you’ll struggle to find a reputable bookmaker that doesn’t accept Skrill payments. The company has managed to establish itself as a major player in the electronic payment business over the past decade; as a result, any bookmaker worth their salt will make sure that punters have the option to deposit using the widely favoured e-Wallet. The only problem you’re likely to face is that due to the misuse of free bet promotions, many bookmakers don’t recognise Skrill as a valid payment method for the welcome bonus promotion. This unfortunately goes for the large majority of UK bookmakers who pretty much all state somewhere in their T&C’s that e-Wallets (with the exception of PayPal) can’t be used to make the initial deposit and claim the new player sign-up bonus.

Most Recommended Bookmaker

In the table above we’ve listed the best offer where the welcome bonus is Skrill-friendly, where there are no additional charges for using the payment method, and where the minimum deposit amount is reasonably low. With both bookmakers the time-frame for deposits is near enough instant, and withdrawals are normally processed in no more than 48hours.

The Payment Process

Exactly as you would expect, making payments to your online betting account has been made easier than ever. Although the process may differ slightly depending on the bookmaker, the general process is as follows: go to the deposit page on the betting site, select Skrill from the list of payment options and type in the amount you wish to pay in, enter your login details on the Skrill redirect page and confirm the transfer. If you don’t already have an active Skrill account, you’ll be prompted to set one up directly on the redirect page – the whole registration process won’t take any more than a few minutes.

How To Deposit Using Skrill

In addition to standard online transfers, punters can also make use of the lightning-fast payment option known as Skrill 1-Tap. Developed exclusively for online betting websites, this special feature allows you to make smooth, straightforward payments from your mobile, tablet or desktop computer without having to re-enter your Skrill login details or bank card information. The first time you make a deposit you’ll be required to enter your payment details – you’ll also be asked to confirm whether or not you want to enable the 1-Tap feature for future payments. If you choose to opt-in (and we strongly advise that you do) Skrill 1-Tap will appear as a payment option every time you go to make a deposit, and you’ll be able to make super-fast payments with no more than a few touches of your device.

The Pros and Cons

The main reason why so many punters prefer to use this payment option is partly down to the fact that you can combine and manage all your online payments into one easy-use account. With Skrill, you can transfer funds from your bank account, from pre-paid cards, and other e-wallets, and make swift, easy payments to pretty much anywhere you like without the extra added hassle of typing in your bank account details every time you want to move some money around. It’s accepted at every major bookmaker, and all transactions are 100% safe and secure. An extra added incentive is that all deposits made to your online betting account – regardless of the bookmaker – are completely free of charge, and are processed almost instantly. Withdrawals also come without any extra added costs, and are normally processed in no more than 48 hours.

As previously mentioned, the main drawback of using this payment method is that it isn’t compatible with most of the welcome bonus promotions in the UK market. This has nothing to do with security or privacy issues, but rather to prevent people abusing abusing new player sign-up deals by trying to redeem more than one free bet or deposit bonus per person. In an ideal world, punters would be able to sign up to a bookmaker, make the first initial deposit, and start using their Skrill account right from the word go. However due to keeping the bookmaker’s best interests in mind, punters must first choose an alternative payment method to deposit and claim the welcome bonus before they can enjoy all the benefits Skrill has to offer.

Is Skrill Safe?

Paysafecard is regulated by the UK Financial Conudct Authority

Whenever you choose to make a transfer using this payment method, you can always rest assured that you’re in safe hands. First and foremost, Skrill is fully authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, which means that they’re subject to the organisation’s strict guidelines regarding consumer protection and anti-fraud initiatives. Second, whenever you make a payment, you’ll only ever need to provide your email address; Skrill never ask you to reveal your card or bank details online, meaning that your personal information is always kept well out of harm’s way. To add to this, the company utilise the most advanced standards of Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI -DSS LEVEL 1) encryption; in simple terms, even if someone successfully hacks your payment transaction, all your information will be completely unreadable.

More Information About the Company

Skrill ltd (initially named Moneybookers) was first founded back in 2001 as an alternative banking method for people and businesses alike that were looking for a quick and secure payment solution. Now, some 15 years later, the company has grown into a major worldwide competitor in the e-Wallet business with well over 30 million registered users in more than 200 countries, and accepted payments in 40 different currencies.

After acquiring paysafecard back in 2013 – what was then the leading prepaid card payment scheme in Europe – and then Ukash in 2014, Skrill is now second only to the world-famous e-Wallet PayPal. They have won numerous awards for their outstanding service and extremely low fees, including the coveted “Payments Company of the Year” award two years in a row at the eGaming review awards, and “Best Payment Solutions Provider Company of the Year” at the International Gaming Awards. Neteller (another popular e-Wallet operating under the Paysafe Group conglomerate) also managed to scoop the “Best Payment System” award at last year’s iGB Affiliate ceremony.

Skrill - Winner of the Payments-Company-of-the-Year award at the EGR B2B awards 2012 & 2013

As the official and trusted payment partner of William Hill in addition to 12 other UK betting sites, Skrill have a section on their website dedicated to highlighting the latest bonus offers. Here punters can read up on some on exclusive betting previews, check the special bonus schedule to see what offers are upcoming, and also get some general information regarding some of the key facts and definitions specific to sports betting. With no other online payment solution showing the same attention to detail to the needs of the punter, Skrill are one of our most highly recommended companies when it comes making safe, and easy transactions to your favourite betting sites.

How to Avoid Phishing Scams

A phishing scam is when somebody tries to trick you into handing over your sensitive personal information by posing as an official company. Unfortunately, there are a fair few of these going around on the internet, which is exactly why we’ve provided this section to help you safeguard against these kind of cons.

First and foremost, you should be aware that Skrill will never send you an email that asks you to follow an external link that requires you to confirm or input your personal details. If you receive an email like this, there’s a fair chance it’s a scam, and the link doesn’t belong to the official Skrill website. If however you’re in two minds, a good way to avoid putting yourself at risk is to close the email and manually input the full Skrill URL into the address bar of your preferred web browser.

Any identity checks/ verifications should be handled by going directly to the official website and logging into your account. To add to this, official Skrill emails will always address you by your full name. If ever you receive an email that reads “Dear Skrill Customer”, “Dear Sir or Madam”, or anything other than the name under which your account is registered, do not respond. To help the security team tackle cases of online fraud, and phishing scams, be sure to report all suspicious emails to the help team via email or telephone.


Alternative Payment Methods

Neteller logo

If you’re considering using other payments methods that are similar to Skrill, Neteller operates under the same parent company Paysafe group, and works in pretty much the same way. The fees are comparably low, the payment process is just as seamless and efficient, and the authorisation from the UK Financial Conduct Authority ensures that all security standards and anti-money laundering protocols are upheld. Like Skrill, most reputable betting sites accept Neteller payments without any extra costs, however you will face a similar problem when it comes to claiming the welcome bonus.

paysafecard logo

Another option is the widely renowned e-Wallet PayPal. When it comes to low fees and convenience, the company’s stellar reputation pretty much speaks for itself. You’ll also find that most bookmakers will recognise it as a valid payment method for the first initial deposit, which means you’ll rarely encounter any issues when using PayPal to redeem a new player sign-up bonus.