The Importance of E-Wallets for Bonus Hunters

If bonus hunting is your game, then a credible e-wallet is an important weapon you should have in your arsenal. An e-wallet – such as Neteller, Moneybookers, or ePassporte – allows you to deposit and withdraw from online poker rooms with ease. Sending money to sites like Full Tilt Poker and Ultimate Bet literally takes just a few clicks with e-wallets. However, the process has become a bit more complicated for bonus hunters in the United States, where the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has driven many e-wallets out of the market.

If you’re outside of the United States, finding an e-wallet is a simple task. The major player in the market is Neteller, whose parent company, Neovia Financial, is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange. Although many U.S. players experienced frustrations with Neteller when the company abandoned the market due to the UIGEA, the company is blossoming worldwide. The e-wallet is happily accepted at many of the world’s largest online poker rooms and offers telephone, e-mail, and Live Chat support. Options to fund Neteller accounts include VISA, MasterCard, Maestro, and bank transfers. Each option’s fees and turnaround time varies, so check with Neteller for more information.

We’d also recommend checking out CLICK2PAY. Its deposit options differ by location, but throughout Europe, you can fund your CLICK2PAY account using a credit card or bank transfer. When it comes time to cash out back to your bank, you can do so via check or CLICK2PAY Debit Card. The company offers telephone, e-mail, and web support, so you’re never too far from a representative. CLICK2PAY is based in Grasbrunn, Germany, which is located in Munich.

Your success in bonus hunting hinges on your ability to be able to move money quickly and easily. After all, once you’ve completed a big bonus on bwin, you might want to check out RedKings. If you have an e-wallet available, this process will take just a few minutes. If not, it can take weeks. At HoldemBonuses.com, we offer you a wide range of the world’s top bonuses to take advantage of. In order to do so, your money has to be liquid. It’s just like the stock market. When you see good value, you have to be able to transfer funds around quickly. It’s important, however, not to keep too much money stored in an e-wallet. Many online poker players withdraw money from one site and then deposit all of it right onto another, leaving very little cash in an e-wallet account.

The advantage of many e-wallet transfers to online poker sites is that they are nearly instantaneous. All it takes is a few clicks and you’ll be whisked away to the world of online poker. However, accounts may take a week or two to set up initially. A series of micro-deposits will be placed into your bank account. Then, you typically must call the e-wallet or fill out a form online with these amounts in order to verify that the account is really yours. This security measure, while sometimes cumbersome, should reinforce the fact that your money is safe. We would advise starting this process as soon as possible.

Players depositing using credit cards often must receive checks to withdraw, a time-consuming process that is not conducive to effective bonus hunting. Players depositing and withdrawing using bank transfers will also experience a similar delay in funds being available, using up time that could be devoted to racking up player points across the world’s largest online poker sites. Before you deposit on any room, however, be sure to check the fees associated with each deposit and withdrawal method in order to find the e-wallet that is most affordable (and available) in your jurisdiction. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the Customer Service departments of prospective e-wallets and online poker sites.

Unfortunately for U.S. players, many e-wallets are not available. Moreover, available deposit and withdrawal methods are changing day by day. Many sites recommend credit cards for U.S. residents to deposit. However, their success ultimately depends on your bank. Future legislation favorable to online poker may eventually help curtail these issues.