Blog entry published on 3 May 2010
Canadian Online Gamblers - How to Bypass Credit Card Bans
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Man, I find it really hard sometimes not to hate the government of our neighbours to the south, especially when their political issues have a direct, and unfair impact on us Canadians. Case in point, using credit cards to fund online casino accounts. Easy enough, right? Not any more. Because a handful of puritanical and no doubt self-serving U.S. Congressmen chose to ban online gambling in the United States in 2006, the knock-on effect where the global online gambling industry is concerned was enormous, which three-and-a-half years later continues to deliver 'speed bumps.'
Because the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is being enforced this year, the world's largest credit card companies i.e. Visa and MasterCard, recently stopped processing online gambling-related payments for their U.S. customers, no doubt because of fear of retribution from the pit bull-like U.S. Justice Department. But its seems that this credit card ban has spilled over into Canada (the U.S. government would call it 'collateral damage') as stories begin to emerge of how some Canadians attempting to use bank-issued VISA cards at some Canadian online casinos are being blocked. This should not be happening considering that online gambling is fully legal and regulated in some Canadian provinces. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank America for allowing its politics to affect Canadians. NOT!!!
There is a silver lining, however. Apparently, the way around the credit card ban is to get yourself a VISA Electron. As an internet-based debit-style card, players can make online gambling-related payments to online gambling destinations without fear of interception, because VISA Electron has no attachment to a physical financial institution. Plus, transfers are instant, safe and secure, and players don't have to give out their own personal financial or credit card information. And, the registration process is fast and painless. It should take you just a matter of minutes to set yourself up with a VISA Electron account (at least it did for me).
Once activated and funded, you can be playing at your favourite online casino quicker than you can say: 'Didn't they learn anything from the Prohibition in the 1930s?"
 | Posted by Anton Johan at 09:30 on 3 May 2010 |
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