The online gambling industry in the United States is rapidly closing the door on credit cards. On April 14, Caesars Entertainment officially removed the credit card deposit option from all its online gambling platforms in the US, covering a brand matrix including Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Sports Betting and Casino, Caesars Horse Racing, Horseshoe Casino, William Hill Sports Betting, and the World Series of Poker Online, with only Ontario and Puerto Rico retaining credit card payments due to local regulatory approval. A Caesars spokesperson made an official statement, but it still reveals the cautious consideration behind it—this decision was made after months of independent review and careful evaluation starting last fall, thoroughly streamlining payment options, simplifying the deposit experience while also strengthening the digital commitment to customer priority.
This move makes Caesars the last major operator to take similar measures after DraftKings and FanDuel. DraftKings implemented this as early as last August, followed by FanDuel in March this year, BetMGM started the exit process in late March, and bet365 implemented it nationwide just one day earlier than Caesars.
Analyst: Credit cards only account for 20% of deposits, minimal financial impact
This collective shift in the industry has not caused much financial turmoil. "The overall impact should be minimal," says Jordan Bend, a securities analyst at Civic Capital Markets, referencing DraftKings' experience—its betting volume did not show significant changes in the months following the removal of credit cards, with changes more on the "headline level" rather than constituting a substantial impact on business. Macquarie Capital analyst Sam Gaffield estimated from a quantitative perspective that credit cards account for approximately 10% to 20% of gambling deposits in the US. He noted that credit card users are often newer or more casual gambling players, who might encounter brief friction during initial deposits, but this effect would gradually diminish over time.
From the operators' own cost accounts, credit card transaction fees are generally higher than alternative payment tools, and eliminating credit cards actually reduces a direct operating cost. Caesars currently retains alternative payment channels for customers including debit cards, ACH or electronic check transfers, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, prepaid Play+ cards, and cash deposits at designated retail points.
Endorsement of bans in eight states and federal-level political pressure
Several states have already taken legislative action ahead of operators' autonomous actions. Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia have already issued bans on using credit cards in online sports betting, and states like Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York are also considering similar legislative proposals by 2026. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren exposed the pitfalls of credit cards in gambling scenarios in the spotlight ahead of this year's Super Bowl—users often do not realize that such transactions are considered cash advances by banks, thereby incurring additional fees and interest rates. Industry analysts also pointed out that removing credit card deposit options might reduce future policy risks and improve operators' ratings in environmental, social, and governance aspects.
PASA official website continues to track the evolution of the North American gambling payment ecosystem and regulatory changes, noting that the US online gambling industry is collectively withdrawing from credit cards, the most controversial payment tool, without a federal mandate, providing a reference model for gambling payment regulation in other global regions based on industry self-regulation and state-level legislative advancement.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leaders," a gambling industry news channel: https://t.me/pasa_news
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