Millions of people enjoy logging onto their favourite casinos all over the world. The action is diverse and comes in a range of formats. Classic table games, slots, live casino, scratch cards and more are all available. And the options just keep getting bigger and better.
Loads of new brands have entered the market over the last few years. And the industry continues to go from strength to strength. But all of these gambling opportunities mean nothing if players can’t keep their accounts topped up with funds.
Casino payments, a brief history
The first online casinos landed on our computer screens in the ‘90s. Thanks to some savvy industry experts, an exciting new way to play was spotted. And the idea of online casinos was born.
The first casino games that were available in the new digital format were basic slots and then came the table games. It was a slow start but before long, millions of gambling fans began to eye up the action.
To get cash into their accounts, the options were limited. This was the mid-’90s and products such as PayPal and Neteller hadn’t been invented yet. But luckily, debit and credit cards were an option, as too were bank transfers.
The late-’90s and early-2000s saw digital wallets gain traction. And the next decade really began to open up the online payments sector. The landscape began to form around the increased use of mobile phones for connecting to the internet. As a result, pay by phone casinos became the buzzword on everybody’s lips.
What is a pay by phone casino?
Pay by mobile casinos are a simple, new addition to the online gambling niche. The general term includes any casino that will allow you to pay via your mobile. In theory, any payment method that connects via a phone could be considered ‘pay by phone’. But in the casino industry, the term refers to the following 3 brands. Boku, Payforit and Zimpler.
These methods take funds directly from the source with little more than a text message from the customer. And that’s what makes them so popular.
All 3 products that we’re going to take a look at are simple to use. And a handy guide on how to make a casino deposit via mobile can be found at Gamble.xyz.
But if you’d like to know a little more about these products and how they work, then let’s take a closer look at each one.
Boku
This product is from San Francisco and was created in 2008. Mark Britto, Erich Ringewald, and Ron Hinson developed the idea of a mobile-first payment. They teamed up with some top brands to get their product up and running. And the company has gone from strength to strength. In 2020, they reached the milestone of processing over 1 billion payments. With transactions amounting to around $7 billion US.
This system uses mobile-carrier data to create a safe deposit platform. And all you need is your phone number and mobile phone to hand.
The process is extremely simple and allows users to make payments in a number of countries. And the customer funds come directly from their phone top-up credit or monthly phone bill. Boku then transfers the cash to the casino.
Loads of top pay by mobile casino sites allow payments via this platform. And the product received approval in the UK in 2013. So UK customers can also enjoy the benefits that it offers.
Payforit
Payforit is another product that is exactly the same as the above Boku platform. Gambling fans in the UK can take advantage of their services when making a deposit online. You can pay with phone credit or they add the purchase to your monthly bill if this is how you usually pay.
The service is, in essence, a premium rate fee that treats your casino deposit as it would any other mobile purchase.
There are limits in place to stop players from spending in excess. And these are fixed at £10 per transaction with a maximum of £30 in one day. So it is the perfect solution for those looking to keep a close eye on their casino spending.
Zimpler
Zimpler is a top addition to the mobile payments niche. This fintech service provider began in Sweden in 2012 and pulls together consumer bank details and mobile phones. The combo makes it possible to control fast and secure payments to online casinos.
The platform is available in Sweden, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands and Estonia for both deposits and withdrawals.
Users create an account and add their online banking details. When making a payment, they are directed to the Zimpler service where they can quickly select which bank to use. Transfers occur instantly and are controlled by the financial services authority of the respective country where the customer banks.
The service isn’t yet available in the UK but this may change over the coming years.