Western Union

Casino Deposit Methods at the Best Online Casinos

Western Union Online Casinos

Western Union is incredibly popular as it’s easy-to-use, and the masses trust it widely. That’s why there are many online casinos accepting Western Union as a payment method. Even though WU payments are not the fastest option in online casinos, they are still available in many casinos, as plenty of players don’t have access to other banking methods. 

The main difference between Western Union and other faster options is that the former is available to anyone, as long as they have a WU location nearby. In contrast, most other options aren’t available to all players, especially in the US. However, bear in mind that some casinos prefer MoneyGram over Western Union because it has fewer restrictions. 

Western Union is a big topic for online casinos, which is why we’ve compiled a detailed guide on Western Union online casinos. Keep reading to learn all you need to know!

How to Choose a Western Union Online Casino

Finding and choosing a Western Union online casino is not an easy feat. The banking method is not as widely used as credit cards and popular e-wallets, so you would first have to find an online casino that offers Western Union as a banking method. 

However, you will also have to make sure that the casino you find is a good one. The best thing you can do is check a single Western Union casino review or two to determine its popularity and reliability. Essentially, the key is to find an excellent online casino that also supports Western Union, and you’re set to go.

How to Make a Deposit in an Online Casino Using Western Union

Using Western Union in online casinos is different from making deposits with other options typically available in online casinos. Let’s cover the whole process in five easy steps, so you can learn how to do it in no time:

  1. Sign up
    Before you start making Western Union online casinos deposits, you need to find a casino that accepts Western Union payments and sign up for an account. The whole process should take only a few minutes, as it does in any other online casino.
  2. Reach out to customer support
    As Western Union deposits are unique, you will have to contact customer support to ask for instructions on how to make a Western Union deposit. This is always necessary as the casino needs to give you the specific information to send a Money Order or use the Person to Person transfer.
  3. Visit a WU location
    Once you have all the information, the next step is to visit a Western Union location where you can make a transfer to the casino. Choose a specific form of payment you prefer, fill in the casino’s details, put the amount you want to deposit, and send the money. If anything is unclear, you can always simply ask the employee there.
  4. Get the MTCN
    When the employee at the WU location processes the payment, you will get an MTCN, a tracking number that the casino will use to track your payment and connect it to your account.
  5. Wait for the money to arrive
    Once you give the MTCN to the casino, you will need to wait for the payment to reach it. In most cases, Western Union transfers to online casinos take between one and three business days. Once the money is in your account, you can start playing as you always do in online casinos

How to Make a Withdrawal in an Online Casino Using Western Union

We’ll explain the whole process in four easy steps. But before we do, you need to know that not all casinos that offer WU deposits also support WU withdrawals. This is true with many banking options, but make sure Western Union withdrawals are supported as well before joining a specific WU casino. 

  1. Choose WU as a payout option
    If the casino supports WU withdrawals, you will usually find it in the payout section of the Cashier. If not, contact customer support, which is the next step, regardless of whether the option is there.
  2. Contact customer support
    Requesting payment via Western Union follows the same procedure as deposits, which is why you need to contact customer support, choose the amount you want to withdraw from your account, and get them to place the order.
  3. Get the MTCN code
    Customer support agents should give you an MTCN code once they deal with the transfer, just as you gave them when you were depositing money with Western Union. It usually takes the casino 48 hours to process the order or as many as five business days. The withdrawal times are generally available in the payout section, so make sure to check how long they take because everything above five business days is too much.
  4. Visit the nearest WU location
    Take your MTCN code and visit the nearest Western Union location to withdraw the funds you asked from the casino.

Advantages of Using Western Union at an Online Casino

Western Union deposits in online casinos have many advantages, so let’s take a closer look at all the major ones you need to know about:

  • The company’s reputation — The main advantage of Western Union is that it has existed for more than 160 years and still has a flawless reputation. This is not something to be taken lightly, as WU serves millions of people every year while transferring billions of dollars.
  • Low costs — Depending on where you’re sending the money, WU will only charge a fee of 1-4% at the most. You can always visit the official Western Union site to see what fees to expect.
  • Location accessibility — There are more than 70,000 locations in the US and Canada, while the rest of the world has more than 500,000 locations spread out in almost all countries.
  • Transfer reliability — If you can’t or won’t use a credit card or bank transfer, the next best thing will always be Western Union as its transfers are equally reliable.
  • Credit cards aren’t needed — In many places, players can’t use credit cards in online casinos, which is where Western Union steps in because it doesn’t require you to use a credit card to make a payment.

Disadvantages of Using Western Union at Online Casinos

Even though Western Union is great and has many impressive advantages, it still has a few downsides:

  • Longer deposit times — Western Union transfers cannot compare to credit cards and e-wallets as they offer instant deposits. However, due to the nature of WU transfers, the deposit times are not that bad as they can often last only a few hours or less.
  • Restrictions — Western Union places a few restrictions on online casino transactions, which is why they usually prefer Money Gram.
  • Fees — Western Union has very low fees, but they still exist. This is a disadvantage in a world where many payment options at online casinos have no fees.

How to Choose the Best Online Casinos That Take Western Union Deposits for USA Players

Picking the right Western Union online casino is not an easy feat, but it’s necessary, especially when you can’t use credit cards and bank transfers. Here are a few factors you need to consider while making your decision:

  • Convenience — If you want to use gambling sites that accept Western Union deposits, you need to make sure there’s a WU office near you. Make sure it covers Money Orders and Person to Person transfers, as you’ll most likely be using those. 
  • Withdrawal times — Check the withdrawal times in the casino banking page. We’ve already mentioned that it’s important for it to be up to 48 hours or five business days at the most. You shouldn’t use casinos that have longer withdrawal times.
  • Limits to cash transfers — Many casinos limit the amount you can deposit and withdraw. They usually have minimum and maximum payments, so make sure these are acceptable when you consider your overall gambling budget.

Western Union Mobile

Even though many people still use physical Western Union locations, you can use the WU app. It works on Android and iOS devices, allowing you to make transfers without having to visit a Western Union office. 

The app is a great middleman between you and the online casino that might not cover credit card and bank transfer payment due to your location. What’s more, it’s excellent for tracking each transfer as you can do that in the app at any point. However, there’s no need to do it if you don’t want to, as the app will notify you once the money reaches its destination. You can even save a contact so you can easily repeat a transfer in the future.

The Services Western Union Offers

Western Union offers a wide variety of services you can use to deposit money at an online casino. What’s more, besides the regular cash transfer, all other services are online. Sending money online via WU is seamless, as you only need to choose a service, enter the receiver’s information and the payment information, and wait for a confirmation via email. 

Now, let’s take a closer look at each method:

Cash transfer

This is the most common way of using Western Union. You simply visit a WU office, fill in the necessary information, hand the cash you want to deposit, and you’re done. The deposit should reach the casino that same day, and it will process it soon after.

Bank account

You need to use a US bank account and link it to your WU profile. Then you simply need to complete a transfer to the casino.

WU® Pay

This method is the same as the previous one, with the only difference being that WU uses its own service to complete a transfer.

Send money to a bank account

Instead of sending money to a specific person or organization, you can send money directly to a bank account with this method.

Money in minutes

This method requires you to use a credit or debit card from a US bank. The rest is simple — you only enter the casino’s information, pay the amount you want to deposit, and the money will reach the account in minutes.

Transfer to mobile phone

Western Union allows people to send money from one phone to another, but both you and the receiver need to use an approved provider in a supported country. You will also have to use a credit or debit card.

Online FX service

This method is perfect for sending large sums of money overseas while keeping the currency rate locked, so you don’t lose a lot in the conversion.

A Brief History of Western Union

Ezra Cornell founded Western Union in 1851 as a telegram exchange company for numerous cities in the US. It quickly rose to prominence while the popularity of telegrams was rising. What’s more, it didn’t take long for WU to grow into a major corporation, and once the telephone replaced the telegram, the company switched to a predominantly money transfer business. 

As such, Western Union continued to grow by buying out the competition and continually improving services. Once it acquired its main competitor, Postal Telegraph, Inc., it basically created a monopoly. 

Western Union continued to grow and change, and today, it’s a public company that mainly deals with money transfers and money orders across the entire world.

How to Know If Western Union Is the Right Deposit Method for You?

If you can’t use credit cards and bank transfers, WU is your best choice. However, you still have to be ok with the few disadvantages it has. If you don’t like the slower payment times and fees, you should use some other method. However, bear in mind that when your choice is limited to a few other, less popular methods, using Western Union is the best option.

Conclusion

Now that you know all there is to know about Western Union in online casinos, all that’s left for you to do is to choose one of the top online Western Union casinos. Then you can quickly register an account, make a deposit with WU, and start playing your favorite casino games!

FAQ About Western Union Deposit Methods

Below are some of the questions players frequently ask about western union deposit methods.

They are quite simple, and we’ve explained it all in detail on a step-by-step basis in this guide.

They are as safe as any other major payment method, including credit cards and bank wire transfers.

There are plenty of these casinos out there, but you need to stick to the top Western Union casinos for US players.

Yes, as long as they are allowed in your country. What’s more, the casino you’re using also has to be licensed and regulated.

Western Union has its advantages and disadvantages when compared to other payment methods, and we’ve explained all of them in this guide.