22 Nov

Australia Online Casino players Disappointed by Neteller, Skrill

Neteller Skrill reduce Casino Withdrawal Options in AustraliaFor years now, Neteller and Skrill and have among the most popular casino payment methods for punters worldwide. These eWallet services offer easy, secure deposits, but more importantly, one of the fastest casino withdrawal options via it’s Prepiad MasterCard service. For New Zealand and Australia online casino players, that’s about to change.

Paysafe Group, parent company of both Neteller and Skrill eWallet services, sent out an email last week to countless customers. They were unceremoniously informed that the firm is pulling it’s Prepaid MasterCard services from 100 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Columbia, New Zealand, and many others that went unnamed.

Until the company elaborates on the decision, it’s still unknown whether other major iGaming territories like Canada and the US will be effected by the changes, set to take place on Friday, November 25, 2016.

It was also noted that customers residing anywhere in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) will not be effected. They will still have access to all Neteller and Skrill payment options, as well as the popular Prepaid MasterCard service.

Message from Neteller, Skrill

The following is an excerpt from the email sent out by Paysafe Group last week.

We regret to inform you that as of November 25, 2016, we will no longer offer the Skrill Prepaid MasterCard® in your country You will not be able to use your card but your Skrill Account remains fully functional and your balance is unaffected. You can withdraw funds from your Skrill Account to your bank account or send money to any other Skrill user or online business accepting Skrill.

Why Skrill Alone Isn’t Enough

As the email clearly states, yes, Australia online casino players will still have complete access their Skrill accounts for casino payments. But losing the Prepaid MasterCard service is a big blow to many punters who will be hard pressed to find any casino withdrawal options that are remotely close to offering the same speed.

When withdrawing to Neteller’s and Skrill’s Prepaid MasterCard, players only had to wait as long as it took the online casino or poker site to process the cashout; usually 24-48 hours at most. From there, the funds were instantly available on the card. They could be withdrawn from an ATM machine, or the card could be used at any land-based or online retailer that accepts MasterCard.

The loss of that expedient withdrawal method means Aussies and Kiwis will have to withdrawal to their Skrill accounts, then initiate a bank transfer to move those funds into their bank account. That can take many days, if not more than a week, to complete.

Other Casino Withdrawals Options

Another alternative would be to open an EntroPay account. EntroPay works by giving users a Virtual Visa that can be used for online casino deposits and withdrawals. The service is just as fast as the Prepaid MasterCard provided by Neteller and Skrill, except for one little snag.

The Prepaid MasterCard is an actual, physical, plastic card that can be used in land-based retailers, ATMs and for online purchases. Entropay’s Virtual Visa is not a plastic card, and can therefore only be used online.

For Australia online casino winners, getting their hands on that cash means they would still have to request a transfer of their EntroPay balance to their bank account. Thus many players will surely be looking for new casino withdrawal options, while hoping other payment processors take this opportunity to fill a great void in the market.