Last year, UK card companies started to reissue their terms of service. What crept in at many is a different way of treating gambling transactions. Most now treat them as a cash advance, and not a purchase. Although most do not levy the usual cash fee of 2 to 3%, as cash advances, they are limited to a set percentage of the overall card limit. This varies with provider, but will result in gambling deposits being rejected even though the card is well below its credit limit. Most Mastercards did not work, including all the Mastercard brands I used.
Today I received yet another of these missives, from Capital One this time, telling me about changes, plus the change in treatment of Gambling transactions to cash advances, which is strange as this card has always rejected gambling transactions.
The ONLY UK card that still treats gambling transactions as purchases is Barclaycard, however they charge by far the highest rates of interest on these "purchases".
Despite the hassle, an eWallet such as Neteller is the way forward, as I fuly expect further tightening on the credit card front. I have also seen one decide to go as far as charge the 3% advance fee for gambling transactions.
DEBIT cards should still work, and some casinos, including Royal Vegas and Palace Group can credit withdrawals back to these cards.
Credit card companies are increasingly concerned about bad debt, and know that gambling is one way people can run up large debts very quickly. They don't want to stop it altogether though, given that they still make a healthy profit where gamblers can cover the debt, and the government is all in favour of us gambling online - probably the only thing the Yanks are jealous of us Brits about
(Everything else, of course, being bigger and/or better "over there")