Gambling at American Express Casinos in Ontario: What Players Need to Know

The rest of the world might not know about this, but the current online gambling landscape in Ontario, Canada is a bit of a confusing space for anyone holding an AMEX card. Right now at time of writing, because of regulations, Ontario players are not lawfully allowed to use their shiny American Express card to directly deposit any amount of cold hard digital cash at Ontario online casinos.

There’s absolutely no need for tears, Twitter tirades or tantrums about it though. Ontarians with a thrill-seeking streak may use their handy dandy AMEX card to enter a good casino-flavored iGaming site for a session or two whenever they want to. The way they can go about doing this just involves a simple extra-wide hoop to jump through. And before anyone starts stressing out about this loophole’s legality, it’s completely lawful.

American Express cards have been a popular choice for a good long while now for a bunch of good reasons. AMEX card holders enjoy a good amount of security, delight in the service’s smile-inducing rewards programs and can move funds around very easily. So, why can’t they use an AMEX card and why aren’t direct deposits possible right now? Here’s what poker players, and everyone else with a taste for online gambling in Ontario, needs to be keenly aware of:

The extra step: e-wallets 

If AMEX payments aren’t allowed, then why do American Express casinos exist in Ontario? The answer to this is easy: players can actually still use their card along with a feature-rich e-wallet service to deposit their funds and play. This is an extra, potentially frustrating step in the process to place gaming-related wagers at a good Ontarian American Express casino, but for many, it’s worth it.

Why not just play at a different site? For a few good reasons, actually. First of all, American Express casinos in Ontario are actually some of the better options around. Sites that review and compare these exact kinds of online gaming spaces have done their homework to explain exactly why. Players can visit this site, https://time2play.com/ca-en/casinos/payments/american-express/, to see for themselves how sites have made it easy for players to pick out the best operators that offer American Express e-wallet payments.

The other reason why players would choose an American Express casino involves the fact that AMEX offers such a good service, offering generous transaction limits and speedy payments. Naturally, the majority of grownups might not want to go about applying for yet another card. This should probably go without saying but, if they can choose, they’ll choose to keep with the American Express rectangle they already put so much effort into getting their hands on. They want to stay with what they know. They want to have their cake and eat it too.

It can be done, with an e-wallet service.

The correct e-wallet must be applied for

Before opening a new web browser tab to look up e-wallet providers, Hold those horses for a second. Why? Because not just any old run-of-the-mill e-wallet will do. Players who are interested in playing at an American Express casino operating in Ontario will have to do a small amount of extra work upfront to make sure the e-wallet service accepts AMEX payments and caters to Ontarians.

Of the handful of options available, PayPal stands out head and shoulders above some of the others. This is not only because PayPal is always partnering with other services to improve its own crypto service offerings, even though that might well be enough of a reason for crypto users. It’s because PayPal is well-established in the e-wallet market and has a good, solid reputation for working really well without any issues.

Why direct gambling deposits with AMEX are a no-go

Right now, at the time of writing, casino game enjoyers residing in or visiting Ontario can’t use their AMEX card to make a direct cash deposit at any American Express iGaming operator. Why not? Because of some strict, but fair, regulations laid out by the AGCO, or Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

This seemingly bizarrely specific rule was not put in place to simply punish gamers with AMEX cards, however. Actually, the rules that bar AMEX cards are there for well-meaning reasons related to responsible, regulated play. So far, the rules have been great for players. According to the AGCO, around 86% of Ontario’s online gamblers play on safe, secure regulated sites.

When the AGCO drafted up their regulations, it was understood that allowing people to make credit card payments for real money online casino entertainment could eventually put some vulnerable players in a sticky financial spot. There are other reasons why the restriction is here to stay, most likely. Without going into excruciating amounts of detail, direct AMEX deposits aren’t offered to help prevent fraud, limit chargebacks and, ultimately, give some valuable extra protections to customers.

These rules are unlikely to change any time soon

Anyone holding out for ACGOs regulations to fall away so they can make direct AMEX deposits should probably give up their wait. The attorney general of Ontario, Doug Downey has himself stated that Ontario’s strict but beneficial online gambling rules have made the entire scene better for players. Unregulated markets are dwindling in the province, and any big changes might negatively affect all the positive strides the Canadian location has made since 2022.