PayPal betting sites are highly popular with sports bettors because they offer a fast, secure, and easy way to transfer money to and from your betting account, all while keeping your financial information safe.
In this guide, you’ll discover the top UK PayPal betting sites for 2024, learn how to set up and use PayPal for betting, explore the benefits and potential fees, and compare PayPal with other payment methods.
What is PayPal?
PayPal is a safe, third-party provider for online payments. It is the perfect solution for online gamblers wanting to transfer funds across the best betting sites without using a credit card. In fact, all you need is an email address and valid PayPal account to move cash to your favourite sport betting sites.
PayPal has changed over the years. It’s harder to make credit card payments via PayPal in the UK (the law was altered in 2020), but minimum deposits are now lower and transaction times are quicker than ever.
Betting sites that accept PayPal won’t charge a penny for making deposits or withdrawals. Plus, you can use your funds to send to other bookmakers without receiving them in your bank account first.
How does PayPal work?
You can set up a free PayPal account via the UK PayPal homepage. Alternatively, download the mobile app for iOS or Google Play from the relevant app store.
You can set up a digital e-Wallet with a few details. You must have a valid email address and password to open an account. Then, simply link debit cards or bank accounts to your e-Wallet.
Setting Up a PayPal Online Account
- Visit PayPal UK to set up a new account
- Create a username and password
- Open your digital wallet and link current accounts or debit/credit card
- Set your preferred currency
- Enter your card details or scan your card (up to 24 cards for verified PayPal accounts)
- Click ‘TRANSFER MONEY’ to move cash into your PayPal account
Can I Use Paypal On Betting Sites?
Yes, you can sign up to new betting sites or more established ones and make PayPal payments to use for gambling. Licensed UK football betting sites that accept PayPal allow you to make instant deposits from just £5–£10. Moreover, you won’t be charged and you can cash straight out to a PayPal wallet provided you used it to deposit.
Some deposit limits and fees may apply when using the best betting sites with PayPal. Plus, you can use PayPal’s own Resolution Centre to sort payment account issues with the bookmaker.
Benefits of Betting Sites with PayPal Banking
PayPal ranks highly among online payment methods due to its ease of use, low fees, and various additional perks.
- Transfer cash without using a credit card or debit card
- Use an email address to transfer cash – no saved card details
- No fees on some domestic PayPal transfers
- Accepted by millions of businesses worldwide
- Buy and sell cryptocurrency with your PayPal betting account
- Use one PayPal account for dozens of betting sites
- Fast withdrawals within a few hours
- Fees apply on some transfers
- Lower maximum deposit/withdrawal limits than debit cards
- Ineligible for most welcome bonuses
Best 10 PayPal Betting Sites in 2024
- Bet365
- 10bet
- SBK
- All British Sportsbook
- William Hill
- BoyleSports
- Smarkets
- Betfred
- The Pools
- Grosvenor Sports
How We Review PayPal Betting Sites
At Punters Lounge, our team has strict criteria on how we review PayPal betting sites for UK players. We examine every facet of the betting site, with PayPal payments at the top of the list.
First and foremost, the bookmaker should accept PayPal for both deposits and withdrawals. The betting sites shouldn’t charge for making PayPal transactions, and deposit/withdrawal limits should be wide enough to cater to all budgets.
PayPal betting sites for UK players should come with added incentives, such as welcome bonuses and free bets. Therefore, we do thorough research to check the terms and conditions, plus whether PayPal deposits are eligible when claiming a bonus.
Top UK PayPal betting sites come with a range of added features including Cash Out and Bet Builder. AYou can also enjoy live in-play betting or follow live streams on selected sports and races.
Betting apps that use PayPal must provide 24-hour live chat, phone, or email support for players. Ideally, you should have access to customer service in a range of languages, as well as a detailed Help Centre for everyday queries.
PayPal offers encrypted payments, but the bookmakers themselves should carry valid UK Gambling Commission licences to protect players. Therefore, we check all gambling sites with PayPal options to ensure they have https protocols, and Secure Socket Layer encryption.
How to Sign up to a PayPal Bookmaker
Here’s how to register an account in minutes at one of our top betting sites that take PayPal:
- Find a Top PayPal Betting Provider by reading our expert reviews
- Click on the join button to be taken straight the betting site
- Enter Your Details, such as your full name, DOB, and email address.
- Create a Unique Username & Password
- Deposit funds into your account using PayPal
- Start Placing Sport Bets
PayPal Welcome Bonus Exclusions
Although most betting sites that use PayPal won’t let you claim a welcome bonus if you make a first deposit through your e-Wallet, it’s important to note that the restriction isn’t just for PayPal, but also other e-Wallet providers like Skrill, mobile payments (e.g., Google Pay), and prepaid vouchers. This restriction exists to prevent bonus abuse via payment methods that are hard to verify.
Making a Deposit at PayPal Bookies
You can fund your account at betting sites with a PayPal deposit in seconds. Indeed, you’ll need a PayPal account and email to transfer funds, along with a valid betting account username.
1. Log In and Open the Deposit Page
Open the banking page in your browser and select the PayPal option from the drop-down menu.
2. Make a PayPal Online Payment
Enter the amount you wish to transfer, then click the PayPal button to redirect to your PayPal account page. You can also opt to make instant PayPal betting deposits without having to log in to your PayPal account. However, this option is not available for MasterCard payments.
3. Complete the Transfer at PayPal
You will be logged in to your PayPal account in a separate browser. Click on the method of payment, then click ‘COMPLETE PURCHASE’ to transfer money to the betting site.
You can also activate One Touch on your PayPal account. This allows you to stay logged in permanently for faster PayPal transactions.
4. Play Your Bonus
Once you’ve claimed your no wagering bonus, it’s time to enjoy your favourite slots – and hopefully, land some wins! Remember that winnings from no wagering bonuses are credited to your account as real cash, and you won’t need to complete any wagering requirements prior to withdrawing.
Some sites do require you to make a deposit before you can withdraw, however. This is more common when claiming no-deposit bonuses, but it’s still something to be aware of.
Making a Withdrawal at PayPal Bookies
PayPal withdrawals are free, and processing times are quick and you can usually cash out to the same PayPal email address you used to deposit with.
Withdrawals from PayPal bookmakers in the UK used to take up to 2 working days. However, PayPal betting withdrawals are a lot quicker nowadays. Some of the top PayPal betting sites listed above have total processing times of 1–4 hours. Those timeframes check out in our experience.
Maximum withdrawal limits from PayPal gambling sites are also larger than they used to be. In 2024, most PayPal betting sites allow maximum cash-out limits of up to £5,500.
Your betting account must be fully verified to withdraw money in the UK. You can upload verification documents to get your account up to speed. These include scans of your UK passport or driving licence, plus a recent utility bill or proof of address.
How to Choose Bookmakers That Accept PayPal
It’s important to do research when you select the top betting sites for gambling on sport. Therefore, here are some other personal factors to consider when you double down on PayPal betting sites.
Bookies that accept PayPal must guarantee instant withdrawals on payment requests, or as close to instant as possible. Plus, you should have a range of alternatives to hand, such as Neteller or MasterCard.
Bookmakers with PayPal options should back it up with competitive odds and regular price boosts on a range of sports.
Start at gambling sites that accept PayPal with a welcome bonus, then keep claiming retention bonuses like reload matches. Special features should cover everything from early cash-out to Best Odds Guaranteed and predictor contests.
With top betting apps, you can make PayPal deposits through your phone while claiming free bets. Plus, you can use alternative payments such as Google Pay.
PayPal Bookmaker Fees & Limits
It’s worth noting that the PayPal service doesn’t come for free on all payment options. It’s free to send or receive cash via your e-Wallet account to sports betting sites that accept PayPal.
However, using a card through PayPal can incur domestic fees of up to 2.9% plus a small fixed fee. Sending international payments to a sports betting site can be more expensive with fees of 5% plus a small international fee are standard. The same 5% charge applies to cards.
It’s also important to note that it’s now illegal to transfer money to PayPal bookmakers via credit card. Therefore, it’s up to the PayPal sports betting sites to ensure you aren’t using a credit card through the back door via your PayPal e-Wallet. Having said that, all bookies we recommend are UKGC-licensed and so would not accept a PayPal deposit via credit card.
There are also fees for withdrawing funds from PayPal to a bank account or card. There’s a fee of around 1.75% for transferring cash to a bank account. Withdrawal limits apply too. In general, it’s free to cash out to a debit card, provided you aren’t converting the currency.
Future Trends for PayPal Betting Sites
The good news for UK sports bettors is that PayPal is going nowhere any time soon. According to 2024 profit forecasts, PayPal is set to grow even bigger than it is now. However, PayPal will have to watch out for other players like Apple and Google moving into the online digital payment industry.
Additionally, the Gambling Act 2005 Review may also impact how sports bettors make bets in the future. Additional checks and financial risk assessments on customers could be the norm. However, that shouldn’t impact how betting sites using PayPal operate. PayPal is already a regulated payment provider and customers must already go through age and ID checks before setting up a digital wallet.
Interestingly, PayPal has recently moved into cryptocurrency trading. You can now buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptos through the PayPal platform. If bookmakers are regulated to allow crypto payments in the future, PayPal will be the ideal platform for transferring BTC or ETH.
PayPal Gambling Protections
Importantly, PayPal plays an active role in supporting problem gamblers and offers plenty of assistance on its help pages. For example, you can find advice and resources for approved problem gambling charities in the UK on the PayPal website.
In addition, PayPal offers to help vulnerable customers who are struggling with financial hardship or gambling addiction. PayPal has trained staff that can help with each customer’s financial circumstances as part of its “forbearance” responsibilities.
Responsible Gambling Resources
Online sports betting sites that accept PayPal should provide a safe place to gamble. In addition to letting you set deposit limits, you should have access to gambling charities that can assist in problem gambling. Here are some great resources for UK sport bettors:
Alternatives to PayPal Betting
PayPal is one of the best payment methods for quick deposits and fast withdrawals. For instance, as you can see from the table below, e-wallets like PayPal and Skrill are the quickest method if you want your money out quickly.
| Payment Method | Min/Max Deposit | Withdrawal Limit | Average Withdrawal Time | Eligible for Welcome Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PayPal | £20–£5,500 | £10–£10,000 | 1–4 hours | No |
| VISA | £5–£20,000 | £5–£20,000 | 2–3 business days | Yes |
| Skrill | £20–£5,000 | £10–£5,500 | 1–4 hours | No |
| Bank Transfer | £5–£100,000 | £5–£25,000 | 2–3 business days | Yes |
| Google Pay | £5–£5,000 | £5–£2,000 | 1–2 hours | No |
| Apple Pay | £5–£5,000 | £5–£2,000 | 1–2 hours | No |
Final Thoughts: PayPal Bookmakers
PayPal betting in the UK is growing all the time. You can make instant deposits without using a card and gather funds from multiple sources in one place. Plus, withdrawal times are getting quicker, and you even use the PayPal cryptocurrency exchange to purchase Bitcoin. Find a PayPal betting site with our recommended links and claim your first free bets.
References
PayPal Bookmakers FAQ
Can I do betting with PayPal at UK bookmakers?
Yes! You can make fee-free deposits with gambling sites that accept PayPal. Make deposits from just £5–£10, then place bets on eligible markets of your choice.
Is it safe to gamble with PayPal?
Our team compares dozens of UK betting sites to find those offering the greatest odds year-round. We regularly compare the biggest prices on UK horse races and football markets.
Can I claim a welcome bonus at betting sites that accept PayPal?
Bookmakers with PayPal deposits may not honour welcome bonuses if you make a first deposit with any e-Wallet. Check the terms and conditions of any sports betting bonus to check PayPal deposits are permitted.
Can I deposit online with a credit card via PayPal?
No, you can’t use a credit card through PayPal to make payments at UK bookmakers. Under current UK law, credit card payments are prohibited, both by themselves or through a third-party payment provider like PayPal.
Can PayPal block gambling sites online?
Absolutely. In 2022, PayPal introduced the Gamban software to allow you to block yourself from making online gambling payments. You can also set gambling limits with your sports betting sites and request a time-out.
Which currencies does PayPal accept?
PayPal accepts over a dozen currencies, including USD and GBP. However, most PayPal betting sites will only let you transfer USD, GBP, or EUR from your e-Wallet. Minimum PayPal deposits at online betting sites are around £10–£20.
