American Express Online Casinos

American Express (Amex) is an online casino payment method, and more, that works for deposits only at a limited number of gaming venues. If you see the Amex logo on the web page, it should be a viable option for cardholders.

The U.S.-based multinational financial services corporation began business in 1850. Today, the brand itself is worth an estimated US$24.5 billion according to Forbes brand rankings. Market cap as of October 2018 was US$86.5 billion.

The three primary products the company is most well known for are charge cards, credit cards, and traveler's cheques. The company was actually created as an express mail business with a stock merger between Wells & Company, Livingston, Fargo & Company, and another firm that created Wells Fargo when a majority stockholder objected to the company's expansion into California.

Other early product development occurred when, in 1857, the company launched a money order business to compete with the US Postal Service.

Traveler's Cheques were added to the lineup after J. C. Fargo spent some time in Europe and was frustrated by his lack of ability to obtain cash with traditional letters of credit. In 1891, they began selling American Express Traveler's Cheques in values ranging from $10 to $100.

The company invested in several other metrics over the years and in 1994 spun off their last investment banking businesses to a company known as Lehman Brothers. That company crashed and burned in the 2008 financial meltdown.

With a history of 170 years, the company presents a deep and interesting history, but we'll look at the primary financial products of specific interest to online gamblers. Credit/Charge and Prepaid/Gift cards are the only viable instruments they offer for online casino deposits.

Personal Cards

The company offers a variety of credit cards, including those with no annual fee, and those with cash back offers. As they are not connected to your bank account, your credit score will help you determine which option is best for you. For the most part, Amex is an instrument for those with good credit. Some pre-qualified offers are available for people with less than stellar credit but the associated fees may make them a bad choice.

Charge or Credit Card

Charge cards must be paid off every month, whereas credit cards can carry a balance month to month.

Prepaid Cards

American Express offers a variety of prepaid and gift cards. Each of the prepaid cards has its own advantages and disadvantages. All have a monthly fee. The choice then comes down to how you wish to fund the card, how often you will use it, and whether you want to trade other fees for a 1% cash back offer monthly.

Gift Cards

The personal and business gift cards can be purchased online for a small fee. The funds never expire and there are no fees for using the cards.

Which Card to Choose

If you are a regular brick and mortar casino gambler, and occasionally use a line of credit from your favorite gaming place, we don't hesitate to suggest that you take advantage of the perks available to credit card and charge card users.

However, for many people, gambling with credit is not an ideal option. You may be charged cash advance fees. It's also a good idea to have a disciplined bankroll management plan so you don't get overextended.

If you are a well-disciplined gambler and also use credit cards quite a bit, either a charge card which must be paid off monthly or a credit card fitting your financial profile may be best for you.

Visit American Express to explore the rewards offered and choose the best card for your particular situation.

For many players, a prepaid debit or gift card may be the best choice. It can help you set a gambling budget and assist with responsible gambling.

American Express Serve debit cards and Amex gift cards can be found here.

Where to use American Express

While American Express is the 4th most widely used card in the world, behind China's UnionPay, Visa, and Mastercard, not all online casinos will accept them.

Prior to the UIGEA of 2006, they were much more widely accepted. Since they are headquartered in New York City, as an American financial institution they have restricted the use of their cards for most Americans. However, "creative finance" measures on the part of casino processors, have resulted in the ability to process deposits for people living almost anywhere.

This ability comes and goes and is usually not advertised or announced in the lobby of US-targeted gaming sites. Loyal customers may receive processing updates from time to time when Amex becomes available for deposits.

How to use American Express

American Express employs a robust fraud prevention system. Most credit and debit card fraud occurs through international accounts. For this reason, prior to a U.S. cardholder using the card at an offshore casino, they will need to contact the issuing bank to activate it for international use. Call the phone number on the back of the card to unlock your account for international purchases if you are located in the U.S.

The rest of the process is just the same as for any other debit or credit card.

Log in or sign up, click on the cashier or deposit button, select Amex from the deposit options, choose an amount to deposit, wait a few seconds for confirmation, begin to play!

Advantages to using American Express

Any debit or credit card is a simple way to fund your account. You won't be connecting your bank or any other account to the transaction and funds will become available immediately.

• No bank account needed
• Quick deposits
• Secure method

Disadvantages of using American Express

• May not be accepted at your favorite casino
• May not be able to withdraw to card