The Best 2026 Payment Methods For Online Sports Betting

Payment methods in the iGaming industry have evolved drastically over the past decade, as the key players in the sector keep up with today’s digital revolution. More so, online sports betting payment methods have undergone rapid growth as we move from traditional to digital solutions. Not long ago, credit cards and bank transfers were the go-to solutions for players looking to deposit and withdraw from betting sites. Today’s digital infrastructure and the adoption of smartphones have seen digital wallets become the de facto means for online gambling transactions. 

Therefore, it’s no surprise that all top online betting sites have incorporated payment methods that allow players to connect with their digital wallets. Here are the best payment methods for online sports betting in 2026.

1. PayPal

Fast, secure and quite user-friendly, PayPal has grown into a top-tier payment method for bettors looking to connect their digital wallets to their betting accounts. Online gamblers want a high-speed digital intermediary that guarantees instant deposits and fast withdrawal speeds. PayPal’s secure internal network offers just that by allowing real-time confirmation of deposits through its OneTouch feature.

When depositing to your sports betting account, the digital wallet helps you bypass bank delays by fronting the transaction data to your sportsbook while handling the fund settlement with your bank in the background. This simple fronting makes PayPal significantly faster than using credit card networks.

What’s more, leading bookmakers such as bet365 and MGM have gone a step further to integrate PayPal into their platforms to allow for real-time withdrawals. With the direct wallet integration, a simple click on the sportsbook’s dashboard triggers an internal security review, which then authorizes a quick payout into your PayPal account. 

PayPal’s most noteworthy drawback is that it is only available in countries where sports betting is fully legal. Therefore, some sports books don’t accept it as a payment method.

2. Google Pay 

While not as established as PayPal in the gambling world, Google Pay is an emerging mainstream payment method with a growing adoption rate. Currently, Google Pay is mainly used for instant deposits but offers limited withdrawal support. 

The payment wallet is already established in the UK and major European betting markets but is still in the upcoming phase within the US market. UK sports books such as Bet365 and Ladbrokes have Google Pay as a standard deposit option. Bet365 and BetUK go a step further by integrating the wallet as a withdrawal option.

To use Google Pay, you only need to download it from the Google Play Store and link a debit card to the wallet. It offers a secure way of depositing funds into your sportsbook by generating a virtual card number, which ensures your debit card details are not shared with your sportsbook.

Google Pay is quite convenient for Android users since you can easily authorize deposits in an instant without having to retype your card details. Besides, Google Pay deposits are eligible for welcome bonuses.

3. Apple Pay

Similar to Google Pay but for iOS users, Apple Pay is a digital wallet that uses tokenization for online transactions. Therefore, instead of sharing your actual banking details, Apple Pay uses unique transaction codes to complete the transfer of your funds into your betting account. The wallet allows iPhone and iPad user to make instant deposits to their online sports betting accounts. 

Besides, with iOS devices’ biometric authentication, bettors can authorize transactions instantly using Face ID or Touch ID. What’s more, most sportsbooks that support Apple Pay don’t charge any additional fee on your deposit. Your deposit reflects instantly, and better yet its eligible for welcome bonuses and free bets.

Apple Pay has a similar limitation as Google Pay in that very few sportsbooks allow withdrawals using the wallet. Currently, only DraftKings supports funding and cashing out with Apple Pay. Others, such as Bet365 and BetMGM, will require you to find an alternative withdrawal method.

4. Skrill

Skrill is one of the oldest online payment methods. It was initially known as Moneybookers, an online gambling platform in the 2000s, before rebranding to Skrill in 2011. However, it wasn’t until a year later that Skrill emerged as the go-to platform for users betting online with its Skrill 1-Tap feature. 

The feature allowed for fast casino payments, especially for live betting enthusiasts. Skrill’s integration with Neteller and Paysafecard would later solidify its dominance in online sports betting.

As a digital wallet, you only need to top it up via bank transfer or credit card payment, after which you can connect it to your betting account. Skrill also accepts crypto deposits via Bitpay. Better yet, you can move your funds from different sports betting sites while keeping the balances separate from your bank account.

Skrill has gained popularity among bettors due to its speed and efficiency, and its ability to support over 40 currencies. What’s more, it allows near-instant deposits and withdrawals. The fees are also quite user-friendly; Skrill doesn’t charge anything when you deposit into your betting account. However, one of its major downsides is that some sports betting site don’t offer welcome bonuses on Skrill deposits.

Conclusion

The best payment methods for online sports betting offer speed and security. While Google Pay and Apple Pay are device-specific, all-rounders such as PayPal and Skrill offer versatility in that they work seamlessly across Android and iOS users. 

That said, it’s always advisable to check your sportsbook’s “Cashier” section for the digital wallets allowed. Luckily, most top sports books support the above payment methods, so you can deposit funds seamlessly and spend most of your time analyzing your bets.