Can I use a prepaid card for a bonus?

Can I use a prepaid card for a bonus? The short answer

For most UK welcome offers, no. A prepaid card will normally work as a deposit method, but the bonus terms decide which deposits count, and prepaid cards are one of the most common exclusions. Of our five partners, Coral and Ladbrokes say so in plain words: Coral’s offer lists ‘prepaid cards’ next to Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe and Skrill, and Ladbrokes’ list opens with ‘prepaid cards’ before PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers.

That matters because both offers depend on the first deposit. Coral gives 100 free spins after a £10 slots bet, and Ladbrokes gives up to 500 free spins (50 a day for 10 days) after £10 of slots play. 18+, new customers, terms apply. Fund either account with a prepaid card and the money still lands, but the qualifying deposit condition isn’t met, so the spins never arrive.

This page is about casino welcome bonuses. For a wider look at the cards themselves, our prepaid card casino bonus guide covers deposits and limits in more depth, and the questions hub answers related bonus queries.

What counts as a prepaid card at a UK casino

‘Prepaid card’ is a broad label, and casino terms rarely define it. In practice it tends to cover any card or code that spends money loaded in advance rather than drawing on a bank current account. The main types UK players run into are:

• Voucher codes such as paysafecard: you buy a 16-digit code at a shop and pay online with it. UK values are £10, £25, £40, £50, £75 and £100, according to paysafecard’s own explanation of how it works.
• Reloadable prepaid Visa or Mastercard cards: they look like debit cards, but they aren’t linked to a bank account. This is probably what Coral means by ‘certain debit cards’, though the terms don’t spell it out.
• E-wallet cards: for example, the NETELLER card, which its terms describe as a card that only spends money already in the account. The e-wallet behind it (Neteller, Skrill) is usually excluded in its own right anyway.
• Gift and travel cards: some carry Visa or Mastercard branding but are prepaid underneath.

The cashier may not tell you which category your card falls into. If a card has ‘prepaid’ printed on it, or you didn’t get it from your bank as part of a current account, assume the welcome offer will treat it as prepaid until the casino tells you otherwise.

Can I use a prepaid card for a bonus at our partners?

Here is how prepaid cards line up against each partner’s welcome offer, using the offer terms as last checked on 5 October 2026. Where an offer summary doesn’t mention prepaid cards, that isn’t a promise they qualify; it means you need the full terms or the help centre.

Two points stand out. First, the two Entain brands (Coral and Ladbrokes, both run by LC International Limited) are explicit, so there’s no room for doubt there. Second, Casumo’s ‘payment restrictions apply’ is too vague to rely on, so ask support before using a prepaid method for its match bonus. Our page on how payment exclusions work explains how to read these lists.

Why prepaid cards are excluded from casino bonuses

The offer terms don’t give reasons, so treat the following as the usual explanations rather than anything a partner has said. Prepaid products make it harder to tie a payment to one named person. A bank debit card is issued after the bank has checked who you are; a voucher bought with cash at a newsagent carries no name at all. For a welcome offer that is meant to be claimed once per person, that gap is a problem.

There is also the cost of the offer. A casino pays for every set of spins it hands out, and payment methods that are cheap to open in bulk are the ones most often linked to multi-accounting and bonus abuse. Excluding whole categories is blunt, but it is simpler to enforce than checking each deposit by hand.

Finally, withdrawals. UK casinos usually pay money back to the method you deposited with where they can. Many prepaid products can’t receive money, which pushes the casino into extra checks before it can pay you by another route.

What a prepaid deposit costs you in bonus value

Putting a number on it helps. Using a prepaid card where it’s excluded doesn’t lose you any of your own money, but it does lose the value of the offer you were trying to claim.

The 96% column is an illustration, not a forecast. RTP is a long-run average across millions of spins, and the selected games for Coral and Ladbrokes are listed on their promotion pages, so check each game’s help screen for its real figure. A run of 100 spins can return far less or more than the average. Ladbrokes’ figure also assumes you claim all ten days before 23:59 each day and use each batch within 7 days.

Is a prepaid card allowed for gambling in the UK?

Yes. The payment ban in Great Britain is aimed at credit, not prepaid money. Since 14 April 2020, licensed operators can’t accept credit card payments, including credit card money passed through an e-wallet. Money on a prepaid card has already been loaded, so it falls outside that rule, which our credit card ban explainer covers in full.

The Gambling Act 2005 helps with the definitions. Section 81 of the Act (opens in a new tab) describes a debit card payment as one made with a card that isn’t a credit-token under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Whether a casino accepts prepaid cards at all, and whether they count towards a bonus, is then a commercial choice set out in its own terms.

Age and identity checks still apply. Online casinos must verify who you are before you deposit or play, so paying by voucher doesn’t make an account anonymous. See whether you have to verify before a bonus for how that works.

Withdrawing after a prepaid deposit

Even without a bonus, a prepaid deposit can complicate getting money out. Coral’s and Ladbrokes’ help centres list paysafecard as an account-based method only (no loose vouchers), and a paysafecard withdrawal there needs a previous paysafecard deposit. Both run a closed-loop policy, so the cashier tries to return money to the method it came from.

If your card can’t take a refund, expect the casino to ask you to add a bank-based method and possibly verify it. That is normal, but it adds time. The withdrawal rules page explains what a casino can and can’t ask at that point, including the rule that ID checks it could have done earlier shouldn’t be held back until you cash out.

How to check if your card qualifies for a bonus

1. Open the offer’s full terms from the promotion page, not just the headline banner.
2. Find the payment section; it’s often phrased as ‘deposits made using … will not qualify’.
3. Look for the words ‘prepaid’, ‘Paysafe’ and ‘certain debit cards’, and note every method named.
4. Compare your card: if it has ‘prepaid’ printed on it or isn’t from a bank current account, treat it as excluded.
5. If you’re unsure, ask live chat or email support before depositing, and keep a copy of the answer.
6. Opt in where required, then make the first deposit with a bank debit card or another method the terms don’t exclude.

Prepaid card bonus myths and facts

Using a prepaid card to control spending

Some people like prepaid cards because they can’t spend more than they’ve loaded. That instinct is sound, but there are tools built for the job that don’t interfere with a bonus. Since 31 October 2025, UK operators must prompt you to set a deposit limit before your first deposit, and decreases take effect straight away. Our guide to setting deposit limits explains the options.

Many banks also offer gambling blocks on debit cards. The Gambling Commission keeps a list of banks with gambling blocks (opens in a new tab), including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Monzo, NatWest, Santander and Starling. A bank block won’t stop a voucher bought with cash, which is worth knowing if you’re using one to cut back.

If spending is already a worry, a bonus is the wrong reason to deposit. The National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133, free, 24/7) and GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) are there, and our responsible gambling page lists further support.

Where to claim a bonus if you normally use prepaid cards

None of our partners runs an offer designed for prepaid cards, and two of them rule them out in writing. If you want a welcome offer, the honest route is to make the first deposit with a bank debit card or another method the terms don’t exclude. Our debit card casino bonus page explains why that is the method most likely to qualify.

Coral comes closest on value per pound: bet £10 on slots and get 100 free spins at 10p (£10 of spins), selected games, 48 hours to accept and 7 days to use, with no wagering on winnings. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, Neteller and certain debit cards don’t qualify. Ladbrokes gives up to 500 free spins at 10p over 10 days after £10 of slots play, again with no wagering, and prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers are excluded. PlayOJO offers 80 no-wagering spins on Big Bass Bonanza with a £10 first deposit; check its full terms for payment rules before paying by prepaid card. 18+, new customers, terms apply. Gambling costs money, and the house edge applies to every spin.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: set a budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.