American Express Sports Betting Deposits
- Best credit card rewards/miles programs in the business
- High UIGEA success rate – INSTANT DEPOSITS clear 95% of the time
- Total transaction fees just 5-9% for most AmEx members
American Express has long been viewed as the most elite of the major credit card brands, and there’s no denying that the company offers its users a ton of perks. Of course, one of the best American Express perks is that you can actually use your AmEx card to legally and safely bet on sports at the top online sportsbooks. Our brief guide to American Express sports betting deposits will show you exactly how and where to wager over the Internet.
All the best AmEx-friendly betting sites have thousands of daily betting opportunities, including live betting lines and odds accessible via mobile so you can bet from anywhere. And though the American Express slogan might be “Don’t Leave Home Without It,” when it comes to legal online sports betting, you don’t actually have to leave home. You can wager on all the players, teams, and leagues you love from the comfort of your own couch, 24/7. American Express: Don’t Stay Home Without It!
Best Legal Online Sportsbooks That Accept American Express
All the following online sportsbooks are gambling sites that accept American Express. Most of them will also accept prepaid American Express cards, American Express debit cards, and AmEx gift cards (provided they’re good for international purchases).
For those interested in safe, secure online betting, American Express card holders have the option to gamble at any of the best sportsbooks in the business. Of course, these sites also take a host of other online sports betting deposit options, too.
| Site Name | Current Bonus | Age | U.S. | Visit Site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ |  | Visit Site Review |
| 2 |  | 125% Max $3,125 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 3 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 4 |  | 50% Max $500 | 21+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 5 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
| 6 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ | | Visit Site Review |
Is It Legal To Bet Online At Sportsbooks That Take American Express?
Yes! All the reputable American Express betting sites listed here accept players from the United States (18+), and there are no federal gambling laws that bar US residents from gambling on sports for real money over the Internet. While about one-third of all US states offer domestic sports betting options, even these have no laws barring the use of overseas sportsbooks.
There is a caveat: For AmEx users living in Washington, the state has nominal prohibitions against online gambling, which includes betting on sports over the Internet. These laws are historically unenforced and you’re not likely to ever get in trouble for participating, but we still advise following all local gaming mandates.
How The UIGEA Affects American Express Sports Betting Transactions
The UIGEA is a federal banking regulation that was passed in 2006, with the goal of preventing domestic banks and financial institutions from knowingly processing unregulated domestic and international betting transactions.
Because these entities cannot track every transaction, compliance with the UIGEA is completely automated. For sports bettors, that means your American Express or other card-based deposit (i.e. Visa sports betting deposit, Discover card sports betting deposit, or Mastercard betting deposit) will occasionally be rejected, declined, or delayed.
If this happens, it’s important to understand that you have done nothing wrong, are not in legal trouble, and have not had your American Express card deactivated. Simply wait 10-15 minutes and try again, use a different card, or deposit using an alternative method like Bitcoin or another supported cryptocurrency.
In short, while the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act” has a scary-sounding name, it does not target individual bettors, nor does it criminalize online sports betting in any way. The UIGEA is a nuisance that can delay your deposits and potentially cause you to miss out on a valuable betting line, but that’s about it.
What Sports Can I Bet On Using American Express?
The real question is what sports can’t you bet on using American Express! All of the best international sportsbooks have thousands of daily odds on every sport you can imagine, with tons of props, futures, specials, parlays, and more. Markets covered include – but are certainly not limited to – the following:
- NFL
- NCAA College Football
- MLB
- NBA
- NHL
- MLS
- International Soccer (Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, etc.)
- Rugby
- Cricket
- Tennis
- Golf
- Boxing
- MMA/UFC
- NASCAR/F1/IndyCar
- Olympics
- eSports
- Sports Sims
- Virtual Sports
- Politics/Elections
- Entertainment
- Current Events
- +More!
American Express Sportsbook Banking Options
American Express online banking options run the gamut at the best international sports betting sites, and you can use just about any AmEx card to fund your gambling account.
Whether you use American Express Blue, Gold, Platinum, Black, or any other kind of card – including prepaid cards and gift cards – you can quickly get your betting bankroll topped off.
Please note that all American Express gambling deposits come with fees that may be instituted by AmEx or your issuing bank. Additionally, you must ensure that your card is good for international purchases, otherwise you will not be able to deposit with any international sports betting site.
American Express Credit Cards
By far the most common kind of AmEx card is the standard credit card (and all its colorful variations). Of course, it doesn’t matter what kind of AmEx credit card you use, as they all work the same way.
The only issue is that the UIGEA will interrupt such transactions about 5% of the time, which can be a headache for bettors who want to wager on a game that’s starting in just a few minutes.
AmEx credit transfers also come with a surcharge of between 3.5-9%, which will be disclosed before you complete your transaction.
American Express Debit Cards
Unlike Visa and Mastercard, American Express doesn’t follow the typical debit card model. AmEx debit cards are technically all prepaid cards, usually in partnerships with local financial institutions, stores, or other commercial service providers.
However, if you have an American Express prepaid debit card, you can still use it at any trusted online sportsbook as long as it’s rated for international purchases.
The same general fees apply with American Express debit cards as with standard AmEx credit cards.
American Express Prepaid Cards
An American Express prepaid card is the same thing as an American Express secured card, and these are used primarily to help people build their credit. As such, you need to be extra careful to not stretch yourself too thin by depositing and betting more money than you can afford to.
Also, when using a prepaid AmEx, it’s important that you check your American Express prepaid card balance beforehand, as you’ll want to ensure that you have enough cash on it and that your offshore sports betting deposit will not put you over your limit, which will ding your credit score.
American Express Gift Cards
American Express gift cards are popular and widely used, and nearly all the best legal sports betting sites accept them.
Even if gift cards aren’t advertised explicitly on these sites’ Cashier pages, you can usually use them just like normal cards – simply enter your card number, the amount you want to deposit, and submit the form. As long as your AmEx gift card is good for international transactions, it should go through.
Gift cards in general have the highest success rates of any type of credit card, as UIGEA compliance doesn’t seem to flag these as often. For our money, gift cards from American Express are the best way to load up your betting account ASAP.
American Express Sports Betting Deposit Limits
Different AmEx betting sites have different deposit limits and fees, though regardless of the sportsbook you choose, those limits should be more than adequate. In general, you can expect to be able to deposit money in the following range at all the best online sports betting sites:
- Minimum American Express Betting Deposit: $20-50
- Maximum American Express Betting Deposit: $1500-5000
When it comes to American Express fees for deposits, most books won’t charge anything extra. However, AmEx tends to have higher international transfer fees to be aware of, which may mean that you may be hit with a surcharge of anywhere from 3.5% to 9%.
Please check your American Express account details for more information on international purchases.
American Express Sports Betting Withdrawals
In the past, credit card chargebacks were a common way for legal online sports betting sites to pay their players, but ever since the UIGEA banking regulation became law in 2006, these options have become less reliable.
American Express chargeback rules – like those for other card issuers (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, etc.) – must comply with the automated UIGEA, and this hampered timely withdrawals 5-10% of the time, which was bad for bettors. Thus, you can no longer receive your online sports betting winnings via an American Express chargeback.
Still, you have plenty of other online sports betting payout options after depositing with AmEx, including the following:
- Courier Check
- Money Order
- Bank Wire Transfer
- Player Transfer
- Sportsbook Voucher
All the above payout methods come with fees to be aware of, and processing usually takes 3-5 days before you’ll see your money stateside.
Exceptions to this are Player Transfers and Vouchers, which are fee-free and can be used to claim same-day payouts via popular P2P instant-pay services like PayPal, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and others. However, not all online sportsbook sites support Transfers or Vouchers.
All that said, most top sportsbooks will give their members one free check withdrawal every 90 days or so, so if you plan to be paid out relatively infrequently, you can maximize your earnings going this route.
Note: Unfortunately, you cannot claim a Bitcoin payout (or other cryptocurrency payouts via Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Stellar, etc.) if you’ve deposited with American Express, as crypto withdrawals are available exclusively to those players that deposit with crypto.
American Express Sports Betting Bonuses For May, 2023
When you make a deposit at any of the best online sportsbooks for US players, you’re going to be offered a sports betting bonus that can boost your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
While these bonuses are completely optional, all the providers we recommend have very favorable rollover requirements, which means that you can easily meet the terms and conditions of any online sports betting promotion.
Naturally, different AmEx sportsbooks will have different bonus options to choose from, but in general, you can expect to find the following at any of the sites listed here:
- Sports Betting Signup Bonus – 50-100% Deposit Match Up To $1000
- Sports Betting Reload Bonus – 40-100% Deposit Match Up To $1000
- Sports Betting Refer-A-Friend Bonus - $100 For Each Referral
Many sportsbooks will also give members special bonuses for making their first mobile sports betting wagers and offer risk-free bets on their first live in-game wagers.
These offers tend to come and go seasonally, but you can usually find them at the start of major sporting seasons at most legal online betting sites.
American Express Sportsbook Banking FAQs
All of them. And no, that’s not a copout!
Because every site has different customers betting different amounts of money on different teams, all the sports betting odds hosted by each American Express betting venue will be slightly different from competing sites.
Of course, no single site will always have the best odds for every contest, which is why we recommend joining multiple books and shopping lines for the best payouts before placing any bets.
The deposit process for AmEx cards is the same as for any other card at the best online sportsbooks.
To get your funds transferred, just enter your American Express card number and other information during the signup procedure, or visit your site’s Cashier page or deposit portal once you’re logged in.
If you’ve ever used a credit or debit card to buy anything online, the procedure is identical, and all transactions are SSL/TLS encrypted.
Yes. American Express Serve cards are reloadable prepaid AmEx cards that can be used both domestically and internationally with any vendor that accepts American Express.
This means that you can readily use Serve cards for bet funding at legal online sports betting sites.
Please note that while all the top sportsbooks accept members at 18+, some states require residents to be 19 or older to hold AmEx Serve cards.
No. American Express chargebacks were once a valid payout method, but credit and debit cards are no longer used for this.
Thanks to the UIGEA, sportsbooks no longer get the success rates with such transfers that their customers expect. For the same reason, you can’t claim payouts via Visa chargebacks, Mastercard chargebacks, or Discover chargebacks, either.
That said, if you deposit using AmEx, you are eligible for a number of payout options, including courier checks, bank wires, money orders, sports betting vouchers, and more.
Yes. American Express benefits are earned for all qualifying domestic and international purchases, so you will accrue bonus points or perks per your specific card’s plan whenever using it to top off your online betting bankroll.
There is no single “best” AmEx card or card type to use for legal online sports betting, as they should all work fairly reliably as long as they’re approved for international purchases.
However, due to the potential for the UIGEA to occasionally delay or decline transactions, American Express gift cards actually have the highest rate of success.
Again, they’re all basically the same. Provided you can use your prepaid AmEx card for international purchases, you should be good to go.
Of course, if you have multiple secured American Express credit cards, you’ll probably want to choose the one with the highest limit or the best AmEx rewards. The choice is yours!
2021 Update: QB Direct/Quickbit is no longer supported by any legal US sports betting site listed here, as the best operators have moved away from this service.
QB Direct, aka Quickbit, is a crypto exchange and third-party payment service that lets users make card-based transactions that are converted to Litecoin crypto transactions on the fly.
Currently, as used by legal online sportsbooks, QB Direct does not support American Express.
Still, many crypto exchanges (such as Coinbase, Bittrex, Kraken, etc.) do accept AmEx, so if you want to deposit with crypto, you can use your American Express card to buy Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other supported alternative currencies at major online exchanges.
Then, just deposit your crypto via the Cashier portal at your sportsbook of choice.
Disclaimer: American Express is a third-party payment processor and does not endorse this site or any online sports betting site in any way. This page is for informational purposes only.
