Pay by phone at these casino, bingo and slot sites – deposit via mobile phone billing, charged to your mobile phone bill or deducted from PAYG balance.
The Phone Casino has been around for almost as long as the iPhone. It’s designed to work brilliantly on any type of mobile phone and also on other devices.
Full T&CS apply. New Succesfully registered customers only. 1 offer per customer of Small Screen Casinos Ltd. Deposit £20, £40 or £60 and get 50, 100 or 150 x 0.10 stake value, no wagering free spins. Qualifying deposits must be wagered x 2, 2 day expiry on free spins once awarded. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Full T&C's apply. New successfully registered customers only. One offer per customer of Small Screen Casino Ltd. Deposit 20.00 get 50 x 0.10 stake value, no wagering free spins. Qualifying deposit must be wagered x 2, 2 day expiry on free spins once awarded. 18+ *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players only, £10+ fund, free spins won via Mega Reel, 65x bonus wagering req, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x Bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Along with other sites associated with Reach Group publications, OK Bingo has been reborn as a Jumpman bingo site, featuring Pragmatic Play bingo rooms and of course, a great selection of slot games.
New players only, £10 min fund, £2,000 max bonus, 65x Bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
First deposit only. Min deposit and stake £20 on slots only. Promo code BASS20 required. Max 100 cash spins. Max one claim during promo period. Spins valid on Big Bass Bonanza. Total spin winnings capped at £200 per claim. Full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players only. Wagering occurs from real balance first. 50x wagering the bonus or any winnings generated from free spins, contribution may vary per game. Available on selected games only. The wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus is valid for 30 Days/ free spins valid for 7 days from issue. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount or from free spins: £20. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms Apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Chit Chat Bingo has moved from Dragonfish to Grace Media with Pragmatic Play bingo, taking the exclusive Royal Room and many exclusive promotions with it. The new welcome offer is largely slot focused and you can claim it even if you’ve played at one of the previous versions of the site.
First-time depositors only (+18). Valid until further notice. Min Deposit £10. Max rewards: £50 Slot Bonus & 20 Bingo Tickets. Slot Bonus x35 wagering. Slot Bonus wins cap: x4 the initial bonus amount. Bingo Tickets are granted to the Country Road bingo room and are valid for 28 days. Country restrictions apply. UK Only. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Wonga Games is a Jumpman bingo and slots site done in rather striking shades of purple, with a welcome offer that awards a deposit bonus (if you’re lucky) rather than the usual slot spins.
New players only, £10 min fund, £2,000 max bonus, 65x Bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
UK Bingo was one of those little known old fashioned Dragonfish bingo sites that ticked along quietly for years. It’s now moved to Grace Media, bringing along the exclusive bingo room and promotions that are its USP.
First-time depositors only (+18). Valid until further notice. Min Deposit £10. Max rewards: £30 Slot Bonus & 20 Bingo Tickets. Slot Bonus x35 wagering. Slot Bonus wins cap:x4 the initial bonus amount. Bingo Tickets are granted to the Country Road bingo room and are valid for 28 days. Country restrictions apply. UK Only. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
No Deposit offer T&Cs: new players only, no deposit required, valid debit card verification required, 65x wagering requirement, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to £50.
First Deposit offer T&Cs: min deposit £10.00, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250.00), T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
You may have heard the name BOGOF Bingo before; its new incarnation on the Pragmatic Play bingo software has little in common with its previous one on Virtue Fusion and it might just as well be a brand new site. It’s also got the newest, shiniest version of the Grace Media lobby.
First-time depositors only(+18). Valid until further notice. Min Deposit £10. Mad reward: £100 Slot Bonus & 7 days of Free Bingo x35wagering Slot Bonus wins cap x4 the initial bonus amount. Free Bingo available in the Newbie Room. Maximum of 6 Tickets per game. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
OnlineBingo is a new for Spring 2023 Jumpman bingo and slot site, with bingo rooms from Pragmatic Play. The welcome offer is the usual spin the wheel affair.
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players only, £10 min fund, £200 max matchup bonus, free spin wins credited as bonus, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Lucky Cow Bingo is a name that first popped on to the scene back in 2014 and finally made its appearance in 2015 as one of the first batch of bingo sites to launch on the Jumpman powered Wheel of Slots network. Like other Jumpman bingo sites it now has new bingo rooms courtesy of Pragmatic Play.
New players only, £10 min fund, max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) to real funds, 65x wagering requirements and full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
New players only, £10 min fund, Free spins won via mega reel, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
New players only, £10 min fund, £200 max matchup bonus, free spin wins credited as bonus, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Club 3000 Bingo are well known for their chain of more than 20 bingo halls which are mostly in Wales and up north; for their venture into online bingo they have chosen the Jumpman platform.
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
We weren’t sure what to make of it when we first heard the name of this Jumpman Gaming powered bingo site, but the theme turns out to be fling as in love affair with hearts, arrows and lots of pink – the idea being to fall in love with bingo (and slots) all over again.
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
New players only, £10 min fund, £2,000 max bonus, max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), 65x wagering requirements and full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Free Spirit Bingo is a Jumpman powered bingo site which was originally launched a while back with a rather insipid looking New Age theme. After changing hands, it was relaunched with a fresh new design and superior welcome offer for autumn 2022.
New Players only. 1st, 2nd and 3rd ever deposit: spin multiplier wheel and win a Matchup Bonus up to 10X your deposit amount (£2,000 max bonus), £10 min fund for all 3 offers, 65x Bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Online Slots UK is a Jumpman slot site which was launched in Summer 2020. It has a conventional slots welcome bonus offer instead of the usual Mega Reel.
New players only, £10 min fund, £200 max bonus, max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposit (up to £250). 65 x wagering requirement and full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New Players Only. Wager from real balance first. 50X wager the bonus. Contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 days / Free spins valid 7 days from receipt. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount or from free spins: £20. Limited to 5 brands within the Progress Play network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Jackpot Mobile Casino is a Grace Media slot and casino site with a very decent welcome offer – there’s bonus and spins to be claimed on your second and third deposits as well as your first. Be aware, though, that the bonus can only be used on a special selection of around 25 “Welcome Slots”.
First 3 deposits only. Min deposit £10. Max total bonus £500 and 150 spins. 30x wagering (dep + bonus). 30x on spins, 4x conversion, bonus and spins valid on selected slots. Full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
BB Casino is on the Progress Play platform which means it’s great for player promotions. The welcome offer includes spins on the iconic Book Of Dead slot and the casino has now been upgraded to the latest version of the lobby.
New players only. Opt-in Required. Wager from real balance first. 50X wager the bonus. Contribution varies per game. Selected games only. UK players only. Free spins are only valid on Book of Dead. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 Days from receipt/ free spins valid for 7 days from issue. Max conversion: 3x the bonus amount and 20x free spins. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Withdrawal requests voids all active pending bonuses. Full Terms Apply
*18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Showreel Bingo was one of the first Jumpman bingo sites to launch, way back in 2012. It’s now got a fresh new look and a welcome offer that awards spins on that super popular slot, Bonanza.
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Fortune Mobile Casino is on the Grace Media platform. You’d need to make three deposits to collect all of the welcome offer, but the first instalment alone is a very attractive 100% deposit match (for selected games) plus 100 spins.
First 3 deposits only. Min deposit £10. Max total bonus £500 and 150 spins. 30x wagering (dep + bonus). 30x on spins, 4x conversion, bonus and spins valid on selected slots Full T&C’s apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
$/€/£10 Min. Deposit and Wager. 10 Free Spins will be allocated for every $/€/£10 increment deposited. Bonus valid 48 hours from receipt. Max conversion: $/€/£100. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excludes Skrill and Neteller deposits. Offer limited to new players making their first deposit at the casino limited to one offer per household. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
SupaCasino has been around for a few years but hasn’t had much exposure in the UK. It’s recently moved on to the new version of the Progress Play lobby which makes it much easier to find games you want to play.
New Players Only. Wager from real balance first. 50X wager the bonus. Contribution varies per game. Selected games only. Wager calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 days / Free spins valid 7 days from receipt. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount or from free spins: £20. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Pay By Mobile Slots is new for 2023, joining the ranks of uninspiringly named Jumpman slot sites. It does have rather a memorable welcome offer for a Jumpman site though, without a spin-the-wheel to be seen.
New players only, £10 min fund, £50 max matchup bonus, free spin wins credited as bonus, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players only, no deposit required, valid debit card verification required, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to £50, T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players only, £10 min fund, free spins won via mega reel, max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) to real funds, 65x wagering requirements and full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Slot Strike is a Grace Media casino site with an unusual welcome offer entirely made up of no wagering spins. The more you deposit, the more spins you can claim.
10 Wager Free Spins will be allocated for every £10 increment deposited. £10 Min. Deposit and Stake to qualify. Bonus valid 48 hours from receipt. Max conversion: £100. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excludes Skrill and Neteller deposits. Offer limited to new players making their first deposit at the casino limited to one offer per household. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Mr Mobi is an older Progress Play site whose main distinguishing feature is its rather generous welcome offer and a different range of promotions to most other sites on the platform.
New Players Only. Wagering occurs from real balance first. 50X wagering the bonus. Contribution may vary per game. Available on selected games only. The wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 Days from receipt. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full terms apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Crush Wins is the latest in a very long line of Jumpman slot sites. In keeping with the deep sea theming, the welcome offer is a treasure chest rather than the usual Mega Reel and the spins you can win are on the Pragmatic Play slot Release the Kraken.
New players only, £10 min fund, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Spins offer: New customers only. First deposit only. Min deposit £10. Max 50 bonus spins on selected slots only. 40x wagering. Cap £100. T&C's apply. Cashback offer: New customers making their first deposit only. Min deposit£50. 10% cashback on any net slot losses only (Min £10). Cashback based on losses from first deposit only. Cashback credited within 3 days from first deposit made. Min £1 cashbacks, max £200 cashback. Full T&C’s apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players making their first two deposits only. Min deposit £20. First deposit: 100% bonus match, max £25 bonus. Bonus can be used on slot games only. Second deposit: Max 50 bonus spins on Big Bass Bonanza. Both: 35x wagering. Max £100 conversion. 18+. Full T&C’s apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Hollywoodbets is a sportsbook and casino, originally from South Africa, which arrived in the UK in 2019 and now has a great new casino welcome offer. Be aware that in order to claim the no wagering spins you must first play 10 spins on a specific game at spin value £1.
T&Cs Apply. Only available to new customers. VISA/Mastercard deposit of £10 required within 3 days of registration. Customers must bet £10 in £1 spins on John Hunter and the Book of Tut in order to receive 50 Free Spins on John Hunter and the Book of Tut Respin game. Free Spins will each carry value of £0.10. Free Spins valid for 3 days. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New players only, £10 min fund, Free spins won via mega reel, 65x bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250), T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
Bonanza Slots is themed on one of the most popular slot games of the last few years – Bonanza Megaways. It’s also the game that features in the welcome offer.
New players only, £10 min fund, £8 max win per 10 spins, max bonus conversion equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) to real funds, 65x wagering requirements and full T&Cs apply here *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
This one-time offer is only available here for new UK customers of Jackpot.com. To participate a minimum £15 bet is required. Any terms not specified in these Special Promotional Terms, the Promotional Terms shall apply and will be subject to Jackpot.com Terms and Conditions. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New Players only. Wagering occurs from real balance first. 50X wagering the bonus. Contribution may vary per game. Available on selected games only. The wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 days from receipt. Max conversion: 3X the bonus amount. Limited to 5 brands within the network. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full terms apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
Bluefox Casino has been around for 4 years but only in 2022 did it get a promotional push with a new welcome offer. It’s a multi deposit offer and the first part of it does not include a bonus, just spins. For 2023, they’ve added a sportsbook.
New Players Only. Wagering occurs from real balance first. 50X wagering the bonus. Contribution may vary per game. Available on selected games only. The wagering requirement is calculated on bonus bets only. Bonus valid 30 Days from receipt. Max conversion: 3 times the bonus amount. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full Terms Apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
New players only, £10 min fund, free spins won via mega wheel, 65x wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) ,T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
First deposit only. Min deposit and stake £20 on slots only. Promo code BASS20 required. Max 100 cash spins. Max one claim during promo period. Spins valid on Big Bass Bonanza. Total spin winnings capped at £200 per claim. Full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
The new Daily Record Bingo bears absolutely no relation to the old version which closed in 2017. Essentially it’s a brand new site on the Jumpman platform, with bingo rooms by Pragmatic Play.
New Players only. 1st, 2nd and 3rd ever deposit: spin multiplier wheel and win a Matchup Bonus up to 10X your deposit amount (£2,000 max bonus), £10 min fund for all 3 offers, 65x Bonus wagering requirements, max bonus conversion to real funds equal to lifetime deposits (up to £250) full T&Cs apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad Full T&C's Apply
The winner of multiple awards both as a bingo site and as a slot site, MrQ offers an impressive array of slot and casino games, plus unique bingo games all of which can be played with no wagering requirements ever.
First deposit only. Min deposit & spend £20. Max 100 spins on Big Bass Bonanza Keeping it Reel 10p per spin. Spins credited upon spend of £20. 18+ Full T&Cs apply. *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New Customers Only. £10 Min. Deposit and Wager. 20 Free Spins will be allocated for each of your first 5 deposits of £10 or more. Bonus valid 48 hours from receipt. Max conversion: £100. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Full terms apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
New Players Only. £10 Min. Deposit. Bonus valid 48 hours from receipt. Max conversion: £100. Withdrawal requests void all active/pending bonuses. Excluded Skrill and Neteller deposits. Full terms apply *18+ GambleAware.org Please play responsibly #ad
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Pay By Phone Bingo & Slots
As mobile phone slots become more and more popular, it comes as no surprise that many bingo, slot and casino sites are now offering a safe, secure and fuss free way to deposit while on the go.
Pay by phone aka carrier billing refers to any of several payment methods where the funding comes from the user’s PAYG balance or is added to their next mobile phone bill. The phone connection is used to authenticate the transaction which means there is no need for any password or login and the user also has to be physically in possession of the phone for the payment to be made.
Pay by phone as it applies to online bingo, slot and casino sites does NOT mean payment systems such as Google Pay where in-app purchases – and purchases of material goods made via NFC (contactless) technology can be charged to a bank card, as these do not apply the charge to the user’s phone bill.
History of pay by phone
Pay by phone started back in the mists of time. In 1998 the Finnish mobile operator Radiolinja launched a service called Harmonium whereby users could create monophonic ring tones and send them via SMS to a mobile handset. This caught on in a big way and soon phone users all over the world were buying novelty ringtones by text. The cost of sending the text to a premium rate number went partly to the ringtone provider and partly to the mobile phone operator, and so pay by phone was born. This was long before the advent of the iPhone and true mobile internet, so there was no option to use any other kind of payment method from a phone (apart from making a voice call and giving a credit card number).
Novelty ringtones went on to become a multi billion pound market, evolving from the tinny monophonic tones of the 90s to high quality (truetone) audio recordings and became so popular that from 2005 until 2014 there was an official Billboard Ringtones chart.
The early technology of the ringtones industry survives in modern pay by phone transactions systems as many of the mobile billing payment systems still involve a text message as part of the authentication process and even with the ones that don’t, a receipt is usually sent by text. In other ways, things have definitely moved on; when you buy a ringtone, the service that is being billed to the phone bill is delivered to the phone itself and the same goes for the in-app content that is perhaps the more common purchase these days, but this is not true of all pay by phone services – for instance, voting on the X Factor involves calling the premium rate number that’s been allocated to your contestant of choice. When you use a pay by phone method to make a deposit at a casino, the deposit is available to play with regardless of which device you access the casino from and with some such methods (such as Boku) it is not even necessary ever to visit the casino site from the phone.
These days the huge UK market in phone paid services is regulated by the Phone-paid Services Authority – including services as disparate as directory enquiries, adult chat services, lifestyle subscriptions, in-app purchases, voting hotlines and charity donations as well as deposits at online casinos and betting sites. Some of the annoying restrictions you may come across when trying to pay by phone are actually the work of the PSA or of the UK goverment and not the fault of the gambling operator at all.
One such historic annoyance was the deposit limit of £30 per user per day which frequently left players unable to make a large enough deposit to take full advantage of a casino’s welcome offer. This daily limit was eventually removed on the grounds that players were sufficiently protected by the single transaction limit of £40 and monthly transaction limit of £240 that was written into UK law (Payment Services Regulations) in 2018. HOWEVER it is important to understand that the £240 is for ALL phone paid services charged to one phone in a month so if you pay for other stuff using mobile billing as well it could still be a major obstacle.
What about Boku?
Boku is a mobile phone billing payment method whose roots go back to the UK in 2003, when it was a small operation called Vidicom. Since then this award winning business has had some massive injections of cash from investors and now they are a global company working with over 300 carriers.
Boku’s infrastructure spans several continents and in fact they are the largest and by far the best known independent carrier billing company in the world. They long ago carved out a niche in the digital marketplace, establishing Boku as a payment method in places such as the Google Play Store and Spotify. In these cases a Boku payment is being used to pay for a digital product that is downloaded to the phone that pays the bill – an obvious use of the technology.
More recently, Boku have started to move into areas where the product that is being paid for is NOT necessarily anything to do with the phone that pays the bill. For example, in June 2016 they secured partnerships with the UK carriers O2, Vodafone, EE and 3 to enable carrier billing to be used for the purchase of food and beverages at a number of high profile venues including Lord’s Cricket Ground and the O2. Online gambling sites fall into this category because although the player CAN play the games or place bets on their phone, they do not HAVE TO use their phone to do so, but can access their account from a variety of devices. Indeed, it is perfectly possible to use Boku to deposit but only ever play on a desktop device.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of online casinos that once accepted Boku have either stopped doing so (Grace Media) or no longer operate in the UK (Genesis Global). If you want to pay by phone at a UK slot site, you’ll almost certainly have to do so using a different carrier billing provider.
How to use mobile phone billing to make a deposit
Because different operators use different carrier billing providers, the process of making a deposit is not quite the same from casino to casino. In all cases you’ll first select the amount you wish to deposit and the mobile phone billing deposit method on the cashier page.
In most cases you’ll then have to enter your phone number (you may not need to if you have the cashier page open on your phone and are connected via your phone’s data signal rather than over wifi).
The deposit will then be confirmed in one of the following ways:
A confirmation screen on your phone
A text sent to your phone which you reply to with a word or code to authorise the transaction (this is a direct descendant of the old method for buying novelty ringtones by sending a text to a premium number)
A text sent to your phone with an activation code that has to be entered on the cashier page
After that, you’ll receive a further text notifying you that the transaction has gone through (or advising of any problems).
Advantages of Pay By Mobile
The main advantage of pay by phone is that it’s quick, easy, safe and secure:
There’s no need to remember anything apart from your own phone number
No other information such as card details or passwords is given to the casino or sent over the internet
Payment is authorised from your phone, so unless the phone itself is physically lost or stolen and cracked or cloned it is safe from fraud
There’s no need to have a card or even a bank account
Disadvantages of Pay By Mobile
Pay by phone has quite a lot of disadvantages:
It may not actually work. Your mobile phone network needs to be one that has partnered with the billing provider the casino uses and there have been issues in the past with resellers such as giffgaff and with casinos not accepting payments from some networks (for example, Grace Media casinos used to accept Boku payments but not from Vodafone)
The £40 single transaction limit
Most operators charge a substantial fee for deposits via any mobile phone billing methods
Pay by phone is for deposits only – if you are lucky enough to win a significant amount you will need to specify an alternative payment method (usually bank transfer) as well as giving the casino quite a bit more of your personal information to allow them to complete “Know Your Customer” verification
To withdraw winnings from a deposit made using mobile phone billing, you will also need to prove to the casino that the phone is registered to you and the bill has been paid (which is easier said than done). This is to comply with anti money laundering legislation and enable the casino to demonstrate to the regulator that they have taken precautions against players being able to gamble on credit.
To avoid getting caught out by fees or other nasties in the small print, always check the terms and conditions before you deposit by phone – and preferably in advance, as it may not be so easy to read on a phone screen.
Safety & Security with Pay By Phone
The weakest link in the security chain is the physical security of your phone and even if someone did manage to steal your phone and break the lockscreen there’s the transaction limits to protect you, plus they wouldn’t be able to take any money out of your casino account. So yeah, pretty secure – but it’s generally a good idea to make sure that you have a lockscreen set on your phone and it doesn’t display the contents of notifications.
Pay by Phone & Casino Bonuses
It’s common for casinos to exclude deposits made with e-wallets and prepaid vouchers from bonus offers but mobile phone billing is neither of these and is most likely safe from going on the naughty list. The reason is that there has been some fairly widespread abuse of bonus offers associated with fraudsters depositing with e-wallets and vouchers that have been funded by third parties. Carrier billing is tied to your phone number which is typically verified by the casino as part of the registration process and because of the transaction limits there’s not much scope for abuse by third parties.
That £40 transaction limit gives rise to another possible problem with bonuses, though – you may not be able to claim the full bonus on offer when you pay by phone due to not being allowed to make a large enough deposit.
Which slot sites accept pay by phone?
The casino and slot sites that accept payment by mobile phone billing fall into three groups:
All Jumpman sites, where there’s a flat £2.50 charge to deposit using it
All Progress Play sites, where there’s a 15% fee to deposit using it
A few independents, some of which don’t charge for using it
Mobile phone billing is by no means as widespread a payment method as many players would like and this is probably due to general compliance issues surrounding it, as operators need to verify that a credit card hasn’t been used to fund the deposit indirectly.
Alternatives to pay by phone
E-wallet apps are an alternative method of depositing on the go without sending bank or card details over the internet and are only less secure when they don’t have two factor authentication. With the excellent data connectivity we enjoy in the UK, e-wallet apps generally work very well. They do, however, have a couple of disadvantages that mobile phone billing doesn’t have. One is remembering the password (which is why some modern e-wallet apps have biometric validation) and the other is that e-wallets are sometimes excluded from bonus offers.
The future of pay by phone
Depositing using a pay by phone method can be rather haphazard at the moment as there are so many systems and whether they work or not depends on which mobile phone service provider you use as well as on the casino’s payment systems.
The Swedish fintech company Zimpler (founded in 2012) offers a better solution but at the moment this is only available to users in a few countries, not including the UK. Zimpler is a mobile wallet that integrates phone bill, bank and card payments, offering a facility to deposit with any of these methods in less than 20 seconds. To access Zimpler, a customer enters their phone number then logs in with the authentication code that is sent to the phone. This is a vast improvement over any current system because it effectively combines a pay by phone system with a Paypal type e-wallet, all with text authentication. It also includes features such as spending limits, nudging and behavioural science methods to help users manage their money effectively.
If Zimpler comes to the UK (one major obstacle to this could be regulation as presumably part of its operation would fall under the Financial Conduct Authority and part under the Phone-paid Services Authority) we expect it to dominate the market in pay by phone casino and slot sites very quickly – especially as so many sites already accept it in countries where it is live.
On the other hand, we wouldn’t be surpised if charging deposits to your mobile phone bill was eventually banned by the Gambling Commission, on the grounds that it’s technically borrowing money from the carrier. In that case, the go-to method for depositing from a mobile phone could very well end up being Apple Pay or G Pay (depending on whether your phone is Apple or Android), probably with facial or fingerprint recognition.
Sue Dawson has been writing about (and playing) online bingo and slots since 2013, putting her unique spin on everything. She has written pieces for iGaming industry news sites, appeared on panels at industry events and on podcasts, helped to judge industry awards and is a member of iGB Executive, an industry think tank. In her spare time she enjoys gaming, hiking, dancing, watching motorsport and reading science fiction.
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