American Express (AMEX) is a credit card which is a popular online casino banking method for American players. American players are limited in their online casino options due to UIGEA laws that were passed in the US in 2006.
UIGEA
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006 makes it illegal to transfer money from a financial institution to an online gaming site. Although the law does not make it illegal for individuals to gamble online, it does complicate the issue. The law has been challenged, partly due to its vague nature and the fact that it is difficult to enforce. In the meantime, the law resulted in many online casinos shutting their doors to US players. Those online casinos that continued to accept US players were limited in the banking options that their US clientele were able to use.
Banking and US Players
Banking options are the biggest limitation to US online gamblers, even at online casinos that accept US players. The casinos that accept US players must make sure to offer a variety of options that their US clientele can choose from. Popular options are VISA and Master Card, but American Express is also being offered at many online casinos.
US Players and AMEX
American Express is a popular banking option at online casinos that continue to accept US players. American Express offers a number of benefits to its US clientele. The incidence of credit card payments being rejected at online casinos, even following the passing of the UIGEA laws, is minimal.
AMEX Friendly Casinos
There are not that many American Express friendly online casinos available today. The first reason for this is the fact that many online casinos do not accept American players any more and as American Express is a payment method that is used primarily in the United States, without American players, AMEX is not a popular payment option. Even among the casinos that do accept American players, it is not always clear if the casino accepts US credit card transfers and therefore AMEX may not be a payment option that is offered.
The online casinos that do that accept AMEX payments seem to do so for deposits only. In other words, you can use AMEX to make a deposit into your online casino account, but if you would like to make a withdrawal, you will need to use a different method.
The Advantages of American Express Friendly Casinos
American Express is a secure casino deposit method. It is simple to use and accessible to a large proportion of American players. For players who find an online casino that accepts American players, as well as accepting American Express as a deposit option, this is a big advantage.
It is unlikely that the number of American Express friendly casinos is going to grow in the future, unless the US government changes its stand on online gambling. That being said, there are AMEX friendly casinos available and they are popular with their US clientele.
