How to Use Casino Gift Cards
By
Kevin Lentz
Writer at Casinos.US Updated: 09/09/2024
Kevin has been involved in the gambling industry since the ‘80s. From winning tournaments to casino management, he’s ultimately done it all. Throughout the years, he’s written for various iGaming publications on topics such as the legal landscape of online casinos and strategies behind winning. His favorite game is blackjack.
Casino Gift Cards
Casino gift cards are the gift that keeps on giving. They are sold by brick-and-mortar casinos to allow you to present a present that will enable the recipient to buy dinners, spa treatments, or even hotel stays. And by the best online casino sites, where you can use them to fund your account as well as purchase swag and branded items, these versatile little cards can be used in many different ways.
- 💳 Using Your Online Gambling Gift Cards to Fund Your Account
- 💳 Presenting Online Casino Gift Cards as Presents
- 💳 Buying Discounted Casino Gift Cards
- 💳 Conclusion
Using Your Online Gambling Gift Cards to Fund Your Account
As online gambling has taken off across the country, and with seven states already allowing online casinos and many more allowing online betting on sports, there was a growing need for a way to fund accounts. One that didn’t expose people’s credit cards or bank accounts to hackers or other criminals who see online casinos and their customers as lucrative targets.
Online casino gift cards, in this case, offered by sizeable online casino companies like DraftKings or BETMGM which are some of the best casinos with real money games, could be purchased either online at places like Amazon or the casino’s own website. Or you could pick them up in person at places like Walmart or your local grocery store. These branded gift cards usually come in $50 or $100 denominations and may or may not have a small fee attached when purchased.
If you buy them in person, you can use cash to purchase them, and even if you use a credit card, the details of that card won’t be available to the casino when you load your account with these gift cards.
Keeping your banking and card info separate from your account can give you peace of mind, and of course, if you prefer to use cash for your gambling instead of credit or debit cards, this is an easy way to do it while still gambling online or funding your sports betting account.
Presenting Online Casino Gift Cards as Presents
Another quite common use of online gift cards is as an actual gift. For instance, if you know someone has been saving up for a trip out to Las Vegas and you know they will be staying at Encore, you can purchase a casino gift card that they can use not only at the hotel or restaurants but at any retail store at either Wynn or Encore.
This thoughtful gift is much more suitable than a wad of cash and certainly easier to carry. Most major casinos, including many of the larger Tribal Casinos, will have these gift cards for sale at their gift shop or online at their webpage.
Many of these gift cards will have denominations in the $50 to $500 range, but these will not be allowed to be used to fund your account. In cases like MGM or Caesars, who sell both gift cards that can only be used to fund your account and ones that can be used at any of their casino properties for almost anything other than gambling, you will need to be very certain that you are buying the right card for the right job.
Buying Discounted Casino Gift Cards
Interestingly, many people purchase casino gift cards for their own use, sometimes at discounted rates. eBay often has gift cards offered by people whose trips or plans fell through, and now they need to liquidate the card.
Other times, the brand itself may offer a small discount on gift cards, knowing that some percentage of gift cards go unused every year anyway. Still, others purchase them due to loyalty points awards.
Perhaps you can get 5x points on your American Express card at the Grocery Store, and your FanDuel card purchase scans as a grocery purchase. That’s 5x points, whereas if you just used your American Express Card to fund your account, you likely wouldn’t get any points at all. Or you can earn 3x Caesar reward points if you buy that lovely purse in the casino gift shop if you use your Caesar’s branded credit card, whereas you only get 1x points if you use your Discover card.
Many people have reported success using discounted casino cruise cards from purveyors like Sam’s and Costco to fund their casino account onboard the cruise ship with cruise operators who allow you to charge your casino funds to your room. These calculations can put more cash or points into your wallet when it comes time to use your casino gift cards.
Conclusion
Casino gift cards have become a billion-dollar business with the expansion of internet sports betting across the nation. They allow people who prefer to use cash for their gambling an easy way to fund their online accounts. For example, to play at BetMGM in PA or Borgata in New Jersey. They also give people who use credit or bank accounts an extra layer of anonymity and privacy that can keep prying eyes away from their financial information.
Casino gift cards, which are used to purchase amenities at land-based casinos, have also grown in popularity in the last decade and make an excellent present for those who frequent casinos. They also provide an extra layer of security since you are not using your credit card all over the casino for food and gift shop purchases, but they are much easier to use than cash.
Many people game-out ways to save money or accumulate points when buying casino gift cards for their own use. And while the savings may not be great, every penny saved is an extra one that you can spend at the casino.
The future of casino gift cards is also bright as casinos propose new and exciting ideas, such as being able to use your player’s club card as a gift card by loading funds directly onto it and then being able to use that at any place from restaurants to slot machines, to the gift shop.
