Gambling charge free credit cards?

wilky80

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows of a credit card that doesn't charge for gambling sites. My cards with RBS & Capital One now charge 20 odd percent for a withdrawal against any gambling site.
Your help would be much appreciated

Gordon_the_Moron

Most card apparently treat gambling as cash advances, your best bet would be probably to ring round all the card providers you can think of or go in all the branches of banks/building societies in your nearest high street and ask. It will be buried in their terms and conditions but checking all of them will take longer.

I don't use gambling sites (and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone, but its your money so your choice) so I don't know which do and which don't charge. If you can't find one that doesn't charge how about opening a current account with a high street bank that doesn't require you to deposit a fixed amount or your salary into it then just deposit what you need for gambling in it and using the debit card, provided you can get a visa debit card that shouldn't be a problem and if you don't have the cash to gamble with you shouldn't be borrowing to do it with a credit card.

Adam1978

I can confirm that First Direct don't and I don't think Barclaycard do either though haven't tested this myself.

You might get a better response on the Gambling Introductory Offers board where people will be regularly using credit cards on gambling sites.

sdj25

None of them will give you this free - as Gordon the Moron (nice name) pointed out, they treat it all as Cash Advances. Which not only come with a handling fee, but also a nice large APR as well.

==== edit =====

if you have to use it for gambling, which again I agree with GtM; Nationwide, Tesco and &more have a cash advance fee of 2% (£2 min, no max).

bargains83

Barclaycard definately don't charge a cash advance fee for gambling transactions. They are treated as purchases and you pay the standard purchase interest rate. However, as others pointed out, gambling on credit cards is not a good idea since there is the risk of 'temptation' leaving you financially crippled with a Maxed out card. You also have to think of it like this, If your going to gamble £100 and lose, you might end up paying interest on that £100.

It is far more sensible to use a debit card if you do gamble

Adam1978

sdj25 wrote:

None of them will give you this free - as Gordon the Moron (nice name) pointed out, they treat it all as Cash Advances. Which not only come with a handling fee, but also a nice large APR as well.

==== edit =====

if you have to use it for gambling, which again I agree with GtM; Nationwide, Tesco and &more have a cash advance fee of 2% (£2 min, no max).

Wrong! As I've already stated, First Direct do not charge a cash advance fee for gambling transactions and, as somebody else has now confirmed, neither do Barclaycard.

sdj25

Well I stand corrected Adam.

I shall change my answer to "most of them will charge you"

sorry for being "Wrong!"

Chadsman

I use Nationwide, Morgan Stanley and Skycard at various bookies without ever being charged a cash advance fee.
I matched bet but I NEVER gamble- I ALWAYS make a profit
Skycard even give me a free £5 skybet for every £250 spend. :j

noff

Chadsman

I wanted to take out a Sky card for that very reason as I turn over a substantial amount of money in gambling transactions. I phoned them a couple of months ago and was told that gambling transactions are deemed to be cash advances. I phoned them again 2 minutes ago on the basis of your quote and was told again. I am sure that you haven't been charged at all however I am wondering if you could tell me whether you are betting with companies that sound like bookies or bookies that go thorugh a third party to maybe get around this. You feedbacl would be appreciated.

Chadsman

I bet with normal betting sites direct... nothing fancy.
I have had the Skycard for about 7 months and never yet been charged a cash advance fee for deposits at any bookie including
bet365, totesport, premierbet, totalbet, betfred, sportingodds, sportingbet, betuk, victor chandler, bluesq, paddy power, betdirect, skybet, extrabet, ukbetting, stan jmaes, ladbrokes and coral.
I would imagine the CS rep didnt know the answer so rather than say there is no fee and then risk a fee appearing on a statement and have you complain, it was safer to say no, because no one is ever going to complain they were told they would be charged a fee and then they were not!
Try ringing them again and asking which is the exact clause in the T&Cs that specifies a fee would be levied for use at bookies.
:beer:

wilky80

Thanks everyone, I've applied for Sky Card as it is also run through Barclay card. I do use a debit card on my seperate betting account, but the credit card is there for back up should I need it. Don't worry, I am sensible and know when to stop if my system lets me down (which I doubt)