The Complete Guide To Bingo Withdrawals
People play online bingo for many reasons but the one thing we all have in common is that we like to be winners! We all like to be in a position to withdraw from our account after winning huge amounts of money, but sadly for most of us at least, the life-changing jackpots remain elusive. However, there is a good chance you will win enough to make a withdrawal so this article is our complete guide to bingo withdrawals.
Over the years we have seen the terms and conditions change around withdrawal processing and where once it was a bit of a minefield, and could often be quite confusing when you take wagering requirements etc. into consideration, this is rarely the case now.
What is apparent when you have visited the majority of the online bingo sites available on the internet today is that there are several quite significant differences to the bingo withdrawal process depending on where you play.
Some sites have a daily, weekly or monthly withdrawal maximum amount whilst others have none. The good news is that the number of barriers and restrictions to easy withdrawal are reducing all the time. It is also worth noting that bingo withdrawal policies change quite regularly dependent on the current gambling regulations, so worth keeping an eye on those terms and conditions.
Before new regulations were implemented in May 2019 to make gambling fairer and safer, there would often be a delay in how quickly withdrawals were processed because sufficient ID had not been provided. Now operators are not allowed to demand the ID as a condition of withdrawal if they could have requested the information earlier. For this reason, full verification is often requested when you join a new bingo site.
Bingo Withdrawals
Verification Process
For any bingo withdrawal to be processed by any brand, age verification has to be completed and ID has to be checked.
The verification process is achieved by providing a few relevant documents. These do not vary from brand to brand but are a universal requirement the industry over.
These will include the following:
- Photo ID – this could be your driving licence, passport or a National ID Card
- Payment ID – usually a scanned picture, or photograph, of the front and back of the card used to make deposits. The first six and last four digits of the long card number must be visible, although this can vary from site to site. The CCV digits have to be visible on the back.
- Proof Of Address – this has to be a recent utility bill or similar, dated within the last three months.
Most sites now have dedicated areas where you can see all the requirements and they have a streamlined and fast process for enabling the upload of the required documents.
Withdrawal Methods
Many aspects of the bingo withdrawals process vary from brand to brand, depositing method to depositing method and software to software. As an example, the minimum deposit amount will vary depending on the method you use to fund your account, and the site at which you have chosen to deposit. The same applies to minimum withdrawal amounts, but what very rarely differs is the time it takes to process a withdrawal once the initial cash out has been processed.
As a comparison for depositing and bingo withdrawal methods, one taken from Lucky Pants Bingo, we found the following:
Paypal
Used for deposits and withdrawals
Minimum deposit amount – 20 in €, £
Minimum withdrawal amount – 10 in €, £
Maestro
Used for deposits and withdrawals
Minimum deposit amount – 5 in €, £
Minimum withdrawal amount – 10 in €, £
Mastercard
Used for deposits and withdrawals
Minimum deposit amount – 5 in €, £
Minimum withdrawal amount – 10 in €, £
Visa
Used for deposits and withdrawals
Minimum deposit amount – 5 in €, £
Minimum withdrawal amount – 10 in €, £
Neteller
Used for deposits and withdrawals
Minimum deposit amount – 20 in €, £
Minimum withdrawal amount – 10 in €, £
Paysafecard
Used for deposits only
Minimum deposit amount – 10 in €, £
It is worth noting that from April 2020, credit card deposits will not be accepted at online gambling sites.
Processing Times For Bingo Withdrawals
Processing times for bingo withdrawals do vary dependent on the wallet you choose to cash out to and the site at which you have enough money to withdraw from.
Tombola is a popular brand and one we have used for providing examples of processing times and any restrictions around bingo withdrawals. All the details listed were taken from their terms and conditions page (January 2020).
Debit Accounts
- Withdrawals – 3 to 5 working days
- Mastercard – some cards do not allow withdrawals
- Maximum single withdrawal – £20,000
- Over £20,000 is payable by cheque
Paypal Withdrawals
- Withdrawals – up to 72 hours (however, we have found it to be far quicker)
- Maximum single transaction withdrawal – £5,000
Details of specific withdrawal processing times can be found in the terms and conditions of any online bingo site. However, what you will see are the ‘worst-case scenario’ options. In the example above, tombola often has Paypal withdrawals back to players within 6 hours and debit card withdrawals the next working day. The same is true of bigger brands like Jackpotjoy, Heart Bingo and Gala Bingo.
Bingo Withdrawal Terms and Conditions
As is the case with payment and withdrawal options at online bingo sites, the terms and conditions surrounding withdrawals also vary. Whilst the payment and withdrawal method differences don’t vary massively, T&C’s do with some sites making things easier than others when you want to withdraw your money.
How many times do we choose to read the small print of any transaction? Often the answer is that we don’t. However, we do advise that you check out the withdrawal policy of any site that you choose to deposit your hard-earned cash at.
Whilst gambling regulations that have been introduced over the years have ensured that most unfair practices have been stopped, there are a few that can seem a little unfair when you compare them to other big-name brands in the industry.
As an example, wagering requirements are often what can stop you from making a withdrawal when you get lucky. We have compared three different brands below that both offer deposit bonuses of some kind on your initial transaction with their site:
The welcome offer on first deposit with Dove Bingo is awarded as bonus slot spins from the Mega Wheel. To be able to convert the bonus winnings derived from the bonus spins you have wager the amount of the winnings 65x.
E.g. A £10 deposit will earn a spin of the Mega Wheel. The majority of players will win 10 or 20 free spins on a popular slot game and generate approximately £10 of bonus winnings. This means that £10 deposit + £10 bonus winnings (£20 total) have to be wagered 65x. That’s total wagering required of £1,300 before withdrawing.
In January 2020 Tombola offered their new players a 200% bonus on their first deposit to a maximum of £25, making a £50 bonus. On a £10 deposit, you would be awarded £20 of bonus funds by the site. You can withdraw funds from your account at any time, but bonus funds cannot be withdrawn.
Any winnings derived from bonus funds are available to withdraw immediately with no wagering requirements attached.
Foxy Bingo offered their new players a 400% bonus on an initial deposit of £10. The bonus was awarded when the initial deposit amount had been wagered at the site within 14 days.
Once the bonus was awarded, the wagering requirements of the bonus, to withdraw any winnings derived from it, were 4x the bonus amount (£160).
As you can see, when it comes to bingo withdrawals, the wagering requirements are something you need to take into consideration before starting to play to prevent disappointment and frustration later in the event of a nice, withdrawable, win. We are happy to say that restrictive wagering requirements are becoming rarer and most reputable online bingo sites are striving to ensure customers get their winnings as quickly as possible.
