PayPal Back in US Gambling Market

PayPal Back in US gambling market through a pilot program with four internet gaming operators.

PayPal didn’t advertise it yet, but the payment service has been available at a few online gambling destinations in the US since days. 12 years have passed since American internet gaming players were able to top up their accounts via PayPal, but now they can do that again at several online gambling sites in the US.

• PayPal secretly returned to US online gambling
• Only four operators have been approved
• Further legalization would be big for PayPal

The firm is very quiet about the fact that internet gaming players can welcome PayPal back in US gambling. Just after they have been disjointed from their parent company, eBay, PayPal rewarmed its relationship with internet gaming sites in the US.

No press release, but it’s true: PayPal back in US gambling

Since the company quietly returned, not even a single press release were issued about PayPal back in US gambling. They only communicated that their latest move being a pilot program involving four selected operators. Though the firm is widely involved in internet gambling around the world, it seems that they are not that proud of their renewed connections with online gambling in the US.

Andy Frankenberger, who was a Wall Street trader before started to conquer the world of poker, said that PayPal might have considered the preconception that gambling in the US is a grey area. He said, “If you’re not legal in all 50 states, then it’s not black and white – even daily fantasy. Perhaps PayPal doesn’t want to jeopardize their market status in states that oppose online gaming.”

Other sources argue that the secrecy about PayPal back in US gambling is because of this is actually no more than a test period. Frankenberger also mentioned that this would be a big move for the company if online gambling became legal in some larger states like New York and California. Internet gaming is only legal in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware at the moment.

Which US gambling sites accept PayPal?

PayPal states that their service is prohibited to be used for gambling, unless the company approved the merchant. This means that PayPal could be legally used to top up online gambling accounts only at the four internet gaming operators participating in the pilot program.

Caesars Interactive Entertainment’s WSOP was the first to offer PayPal for their customers earlier this month. The company also added two casino properties to the mix, and Derby Games’ horseracing website also joined to the pilot program. PayPal also approved daily fantasy sites DraftKings and Fan Duel.

PayPal left the business of US online gambling in 2003, because of the merger with eBay and the increasing regulations in US gambling laws. Before that, they were largely involved in internet gambling in the United States.