Skrill eWallet Leaves Canadian Gambling Market

The Canadian gambling market has lost another online payment processing operator as Skrill recently decided to stop handling money transactions on all online gambling sites in Canada. The company have already notified customers that payments to gambling merchants will no longer be processed from January 2nd. All payments will cease effective January 31, so players have four weeks left to withdraw their money.

The company is leaving the world of internet betting in Canada without offering any further explanations regarding the reasons that lead to this decision. However, poker player Benjamin Sulsky disclosed the contents of the email notification he received Tuesday morning, where company representatives say that all active gamblers from their Canadian customer base will be notified next week.

Further details behind this decision remain unknown, but it is rumored that it might have something to do with the fact that provincial gambling monopoly CEOs have been complaining about internet betting sites stealing their customers. However, there have been no discussions regarding any possible changes to the current Canadian gambling laws.

Skrill has been Canada’s most popular ewallet for several ears. While online gambling transactions aren’t banned by law in Canada, most banks add no-gambling clauses to their contracts, so payment processing options are limited. Neteller, another popular ewallet, has taken a step back from the Canadian online gaming market six years ago.

Poker players working with online deposits still have some options, though. Online betting sites like PokerStars or Full Tilt Poker accept electronic checks and Mastercard, Visa, PaySafeCard, Ukash, Instadebit and Entropay. Earnings can be withdrawn via electronic checks, Visa or Instadebit.

As of last month, Skrill has been accepted to the New Jersey online gambling market and some believe that the company chose to withdraw from the Canadian market in order to be allowed to process transactions in the US.