Caesars Drops Credit Cards as US Payment Rules Tighten
Caesars Entertainment stopped accepting credit card deposits across its U.S. online gambling platforms on April 14. The restriction covers Caesars Sportsbook, Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, Caesars Racebook, William Hill Sportsbook and WSOP Online. Operations in Puerto Rico, Ontario and Canada continue to support credit card payments.
Customers can still fund accounts using debit cards, ACH/eCheck transfers, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, prepaid Play+ cards and cash at selected retail locations.
Caesars Follows Wider Operator Shift
Caesars is among the latest major operators to remove credit card deposits from U.S. products. DraftKings made the change in August 2025. FanDuel followed on March 2, BetMGM began a phased rollout on March 31, and bet365 eliminated credit cards on April 13. Fanatics has never accepted credit cards since its sportsbook launched.
Operators including BetRivers, Hard Rock Bet, theScore, Hollywood Casino and Bally’s still accept credit cards in some markets.
The shift reflects both operator-led responsible gambling measures and rising regulatory pressure. Nine states already prohibit credit card deposits for online betting — Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia — and active or proposed bills are in progress in Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
Limited Revenue Impact Expected
Analysts expect the financial effect to be contained. Jordan Bender, equity research analyst at Citizens JMP Securities, said DraftKings’ handle “was not materially different in the months following the implementation.” He characterised the change as more of a headline issue than a real business impact.
Sam Ghafir, analyst at Macquarie Capital, estimates credit cards account for 10% to 20% of U.S. gambling account deposits. He said the affected users tend to be new players and casual bettors, which may create onboarding friction over a three-to-six-month window — but that the long-run impact will be small. Removing credit cards also cuts processing costs and reduces exposure to future regulatory action.
💡 TGJ Take
Caesars’ move confirms credit cards are being phased out of U.S. online gambling. Nine states have already banned them, and operators removing credit cards now are getting ahead of more regulatory pressure. The real operational question is first-time depositor conversion: casual players who previously used credit cards will need to switch methods, and some will drop off. Affiliates driving new player traffic should audit their onboarding funnels now.
