Because of national and international banking regulations, the legal online gambling industry has always had to be one step ahead of the game when it comes to account funding. Now, the newest way for US players to deposit into their casino, poker, or sports betting accounts is to use the Zelle to Bitcoin option.

Developed by major US banks, Zelle is a money transfer platform, and it has some real benefits for those who’ve had an otherwise difficult time sending funds to their favorite offshore betting and gaming sites. By using Zelle to purchase Bitcoin, wait times can be reduced from days to mere minutes, letting you spend more time betting and less time worrying about your bankroll.

Unlike Zelle, these privately issued blockchain-based versions of the U.S. Dollar do not put many limitations on usage. And, unlike bitcoin, which never really attracted much usage in.

Zelle money transfers essentially allow you to make an instant Bitcoin purchase that can in turn be used to fund your online gambling account. Zelle cannot be used directly to fund your account but serves as a great intermediary for purchasing Bitcoin without the waiting period or hassle of establishing a BTC wallet.

1. You can use Zelle to purchase Bitcoin from LocalBitcoins – or purchase goods and services from any entity that accepts Zelle – anytime day or night. This includes members of sportsbooks selling their account balances in the form of vouchers.
2. Buy bitcoins using Zelle with US Dollar (USD) LocalBitcoins.com user ArDax.com.ar wishes to sell bitcoins to you.

Is It Legal To Buy Bitcoin With Zelle?

As long as it’s legal to buy Bitcoin, it’s legal to buy Bitcoin with Zelle. To date, no US states have any laws against purchasing BTC, albeit you should always be sure to abide by the IRS rules and regulations regarding cryptocurrency taxation.

Because Zelle is a product of the banking industry, some analysts believe that BTC and other crypto purchases might eventually be outlawed by individual banks, but that hasn’t happened yet. If and when the US gambling laws or rules regarding Zelle and crypto change, we will update this page accordingly.

Bovada is an online gambling pioneer, so it makes sense that it would be one of the first major betting sites to offer a branded Zelle deposit option. The company operates under the banner of the internationally licensed Bodog brand, and as a Zelle friendly gambling site, deposits are now even faster and easier than ever.

To deposit with Zelle at Bovada, simply sign up for a free account, and when you go to load up your funds, click or tap the Zelle option. This will give you detailed instructions on how to go about quickly converting Zelle to Bitcoin, which you can then deposit immediately. When you deposit using Zelle, you’ll get same-day access to sports betting boards, a Vegas-style casino with table games and slots, a huge poker room, and even an international racebook.

Pros

• US Friendly Deposit Options
• Deposit Easily With Your Credit Card, Bitcoin, or Zelle-To-BTC Transfers
• Fast And Reliable Payouts
• Enjoy Sports Betting, Casino, Poker, Horses Betting, and live dealer gambling With 1 User Account

Cons

• Does Not Accept Players from NJ, NV, DE, or MD.

Top Rated Gambling Sites That Accept Zelle Payments

The Zelle platform is actually owned by several major banks, including Bank of America, BB&T, Capital One, Citibank, and others. If you currently have online banking enabled or manage your financial accounts via an app on your smartphone, you probably have access to Zelle already. Call your bank or credit union for more information.

To use Zelle, you have to be at least 18 years of age. This shouldn’t be a problem, as you also have to be 18+ in order to sign up at any online gambling site. That said, some states explicitly mandate a minimum online betting age of 21, in which case you should stick with the local laws in your area.

If you use a site like Bovada or Ignition Casino and sign up through their specific Zelle portals, you will only be eligible for standard deposit bonuses, not the enhanced Bitcoin bonuses. However, if you use Zelle to acquire BTC at LocalBitcoins.com independently, you can then deposit using that Bitcoin and claim any extra associated bonuses.

LocalBitcoins.com is a legitimate peer-to-peer BTC trading site. Unlike a crypto exchange, at LocalBitcoins, you’re dealing with individual private sellers. To prevent fraud, the site holds BTC purchases in escrow, releasing your Bitcoin as soon as your Zelle transaction goes through.

The concept with Zelle is that it’s like digital cash, where you just send money from your linked bank account to someone else’s. That means you can buy just about anything with Zelle, provided that the seller accepts it. However, as with cash transactions, there are no service or product guarantees, and banks do not monitor or refund Zelle transactions.

How Zelle Works: The Zelle-To-Bitcoin Process

Zelle is a banking product that you likely already have access to. Essentially, it’s a convenient way to send USD from your checking or savings account to another person or company. However, it only works this way if both the sender and the recipient are physically located in the US. Naturally, such a model can’t work to fund your offshore gambling activities.

For our purposes, then, Zelle is not a direct banking method. When you use an offshore gambling site that says it accepts Zelle, you’re not actually sending your cash to that site. Instead, you’re using Zelle to purchase Bitcoin from LocalBitcoins.com, which you can then easily send overseas. The Zelle-to-Bitcoin process makes buying BTC quicker than ever, as other fiat-to-BTC sites can take 7-10 days to process. With Zelle, you can buy BTC in just a few minutes and start playing Bitcoin gambling sites right away!

Other popular crypto betting options include Stellar casinos, QB Direct gambling sites, and Bovada's new MatchPay deposit option. QB Direct (by QuickBit) and MatchPay are similar services to Zelle but as of now, only a few gambling sites embrace them.

The Best Gambling Sites That Work With Zelle

While every A-rated gambling site can be funded with Zelle-to-BTC, some make it easier than others. The Bodog family of US-friendly gambling sites is the first to jump on the Zelle bandwagon, with the entire Bovada family of casinos, poker sites and sportsbooks accepting Zelle deposits via Bitcoin transfers - see the table above. However, even if a site doesn’t offer specific support for Zelle, you can still use this service to purchase BTC and fund your account.

How To Deposit Into Your Online Gaming Account Using Zelle

At Zelle-friendly betting sites like Bovada, Slots.lv, and Ignition, you can simply follow their explicit instructions for how to deposit with Zelle. For all other sites – or if you just prefer to have more flexibility in general – you can follow the following Zelle funding instructions:

1. Set up a legal online gambling account.
2. Confirm that your bank offers a Zelle payment option - you can do this when you register as a user with the Zelle app.
3. Set up a LocalBitcoins.com account.
4. At LocalBitcoins, initiate a purchase of BTC using Zelle.
5. At your preferred gambling site, select the Bitcoin deposit option.
6. Send BTC from your LocalBitcoins account to your gambling account at the address provided by the gambling site’s cashier.
7. Start gambling.
8. Win big!

What Kind Of Gambling Sites Support Zelle?

• Casinos that accept Zelle – Because Zelle lets you make quick, same-day BTC purchases, you can effectively use the platform to fund all your online casino gaming. Whether you prefer table games, video poker, or digital slots, you can spend less time banking – and more time BANKING! – when you use Zelle-to-BTC to load up your casino gambling account.
• Poker Sites that accept Zelle – Poker sites have action 24-7, whether you’re playing a few hands at a sit-and-go or entering giant tournaments with hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line. Of course, you can’t win anything if you don’t buy-in, and for first-time Bitcoin players, Zelle is the best way to top off your bankroll with crypto.
• Sportsbooks that accept Zelle – Sports betting, more than any other kind of online gambling, requires speed. The games on the schedule wait for no man, and if you see a valuable line or attractive odds, you have to pull the trigger ASAP. Because sports bettors don’t have time to wait while BTC transfers take days or weeks, Zelle is the perfect solution.

Zelle Benefits

Using Zelle to fund your Internet gambling account is beneficial in several key ways. Zelle offers the following perks:

• Same-Day Bitcoin Buy-In – No more 10-day waits!
• Widespread Adoption – Over 27 million users and counting.
• No Added Fees – Banks do not currently charge their members any fees for using Zelle.
• No Purchase Restrictions – Banks do not monitor and approve/disapprove any Zelle transactions. Caveat emptor!

Zelle Drawbacks

Zelle isn’t perfect, and it’s not for everyone. These are the main Zelle negatives to be aware of:

Zelle App Bitcoin

• Requires LocalBitcoins Account – To use Zelle for gambling at offshore sites, you need a LocalBitcoins.com account, which is free. (We're not sure this is actually a drawback as this step is so easy.)
• Can’t Send Money Out Of The US – Direct Zelle transfers are limited to the US only.
• Zelle Payouts Not Supported – You cannot receive winnings from offshore gambling sites via the Zelle platform. Instead, you can be paid out in Bitcoin.
• No Bank Protections – Banks do not guarantee Zelle transactions or offer refunds for accidental/fraudulent purchases. Caveat emptor! This is true for any purchase made with Zelle, not just Bitcoin.

Zelle To Bitcoin

Disclaimer: Zelle is not a direct way to fund your online betting account, as it is specifically useful in this context only in how easily it lets you purchase Bitcoin via the LocalBitcoins exchange. Zelle is not affiliated with this site or any legal online casino, sportsbook, poker room, or racebook. Further, Zelle does not implicitly or explicitly endorse online gambling in any way.