The U.S. online gambling industry is reconsidering the use of credit cards en masse, and Caesars Entertainment is the latest operator to ban them as a payment method.
Caesars stopped accepting credit card account funding on its online gambling platforms in the United States on April 14, the company confirmed to SBC Americas on Thursday.
The change applies to all Caesars Digital sites and apps, including:
- Caesars Palace Online Casino
- Caesars Racebook
- Caesars Sportsbook & Casino
- Horseshoe Casino
- William Hill Sportsbook
- World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online
The shift, which is noted on the Caesars Sportsbook & Casino website, does not apply to the platform’s online operations in Puerto Rico or Ontario.
“This change follows months of independent review and careful evaluation that began last fall, during which we closely assessed our deposit processes and customer preferences,” a Caesars spokesperson told SBC Americas. “By streamlining our payment options, we are simplifying the deposit experience, improving operational efficiency and reinforcing our commitment to delivering a seamless, customer‑first digital experience.”
Regulated gambling distancing from credit cards
The majority of leading mobile sports betting apps in the U.S. no longer accept credit cards as a funding source.
Caesars’ decision to block their use for online gambling continues that trend of operators removing them as a funding method, which began last summer and accelerated noticeably in the last few weeks:
- DraftKings abandoned credit cards for sports betting and casino nationwide in August 2025
- FanDuel stopped accepting credit card deposits for sports and casino on March 2, 2026
- BetMGM began phasing out credit cards for both verticals later in March
- bet365 stopped accepting credit cards across the U.S. on April 13, 2026
Like Caesars, those operators still accept credit cards as a funding method in Ontario’s regulated market.
Meanwhile, a Fanatics Betting and Gaming spokesperson told SBC Americas that the company never accepted credit cards for online sports betting or casino since it began operating in the U.S.
SBC Americas reached out to several other U.S. online gaming operators to clarify their respective positions on credit cards.
Common-sense player protection safeguard?
Gaming operators moved away from credit cards as legislators and regulators at the federal and state levels looked to deter the industry from allowing advance payments.
Several states already ban the use of credit cards for online sports betting, including:
- Iowa
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Virginia
The pattern at state level has continued in 2026.
Virginia’s legislature passed a bill to ban the use of credit cards for sports betting this spring, with senators approving House Bill 515 unanimously in March. Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed HB 515 into law on April 13. In early April, Maine Gov. Janet Mills followed suit, signing off on Legislative Document 2080, which bans the use of credit cards for that state’s existing online sports betting market and its yet-to-launch online casino market.
Other states including Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York have also considered bills this year that would prohibit credit cards for online sports betting.
A federal case too
The idea of banning credit cards was also included in legislative proposals in Congress and several other states last year.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized the sports betting industry’s permissive attitude toward credit cards earlier in 2026. Before the Super Bowl, she sent letters to numerous sports betting companies requesting information about their credit card policies.
In the letters, she noted that users reported being unaware that they would incur cash advance fees and other charges when they used credit cards to deposit at sportsbooks.
