Skrill was founded in 2001 as Moneybookers. It quickly grew into one of the most popular payment methods on the internet and now, nearly two decades later, it is one of the most popular ways to transfer money anywhere in the world. But how good is this payment method for online gambling, what are the best Skrill casinos in Canada and should you even be using this payment method for this purpose?
The History of Skrill Casinos
The reason Skrill grew so popular so quickly was because it offered something that PayPal didn’t. These days it is hard to imagine how a payment method could thrive in an industry that was dominated by PayPal. It would be like a new global online retailer trying to compete with Amazon, or an auction site trying to compete with eBay.
But Skrill offered something that PayPal did not: it could be used on online gambling sites. If you’re a gambler in your early 20s then you probably don’t remember a time when PayPal could not be used for these services, but that period existed for many years and it offered Skrill a gateway into this industry.
At the time, you used credit cards, debit cards and bank transfers, that was it. PayPal was an American company constantly worried about the legality of online gambling, as well as the implications for fraud and money laundering.
Their refusal to accommodate gamblers frustrated a lot of people. They cried out for an alternative. And when that was finally offered to them, they jumped onboard. There were other differences between PayPal and Skrill, but none of those mattered, and without the online gambling industry Skrill wouldn’t exist.
You can still feel the impact of this history today. There are many more Skrill casinos out there than there are PayPal ones, and if you ask diehard gamblers which method they prefer (especially those that lived through this time period), a small percentage will point to PayPal.
Skrill Casinos vs PayPal Casinos
In Canada, the difference between Skrill casinos and PayPal ones is quite notable. There are way more of the former than there are of the latter. Most Canadian casinos are glad to accept Skrill, but are very wary of accepting PayPal.
In terms of what these services can offer, there isn’t that much of a difference. Skrill like to claim that they have lower fees, but once you get down to the nitty gritty that is simply not the case. In fact, there are some areas in which Skrill have much higher fees, and there are also some other serious issues with this service.
In other words, it’s not necessarily better than PayPal and it’s not really worse either. They both have many of the same benefits and many of the same issues. Accessibility is where they really differ and while PayPal wins on retail sites, Skrill has the edge on online gambling sites.
The Benefits of Skrill
There are some key benefits to using Skrill casinos in Canada, including:
- Accessibility: You can use Skrill on a host of online casinos in Canada. You can also use it to send money to friends and to shop. There are a multitude of uses for this service.
- Fees: While the fees are not necessarily lower than PayPal and other web wallets, they are much lower than credit cards and a host of other popular payment methods.
- Safety: If you like to keep your bank details secure and out of the hands of online casinos, a service like Skrill is perfect. It acts as an intermediary; a go-between. You can join many casinos without any of them getting access to your bank or card details.
- Bankrolling: The fact that Skrill serves as a link between you bank and multiple casinos means it is the perfect tool for bankrolling. Keep all of your money in one place and make sure you do not gamble more than you can afford to lose.
The Downsides of Skrill
There are more positives than there are negatives where Skrill is concerned, but there are still a couple issues that have to be noted:
- Slow Customer Service: We were struck with utter disbelief the first-time we contacted Skrill. They replied with a no-reply email address to tell us that they were looking at our message and we would receive a response within 2 weeks. They were true to their word, but 2 weeks later the response we received merely asked for more info and clarification, after which we needed to wait a further 2 weeks for another reply!
- Issues: If you already have a Skrill account, you have issues with verification, or you encounter other technical problems, be prepared for a long wait and a lot of frustration. Skrill have a very slow and troublesome process, much like PayPal in the old days. They have yet to streamline it, but maybe they will take a leaf out of PayPal’s book and do that soon. We can only hope.
The Best Skrill Casinos in Canada
The vast majority of online casinos that are licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and based in Europe tend to offer Skrill as a payment method. These casinos also tend to allow Canadian players to join.
There are many of these out there, and you can find the best Skrill casinos in Canada by looking at our top lists and the graphic at the top of this page. These lists are constantly updated with the latest information, ensuring we only list the very best casinos and always remove casinos as soon as they cross a line.
This diligence is very important, because while it’s rare for a legitimate casino to turn into a scam, it’s not rare for a very good casino to stop caring. They can be run by brands who move onto other projects, neglecting customer support, not caring about bonuses and speedy withdrawals, not updating their roster of games, and generally avoiding all of the things they used to do.
By focusing your attentions on our top lists, your search for the best Skrill casinos in Canada will be a positive one, as opposed to one full of frustration.