The best VanillaDirect casinos in 2024

Written by Melanie Hart

Checked by Geraldine S.Lorella F. •

Last updated on September 27, 2024

VanillaDirect is on a mission to make paying with cash easier in today’s digital world. Online casinos are no exception and you can now use VanillaDirect to also make deposits. Retailers from 7 Eleven to Family Dollar offer this payment option, there’s no shortage of stores where you can deposit your cash.

So why should you use VanillaDirect as a deposit method? How easy is it to use? And is it really the best option to deposit using cash at a casino? We’ll explore all these topics and more, taking you through the pros and cons of VanillaDirect and recommending the best online casinos that accept VanillaDirect payments.

• Overview
• Ranking
• Casino types
• Why VanillaDirect
• Getting started
• Safety
• How we rate
• US casinos
• FAQs

Ads disclosure

Select state Connecticut, CT Michigan, MI New Jersey, NJ Pennsylvania, PA West Virginia, WVOther state

Casino Logo	Odds rating	Bonus	Go to casino Button	Show more	T&C
SugarHouse review	84/100 Payments rating by Ian Z. 92% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% match bonus up to $250 PACASINO250 copied to clipboard	Play now	Show more Good to know 1x bonus wagering 28 software providers Exclusive software on offer 11 payment methods Show less

Rating the best VanillaDirect casinos isn’t just a matter of looking at our expert rating. We go beyond that and look at how you, as a user of VanillaDirect, can have the best experience at these online casinos. That’s why we look at the range of deposit methods, deposit and withdrawal times, and what type of bonuses are on offer. We even look at things like customer care, because there’s nothing worse than having payment troubles and no live chat is available.

The best VanillaDirect casinos — by type

VanillaDirect isn’t as widely available as other casino payment methods —  but every casino that accepts it does have its strong points. In the section, we’ll show you different types of casinos, and where they shine brightest. While there are no new VanillaDirect casinos at present, and it’s only established casinos that have started accepting this payment method. Have a look at the categories and their winners below.

Category winners – best by type

Why choose VanillaDirect for your casino payments?

VanillaDirect allows you to take cash to one of their participating retailers, and using a reusable barcode, deposit at the casino of your choice. You don’t need any bank accounts or debit cards for this. You can deposit with cash the old-fashioned way, without having to go to the casino in person

• No need for bank accounts
• Deposit is credited within a few minutes
• Good way to set a physical spending limit

• You have to go to a physical store
• No withdrawals available
• Service fees may apply

Getting started at VanillaDirect casinos

In order to use VanillaDirect at online casinos, you must be 21 or over.

If it’s your first deposit you’ll need to request a reusable barcode from the casino’s cashier. You can either print or save this barcode to your device. You then need to go to one of the 40,000 retail locations, pay the amount you would like to deposit, and your casino account will be credited shortly after.

For further deposits, you can reuse the same barcode. Don’t forget to always keep the receipt until you’re sure the money has been credited to your account. 

VanillaDirect deposits and withdrawals

Using your cash to make a VanillaDirect deposit to your online casino account is a straightforward process. However, withdrawing can be a little trickier as VanillaDirect is a one-way system (at least, for now). That means casinos don’t allow you to withdraw via this method.

In order to collect your winnings, you need to set up another payment method. That could be Paypal, instant bank transfer, or any other option the casino offers.

How to deposit

Tip 1

Check your state’s gambling laws

Legal casinos will only allow you to gamble with real money if you’re physically present in the state. So before you deposit into a casino make sure the state you’re in allows gambling. At present, you need to be 21 years of age and within state-lines in Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia.

Tip 2

Sign up to a VanillaDirect casino

Next, find a casino that accepts VanillaDirect. Once you have chosen your casino, sign up, and don’t forget to claim your welcome bonus (most casinos will give you a bonus when you sign up).

Tip 3

Get your barcode

It’s now time to get your reusable barcode. You’ll need to go to the cashier, choose the VanillaDirect payment method and click to generate the barcode. You can either print this or save it to your device.

Show more

Tip 4

Go to a selected retailer

With your barcode in hand, visit any one of the 40,000 retailers available, and pay the amount you want to deposit. This can be anything between $10 to $500. Once deposited the money should be almost instantly credited to your account.

Tip 5

Check the money is in your account

Make sure to keep the receipt. Then log-on on to your online casino, make sure the money has been credited, and then it’s time for you to play. Enjoy!

Show less

Transaction details — time, fees, limits

When you deposit using VanillaDirect, the funds should land in your casino account shortly after. That said, always make sure to keep your receipt just in case your money isn’t there. VanillaDirect has a daily limit of $500 per vendor, but as a customer, you can transfer up to $2,000 per day. It’s also worth noting that there’s a $5,000 limit per customer each calendar month.

As for fees, there may be a small fee attached to the transaction at some casinos. PokerStars, for example, will not take any fees from VanillaDirect customers. If fees are going to be deducted, this will always be clearly marked in the downloaded barcode.

VanillaDirect casino payments and safety

VanillaDirect is just one of the available Vanilla payments on offer. MyVanilla for example, is a preloaded card that partners with reputable sites such as Visa casinos, MasterCard casinos, and AMEX casinos for their gift cards and preloaded cards.

The Vanilla brand is part of InComm Payments’ financial services. This award-winning company is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and has 25 years of fintech experience and over $50 billion in annual transaction volume.

• Backed by a reputable company
• Cash in hand security
• Toll-free customer care number

• You may incur fees to deposit
• Refunds only available from the biller

How we rate the top VanillaDirect casinos

How do we decide who takes top spot for the best VanillaDirect casino? At Time2play, when we’re rating each operator for casino reviews we have to consider different factors. We need to make sure operators accept VanillaDirect as a payment method, and we also focus on other payment options and cashier policies. Then we look at casino bonuses available, the selection of casino games, mobile casino gameplay, casino security, and more.

Payments

VanillaDirect is a relatively new name in the payments industry – so you won’t find it at all US online casinos. What about other payment methods? Does the casino offer other credit or debit card payments options? And can you deposit via a direct bank transfer? Are they a PayPal casino? We also want to know if this information is clear and easy to find.

Cashier Policy

This is an important one for us as we believe every casino should be transparent when it comes to payment information. So we look at the terms and conditions of each payment option.  How easy it is to find this information is an important part of our rating system. Are you able to withdraw using the same method you deposited with? And if that’s not possible, what other withdrawal methods are available?

Deposits and withdrawals

Online casinos tend to make depositing as painless for the player as possible. But what about when it comes to withdrawing? Players want to know how easy it is to get money back to them and whether they can use the same method to withdraw as they did to deposit. Then there’s the all-important issue of transaction fees, and if the casino takes a small percentage from your deposit or withdrawal.

Show more

Bonuses

At present, you probably won’t find a VanillaDirect casino that offers a  special welcome bonus for using this payment method. So we look for the best welcome bonuses at some of the newest online casinos that give you more bang for your buck. We also look at things such as wagering requirements and how much you’d have to play to convert bonus money into real money.

Games

Rating the best VanillaDirect casinos is also a question of what you’ll be doing with the money you’ve deposited. So we check what software providers are available at the casino, the range of online slots, the quality of games on offer, and if you can find table games and live casino games.

Mobile

With more players choosing their mobile devices over their desktops to gamble it’s no surprise this is another important factor for us. When we rate VanillaDirect casinos ideally we’re looking for operators who offer native mobile apps. We check whether their site is responsive and offers a smooth, glitch-free gaming experience for mobile users.

Full offering

Here we geek out and look into details such as the security features of the casinos. How strong are their levels of encryption? Do they offer two-factor authentication? We also test how user-friendly and easy to navigate their site is, and whether it’s visually pleasing. Do they have in-house responsible gambling? Finally, we inspect their help section: how clear is the info, and how easy it is to reach their customer support.

Show less

VanillaDirect at USA casinos

You can use VanillaDirect for many different types of bill payments. But not every casino in the US will accept it. So far only casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan accept this form of payment. Furthermore, there is the issue of withdrawals and you’ll need to connect another type of payment method in order to withdraw any winnings. Having said that, VanillaDirect remains an innovative way to use cash in the digital world.

Best alternatives

VanillaDirect allows you to use cash to make casino deposits without the need to go to the physical casino. We’d hope to see more new VanillaDirect casinos in the future, but in the meantime, there are plenty of other payment options.

So what alternatives are available? Maybe there are other payment methods that allow direct withdrawals or are more widely available. Here we explore these options.

Paysafecard casinos

A cash-based method to pay online.

Paysafecard casinos

PayPal casinos

When it comes to e-wallets PayPal is one of the most recognized brands in the world. Slowly but surely it’s also being accepted by many online casinos. Once again, you don’t need to worry about the security of your money here. And an extra bonus is that you can deposit and withdraw using this method.

PayPal casinos

Visa casinos

When it comes to credit and debit cards these are the most recognized and accepted brands in the world. Both methods follow strict security protocols so you can rest assured that your money is safe. They both are global, trusted brands and are widely available at the majority of online casinos. The only downside to Visa and Mastercard is that you’re not able to withdraw your money into your cards.

Visa casinos

FAQs