There are plenty of horror stories online about how players have struggled to withdraw their winnings from an online casino. So how do you know if you’re going to get an instant payout or if you’re going to be waiting for weeks before you see your cash?

Online Casino Review is regularly approached by players looking for advice on which casinos offer instant payouts for South Africans and which casinos will drag their heels when it comes to paying out.

As with anything online casino related – you HAVE to do your research.

Hopefully we can put some of the issues to rest and give our players a little peace of mind when it comes to instant payout casinos for South Africa.

Instant payout casinos

We need to start with the term ‘instant payout’. There is no such thing. Instant means immediately but there are no online casinos that pay out immediately. Sure, some online casinos pay out faster than others but even the fastest paying online casino will have a delay between your request to withdraw your money and the cash actually hitting your bank account.

There are a number of reasons for this:

• Your payment method may have certain constraints.
• Validating and processing payment takes time.
• Online casinos are legally required to complete a number of checks before paying out to ensure there is no money laundering going on (or other illegal activities).

While the delays may be frustrating, rest assured that the positive side of your chosen online casino running through all these processes is that they are operating in a legal and responsible manner to keep your information and your money safe.

What are fast payout times?

An online casino that advertises ‘instant payout’ is not technically lying. The payment IS instant – once the request and verification process is completed.

The top online casinos for South African players typically get your money to you anywhere from 24hrs to a month after your withdrawal request. PlayLive Casino, for example, have a 2 – 5 day withdrawal time while Thunderbolt Casino has a 2 – 20 day withdrawal time.

The withdrawal method you choose has a huge impact on your withdrawal time.

What withdrawal methods are fastest?

Generally speaking, your deposit method dictates how your money can be withdrawn. If you deposit via EFT you will generally need to withdraw via EFT. If you deposit via eWallet you will be required to withdraw via eWallet.

Mastercard is one exception as banks won’t allow you to deposit directly from a third party into your Mastercard account.

The fastest withdrawal method is eWallets like Neteller and ecoPayz. These options are available to South Africans gambling in ZAR at online casinos that accept South Africans and our local currency. eWallet withdrawal times are usually within 24 – 48 hours.

PayPal is also a fast 24 – 48 hour process.

EFTs usually take between 2 days and 5 days.

Paying into credit/debit card accounts can be tricky due to bank regulations and can result in significant delays of up to 7 days (if actually allowed at all).

Bank and wire transfers are the most time-consuming. Transfers into your online casino account can take a few days to reflect and withdrawals using bank and wire transfers can take up to 30 days.

Online Casino Review recommends you research eWallets like Neteller, Skrillex and ecoPayz for faster withdrawal times. Visa and Mastercard are great for deposits and really secure but you will need to check with your online casino if they allow withdrawals into these accounts.

Why does validation and processing take so long?

It’s really there for your security. Would you rather an online casino pays instantly to the wrong person? Probably not.

But apart from checking to make sure that they are paying the right person and into the right account, there are also checks on whether your withdrawal is legitimate according to the online casino rules.

This is where a lot, like THE MAJORITY, of online casino complaints come from.

When you sign up at an online casino you MUST make sure you understand ALL the terms and conditions – especially those related to bonuses, promotions and wagering requirements.

A lot of the delays from online casinos come from checking to make sure that the player has adequately fulfilled all requirements. Has the player used bonuses? Has the player fulfilled all the wagering requirements? Is the money in the players online casino account winnings or is it bonus cash to be used for playing?

ALWAYS CHECK THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FULFILLED ALL REQUIREMENTS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO WITHDRAW MONEY!

What about money laundering?

One of the reasons for wagering requirements and the strict Ts and Cs at online casinos is the global financial industry’s focus on stopping money laundering and the flow of currency to and from criminal and terrorist organisations.

As you can imagine, a digital industry like online casinos and the free flow of money between anonymous accounts could open up catastrophic avenues for illegal activity. The wagering requirements and the tedious checks and balances of your money going into your online casino account and your money going out of your online casino account is crucial to ensure compliance and good governance for online casinos.

Taking shortcuts here could result in your favourite online gaming partner being shut down.

To sum up

Instant is misleading. Fast would be more accurate for online casino withdrawals. But there are ways to make it faster (or slower) like making sure you use the correct banking method, have all your personal information readily available (ID and whatnot to verify you are who you say you are) and have fulfilled all the terms and conditions as set out by the online casino.

For Online Casino Review, having an online casino that may take a bit longer to pay us out but ensures our safety and security (in terms of our money and of operating legally) is a small price to pay.

Having said that, we do have preferred and favourite online casinos that give us fast withdrawals, a range of banking methods and the peace of mind we need to know we are playing with a partner we can trust.

Our choices for fastest paying online casinos in South Africa:

PlayLive Casino

Thunderbolt Casino

Fun Casino

Springbok Casino

Yeti Casino