The number of payment options we have available just keeps rising. The days of cash or card only are behind us, and most people have embraced at least one mobile payment method. This may be an e-wallet directly linked to their phone, a mobile payment app or even just their bank’s app.
The influx of new payment apps, mobile financial service providers and digital banks can seem never ending. Add in the fact that many of these new companies have names that don’t provide any clue as to what they do, and it can all be a bit overwhelming.
Boku — not to be confused with the original DVR platform Roku — is one of those new payment companies. It is a mobile payment company with a focus on carrier billing. Since it was launched, Boku has gained a following among online casino players. In this article we’ll explain what Boku is, how it works and why so many people are using it while gambling.
What is Boku?
Boku isn’t a bank or new payment app, it’s more of a middleman. Boku is a B2B payment company that specializes in helping people make payments using either a digital wallet or their phone bill. It’s the second part that sets Boku apart.
Instead of having to pay using their card, bank account or payment app, Boku users can make payments that are added to their mobile phone bill. When they make a purchase at a company like Amazon or renew a subscription on Spotify or Sky, the amount is added to the customer’s phone bill rather than being immediately charged to them.
This makes Boku a very convenient payment method. Many people struggle to keep track of their various accounts and stick to a budget — especially now that so many of us use a variety of payment methods — and Boku helps by combining all of those charges onto one pre-existing bill.
Boku is currently available in 60 countries and continues to expand. Those countries include the USA, UK, Germany, India, Australia, the Netherlands, China, Poland, Mexico, Thailand, Brazil and France.
Why is it popular for gambling?
Besides the general reasons that Boku is easy to use and widely available, there are many reasons that it is particularly popular for gambling and for use at online casinos. The first is that Boku is very secure. It employs SMS encryption, identity checks and PIN verification to keep users safe.
Boku does not charge its users any fees. This is a huge bonus for online casino users who are often charged a fee for each transaction by their payment provider. Another positive is that Boku processes transactions instantly. Again, this is a major improvement compared to some payment methods. Lastly, Boku is one of the most mobile-friendly payment methods. Since more people than ever are using their mobile devices to play games, including casino games, this is ideal.
Casino guide sites such as New Casinos provide overviews of online casinos, including which payment methods they support for deposits and withdrawals. They can also tell you the average processing time for these withdrawals so there are no surprises when it is time to withdraw your funds.
Below are some of the new online casinos that accept Boku payments:
Ice36 Casino
Ice36 is one of the coolest casinos around. They offer over 1,200 games from major developers such as NetEnt, Play’n GO and Evolution Gaming. The majority of their games are slots, but wherever you see Evolution Gaming you know there’s also going to be a great selection of innovative live dealer games.
Boku is just one of the deposit methods available at Ice36. They also accept debit cards, bank transfers and most of the big names in payment apps. Unfortunately, customer support at Ice36 is difficult to contact and can be slow to respond.
WatchMySpin Casino
WatchMySpin Casino doesn’t have the biggest library in the business, but what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality. Their 400 games — most of which are slots of course — are only from leading studios such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Red Tiger Gaming and Pragmatic Play. It’s a good thing the library is small because they don’t have any filters to make finding the game you’re looking for easier.
The accepted payment methods at WatchMySpin include debit cards, Skrill, Trustly, Maestro, Neteller, Zimpler, PayPal, Paysafecard, and of course Boku. This is a fairly new casino site, so they’re still working out some minor issues, but hopefully in the next few months, they’ll be at the top of their game.
Dove Casino
Dove Casino is an established casino brand that offers a great online gambling experience. They are licensed by both the UK Gambling Commission and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission, so they have a proven record of security and safety.
Alongside their regular game library featuring slots and table games, Dove Casino also offers players a selection of bingo rooms to play in. The primary deposit methods supported are Boku, debit cards, Paysafecard and PayPal. Some withdrawal methods can take a worryingly long time to process.
