How to Gamble Online with a Scotiabank Account
Scotiabank is Canada’s oldest bank, established in 1832. They were also one of the first to introduce policies that make it difficult for players to deposit and withdraw from online casinos that operate offshore. In fact, they’ve actually made it virtually impossible unless the customer gets creative with their own money by using a secondary or intermediary service.
The opening paragraph of Scotiabank’s “Day to Day Banking Companion Handbook” states:
“We reserve the right to prevent use of your account without notifying you in advance if we suspect illegal, unauthorized or fraudulent use of the account, including transactions relating to illegal internet gambling.”
However, due to recent legalization of gambling in Ontario, we have seen transactions working seamlessly at licensed operators.
Although, as we show here, there are no laws on the books that make gambling at online casinos not hosted or managed in Canada illegal. Offshore gambling is perfectly legal for Canadian residents, but financial institutions are also free to set their own policies, even when they don’t make sense.
Fortunately, one of the most popular money transfer facilitators in the country offers a service that seems to bypass Scotiabank’s embargo of legal offshore gambling online. Interac e-Transfer allows Canadian players to access a secondary processor – Gigadat – in order to deposit directly from their Scotiabank accounts. For easy to follow instructions on how to use the service, please see our Guide To Using Interac At An Online Casino.
Note: Interac Online, another separate service, will NOT work for Scotiabank casino deposits.
Recommended Scotiabank Casinos
- Games 6269
- Payout KYC: 48 hours; E-wallets: Pending time: Within few hours; Same day; Credit/Debit Cards/Wire Transfer: 2-7 business days
- Games 5091
- Payout KYC: Within 24 hours; Pending Time: 72 hours; E-wallets: Instant; Credit Cards/Bank Transfer: 1-3 business days
- Wagering req. 35xB
- Games 6167
- Payout KYC: Within 48 hours; Pending time: Up to 24 hours; E-wallets: Instant; Bank Transfer: 3-10 business days;
- Wagering req. 40xB
- Games 6650
- Payout KYC: Up to 72 hours; Pending time: 0-24 hours; E-wallets: Instant; Bank Transfer: 3-10 business days;
- Wagering req. 40xB
- Games 5784
- Payout KYC: Within 36 hours; E-wallets: Instant; Credit/Debit Cards: 1-5 business days; Bank Transfer: 3-10 business days
- Wagering req. 40
- Games 5976
- Payout KYC: Up to 24 hours; Pending time: Up to 24 hours; E-wallets: Up to 1 hour; Credit/Debit Cards: 1-3 business days; Bank Transfer: 3-7 business days
- Games 5188
- Payout Pending time: 1-5 business days;
- Wagering req. 35
- Games 4884
- Payout Pending time: Within 5 business days; Processing time:; Up to 5 business days (EU); Up to 10 business days (Non-EU)
- Wagering req. 20
- Games 4887
- Payout KYC: up to 72 hours; Pending time: up to 3 business days; E-wallets: 24-48 hours; Credit/Debit Cards: 3-5 business days; Wire Transfer: 4-7 business days
- Wagering req. 40xB
- Games 5987
- Payout Pending time: up to 3 business days; E-wallets: 24-48 hours; Credit/Debit Cards: up to 5 business days; Wire Transfer: 4-7 business days
- Wagering req. 50
More Scotiabank online gambling options
In order to use the money in your Scotiabank account to gamble online without Interac e-Transfer, you’ll most likely need to move the money somewhere else first. Each player will have their own preferences and abilities, and some methods may not work for all customers. These are some other convenient and inexpensive ways to top up your casino account using funds from a Scotiabank account.
eWallets
iDebit offers an eWallet that can be funded with your Scotiabank account. After transferring funds to your wallet you will be able to deposit in any of the Canadian online casinos listed on our iDebit Casinos page. There’s also an easy to follow guide there that will walk you through the simple process. Scotiabank will not be aware nor concerned about how and where you spend or invest your money once the funds have moved from the bank to your iDebit account.
EcoPayz is another way to use funds from your Scotiabank account to fund an online gambling transaction. The company offers plastic ecoCards and one-time-use ecoVirtualcards that you can connect to an ecoAccount eWallet. The wallet can be funded over the counter at your local bank, With an online Scotiabank account, credit cards or debit cards.
InstaDebit offers a free account and it works a lot like iDebit – acting as a secure gateway between your bank funds and the casino. A temporary account with a spending limit can be created “on the fly” at any casino on this page. If you want to use the method often, you’ll simply need to verify your bank account with InstaDebit and your spending limits will be raised.
Prepaid and Gift Cards
While your Scotiabank Visa or Mastercard will not work to directly deposit into a casino, you can use one to buy prepaid cards, top them up online, or to buy gift cards. Some of the most popular and widely accepted prepaid cards are:
Paysafecard – While Neteller and Skrill are no longer available for Canadian online casino payments, one product from Paysafe Group Limited can still be used to deposit. Paysafecards are one of the most widely accepted deposit methods.
The cards come in set denominations with a 16 digit voucher number. Learn more about Paysafecard, and find our list of more than two dozen operators that accept the method.
Neosurf – This is basically a prepaid voucher or card. However, you can set up an account that will allow you to deposit and withdraw from some casinos. Please click the following link to learn more about Neosurf casinos. This is another method that may allow you to withdraw casino winnings to your Scotiabank account.
Vanilla – You can purchase a Vanilla prepaid Visa or Mastercard and use it to deposit at many online casinos. Depending on the brand of card, simply choose Visa or Mastercard in the cashier. The cards are available at thousands of locations including Mac’s, 7-11, Petro Canada and elsewhere.
Instant Gift Card – These are rarely advertised and usually not visible until you log in and go to the casino banking or cashier section. If you see “Gift Card” or “Instant Gift Card” listed as an option, click through and use your regular Scotiabank debit or credit card to purchase a virtual gift card. Return to the cashier and enter the provided code and your funds should be immediately available.
Bitcoin with instant cashout to PayPal
While most Canadian banks stopped allowing the purchase of cryptocurrencies in 2018, some exchanges such as Coinbase can still facilitate an exchange. Please keep in mind that digital currency exchanges change terms and methods frequently to stay ahead of regulatory requirements and conditions can change.
Coinbase does not support any Canadian bank accounts for buying or selling. However, you can make instant crypto purchases with your branded Scotiabank Visa debit card. After purchasing Bitcoin or any of the alt-coins available on the exchange you will be able to deposit at most offshore casinos.
When you cash out, simply request a Bitcoin payment and the casino will send it to your Coinbase wallet. From there, you will need a PayPal account in order to withdraw. Withdrawals are stated by Coinbase as occurring in one or two business days but cashouts are actually immediate to PayPal.
From there, you can either move the money to Scotiabank or another account, shop online, or retrieve the money from an ATM if you have the proper PayPal card.
Scotiabank Casino Gambling in Conclusion
The old guard may have made it more difficult to play at the online casino of your own choosing, but they simply can’t make it impossible. The vast majority of players use Interac e-Transfers or EcoPayz for deposits and withdrawals but there are other options as well if those method doesn’t suit you for any reason.
The most important thing to remember is that it is still possible to deposit without moving to another financial institution or opening a new bank account. Just like down south, cashouts can still be an issue for some players. The charts on each of our casino review pages show which methods are available for deposits, withdrawals, or both. We hope this helps our readers who are Scotiabank customers to find an easier path to their favorite online gambling venue.