Best Ukash Online Casinos 2024

By Kwasi Osei-Bobie 26.10.2023, updated 15.11.2024

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Prepaid voucher payment methods are popular among gamblers worldwide because they're easy to use, offer some level of privacy and anonymity, and are cost-effective. Ukash is the perfect example of a voucher-based casino payment method. When playing at Ukash casinos for real money, players purchase an e-money Ukash voucher of their preferred value and use it to make online casino deposits. Like most payment methods of this kind, many Ukash online casinos do not support withdrawals via Ukash.

However, it’s important to note that this payment doesn’t operate anymore. This review will explain why and offer alternatives, explain how it worked, and discuss in what countries it was popular, among other aspects.

General information about Ukash

Ukash was amongst the earliest digital payment systems that allowed users to pay for goods and services without tangible cash. The electronic money payment system, which was based in London, United Kingdom, was established in 2005. Ukash was operated and owned by a company known as Smart Voucher LTD, which had been in operation since 2001. Ukash grew exponentially over the years, cementing its position as a top payment method in retail stores and online casinos with Ukash.

Its sales rose to about 26 million in 2013. In 2014, Ukash launched a prepaid Mastercard that supported euros and US dollars as currencies and could be used at any checkout point that accepted Mastercard. This means that gamblers who possessed the Ukash prepaid Mastercard could use it to make deposits at Ukash casinos online, request withdrawals from online casinos with Ukash, and even withdraw cash at ATMs.

However, in the same year, 2014, Ukash was purchased by the Skrill Group and merged with its Austrian competitor, Paysafecard. Skrill Group had also acquired Paysafecard one year earlier. In October 2015, Paysafecard replaced Ukash’s voucher payment system. However, Ukash’s operations ceased in August 2015, but users were allowed to use any existing vouchers until 31 October 2015.

So, due to the merger, Ukash and Paysafecard can be deemed one entity that possesses similar operating procedures. Most real-money Ukash casinos that used to accept the payment method now support paysafecard for deposits.

How does the Ukash payment system work?

As mentioned, Ukash was a voucher payment system. Therefore, if you wanted to use Ukash for online gambling or other services it offered, you needed to buy the voucher from authorised sellers. The voucher has a unique 19-digit code, which you would redeem to pay for services or purchases, including deposits at online casinos accepting Ukash.

The voucher was treated as cash because once you lost it, there were no refunds. Like cash, someone could pick up the Ukash voucher and redeem it. The trick players used to employ was making copies of their vouchers just in case they got lost. Therefore, when players wanted to make deposits at online casinos that accepted Ukash, they used to log in to their casino platforms, pick Ukash as their preferred method, and enter their specific 19-digit voucher code.

Players could also redeem a voucher twice as long as there were funds related to that voucher code. For example, if a player bought a $50 Ukash voucher, they could deposit, say, $20 and redeem the remaining funds later. In terms of time, these vouchers used to be valid for 12 months, after which players needed to pay a $2 monthly fee to keep using them.

If you were paying for goods at a Ukash store with a voucher, some authorised sellers could give you a new voucher code as change, just like when paying in cash, if there was a balance from your initial Ukash voucher. Ukash was well-liked among gamblers since it didn’t require any registration processes.

Players could pay for these vouchers in cash, providing some level of privacy when depositing at the best Ukash casinos. Also, casinos with Ukash deposits offered instant transaction times. Impressively, Ukash vouchers could also be used to fund certain e-wallets.

Buying Ukash vouchers

We’ve explained how the vouchers worked, but where did players get them? There were over 400,000 locations worldwide where you could visit with cash, and it could be converted into digital funds in the form of a 19-digit code voucher. This meant that players would need to visit these locations physically.

If you wanted to find the nearest point of sale for these vouchers, the Ukash website had a ‘Store Locator’ feature that enabled users to find the closest point of sale quickly. These locations included kiosks, retail outlets, and ATMs. These e-vouchers were available in different value denominations, from as low as $5 to about a maximum of $200 per voucher.

Therefore, you would visit your closest location with tangible cash and receive an e-voucher that matched the money you exchanged. Fortunately, users could purchase more than one voucher, which was excellent for high bettors.

Alternatively, players could purchase these Ukash vouchers online instead of visiting physical stores and locations. However, users needed a credit/debit card or e-wallet to enable online purchases. There were online resellers that sold these vouchers who would send you the 19-digit voucher to your email address.

Ukash market coverage

Before the absorption of Ukash by Skrill Group, the company soared exponentially, even launching a prepaid Mastercard. It was a popular payment option not only in the gambling universe. Ukash vouchers were available in nearly half a million stores worldwide, and its services were available in over 50 countries. Although the complete list of countries where Ukash services were present cannot be accessed currently, we reckon most of these regions are similar to the ones in the ‘supported’ category under Paysafecard. That said, some of the gambling-friendly countries where Ukash was available include

• United Kingdom
• Australia
• France
• US
• Austria
• Canada
• New Zealand
• Italy
• South Africa

Since you could purchase the Ukash voucher in your local currency, some supported currencies included USD, GBP, AUD, NZD, EUR, CAD, ZAR, etc.

Ukash transaction times and fees

One of the main perks players relished when playing at casinos with Ukash deposits was the instantaneous transaction times. Your deposits would immediately appear in your casino account after completing a transaction. Unfortunately, withdrawing via Ukash wasn’t guaranteed, and as such, most of the time, players would need to look for a cashout alternative.

Also, gamblers fancied paying with Ukash since it was a cost-effective method. There were no fees involved unless you were buying the voucher online, where your card-issuing would probably impose some fees. Ukash online casinos also did not levy transaction costs for deposits. Still, there were monthly charges if your voucher was older than a year.

Convenience and safety of Ukash casinos

Ukash was a very convenient casino payment method. It was available in over 50 countries, most of which have a large gambling population, making its services easily accessible. Additionally, you didn’t need to have a bank account or credit/debit card to use Ukash. There were no registration hassles or verification checks required to get your Ukash voucher.

All you needed was to exchange your cash for your ideal voucher amount, and you were free to use it instantly. Ukash was also easy to use, requiring you to redeem only the 19-digit PIN code to deposit at a top Ukash casino site. The cherry on top was that players could claim various casino bonuses while depositing via Ukash.

The payment provider was authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), ascertaining it was a legit, safe and secure deposit option. In addition, safety was further bolstered by the fact that players weren’t required to disclose their financial data online (except when buying vouchers online via credit/debit cards).

Since Ukash vouchers were purchased in cash, players could also enjoy some sense of anonymity, privacy, and protection. When deposits were made at Ukash casinos online, players only needed to use their unique PIN code. This meant that their sensitive information was safeguarded as it was not shared.

Alternative payment options for Ukash

Because Ukash is no longer in operation, you should opt for other payment systems to deposit and withdraw in online casinos. The apparent alternative is Paysafecard, but at the bottom of this page, players will find diverse payment providers offering speedy deposits and withdrawals, low transaction fees, and other perks.

Conclusion

Seeing the countless merits Ukash offered online gamblers, it’s unfortunate that it ceased operations after the Skrill Group’s absorption in 2014. However, we can argue it still lives on in Paysafecard. Ukash was easy to use, offered gambling anonymity, and reduced players’ risk of falling as victims of online fraud since no sensitive information was shared when depositing to Ukash Casinos.

Your Ukash voucher was eligible for use immediately after purchase, and it offered instant deposits. However, it wasn’t a guaranteed withdrawal option. This review has highlighted how Ukash works, and although it’s no more, players can refer to the process when using similar payment methods. Also, we’ve provided some of the best alternative payment methods on this page.