US sportsbooks are moving away from credit cards as more states tighten payment rules and large operators bring in wider restrictions. Bet365 became the latest to remove credit card deposits in the US this month, joining FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM in stepping back from a payment method that has drawn growing concern from regulators and responsible gambling groups.
The shift is happening at both the state and operator level. FanDuel stopped accepting credit card deposits nationwide in March, following a similar move by DraftKings last year, while BetMGM said in late March that it would also stop allowing them.
Operators are changing policy before more states act
For years, credit cards were still available at some sportsbooks even as critics warned they made it easier for bettors to gamble with borrowed money. That is becoming harder to defend as more states ban the practice directly or push operators toward stricter payment controls.
Several states already prohibit credit card deposits for online sports betting, including Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Illinois. Virginia lawmakers also passed a bill this year to ban credit card use for sports betting, making it even clearer where the market is heading.
Operators are responding to that shift by moving toward one broader standard. Instead of keeping different payment rules in different states, large sportsbooks are increasingly choosing to remove credit cards across the board.
Consumer protection is now driving the payments debate
The main concern is simple. Credit cards let bettors fund gambling with debt, and that creates a bigger risk for people already struggling to control spending. Operator statements and market reporting around the recent bans have pointed to responsible gambling and regulatory pressure as the main reasons for the change.
The result is a quieter but important reset in the US betting market. Sportsbooks are still competing hard for customers, but they are becoming more cautious about which payment tools they are willing to offer. Credit cards are no longer being treated as a normal deposit option. They are starting to look more like a compliance risk.
