Visa Follows Suit in Banning US Online Casinos

08th February, 2010

Hot on the heels of MasterCard shutting down any transactions to US based online casinos, it has been announced that their main rival has now followed suit.

Visa has ordered an overnight clampdown on online casino operators who 'mask' payments made by casino customers to their accounts. This is in line with MasterCard, in time for the planned implementation of the UIGEA Act.

Some US based online casinos have got around the problem by renaming '7995' transations - those that relate to online casino deposits.

It is estimated by industry insiders that this move by the two main credit card companies in the world will affect hundreds of thousands of casino customers.

The UIGEA was passed at the last minute by the US Government in October 2006, to the shock of the online casino industry, as part of the Safe Port Act. The act has led to the demise of many online casinos, as well as poker rooms such as Party Poker.