MoneyGram is a traditional and long-standing money transfer service used by millions of people around the world for all sorts of transfer purposes, from bill payment to emergency fund transfers to loading online poker and gaming accounts. One downside to a service like MoneyGram, much like its sister service Western Union, is that the fees for MoneyGram deposits and exchanges are usually higher than other eWallets, prepaid cards, or alternative payment methods.
Another downside is that not every Canadian-facing online poker site will accept MoneyGram as a deposit method. Customers in parts of the world where other transfer methods aren’t available use MoneyGram as the most secure possible cash transfer method available; this is especially true in second- and third-world countries, though many Canadians find MoneyGram transfers to poker accounts easier than any other method and choose it for that reason. If you can’t use your bank account or credit card to fund your online poker bankroll, consider MoneyGram deposits.
MoneyGram is a reliable cash transfer system that will let you make deposits to certain Canadian online poker rooms that you may not have any other way of funding. MoneyGram is one of the oldest transfer methods for cash and other financial transactions with a long history of financial transfers, much longer than other alternative account funding methods.
Here’s a quick look at what is required for a Canadian poker player to use MoneyGram to fund their poker account, a short list of our favorite sites that accept MoneyGram poker deposits, and a handful of other details the cash transfer process used by MoneyGram and the other popular money wiring service Western Union. You’ll often hear MoneyGram and Western Union mentioned side by side, with MoneyGram being cheaper for the most part and Western Union justifying their higher fees with more security and customer features.
Requirements for Canadians to Use MoneyGram
Using MoneyGram to fund your Canadian online poker site account is easy and inexpensive compared to more modern eWallet and prepaid transactions. There are cheaper methods, but none as cost-effective and user-friendly.
Sending money to your online poker cashier with MoneyGram is easy because of the tens of thousands of shops and kiosks that offer MoneyGram service. You can also use their website or their phone service to perform a transaction. Obviously, using a store kiosk featuring MoneyGram deposits or speaking directly with a MoneyGram agent face to face is an easier transaction than using the website, but the options are there if you need them.
One requirement comes when you want to send $1,000 CAD or more via the MoneyGram service. If you do that, which many online poker players do, you will have to show government ID, provide your phone number, and fill out a couple of other forms to prevent fraud. The number of extra forms and ID you need will depend on where the payment is being transferred to, so different poker sites will have different MoneyGram funding requirements.
Once you get through all the sending requirements for transferring more than a grand, all you will need to complete the transfer is MoneyGram’s special Money Transfer Control Number (called an MTCN in the industry), a little proof that you are at least 18 years old, and the amount of cash you want to send to you online poker account.
MoneyGram Fees for Canadian Poker Players
MoneyGram’s fees for funding your online poker bankroll vary based on your location and the location of the poker site you’re sending cash to. Geographical location affects MoneyGram and Western Union fees more than any other factor. It is impossible to estimate how much you’ll spend when you transfer money, but a good guide would be to expect between 2% and 5% of your total deposit to go to fees.
That means a Canadian poker fan moving $2,000 CAD to their online poker site will end up paying $100-$200 in fees. Is that a lot of cash? Sure, but it is competitive with other transfer methods. That’s the only real downside of using MoneyGram to fund your Canadian poker player account, the fee structure can be a little high.
MoneyGram Deposits Security & Support
Since MoneyGram is a huge company and they have offices worldwide, customer service staff that speak every language you can name, and a long history of performing successful financial transactions, your money is safe with them. They have a large support staff and other customer service features that come with the title of “global money transfer company.” Just choose a legitimate Canadian-facing poker site and your entire MoneyGram transaction should be totally care-free.
Canadian Poker & MoneyGram Deposit Laws
Canadian online poker is looking more and more like American poker online just before the UIGEA, when rumors of government action against online poker in that country led to payments being declined and big questions about site authenticity. In Canada these days, there is talk of a nationwide ban, government action towards seizing player account cash, and the shutdown of many Canadian poker sites. Canada is not yet in as dark a place as the American online poker market, but we may be headed in that direction.
The reason most deposit methods that work at Canadian poker sites are disappearing has as much to do with the way the American government is treating transfer companies. These companies appear to lump Canadian business in with American business, and are shying away from our poker market.
While more and more Canadian poker sites stop allowing credit card deposits or transfers from bank account, Canadian poker players that use to have easy access to their online poker player account are finding trouble where there once was none. That’s where a transfer system like MoneyGram comes in, to provide some stability to a shaky marketplace.
MoneyGram is one of the most commonly used financial transfer plans in the world. MoneyGram has offices in territories most people could never find on a map, and while more and more Canadian poker players find their traditional poker account funding methods unavailable, they find themselves willing to turn to deposit methods like MoneyGram.
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