As an avid gambling enthusiast, I’d be willing to bet that, for personal use, you spend a lot more time on a smartphone than you do a desktop or laptop computer. If that’s true, and you consider yourself a ‘recreational’ gambler, you may be a perfect candidate for Pay by Phone Bill casinos. Below is a list of Canadian mobile casinos for real money that accept deposits through your phone bill or APMs.
Online Casinos That Accept Mobile Phone Banking
PlayOJO - for mobile banking deposits.
Casumo - for a robust set of mobile deposit options.
888 Casino - also accepts mobile deposits.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know to pay and play at Canada’s Pay by Phone Bill casinos. As always, thanks for visiting OutlookIndia, and remember to bet responsible!
Pay by Phone Canada Casinos: Pay and Play on a Smartphone
Pay by Phone is a quick, easy, and safe way to deposit at online casinos that support it. It allows small-time bettors to effectively add the cost of a small deposit to your monthly phone bill. When you pay the bill, you are also paying for the deposit. It really is that simple.
Anyone with a monthly mobile bill, or pay-as-you-go service, can use Pay by Phone billing. If you’re on a prepaid plan (pay as you go), you’ll have to have enough money in your mobile balance to cover the deposit beforehand. If you have a regular monthly phone plan, the deposit will just appear on your next bill.
What is Pay by Phone Mobile Billing?
Pay by Phone is a categorical payment method. It is not a service brand, but rather a service type. There are a number of brands operating in the Pay by Phone classification of payment solutions. The most common (serving the iGaming community) are Boku, PayForIt and Zimpler.
Of those three, only Boku is known to offer its services in Canada. Odds are, you won’t come across a particular brand anyway. Most real money casinos simply post the Pay by Phone logo to let players know they feature these types of services.
How Does it Work?
To use Pay by Phone is to tack the total cost of a transaction onto the user’s mobile phone bill. If you make a casino deposit with Pay by Phone, the cost of the deposit, and any relative fees, will appear on your monthly phone bill. Or, if you upload enough funds to cover the deposit, you can use it with a prepaid service like Public Mobile or Chatr.
Best of all, with Pay by Phone, users are not required to share any sensitive data with any of the online casinos they play at. All you have to divulge is your mobile carrier and phone number. So long as the mobile account and casino account are both in your name (same name and address), the deposit should go through.
Who Can Use Direct Carrier Billing?
Pretty much anyone with a mobile phone bill in their own name can use a Pay by Phone payment service. It doesn’t have to be a regular monthly bill, either. Even those with a pay-as-you-go plan can use it. How you use it will vary by which type of phone plan you have (i.e. prepaid or postpaid).
If you have a prepaid account, you pay for what you want, and then you get it. That means you can only spend what you already have on your mobile balance. Thus, making a deposit to an online casino requires pre-paying for it. Then, you can make a deposit from your pay-as-you-go balance. So long as there’s enough money in the balance to cover the deposit and any applicable fees, you’re good to go.
Users with a regular monthly phone plan do not need to pre-pay for their casino deposits. The amount you deposit (+fees) will simply appear on your next phone bill. Note that most mobile carriers will require users to have an auto-pay account to use Pay by Phone services. This means you must have a debit or credit card tied to your mobile plan. That way, if you decide to cancel your service, the phone company still has access to any balance you still owe.
Are Pay by Phone Payments Secure?
Yes, Pay by Phone billing services are extremely secure. You’re not divulging any information that you haven’t already divulged to your mobile carrier. You’re simply tacking an additional charge onto an existing bill. The only information your casino is getting is your name, address, mobile phone number, and carrier company – all information they already have, or have easy access to.
Can I Gamble Anonymously with Pay by Phone?
No, it is not possible to make an anonymous payment with Pay by Phone billing. The payment will be linked to your mobile carrier, which is already linked to all of your personal information. If you’re looking for a more privacy-oriented payment method, may we suggest crypto currency, or perhaps paying cash in person for a physical gift card.
Speed of Pay by Phone Billing – Instant!
Using your mobile phone bill to pay for casino deposits takes only as long as initiating the payment. Once you fill out the brief form and press send, a digitally automated system takes care of the rest. In a matter of seconds, the system knows if the transfer is valid. And if it is, the casino will immediately credit the player’s balance.
Cost of Pay By Mobile Billing – Fees & Limits
Most Pay by Phone payments are free of charge. The service is free to users, thanks to big contracts with major mobile carriers. If your carrier isn’t under contract, you may incur a small fee to use the service. It won’t be a surprise, though. If there’s an extra fee of any amount, you’ll know about it, and have to acknowledge your acceptance of it, before actually making the payment.
What you’re most likely to come across are strict limitations. This is where Pay by Phone casinos get a thumbs down from many iGamers. Mobile carriers rarely support a payment of more than $30-$50 at a time, with daily/weekly limitations as well. That makes this method particularly unpopular among high rollers. It’s best-suited to recreational gamblers and tight-budgeters who just want to have a little fun, without the possibility of overspending.
How to Deposit at Mobile Billing Casinos
This is one of the easiest deposit methods you’ll ever come across. Simply choose the corresponding logo (see images below) from the cashier, enter the required details (phone number, carrier, etc.), and submit the payment. It takes only a moment to confirm and approve the deposit. For full instructions, please see the step-by-step walk through below.
Pay by Phone Casino Deposits – Step-by-Step
First look for one of these logs:
Login to the online casino you want to make a deposit at.
Make your way to the Cashier/Banking section of the website.
Choose “make a deposit”.
Select Pay by Phone From the list of available deposit methods, and choose the appropriate Pay by Phone logo from the menu (Mobile Billing, Boku, Payforit, etc.)
Enter the amount of money you wish to deposit, paying special attention to any min/max limits. Then, input the details for your mobile phone and carrier account.
Confirm via SMS . You should get a short SMS text message from your carrier, asking you to confirm the deposit. Reply affirmatively to the text (it will tell you what to reply with for Yes or No).
Success! Assuming you've followed the instructions correctly, your casino account will be credited with the deposit within a few moments.
Can I Cash Out with Pay by Phone?
Unfortunately, no. You cannot request a casino withdrawal to your phone bill. It’s only logical, really. For one thing, it would only be possible with a prepaid plan, which requires uploading funds in the first place. And if you did, you wouldn’t be able to withdraw or spend it on anything but future phone bills (and additional casino deposits).
You’re far better off using another payment method to cash out casino winnings. May we suggest looking over some alternative payment options?
Trusted Canadian Pay by Phone Bill Casinos
As Canadian iGamers, security is our number one priority. Everywhere we play, we research first, and we never recommend a site we don’t trust and personally play at.
That being said, we’re sorry to say that we do not currently know of any wholly trusted Pay by Phone casinos that accept Canadian players. We will keep an eye out, and if any come up, we’ll be sure to investigate and – should they be deemed trustworthy – add them to this page. Until then, the ones listed on this page offer alternative payment methods that can be initiated from mobile.
Review of Different Mobile Payment Uses Cases
Pay by Phone Bill on Computer
If you’re using a computer, you will be asked to enter your mobile service carrier and phone number. If they match up, you’ll get an SMS message on your mobile phone to confirm the number belongs to you. Follow the brief instructions in that message and the deposit will be instantly credited to your casino account.
Pay by Phone Bill on Mobile with WiFi
When connecting to the internet via WiFi, you need to provide your phone number. An SMS message is sent to the phone for verification purposes. Respond appropriately to receive deposit confirmation.
Pay by Phone Bill on Mobile – 4/5G Network
This is the easiest option of all, designed for sheer convenience and utmost security for mobile casino games. When using the mobile device that is associated with the phone bill, there is no need to provide any extra information. Enter the deposit amount, confirm the SMS message, and that’s it.
Frequently asked Questions:
Are all Pay by Phone methods available in Canada?
No, not all mobile billing services are available to the Canadian market. The only mobile billing brand servicing Canada is Boku. However, you don’t need to see the Boku name/logo to know if you can use it.
Any casino that promotes ‘Direct Carrier‘ ‘Pay by Phone‘ or ‘Mobile Billing‘ (these are generic titles), and accepts Canadian players, should accept Boku by default. Specific brands Canadians are not privy to, include PayForIt and Zimpler.
Can I make mobile billing casino deposits with a recurring monthly phone plan?
Yes, whether you have a recurring monthly phone bill or pay-as-you-go, you can use mobile billing services. The only difference will be how soon you pay for it.
With a regular monthly phone bill, your deposits are added onto your regular bill, so you won’t actually pay for it until the next bill is due (auto-pay might be required for this). With pay-as-you-go phones, you would need to pre-fund your phone bill balance with enough money to cover the deposit.
Can I pay for casino games on my phone bill?
Yes, so long as the casino accepts some form of pay by phone payments, you can use this method to fund your account.
Do online casinos cashout to Boku / Pay by Phone?
No, Boku and other Pay by Phone Bill payment options are available for deposits only. You cannot request a withdrawal with this method.
How much can I deposit with mobile billing?
There are very strict limitations on the amount you can deposit by phone bill. It’s usually $25-$50 per day, and $200-$300 per month. In our experience, $30 and $35 are the most common daily caps.
These limitations are set by individual mobile carriers, not payment processors. You can check with your mobile service to see what limitations you’re subject to. Or, simply initiate a casino deposit and see what amounts you’re able to enter.
Is Auto-Pay Required to Pay by Phone with a monthly phone plan?
Some mobile carriers will require you to set-up auto-pay in order to use its pay by phone service. You can contact your carrier to find out, or try to make a deposit and see if it works. If necessary, setting up auto-pay is quick and painless. Just contact your carrier’s support and ask to set it up. Note that you’ll need a bank account or debit card to do so.
Which casinos can I pay by phone bill?
Any online casino that promotes the following banking methods:
Boku
Boku Direct
Direct Carrier Billing
Mobile Billing
Pay by Phone
Pay by Mobile
Pay by SMS
PayForIt*
Zimpler*
*Not available in Canada
What’s Next for Pay by Phone Bill Gaming ?
A better integration into the Canadian iGaming ecosystem. Pay by phone bill options already give Canadian players an easy way to gamble on their smartphones. Now penetration rate needs to increase, and popularity needs to surge if more gaming brands are to offer this payment modality in the future.
It’s true this combination already offers some great benefits:
Quick deposits from mobile devices
Better security by not sharing financial details
Simple expense tracking via phone bills
Casual players find this method particularly useful:
Lower deposit limits help control spending
Fast transactions suit on-the-go gaming
No extra banking apps or cards needed
While pay by phone options have some drawbacks like deposit limits and no withdrawal option, they're a good starting point for newcomers. As online gambling evolves, we'll likely see more mobile-friendly payment methods, making it easier for Canadian players to access real money casino games on their phones.
Note that the current availability is somewhat dismal in Canada, but we hope leading edge brands - perhaps some operating from Ontario - will start popularizing and offering this method.
We will close this article with some mobile phone trivia to keep our Outlook India readers sharp. Immediately followed by our responsible gambling disclaimer. Thanks for reading.
Did You Know? Phone Bills have been Expensive from Day One!
Think your phone bill is too expensive? You’re right, but it’s not a new feeling by any means. Phone bills have been costly from the moment Alexander Graham Bell’s 1876 invention evolved into the “Bell” company in 1877.
In those days, it cost US$3/mo to have a phone. Most people didn’t have one, not just because it was so new, but because $3 was a lot of money. US$1 back then, is worth $27.56 today. So, $3/mo. works out to US$82.69 (CA$104.68).
According to a 2021 research study, the average Canadians pay about $100/mo. for a single mobile line. So, in fairness, phone plans actually cost a little less today than they once did. And you have to admit, the service is far greater today!
Those prices don’t include the cost of potentially renting a smartphone, either. Today, it’s common to rent the ‘latest device’, for an added fee on your phone bill. Turns out, that was common up until the 1980s, too. Prior to that, you couldn’t buy a telephone. They were provided by your phone company – for a fee, of course.
Disclaimer: Please note that only individuals aged 19 and above can access iGaming platforms in Canada. The content provided here is for entertainment purposes only. There’s always risks in gambling, and it’s important to follow responsible gaming practices as much as possible. Don’t play to chase debt, don’t play when the fun is gone.
Gaming laws and regulations vary by region. Please check if gaming is legal in your jurisdiction. Players in Ontario must be aged 19 or older and are encouraged to visit ConnexOntario.ca and BeGambleAware.org if they need any help or assistance.
Additional resources that may prove beneficial include:
Gamblers Anonymous: https://www.gamblersanonymous.org/
National Council on Problem Gambling: https://www.ncpgambling.org/
Gambling Therapy: https://www.gamblingtherapy.org/
Disclaimer: The above is a contributor post, the views expressed are those of the contributor and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
