Boku is one of the newest betting deposit options and provides a means of funding online betting accounts using your mobile phone.
On this page you can find out which betting sites accept Boku as a deposit method, what Boku is all about and whether using your phone bill to deposit is a good option for online betting.
Best Boku Betting Sites: Top 7
The following is a list of the best sites for betting with Boku:
Quick Note: Neteller & Boku
Some punters indirectly use Boku to deposit by first funding a Neteller e-wallet via the mobile payment service. That opens up the option of depositing to a wider range of bookmakers (more accept Neteller than Boku) but there is a fee applied to funding a Neteller e-wallet via Boku. The exact size of that fee will depend on the currency of your Neteller account and other related factors.
You can use Neteller at the following sites:
*Info accurate as of 17-04-2024 for the UK market.
Top Boku Betting Sites: More Info
* means you must deposit with Boku to Neteller and then to your bookmaker.
Boku Betting With Boylesports
What are they like?
Boylesports are rated as a 3 star bookmaker by us and by default top our best Boku betting sites list simply because they are the only reputable bookmaker who currently accept the payment method directly. They’re constantly improving their online offering but they still fall a little way behind their competitors when it comes to overall service – hence the 3 star ranking.
Boylesports lose marks because their website (and app) simply isn’t as user friendly and slick as it could be and they don’t offer live streaming outside of horse racing. They also fall down vs competitors when it comes to quality of odds available. Pleasingly though, Boku is accepted.
Whilst there are downsides of using Boylesports one of the big recent positives has been the introduction of a number of different existing customer promotions (all viewed via the ‘Promotions & Specials’ link). There is, of course, also a new customer bonus.
Top Boku Via Neteller Sites
The sites below do not directly accept Boku payments, however they do accept Neteller and so you can fund your Neteller account using Boku and then use those funds to deposit on the following sites.
Boku Betting With 888Sport
What are they like?
If you want to bet with Boku through Neteller, then one site to consider very carefully is 888Sport. Perhaps more famous for its poker and casino brands, 888Sport is a very serviceable sports betting service that offers a great range of bets, solid In Play betting options and a very wide choice of payment options. The sites scored an impressive 4.5/5 in our ratings when reviewed.
888Sport also scores very well with the value of its odds, as it regularly offers better than average odds on most markets. It is a very good sportsbetting site for all-round betting with as good a service on lesser well known sports as you would get on more popular sports betting markets such as Horse Racing and Soccer.
Where the site does not fare so well is in its lack of stats and fixture data, plus its live streaming service is somewhat limited compared to some of the top ranked sites, but if you like betting with Boku through Neteller, then you will find everything you need and more at 888Sport.
Boku Betting With Coral
What are they like?
Boku customers that have a Neteller account can use Coral to bet with. As is the case with all the providers in this section, you can use Boku to fund your Neteller account and then use the Neteller funds to fund your betting account with Coral.
Coral are a very good betting site for Boku customers. The site has undergone huge redevelopment over the last ten years or so and it has become a markedly better and far more appealing site as a result, richly deserving of our 4.5/5 star review that we have given the site when we last took a closer look at what it had to offer.
Team that with a good value welcome offer, excellent ongoing promotional offers throughout your membership and particularly good betting odds on soccer and horse racing betting, although perhaps not the greatest range of betting markets for some fixtures and you’ll find everything you need to enjoy betting with Boku at Coral.
Boku Betting With William Hill
What are they like?
William Hill offers an extensive range of payment options, as you would expect from one of the largest names in betting in the UK, and they again make our list of the best Boku betting sites because they accept Neteller where you can use Boku to make a deposit.
Once there, your deposit will be made via Neteller on one of the most extensive betting sites available in the UK, with a vast range of different features available, excellent live streaming and In Play betting options, plus extensive sports covered by the site, it is easy to see why they scored a coveted 4.5/5 rating with us in our detailed review.
Where William Hill does fall a little short for punters though is in terms of their odds when compared with other sites. For some markets, their odds are a couple of points below where we’d like them to be when compared to other providers, though it has to be said that of late, some of their odds offered, especially for soccer betting, has been much improved in value. As such, we’d have no issues recommending them for Boku customers.
Boku Betting With Paddy Power
What are they like?
If you enjoy your betting with a bit of quirkiness then Paddy Power is the bookmaker you should be taking a closer look at. Not only do they take Boku (via Neteller), but they also boast one of the more unusual approaches to betting with plenty of humour on the site making it as enjoyable to read through the blog posts and promotions as it is to bet at times.
The site scored a 4.5/5 mark with us and that was chiefly because of the great range of bets on offer, how unusual and innovative the site was and how well its stats package serves the needs of the customer. Not so great were the lower than average odds across a number of markets and a pretty poor value welcome bonus when compared to some other sites around today.
That said, Paddy Power’s range of offers and promotions available each day does mean that when you can get a boosted price on a market, you will often find the odds are near the best available, if not the best option on the market. With its quirky nature, Paddy Power is a very modern bookmaker and one that won’t let any Boku customers down.
Boku Betting With Betfred
What are they like?
Using Boku with Neteller is an option at Betfred, a site which has become synonymous with a number of high profile promotions and the sometimes eccentric behaviour of its owner Fred Done. With a decent value starter bonus and some great free to play promotions that offer real cash prizes, it certainly has some very appealing options.
In terms of odds Betfred also scores well, with excellent value on soccer betting in particular. In fact when it comes to the betting options, Betfred matches even the very best, but where it does lose marks, and it scored 4.5/5 with us, is that we feel the site design is a little dated now and it is not the easiest or most appealing to use.
However, if that is something you can live with when betting with Boku through Neteller, then Betfred is certainly a site to consider, especially if the majority of your bets are going to be made on soccer as the site also offers some superb soccer-specific promotions that are free to enter which can give you extra value when betting with them.
Boku Betting With Betfair
What are they like?
You can use Neteller as an intermediary service to bet with Boku on Betfair and if you fancy doing precisely that then we’d suggest that you should take a look at the Exchange side of the Betfair site for much better value than the sportsbetting service.
The reason for that is that although Betfair’s better value offer is on the sportsbook side of its site, their Exchange offers much better value in the long run and in fact, we felt its Sportsbook wasn;t really one of the stronger ones when compared to some of the others available online nowadays, especially for those on mobile devices.
As such, Betfair’s sportsbook only scored 3.5 out of 5 with us in our ratings and while the Exchange may score higher than that, you need to join the sportsbook to get the welcome offer. Don’t get us wrong, Betfair has some nice features but there are, we feel, some slightly better options available for you if you want to bet with Boku.
Boku Need To Knows…
- Boku is potentially available to anybody that has a mobile phone contract.
- You can pay via Boku without having to supply any financial details, which makes it a quick and secure way to deposit.
- Any charges incurred are paid through your monthly mobile phone bill.
- Only Boylesports offer direct payment via Boku, other bookmakers allow you to use the service through Neteller, but this does incur a fee.
- You will need to set up another method to receive any withdrawals from your bookmaker as you cannot withdraw to a Boku account.
Mobile Boku Betting Sites
App stats:
- Bonus: £25 Free Bet Bundle Offer!
- Size: 24.5MB
- Speed: Good, app is fine to use on most devices
- Stability: Ok, has worked fine during review but there are reports of crashes
- Compatible: iOS and Android
Boylesports is one of the premier betting sites based in Ireland alongside Paddy Power and it is a more traditional betting service. It’s mobile app has landed reviews of 3.2 out of 5 with the main complaints being about customer service issues, slow payouts and occasional crashes on the app.
However, to be fair to Boylesports, when we previewed the app, we didn’t encounter any of those issues, which does make you wonder if they are device specific, or another issue maybe not linked to the app. The app is available for iOS and Android devices and you can access the same bonuses and promotions, as well as all the same betting markets that you would get on the website.
Personally, I feel that the rating for Boylesports app is a little on the low side on the official app store. I certainly couldn’t find much fault with it over the time I trialled it and I would say that if you have relatively modern mobile tech, then you shouldn’t have any issues with the app either, especially if you want to use the Boku payment service.
Key Points
- Boku facilitates payments without the need to supply bank, card or other financial details.
- Available to anyone with a mobile phone contract.
- Supported by majority phone operators & increasing number of betting sites.
- Transactions costs via Boku are added to a customer’s next monthly mobile phone bill.
How To Use Boku: Deposits & Withdrawals
You have two options when it comes to funding a betting account using Boku – you can deposit directly or via Neteller. Here’s how to do both along with how to withdraw any winnings:
How To Deposit With Boku: Directly
As we mentioned at the very start of the page, online bookmakers and betting sites are now starting to offer Boku as a deposit method. If you’re chosen site does offer the alternative, you can deposit quickly and easily via Boku by following these steps:
- Head to your chosen online betting site (assuming it offers Boku as a deposit option) and log in to your account.
- Select ‘Deposit’ from the main menu or head to the deposit section of the site in the same way as you would when depositing by any other method.
- Choose ‘Boku’ or ‘Via Mobile’ from the site’s list of available deposit methods.
- Enter the amount you wish to deposit and your mobile number into the relevant dialogue boxes which will appear.
- Select ‘Confirm’ or ‘Deposit’.
- You will then almost immediately receive a text to your mobile phone. The text will either require you to reply or will give you a code to verify your identity.
- Once you have verified your identity, your chosen amount will appear in your online betting account.
- The value of your deposit will be added to your next monthly mobile phone bill.
How To Deposit With Boku Via Neteller
If you deposit through Neteller using Boku, then you follow similar steps above to deposit cash into your Neteller account from Boku which will then charge this amount to your next mobile phone bill.
Once the cash is in your Neteller account, you would then log in to your chosen betting site and click Neteller as your payment option and deposit the funds that way.
Using this method does give you far more options in terms of betting sites you can join and still deposit using Boku, but using Neteller as a bridging service between Boku and your betting operator.
However, it is a more time-consuming way to deposit as you are required to use two separate funding accounts to make a single deposit.
How To Withdraw From Betting Sites With Boku
Given that you make your Boku payments from your mobile phone account, you cannot withdraw money from a betting site using Boku.
Therefore, it is a very good idea to set up an alternative payment option when using Boku to deposit, so you can access your funds when you want to make a withdrawal. This may require you to make a one-off deposit to get the other payment method (such as a debit card for example) confirmed on your account.
You may also need to complete a number of verification checks and provide evidence of your identity in order to facilitate withdrawals by this other method, although you will likely only have to do this for your first withdrawal.
Boku certainly isn’t the answer for you if you are someone that withdraws a lot of money from your account often, but if you are someone that tends to spend what is in your account and rarely make a withdrawal and you want a fast and convenient deposit option, then Boku does fit the bill.
Is Boku a Good Option for Online Betting?
In order to assess whether Boku is a good option for online betting, we better first lay out exactly what Boku is and how it works as a deposit method. It is what is known as either a mobile payment platform or a carrier billing service.
What that means in essence is that it is a way of making an online transaction using your mobile phone number rather than a debit card, credit card or other more traditional means. The value of the transaction is added to your monthly mobile phone bill in the same way as a charge for a premium rate call or for the use of additional data beyond your plan would be.
Boku has only really just started to be offered by online bookmakers as a deposit option but it seems likely that it will soon become more widely available. Aside from this current lack of widespread availability, there are a handful of other important factors to consider when assessing whether Boku is a good online betting option. These are how quickly deposits can be completed, what fees are applied, how secure transactions are and how withdrawals work.
Speed of Deposit
The process of making a deposit via Boku to any one of the handful of online bookmakers which currently accept the option is attractively simple and speedy. All a punter need do is to head to the deposit section of a bookmaker’s site, select either ‘Boku’ or ‘Via Mobile’ as their deposit option and then enter their desired deposit amount and mobile phone number.
Once they’ve done that, they will be sent a text message to their phone which will allow them to verify their identity either via a special code or by sending a reply. Once that is also done, their chosen deposit amount will appear in their betting account almost instantly. From start to finish, therefore, the entire process of making a deposit via Boku will take only a couple of minutes at most. That puts it right up there with the quickest and easiest of all of the generally available deposit methods.
Fees
Depositing to an online bookmaker with Boku has the further distinct advantage of generally not being subject to any transaction fees. You can complete the above process and you will then see that the exact amount of your deposit and no more is what’s added to your next monthly mobile phone bill.
As previously mentioned if you do pay by your phone bill to Neteller and then deposit to a betting site you will be charged a fee depending on deposit amount.
Security
Another of the major draws of using Boku to deposit to an online betting site is the fact that it allows you to do so without having to divulge any card details or other sensitive financial information. Literally all you need give to the betting site is your mobile phone number and payment for your deposit will then be made as part and parcel of your next mobile phone bill.
That, therefore, makes depositing via Boku one of the most secure payment options around and means that it’s sure to be popular with those people who like to limit how widely they share their financial details. What is also worth noting is that mobile phone payments and billing services are very heavily regulated, and there are a wide range of protections afforded to customers in the event that anything goes wrong with such payments.
Withdrawal Issues
If you’re on the ball when it comes to online betting and payment methods, you’re probably already thinking about how Boku could possibly work when it comes to making withdrawals. The answer is that it doesn’t, in that there is no method by which winnings or funds from an online betting account can be withdrawn using the mobile payment service.
As such, if you deposit via Boku, you will have to set up an alternative method for withdrawals such as an e-wallet service or bank transfer. That, therefore, does somewhat mitigate the benefit of not having to provide any financial or personal information to a betting site in order to deposit using Boku.
Pros & Cons Of Boku Betting Sites
Pros
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- No Need To Supply Bank Or Other Financial Details – Given that Boku operates from your mobile phone account, the great thing is that you don’t need to supply any sensitive financial information when making a deposit using this service. Instead, your deposit is simply added to your net monthly mobile phone bill.
- No Fees – Assuming you can transfer direct from Boku to your betting site, then you won’t accrue any fees when making a deposit.
- Instant Deposit – If you use Boku, then you will receive your deposited cash into your betting account immediately, even if your mobile phone billing date is not for several days or even weeks. Depositing via Boku directly is one of the fastest ways to deposit with a bookmaking site.
- No Transactions On Your Bank Statement – If you deposit via Boku, then you won’t see any mention of betting sites on your bank account statement. Instead, you will just see your mobile phone bill is increased for that month.
- Secure And Regulated Form Of Payment – Given that you don’t need to input any personal or financial details to make a deposit via Boku, it is one of the most secure methods to make deposits into a betting account. Furthermore, as mobile phone contracts are stringently regulated, they offer the user excellent protection against fraud and other similar problems.
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>Limits Help You Control Your Betting
- – There are limits imposed on Boku deposits which make it easier for users to control how much they spend on their betting.
Cons
- You Must Have A Mobile Phone Contract – While not really a negative issue given that most people now do have a mobile phone contract, you are going to need a contract with a provider that sees you pay monthly, This means some contracts, such as Pay as You Go, may noe be suitable with the Boku payment service.
- Not A Wide Choice Of Betting Sites – Only Boylesports offers payment directly via Boku which means you are very limited when it comes to betting site options. There are a lot more sites that offer Boku payments via Neteller, but this brings with it some different issues (see below).
- Paying Via Neteller With Boku Is Time Consuming & Incurs A Fee – It is far more time consuming to have to deposit from Boku into Neteller and then from Neteller to your chosen bookmaker, than it is to simply deposit straight from Boku into your betting account. As such, this is not the most convenient or efficient way ot funding your sports betting account and furthermore, you will incur a feee for using the Neteller service when funding an account with Boku.
- You Won’t Pay For Your Deposit Until Your Next Monthly Mobile Phone Bill – if you are budgeting and use Boku, then you won’t actually pay for your deposit from your current account until your next mobile phone bill. This can mean for people on a tight budget, you may forget you have that deposit coming out on top of your mobile bill and it is easier to overspend as the transactions are not hitting your current account immediately.
Countries Where Boku Can Be Used For Betting
Boku has grown markedly since it was first released in 2009 and it is now available in 70 countries around the world, with hundreds of mobile service providers and retailers and services all signed up to allow customers to use Boku to pay for a wide variety of items.
Countries that accept payments using Boku include: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, UK, US, Venezuela and Vietnam.
This list is not exhaustive and the countries where Boku is available may change over time, so it is always wise to check with betting services or similar where you are based to see if Boku is a payment option where you live.
Security: Stay Safe With Boku
One of the biggest advantages of funding a betting account using Boku is that it is one of the most secure ways to pay for your betting.
Given that Boku uses your mobile phone contract details for deposits, assuming your account is already set up and working, you won’t need to enter any personal details when making a deposit, usually nothing more than your phone number and a deposit amount is required to make the deposit.
This makes Boku a fantastic choice for those who are very security conscious and want to keep the input of their information onto websites and apps to a minimum.
Additionally, given that Boku payments operate through your mobile account, there are very strict safeguards in place for customers to ensure that they are not at risk of fraud or similar and this also offers customers using Boku an additional level of security.
If you use Boku in tandem with Neteller, then this is also a very secure way to fund your account, but is more time consuming and does require you to use two services, although both have excellent levels of security when transferring cash online.
About Boku
Boku is a company that was founded in 2009 that facilitates people to be able to use their mobile phone and their contract for it, to pay for a wide selection of items, across over 250 different mobile networks all around the world.
Essentially, Boku works by adding the cost of a purchase or deposit into your betting account, onto your monthly mobile phone bill, with your payment made at the same time as the next billing date on your mobile contract.
Given that Boku offers one of the most secure ways to pay cash into a betting account, as well as being an instant service, with funds available immediately after the transaction has been completed, it has become a relevant option for punters looking to bet online since its release.
Unfortunately, at this point in time there are a very limited number ok Boku betting sites available however, as pointed out, you can get around this by depositing with Boku into Neteller and then move funds into your account – doing things this way opens up many more bookmakers to you.
Boku Contact Information
As a customer using Boku, you can access a detailed and lengthy customer support services section on the Boku main website.
There is a detailed FAQ section on the site which you can navigate through that offers answers and solutions to the most common queries, but for more detailed queries, you can email customer support services with details of your query.
Alternatively, you can submit a request on Boku using the link and give details of what issue you need to have looked at by the company.
Boku Company History
Boku was first founded back in 2009 by three people, Mark Britto, Ron Hinson and Erich Ringewald. Their aim was a simple one; to use the existing mobile phone technology to allow people to make simple, safe and secure payments for items and other services using their phone.
Since launching, Boku has now expanded into more than 70 countries, with over 250 different mobile service providers signed up to the service, six of the top seven most valuable companies in the world allowing Boku and over $9 billion annually is moved through the Boku platform.
The company has offices in San Francisco and London and employs over 200 people worldwide.
In 2021, the company launched the M1ST Payments Network which marries its mobile phone carrier billing service with mobile wallet services into a single payment option.
Boku Betting FAQs
How Long Do Boku Deposits And Withdrawals Take?
Boku deposits are completed instantly when you deposit from Boku directly into your betting account with a bookmaker like Boylesports.
However, if you use an ewallet service to act as an intermediary between Boku and your betting site, then your boku deposit will be instant into your Neteller account, but then you will need to deposit from Neteller into your betting account (again, this will be instant, but by having to complete an additional process it may take a little longer to complete the whole transaction).
You cannot make a withdrawal via Boku under any circumstances, so you will need to set up an alternative withdrawal option, such as a bank transfer or eWallet service in order to facilitate a withdrawal.
Are There Any Fees If I User Boku?
If you use Boku directly with your bookmaker, then you will not be charged any fees for deposits made using this method. However, if you use Boku to fund Neteller and then make a transfer from Neteller to a bookmaker, you could incur costs for those transactions.
Will I Get The Welcome Offer If I Use Boku?
If you use Boku through Neteller, then whether or not you will receive the welcome offer will depend on what the bookmaking site have as their terms and conditions for the offer. Many do not accept eWallet payments for their introductory offer.
The good news though is that if you use our top Boku betting site Boylesports, then this payment option is not listed on those excluded from the welcome bonus in the offer terms and conditions, so as far as we can tell, if you deposit at Boylesports with Boku, you should qualify for the welcome offer.
Is Boku Safe To Use With Betting Sites?
Yes, regardless of how you use Boku, either directly or through Neteller, using any bookmaker that accepts Boku is one of the most secure ways you can deposit into your account.
Are There Any Similar Deposit Options?
There are some similar deposit options to Boku, but not many of them are likely to be available for making a deposit onto a betting site in the UK, sometimes because they don’t operate in this country (such as BilltoMobile in the US, or Zong).
Therefore, if you want to use your mobile contract to fund your betting, then Boku is the best option for UK-based customers.
See Other Deposit Options:
