Used Neteller for two years. Switched to Skrill last January after reading they had lower fees. Three months later, switched back to Neteller.
Not because Skrill was worse, but because the “better fees” didn’t tell the whole story. Here’s what using both e-wallets at real casinos taught me.
The Fee Structure Nobody Explains Clearly
Both charge similar rates on paper. Upload money to your e-wallet: free from bank account, 1-2% from credit card.
Withdraw to your bank: £5.50 flat fee for both.
Currency conversion: 3.99% for both.
Seems identical, right? The differences hide in the details.
Skrill charges inactivity fees. If you don’t use your account for 12 months, they take €5 monthly until your balance hits zero. Neteller does the same but starts after 14 months.
Tested this by accident. Left £40 in my Skrill account while traveling. Came back four months later during an inactive period – they’d taken €15 in fees. Balance showed £26.
Casino Acceptance Rates
Here’s what matters most: which casinos take which wallet.
Tracked 30 casinos I’ve used over the past year. 28 accepted Neteller. 22 accepted Skrill.
The gap’s bigger at smaller or newer casinos. Established platforms accept both. But testing newer sites revealed Neteller has wider coverage, especially at casinos with extensive game libraries featuring content like playtech slots and titles from other major providers – these platforms tend to integrate Neteller first, then add Skrill later if demand justifies it.
This meant sometimes choosing between using Skrill (my preferred wallet at the time) or playing at a casino I wanted to try. Annoying compromise.
Actual Deposit and Withdrawal Speed
Both promise instant deposits. Both deliver. Never waited more than 30 seconds for deposits to appear at any casino with either wallet.
Withdrawals show bigger differences.
Casino to Skrill: averaged 8 hours across 15 withdrawals Casino to Neteller: averaged 11 hours across 20 withdrawals
Skrill wins on speed. Not by much, but consistently faster.
However – and this matters – Neteller processes withdrawals to bank accounts slightly faster than Skrill does. Neteller to bank took 6-18 hours. Skrill to bank took 12-24 hours.
If you’re moving money directly to your bank, the casino-to-wallet speed advantage disappears.
Customer Support Differences
Had to contact both services multiple times. Here’s how they compared:
Skrill response times: 18-36 hours via email, no phone support Neteller response times: 12-24 hours via email, phone support available
Needed help once when a casino withdrawal to Skrill got stuck. Skrill support took two days to respond, then another day to resolve. Total downtime: three days.
Similar issue with Neteller happened six months later. Got someone on the phone within 20 minutes. Resolved same day.
The VIP Programs
Both offer VIP tiers with reduced fees and benefits. Requirements differ significantly.
Skrill VIP needs €15,000 quarterly transaction volume. Drops withdrawal fees to zero and gives you a dedicated account manager.
Neteller VIP needs €7,500 quarterly. Similar benefits.
I qualified for Neteller VIP after three months of regular casino play. Never hit Skrill’s threshold. The lower barrier makes Neteller VIP more accessible for typical players.
What Nobody Mentions
Casino bonuses sometimes exclude e-wallet deposits. Saw this at five casinos – “Deposit with Skrill or Neteller, forfeit welcome bonus.”
Why? Fraud prevention. E-wallets make chargebacks harder to process, so some casinos penalize their use by excluding them from promos.
This affects both equally, but it’s worth knowing before you commit to either as your primary method.
Which One I Use Now
Back on Neteller full-time. Not because it’s dramatically better, but because:
- Wider casino acceptance saved me frustration
- Phone support resolved my one major issue quickly
- Lower VIP threshold got me fee-free withdrawals
- The inactivity grace period is two months longer
Skrill isn’t bad. For players who hit high transaction volumes or prioritize fastest possible casino-to-wallet times, it works great.
For everyone else, Neteller’s small advantages add up over time. That’s been my experience across 50+ deposits and withdrawals with each.
