Boku Review

Introduction to Boku

On a smaller budget and looking to make quick, simple deposits? Boku could be a great solution. This payment method requires just your phone number to complete transactions, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make a deposit at an online casino.

There’s no need to sign up to use the service. Instead, once you select Boku as your payment method, you’ll simply have to enter your phone number. You’ll be sent a text message, and must reply to confirm the transaction. From there, your deposit will land instantly in your casino wallet — no faffing around with bank or login details required. For that reason, it’s also highly secure. 

In terms of how you’re charged, it depends on the kind of mobile plan you have. For those on a monthly contract, the amount is simply added to your bill, which will be taken as usual on your chosen date. If you’re a Pay As You Go customer, the deposit is taken directly from your airtime credit. 

There is one fairly significant drawback to the service: it doesn’t support withdrawals, so you’ll have to pair it with another payment method if you want to cash out. Keep reading and we’ll dive deeper into Boku and why you might want to use it for your casino deposits. 

Casino Players Best Suited to Boku

When picking a payment method, it’s all about your preferences as a casino player. Maybe you’re looking for the most convenient way to pay, or the most secure methods to safeguard your data. For many, fast withdrawals are the main priority. With that in mind, who will Boku best suit?

In our opinion, convenience is one of the biggest strengths of this payment method. If you’re looking to make hassle-free deposits that are on the smaller side, Boku does a great job. Conversely, it’s not such a great choice if you’re on a larger budget due to tight daily and monthly limits imposed by the UK’s financial regulations. 

The fact you don’t need to enter bank details means Boku excels on the security side. While all transactions are encrypted at UKGC-licensed casinos, keeping financial information off the web gives added peace of mind to some. It’s worth keeping in mind this benefit is somewhat stymied by the fact you’ll need to use another payment method for withdrawals, which may necessitate using your debit card. 

Boku may be a good choice if you typically play on mobile. After all, you’re already using your phone — so replying to a quick text to confirm a deposit simplifies the process of funding your account. 

In terms of who the service may not suit, new players should double-check the T&Cs of any welcome bonus they’re claiming as Boku is sometimes excluded. Equally, daily deposit limits of around £30 won’t suit those who prefer to play with a larger budget. 

It’s also essential to underscore the importance of responsible gambling when using Boku. As the charge is added to your monthly contract, it can be easy to lose track of what you’ve spent. There are daily limits of £30 (capped at £150 monthly) for UK players, but we recommend setting up a spending cap with your mobile carrier to be sure you don’t go beyond your means.

What We Like about Boku

Although Boku might not jump out as the first choice for your casino payments, there are plenty of advantages to the method. Why do we like it?

• It’s easy to use. Enter your phone number, confirm the deposit via text, and that’s it. There’s no fuss, and your deposit should arrive instantly.
• It’s highly secure. Payments are confirmed via SMS, and you won’t have to provide any bank details.
• It’s widely available. Boku is one of the largest mobile payments providers in the world, and it’s a deposit option at a large number of online casinos. The vast majority of mobile carriers support the service too.
• It’s convenient for mobile players. If you’re a handheld casino goer first and foremost, using Boku for your deposits makes perfect sense. 

Of course, it’s worth considering that alternative payment methods such as e-wallets tout many of these same benefits — but when it comes to lightning-fast deposits, Boku is simply unbeatable. 

What We Dislike about Boku

Despite its strengths, Boku isn’t without its flaws. Even for those players it does suit, there are a number of things to keep in mind before you opt to use it for casino payments.

First off, the lack of support for withdrawals is a significant drawback. Yes, it’s simple enough to use a separate method when you want to request a payout, but this somewhat nullifies one of Boku’s key benefits: the ability to make payments without sharing financial info. 

We’d also be remiss if we didn’t mention the fees. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of using the service. While these fees aren’t added by Boku itself, most online casinos do charge a flat rate or small percentage when you deposit with the service. By no means are the charges huge, but when most other payment methods are free to use, it’s an important consideration.

As for the payment limits, we sit somewhere in the middle on this. Since Boku deposits are charged to your monthly contract rather than taken straight from an account balance, it’s easier to lose track of your spending. For that reason, the strict daily and monthly limits are a good thing. Conversely, some players will want to deposit more than £30 in a 24-hour period, which is not possible with Boku. 

On the whole, however, these drawbacks aren’t necessarily deal breakers — it really depends on your priorities and preferences when it comes to making casino payments. 

Overall Thoughts on Boku

If you’ve made it this far, you’ll have a pretty good idea as to how we feel about Boku. The benefits are clear: simplicity and ease of use, strong levels of privacy and security, and wide support across online casinos. 

The service is by no means perfect, with potential fees being the main sticking point if all your other boxes are ticked. While we’d love to be able to withdraw via the service, it’s not too much hassle to link an e-wallet like PayPal to handle cashing out. At that point, however, you may as well use that same e-wallet for deposits too — while the payment process involves a few more steps, such services tout many of the same benefits as Boku.

So, where does that leave us? If you’re looking for small, quick deposits using just your phone number and aren’t too fussed about withdrawals, Boku could be a great option for you — doubly so if you prefer to play casino games from your mobile. If you’re looking for extra functionality, you might want to consider a different method.

More Information

As part of our comprehensive Boku review, we’ve got all the facts and figures about this casino deposit service.

History of Boku

Boku’s beginnings go back to 2009, when it was founded by Mark Britto, Erich Ringewald, and Ron Hirson. The company was quick to raise funds through a series of investment rounds in the years that followed, all the while expanding its presence around the globe. 

2014 saw the landmark launch of mobile payments on the Sony PlayStation Store. Just three years later, Boku exceeded $1 billion in annual payment volume. In 2018, the company acquired Danal to further fortify its security, bringing mobile authentication services under its wing to protect customers’ accounts and transactions.

Today, Boku counts some of the biggest companies in the world among its clients, such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Spotify — not to mention a huge number of online casinos. It’s also picked up a number of awards along its journey, including ‘Best Alternative Payments’ at the 2014 Payment Awards and ‘Best Mobile Money Offering and Fraud Detection and Prevention Innovation’ at the 2020 Future Digital Awards. 

General Information

HQ Location	San Francisco, 735 Battery St, United States
CEO	Jon Peter Prideaux
Market Cap (as of July 2023)	£415,510,000
Number of Employees	305

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, Boku’s future looks very bright indeed. According to Juniper Research, mobile payments are expected to double by 2026. The company’s network of local payment providers is ever-expanding, recently becoming the first to offer cross-border payments in Taiwan and gaining in-principle authorisation to act as a payment aggregator in India. Industry accolades continue to roll in, with Boku recently taking home ‘PayTech Company of the Year’ at the 2023 Fintech Awards London.