Skrill Review 2026 – the E-Wallet for Bettors

Skrill at a glance – our rating

The key facts in one table. The calculations, thresholds and pitfalls are further down.

Pros

• free top-ups by bank transfer,
• instant transfers between the wallet and your bookmaker account,
• the bookmaker never sees your bank account or card number,
• one wallet for many currencies, without opening currency accounts at your bank,
• a VIP programme with free withdrawals and cheaper currency conversion,
• a Mastercard for spending your balance in shops and at cash machines,
• more than 20 years in business and regulated in the UK and the European Union.

Cons

• the 3.99% currency conversion fee is often higher than at banks and online currency services,
• a fee of €5 a month if you do not log in or make a transaction for 6 months,
• not every bookmaker takes Skrill, and some pay winnings to your bank account instead of the wallet,
• slow customer service on anything that needs verification,
• many bookmakers exclude Skrill deposits from their welcome bonuses.

Who is it for? Bettors who play with several bookmakers, want to move money quickly and would rather not give their bank details to every operator. People who pay in foreign currencies, and those who move enough money to reach VIP status. Who is it not for? If you bet with one bookmaker and always deposit by bank transfer or debit card, the wallet adds little.

We checked the fees and VIP thresholds on Skrill's international website on 1 October 2026. Skrill quotes them in euros (an account in another currency pays the equivalent), and the exact table depends on the country you live in. The fees change several times a year, so check the current fee table in your account before a larger transaction.

What is Skrill (formerly Moneybookers)?

Skrill is an e-wallet: an online account you log in to with your email address and password. You top it up from your bank or with a card, then use it to pay online shops, bookmakers and exchanges and to send money to other users.

The company was founded in London in 2001 as Moneybookers. It was renamed Skrill in 2010 and in 2015 joined Neteller under the Paysafe group, which also owns Paysafecard. Today Skrill works in more than 120 countries and handles about 40 currencies. Customers in the United Kingdom are served by Skrill Limited, an electronic money institution authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and customers in the European Economic Area by the Irish company Paysafe Payment Solutions Limited, supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland.

What matters most to a bettor is that Skrill was built for online gaming payments from the start. Hence the instant deposits with operators, the many currencies and a VIP programme aimed at active players.

Why do bettors choose Skrill?

Speed when the odds are moving

A transfer from Skrill to a bookmaker is instant. When you spot a good price or need to fund the other side of a bet, the money is in your account within seconds, not when a bank transfer clears.

Your bank details stay private

The bookmaker only sees the email address of your wallet. Your account number and card details stay with Skrill. That means fewer places holding your card, and less risk if any operator suffers a data breach.

One wallet for the whole bankroll

When you bet with several bookmakers, Skrill works as the central account for your bankroll. You see in one place how much money you have in play, and you move funds between operators without waiting for your bank.

Many currencies, no currency exchange

You can hold GBP, EUR, USD and dozens of other currencies. If you pay for services, subscriptions or tools in euros, keep your money in euros and skip the conversion on every payment.

A VIP programme for active users

The more money you move, the less you pay. From the Silver level, withdrawals to a bank account and transfers to other users are free, and currency conversion drops from 3.99% to 2.89%. The details are below.

Skrill with licensed bookmakers

Only bet with bookmakers licensed in the country where you live, for example by the Gambling Commission in Great Britain. Skrill's terms forbid using the wallet for unlawful gambling, so it is not a way around the rules, just a convenient way to pay licensed bookmakers.

Many licensed bookmakers list Skrill in their cashier, but not all of them, and the list changes over time. Before you top up the wallet for a particular bookmaker, check that Skrill is in its cashier.

Four things worth knowing:

• Credit cards. Since April 2020, bookmakers licensed in Great Britain may not take gambling payments by credit card, and that includes credit card money passed through an e-wallet. Top up by bank transfer or with a debit card.
• Withdrawals. Many bookmakers pay winnings back the way you deposited, so a Skrill deposit is often paid out to Skrill. Others, for example in Poland, only pay out to a verified bank account. Check the bookmaker's withdrawal page.
• Bonuses. Many bookmakers exclude e-wallet deposits from their welcome offers. Read the bonus terms before your first deposit.
• Your details. Your Skrill account and your bookmaker account must be in the same name. Deposits from someone else's wallet are a quick route to a blocked account and a withheld withdrawal.

Skrill fees 2026

Below are the fees from Skrill's international fee table, checked on 1 October 2026.

The cheapest route for a bettor: top up by bank transfer in your account currency, deposit with the bookmaker in the same currency and keep all your betting in that one currency. The only cost left is the 1.75% withdrawal to your bank when a bookmaker pays winnings back to the wallet, and VIPs do not pay that either.

How to avoid overpaying on currency conversion

At 3.99%, conversion is the most expensive item on the fee table, but you can almost always avoid it:

1. Keep your balance in the currency you pay in. Fund a GBP bookmaker account from Skrill in GBP.
2. Do not convert on the fly. If you need euros, exchange a larger amount once instead of paying the margin on every payment.
3. Pay with the card in the local currency. When a terminal abroad offers to charge you in your home currency (DCC), say no: the terminal's rate is usually worse.
4. Consider VIP. With high volumes, the lower margin quickly pays for itself.

How to open a Skrill account – step by step

Signing up takes a few minutes:

1. Go to the Skrill website through our link and click "Register".
2. Enter your first and last name, your country of residence, the account currency (best the one you bet in, such as GBP or EUR) and your email address.
3. Choose a strong password. It is your login, so secure the mailbox itself as well.
4. Confirm your email address with the link in the message.
5. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) in the security settings and save the backup codes.
6. Top up the wallet by bank transfer and move on to identity verification.

Only adults can open an account. One person may have one account, but you can add several currencies and email addresses to the same wallet.

Account verification and limits

Without verification, Skrill works with low limits. Full verification unlocks high transaction limits and is required for withdrawals to a bank account.

1. Identity. A photo of your ID card or passport and a selfie in the app. This usually takes from a few minutes to a day.
2. Address. If Skrill asks, you upload a document showing your address, such as a bank statement or a utility bill.
3. Bank account and card. You add them in your account. Skrill may ask you to prove they are yours; the simplest way is to top up the wallet from them and upload a statement.

Verify your account straight after signing up, before you need the money. Rushing verification just before a big match is the most common source of stress.

Skrill VIP – tiers and benefits

Your VIP status depends on the total of your transactions in a quarter. Payments to merchants count, including bookmaker deposits.

Every VIP level also gets a free Prepaid Mastercard and higher limits. From time to time Skrill runs promotions with lower thresholds, such as VIP Fast Lane in 2025, when Silver needed €5,000 instead of €15,000. If you are planning higher volumes, check in your account whether such a promotion is running.

Is VIP worth it? On a €1,000 withdrawal to your bank you save a €17.50 fee. On a €5,000 exchange, the difference between 3.99% and 2.89% is €55. For an active bettor with several withdrawals a month, that is real money.

Skrill Prepaid Mastercard

The prepaid card draws on your wallet balance. You can pay with it in shops and online, take cash out of cash machines and add it to Google Pay or Apple Pay. The digital card works before the physical one arrives in the post.

• ordering: €10, annual fee: €10 (free for VIP),
• cash machine withdrawal: 1.75%, min. €1,
• payment in another currency: 3.99% conversion.

The card is optional. It is worth ordering if you want to spend straight from the wallet, without a withdrawal to your bank account.

Skrill for surebets and bonus hunting

With surebets, seconds count, and so does having money at several bookmakers at once. Skrill helps with both: you move funds instantly and see your whole bankroll in one place. Our surebet calculator splits the stakes across the bets for you.

A few rules from practice:

• Count the costs. Arbitrage usually makes 1–3% on a bet. A 3.99% currency conversion wipes that out completely, so bet in one currency.
• Check the bonuses before you deposit. If a bookmaker excludes e-wallets from its offers, make the first deposit by debit card or bank transfer and use Skrill after that.
• One account, your own details. Skrill detects multiple accounts belonging to one person, just as bookmakers do.

Final Score – free score predictions

The Sport Corner tab in your account also has Final Score: a free game in which you predict the exact scores of several matches before each round and earn points in Skrill's Knect loyalty programme for correct predictions. 1,000 points are worth €1, and a perfect round can win up to €10,000. You need a fully verified account enrolled in Knect and an invitation from Skrill, and players from some countries are excluded, so check the rules for yours. The predictions on our match pages can help you pick the scores.

Is Skrill safe?

Yes. Skrill is an electronic money institution supervised by financial regulators in the UK and the EU, and customer funds are kept separate from the company's own money. Your account is protected by:

• two-factor authentication (for example Google Authenticator) for logging in and payments,
• a PIN to confirm transactions,
• backup codes in case you lose access to your phone,
• monitoring of unusual transactions.

The weakest link is often the user. You log in to Skrill with your email address, so whoever takes over your mailbox can get into your wallet. Turn on 2FA for both your mailbox and Skrill, and treat any message "from Skrill" asking for your login details as phishing.

Common problems and how to avoid them

A withheld withdrawal or a blocked account

This is usually caused by unfinished verification, mismatched details or payments from someone else's card. How to avoid it: verify your account straight away and only top it up from your own bank account.

A failed withdrawal coming back

If you enter the wrong bank details, the transfer comes back, but intermediary bank fees can reach about €20. How to avoid it: copy your account details from your banking app and check them twice.

The inactivity fee

After 6 months without a login or a transaction, Skrill charges €5 a month. How to avoid it: log in every few months, or close an account you no longer use once its balance is zero.

Slow customer service

You can sort out simple issues in the help centre, but document checks and disputes take longer. How to speed things up: write from the email address linked to your account, give the transaction ID and attach screenshots.

Skrill vs Neteller, PayPal and Revolut

Skrill and Neteller are products of one group with similar rules. PayPal is handy for shopping, but it has no VIP programme for players and allows gambling payments only in some countries. Revolut has cheaper currency exchange, but it is a bank account, not a wallet that keeps your betting payments apart from everyday spending. Many bettors use both: Revolut for currency exchange, Skrill for bookmakers.

Frequently asked questions about Skrill

Is Skrill legal in the UK?

Yes. In the UK, Skrill Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an electronic money institution, and in the European Economic Area Skrill is supervised by the Central Bank of Ireland. You may use it for betting only with bookmakers licensed where you live.

Is Skrill the same as Moneybookers?

Yes. Moneybookers was renamed Skrill in 2010. It is the same wallet, and today it belongs to the Paysafe group.

How much does a Skrill account cost?

Opening and keeping an account is free. Topping up by bank transfer costs nothing, a withdrawal to a bank account costs 1.75% (min. €3.50) and currency conversion 3.99%. After 6 months without any activity, Skrill charges €5 a month.

Which bookmakers accept Skrill?

Many licensed bookmakers list Skrill in their cashier, but not all of them, and the list depends on the country and changes over time. Check the bookmaker's cashier before you deposit.

Can I withdraw my winnings to Skrill?

Often, yes. Many bookmakers pay winnings back to the method you deposited with, so a Skrill deposit is paid out to Skrill. Some operators only pay out to a verified bank account, so check the bookmaker's withdrawal rules.

How do I verify my Skrill account?

Upload a photo of your ID card or passport and take a selfie in the app. If Skrill asks, also confirm your address and that the bank account or card you added is yours.

How do I get Skrill VIP status?

Your status depends on your quarterly volume: Silver from €15,000, Gold from €45,000 and Diamond from €90,000. Once you pass a threshold, your account moves up automatically.

Is Skrill safe?

Yes. It is supervised by financial regulators in the UK and the EU, keeps customer funds separate and offers 2FA, a PIN and backup codes. The key is to secure the mailbox you use to log in to the wallet.

How we rate Skrill

The 4.3/5 rating is the opinion of the SharkBetz editorial team. We look at security and regulation, the cost of a bettor's typical transactions, payment speed, acceptance at licensed bookmakers, the loyalty programme and customer service. We check the fees against the operator's fee table and update this review when they change.

SharkBetz may receive a commission for sign-ups through partner links. This does not affect the fees we describe or the cons we list.

Verdict – is a Skrill account worth it?

Yes, if you bet with more than one bookmaker. Skrill gives you instant transfers, one wallet for your whole bankroll and privacy for your bank details, and with higher volumes, VIP status with free withdrawals and cheaper currency conversion. Opening an account and topping it up by bank transfer cost nothing, so all you risk is a few minutes on sign-up and verification.

The downsides (expensive currency conversion on a standard account, the inactivity fee and slower service on document checks) are easy to avoid if you keep your balance in one currency, log in regularly and verify your account straight away.

Our verdict:

• bettors with several bookmakers: one of the most convenient options,
• surebettors and bonus hunters: fast transfers between bookmakers, as long as you bet in one currency,
• people paying in euros and other currencies: a multi-currency wallet without bank currency accounts,
• high volumes: VIP really cuts the costs,
• one bookmaker and bank transfers only: you do not need the wallet.

Bet responsibly

Sports betting is for adults only (18+, or the higher legal age where you live) and you can lose money. An e-wallet makes payments easier but does not change the rules: set a budget before you bet, use the bookmaker's deposit limits and never chase your losses. If you notice signs of a gambling problem, get help, for example from BeGambleAware or Gambling Therapy.

Only bet with operators licensed where you live. In Great Britain, check the operator's licence in the Gambling Commission's public register.