Payouts, Payouts, Payouts. This is what is on every players mind right now, especially after several weeks of favorites winning. The OSGA inbox, Live Chat and phone lines have been buzzing with questions from players who want to know who straight answers to players’ #1 concern.

The most frequently asked question since the start of the football l season is, “Why is my book taking 5 days or up to a week or longer to get me a payout by check?”

We have gotten this question frequently but also have had an inordinate amount of players make the same inquiry regarding one of the top books – OSGA Elite-rated Bookmaker. Several Bookmaker players have been quite irate when they are told that their check will take 7-10 days to arrive – even via the more costly delivery option of FedEx, DHL or UPS. Obviously, these players have not requested a payout for some time from any book offshore. Bookmaker and MANY other books have been using similar time frames for check payouts for over a year. At least Bookmaker is very up-front about their check times and do not try to deceive the customer in any way. In fact, here at OSGA we use the 7-10 day time period as the benchmark for whether or not a book is paying fast via check. Less than a week is great and more than 10 days is a bit long. As far as check payouts, we have heard very positive feedback on both Heritage and BetJamaica where checks have arrived within a day or two.

Our Advice: Relax. With Bookmaker or any solid shop, these checks are like money in the bank. In addition, from both first hand knowledge and customer feedback, the checks from Bookmaker are like clockwork – ask for one on a Monday and have it in your hands by the middle of the following week.

Bottom Line: If you are playing with a reputable outfit, do not sweat the wait time for a check. Players may be tempted to jump ship for a book that promises a check in 72 hours. But with the ever-evolving payment processing system, there is not a single sportsbooks that can guarantee payout times – for any method.

We also have seen this question over and over again. “Who is the fastest paying?”

We usually respond with something smart – like “What day is it?”, as the payout situation is always changing. Reports indicate that YouWager is one of the fastest with Western Union payouts – generally getting them to player the next day, if request by noon the previous day. BetPhoenix does not have WU as an option right now but their MoneyGram payouts are also within a 24 hour window, many can be done same day. The typical time frame is 72 hours, most top books can guarantee a control number within 2 days of request.

Our Advice: Wait until after the payout crunch time on Monday if you do not want to become frustrated.

Bottom Line: Reputable sportsbooks want nothing more than to pay players quickly. Have some patience, as limits are in place with WU, Moneygram and checks. If your book imposes limits, they are generally being dictated by the third party processor. And, as in the response above, if you are with a top book, the person-to-person transaction is like money in the bank.

Finally, we have had several inquiries about using gift cards or re-loadable credit cards to fund an account.

These cards are becoming very popular because 1) they work and 2) they are easy to reload. Keep in mind that sportsbooks treat these deposits as credit card transactions so bonuses may be smaller and you will most likely have to fill out forms, as with any credit card transaction.

Our Advice: Re-loadable cards are a great method when they go through. Test out any new cards BEFORE you load it up with a bunch of money. AND, (very important) do not shred the card after you are done using it, while you are still playing. You may need to fax in the front and back of the card, just like with any Visa or MasterCard deposits.

Bottom Line: The re-loadable cards are growing more popular as they appear to be very effective. However, payouts can not be issued back to these types of cards, so be prepared for forms and potential delays due to getting the payout via another method.

Check back here frequently, as moving money to and from Internet gambling sites is in violation of the UIGEA. This means that until that law is repealed or changed, the payout situation and deposit method are going to be constantly in a stat of flux. If you play somewhere that has given you a fast payout, please post it in the comments below.