In light of the difficulties casinos are having processing credit cards issued by some US banks, we asked several Internet gambling gurus to tell us their favorite methods for buying and cashing-in chips at Web casinos. Here's how they responded.

Michael Shackleford, The Wizard of Odds
"Paypal is my first choice. If that doesn't work I use a Visa debit card through Wells Fargo bank, which accepts Internet casino transactions. Banks wires are a pain but some casinos will reward those who go that route. Those are the only methods I have used."

Bill Haywood, BeatWebCasinos.com
"Debit cards. Many banks issue debit cards that are named and used as Visa cards. These often work when the credit cards do not. Also, Firepay and Neteller are useful."

Rick Jessup, GamingJackpots.com
"I'm almost inclined to say whatever will work! I think if your particular credit card still works, they remain the easiest and safest method of depositing. I have no personal experience with PrePaid ATM being up in Canada but it looks promising and I haven't heard anything bad yet. If the credit card companies would smarten up and attach a PIN to online transactions they'd win my vote hands down."

Spearmaster, Got2Bet.com
"The best payment solution for the time being is PayPal. It is unlikely to be phased out before the end of the year. But in the future, gamblers may want to try Neteller - used mostly for online sportsbooks now, look for them to make a move into the casino side of things in the not-too-distant future."

Bryan Bailey, Casinomeister.com
"Ouch, what a question. Paypal was my method of choice up to now. Neteller would be my preferred payment for the time being. The credit card problems seem to pertain to those in the US, since I'm still able to use my Visa (US bank) at some casinos. I live in Germany so that may have something to do with it."

Eric Morris, Gambling Online Magazine
"Net Teller and Western Union are my 2 preferred choices. However, I think we will see some of the larger casinos and sportsbooks creating their own type of Bank. A player will be issued a debit card from these sites and the player will be able to deposit and withdraw funds directly into the account."

Mark Balestra, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Gambling
"NETeller seems to be a nice alternative at the moment, but the ultimate solution has yet to come."