The Best OPay Betting Sites in the UK

OPay is a Nigeria-based payment method used by many punters for online sports betting. Some of its services are also available to UK bettors, who are fond of its simplicity, convenience, and speed. It especially goes in favour of punters who like to place bets from their mobile devices.

If you haven’t heard about OPay betting sites before, then we’ll gladly introduce them to you. We’ll reveal their key features and benefits, and show you how to deposit and withdraw funds. You’ll even get to explore the finest OPay betting platforms that accept UK punters.

What Is OPay?

Opera Pay, or OPay, is a financial service platform and mobile payment system established by Opera Software (known for the Opera web browser). It started out in 2018, and it operates mainly from Lagos, Nigeria. OPay holds licenses from the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Besides its country of origin, it also operates in Egypt and Pakistan, and plans on expanding in the Middle East. Although its services aren't available to UK residents, they can still send money to OPay users in Nigeria.

In terms of services, it allows you to set up a digital wallet on its platform and use it to store, send, and receive funds. You can also get an OPay debit card and use it for various purchases. This digital wallet even lets you pay bills, get loans, and make airtime/data top-ups with cashback.

OPay operates as a mobile wallet with apps available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Also, it only supports Nigerian Naira (NGN) and Egyptian Pound (EGP) as currencies.

This digital payment company has a UK-registered entity named OPay Holding Limited. In 2023, its assets were around £24.9 million, which accounted for 0.03% of the UK's digital money market.

How to Make an OPay Deposit at Online Betting Sites From the UK

Most punters won’t struggle making OPay deposits at betting sites. But some beginners might stumble upon certain issues. Because of that, we at BestBet decided to construct a step-by-step guide. You can check it out below this segment.

1. Get the OPay mobile app on your Android or iOS smartphone
2. Create an OPay account and fund your digital wallet
3. Check our hand-picked sportsbooks, and pick the one you like
4. Create and verify an online betting account
5. Access the “Cashier” section and click on the “Deposit” tab
6. Select OPay from the list of acceptable payment methods
7. Enter the amount that you want to deposit
8. Provide your OPay wallet number or your linked mobile number
9. Enter your PIN to approve the transaction
10. Your money will instantly appear in your betting account

How to Withdraw Your Betting Winnings with OPay From the UK

Withdrawing your betting winnings with OPay is also possible. This process is easy and requires completing nearly the same steps mentioned in the deposit guide. But we still need to reveal how it goes, so you don't encounter certain difficulties.

1. Go to the online bookmaker that you use.
2. Click on "Sign In" and use your credentials to access your betting account
3. Open the “Verification” segment of your account and complete the KYC
4. Enter the “Cashier” section and locate the “Withdraw” field
5. Pick OPay as your cash-out method of choice
6. Type an amount according to your balance and the transaction limits
7. Input your OPay wallet number or your linked mobile number
8. Confirm your cash-out request by clicking on “Withdraw”
9. The operator will look into your payout request and decide whether to approve it

OPay Transaction Limits, Fees, and Processing Times

Keep in mind that OPay's transaction limits differ from one online sportsbook to another. The most common minimum deposit limitation is NGN100 (£0.05). 

As for the maximum amount that you can deposit, it’s often NGN250,000 (£132) or NGN1 million (£528). But some bookmakers may also allow NGN10 million (£5,284).

In terms of payouts, the majority of OPay betting sites accept a minimum of NGN1,000 (£0.5). The maximum amount you can withdraw is often around NGN5 million (£2,642). However, some bookmakers have lower upper limits that range between NGN50,000 (£26) and NGN500,000 (£264).

We should mention that a fee of NGN50 (£0.026) applies when transferring NGN10,000 (£5) or more to your OPay account. OPay also charges several other types of fees, but they are mostly for online purchases, POS-agent services, and ATM withdrawals.

Most online bookmakers won't charge any additional fees on OPay payments. Plus, you get to deposit funds instantly when using this mobile wallet. In terms of withdrawals, they often take between a few minutes and a couple of hours. But they may go up to 24 hours on certain occasions.

Pros and Cons of Using OPay for Online Betting From the UK

Using OPay for online betting comes with positive and negative traits, just like any other payment method out there. To help you understand whether OPay is good or not, below, we'll reveal its main pros and cons. 

Pros

• Instant deposits and withdrawals
• Low transaction fees
• Mobile-friendly with a dedicated app
• Very easy to conduct payments
• Utilises multiple security systems

Cons

• Not available at many UKGC-licensed operators
• Limited services to UK residents
• Some online sportsbooks don’t support OPay payouts

How We Select and Rank OPay Betting Sites That Accept UK Punters

Before constructing our list of top-rated OPay betting sites, we make sure to examine numerous operators. During the evaluations, our team of experts check the most important attributes in each sportsbook. At this stage, we’ll reveal and briefly explain the main features that we check.

Licence & Security

Our team of experts looks for licensed OPay online betting sites that accept UK punters. The ones we prefer are those licensed by a respected regulator that impose tough rules. We also look for betting platforms that utilise the latest SSL encryption and that provide several responsible gambling tools.

OPay Payments

We, of course, make sure to examine the available payment options to discover if they include OPay. The operator must accept it as a deposit and withdrawal method, and it needs to feature good transaction limits. Plus, it must have a quick processing time, and it shouldn't charge any extra fees.

Betting Bonuses

Next, our experts access the “Promotions” sections to evaluate the bonus variety and their generosity. The operator must have promos for different types of punters, and they shouldn't have too many terms. At this stage, we also check if the betting site offers various privileges via a VIP program.

Sports & Betting Markets

The OPay bookmakers we select must also offer hundreds of events from a large number of sports and competitions. Next, they need to support a wide selection of betting markets in each sport. Plus, they should provide extra features like live streaming, cash out, enhanced odds, boosts, etc.

Benefits of Using OPay for Online Betting from the UK

OPay offers several attractive benefits to punters who decide to use it for online betting. The featured perks can make your betting experience much more enjoyable. Read about them below and you’ll know whether OPay is the right payment method for you.

• Simple payments – with OPay, you get to send and receive funds just by revealing your OPay wallet number or your linked mobile number. There is no need to enter full card or bank account details.
• Fast deposits and withdrawals – OPay deposits are instant, allowing you to start betting right away. Its withdrawals are also very quick, as they often take from a couple of minutes to a few hours. On some occasions, they may go up to 24 hours.
• No or low transaction fees – OPay will only charge a fee of NGN50 (£0.026) if you transfer NGN10,000 (£5) or more to your mobile wallet. Other small fees may apply, but they are mostly targeting other types of payment services.
• User-friendly mobile app – OPay has well-established Android and iOS apps that you can get for free. They are easy to use, provide various payment solutions, initiate push notifications, and more.
• Advanced security features – this mobile wallet utilises several security systems, including biometric & face-recognition verification, smart alert, night guard, large transaction shield, and much more. Also, you don't have to share your card or bank details with the online sportsbook.

Alternative Payment Methods to OPay

You might not be able to use OPay at UKGC-licensed betting sites. If that’s the case, then we at BestBet recommend using a good alternative. There are plenty to choose from, and at this stage, we'll only reveal a couple of them.

• PayPal: this is a widely used and available e-wallet that lets you deposit and withdraw funds instantly and with ease. It allows you to link your card and bank account for direct and private payments.
• Google Pay: another mobile wallet where you can add multiple cards and bank accounts. It allows you to deposit funds instantly without typing any payment details.
• Neosurf: this is an online prepaid method that lets you deposit funds just with a 10-digit PIN code. With this popular voucher, you can fund your betting account instantly, securely, and anonymously.
• Mastercard: a well-known card payment service that you can find on almost every betting platform. It’s very easy to use, and you get to spend the money you have in your bank account.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a mobile wallet that’s easy to use for online betting, then you should consider OPay. It lets you store, send, and receive funds just by entering your OPay wallet number or phone number. You get to do that and much more from a user-friendly Android and iOS mobile app.

However, OPay’s services aren’t fully available in the UK. Residents can only send funds to OPay account holders. But if they have phone numbers and bank accounts in Nigeria, then they may be able to use them without any issues. So, keep this in mind before you join one of our hand-picked OPay betting platforms.

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