The Laser Card is well known in Ireland, where it has been accepted in most retail outlets for well over a decade. While Laser is beginning to fall out of usage, and many banks have switched over to brands of debit cards that are more recognizable internationally, there are still millions of Laser debit cards in circulation. While they aren’t the biggest debit card company in the world, there are still plenty of online poker sites that are happy to accept the Laser card from players who want to make deposits.

Do Poker Sites Accept Laser Card Deposits?

Laser Cards, in their purest form, are sometimes (but not always) accepted at online poker rooms. Many online poker rooms do not list Laser Card among the deposit options at their sites. However, there are also several that do – particularly those poker rooms that are either based in the United Kingdom or Ireland, or heavily advertise in that part of the world.

More recently, Laser Cards have been replaced by many banks with Visa cards, or rebranded so that they also have a MasterCard (or Maestro) logo on them as well. These rebranded Laser Cards are much more versatile when it comes to online gambling, as even sites that do not explicitly state that they accept Laser are likely to be willing to take MasterCard deposits. Thus, in most cases, you’ll ultimately find that your Laser Card will allow you to play online poker!

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How Popular is Laser Card?

First created in 1996, Laser Card long stood as the main debit card solution in Ireland, and is operated by Laser Card Services, a non-profit organization which includes seven of the top financial institutions in the country. Currently, there are about 3 million Laser Cards in circulation, and they can be used throughout Ireland (and in some cases, abroad, particularly in the UK).

In more recent years, the Laser Card has become a viable method for making purchases around the world and on the Internet. This isn’t because of a massive increase in the recognition or acceptance of the Laser Card itself; rather, since 2008, Laser Cards have been co-branded with a MasterCard or Maestro logo, which increases their usefulness outside of Ireland.

This has called into question the long-term necessity of the Laser Card by many, and several banks in Ireland began switching away from issuing Laser debit cards starting in 2007. By 2011, Allied Irish Banks was the only major financial institution still issuing Laser Cards to their customers.

The transition has been somewhat complex to manage for the banks. Initially, customers clamored for a change, as Laser Cards were difficult to use at online merchants (particularly those not based in Ireland or the UK). However, changing over too quickly was also problematic, as customers found some retailers that previously took their Laser Card and could give cash back after a purchase were unable to do so with the new MasterCard or Visa they received as a replacement.

Despite the gradual move away from the Laser Card, there are still many online vendors who accept the Laser Card, and it is still widely accepted in Ireland.