Online casinos are already offering players the possibility to bet using ZCash (ZEC), one of the largest virtual currencies in the world. One of the main benefits related to ZCash gambling is related to the privacy features that this coin offers to players.
With the growth of online gambling sites, more and more users started to request support for other digital currencies besides Bitcoin, Litecoin, or Ethereum. ZCash was among the most requested, as it has been in the market for a long time, and it offers unique privacy features to users.
Therefore, we had the need to create this ZCash casino guide for all players that want to know which are the main advantages and disadvantages of using ZCash to play their favorite games. In the next few sections, you will find information about ZCash casinos and how you can enjoy a unique gambling experience if you decide to deposit funds using ZEC.
💡 How does ZCash work?
Before we get into the details of ZCash for gambling purposes, we need to know what ZCash is and how it works. ZCash is one of the favorite virtual currencies of a large number of users. It is just enough to see that this coin has been in the market for several years and it has a market capitalization of almost $700 million at the time of writing.
This coin is similar to other virtual currencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. You can hold ZEC, use it to make payments, or trade it. But it has an advantage over other virtual currencies, it offers privacy solutions that other coins do not offer.
Thanks to its Zk-Snarks technology, transactions share less information with the public, compared to BTC or ETH, which have publicly available databases. Indeed, all transactions on the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchains are visible to everyone, which is not convenient for users that want to have more privacy when using virtual currencies or playing at online casinos.
Therefore, ZCash was released to the market as an alternative virtual currency to Bitcoin allowing users to protect their information. When it comes to usability, ZCash can be used in the same way as other digital currencies. The only thing that you should take into consideration is that privacy is not used by wallets by default, you will have to activate private transactions when you decide to use ZEC.
👉 How to buy ZCash?
The process to buy ZCash is quite similar to when you do it for other virtual currencies. If you are new to using virtual currencies for playing at online casinos, then you should make sure you understand how to buy and use ZCash before opening an account at an online gambling site.
You can buy ZCash at cryptocurrency exchanges. These are the best platforms for users that want to get access to digital currencies. If you have already decided which exchange to use, then you are ready to go. Some exchanges might be available in your region while others no. Additionally, you should make sure that the cryptocurrency exchange that you have selected supports ZCash, otherwise you would have created an account in vain.
These cryptocurrency exchanges will let you deposit funds using fiat currencies or third-party applications. You can top-up your account in the way you prefer and get ready to purchase ZCash.
Another way of buying ZEC is by using a crypto wallet with trading functionalities. Some crypto wallets are already letting users purchase coins without going through a crypto exchange. This is easier and faster for newcomers that do not want to have a trading account at an online crypto trading platform.
It is not only easier to buy ZEC (or any other digital currency) using a crypto wallet, but it is also faster and simpler than using an exchange. Additionally, if you want to withdraw funds all the time, an exchange would not be convenient, as you will have to pay very large fees just to withdraw funds.
With a crypto wallet, you might have to pay higher trading fees for purchasing ZEC, but once they are in your wallet, you can send them without paying additional fees, which is very positive for crypto gamblers.
🛡️ How to properly store ZCash?
This question is closely related to the previous section. The best way to store ZCash is by using a cryptocurrency wallet. Despite the fact that most wallets would be a good fit for crypto gamblers, if you are a person that cares about privacy and believes in decentralization, then you should use a self-custody crypto wallet.
Self-custody crypto wallets are the best option for casino players that want to keep their ZEC under control at all times. When you use an exchange, the funds that you have on their site are being custodied by the trading platform, which is not ideal. Indeed, the online exchange could decide to freeze your account or block withdrawals. In some extreme cases, exchanges have been hacked and users lost all their funds.
Therefore, there are some negative aspects of holding your ZEC at online exchanges. Instead, with a self-custody crypto wallet, you void these problems. Nevertheless, this is not risk-free. You need to understand the responsibilities behind custodying your own virtual currencies, especially if you hold large amounts of money.
When you use a wallet, you should properly store the private keys, not share them with anyone, and put into place all the best practices at the time of sending or receiving digital assets. If you want to extreme your security measures, then the best option is to use a cold-storage wallet such as Ledger, which lets you store your ZEC (and other coins) in a secure environment.
↔️ How do Zcash deposits and withdrawals work?
ZCash deposits and withdrawals work in the same way as with other virtual currencies. Players that have experience with BTC, ETH, or another coin can easily manage ZEC deposits and withdrawals.
Despite that, it is always important to refresh some things that could be not so obvious to everyone.
When sending ZEC from your wallet to the online gambling site, you will have to request the casino to share with you a ZEC deposit address. You should make sure that you have copied it correctly. A very small mistake while copy-pasting will send your coins to another wallet. If that happens, you will never recover your funds back.
Therefore, when you copy-paste crypto addresses (not only ZEC addresses), you should make sure that the string is accurate 100%. Otherwise, you risk losing your fund.
When you withdraw ZEC from your favorite crypto casino after a nice victory, then you should pay attention to the same things as when you deposited funds. This time, you will have to use the deposit address of your cryptocurrency wallet. Make sure that this is a ZEC-compatible address and that you are not using a Bitcoin address.
You can only send ZCash to ZEC wallet addresses. If you send coins to a different blockchain network, you will lose these funds forever. Make sure you pay attention to these things.
🎲 What casino games can you play with ZEC?
There is a large list of games that you can play if you are using ZEC. This list is only expanding, as a larger number of casinos are accepting crypto and ZEC payments. Furthermore, game studious are developing unique games for crypto players, among them, ZCash enthusiasts.
Most online casinos will offer users the possibility to play a wide range of games regardless of their payment method. That means that they will make sure that at least one game of each category will support the currency that you are using.
You will find slots, live casino games, card and table games, and many other options for you to spend your ZEC and test your luck. Occasionally, you might also find some promotions targetting ZEC players, but these might be quite rare. Consider yourself lucky if you find one.
For those users’ that realized that their favorite crypto casino does not offer ZEC deposits, you can request them to add support to this digital asset. This does not guarantee that you will be able to play with ZEC, but it might be a good way to show the online gambling platform that there is a clear interest in ZCash. This also applies to other digital currencies and not only to ZEC.
🪙 What coins can be used for gambling besides ZEC?
There is a large number of virtual currencies that can be used to play at online casinos besides ZEC. Take into consideration that there are thousands of virtual currencies in the market, and online casinos want to attract as many users as possible.
Bitcoin is the most popular cryptocurrency in the world. That means that if an online casino offers crypto deposits, they will definitely support BTC. Indeed, BTC is the most widely available virtual currency, making it the first addition to online casinos that want to support digital assets.
Ethereum comes as an alternative to Bitcoin. While in the crypto market Ethereum enables the creation of decentralized applications (dApps) and the deployment of smart contracts, in the crypto gambling industry, Ethereum was known as a replacement for BTC when transactions were expensive on the Bitcoin network.
As time passed, Ethereum became congested and transactions were as expensive and even more expensive than on the Bitcoin blockchain.
This could be one of the reasons why some users preferred to use Litecoin. This is one of the oldest, but also one of the most used digital currencies besides Bitcoin and Ethereum. Online casinos know that, this is why you will find it on most gambling sites.
When Bitcoin and Ethereum are congested, you can move to Litecoin. You will find that this coin can be an excellent option. If you like ZEC, then you will also like Litecoin, as it has a privacy feature integrated as well. It is also worth mentioning that Litecoin transactions are faster and cheaper than on the Bitcoin or Ethereum networks.
For users that are searching for some fun, Dogecoin can be a great coin to use. Born as a memecoin, it is now one of the largest virtual currencies. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has embraced and supported Dogecoin due to its fast transaction times and very low fees (similar to Litecoin). Hence, DOGE could be a great option if you want to deposit funds at online gambling sites.
XRP received some support in recent years as a token to send and receive almost instant transfers for almost no fees. XRP holders will be able to deposit funds at online casinos in seconds and without paying high fees (transactions cost less than a cent).
Finally, there is a part of the gambling community that does not want to get exposure to Bitcoin or other virtual currencies but wants to still have the benefits that digital currencies provide. Tether is one of the best options for these users. USDT was the first stablecoin in the market and it is now the largest one.
Tether is pegged to the USD, making it very convenient for gamblers to avoid getting exposed to volatility in the crypto markets.
🔎 KYC in ZEC casinos
Nowadays, most online casinos will have some type of KYC policy in place, especially if they have a license. Casinos will require you to provide detailed information about yourself, including your address, email, date of birth, and other information.
For those users that prefer to use platforms without KYC, there are alternative casinos that are not licensed and might have fewer restrictions and controls. While most casinos (even unlicensed ones) will have some type of KYC policy in place, unlicensed platforms could be much more relaxed when it comes to KYC checks or verifications.
Now, if you are a highroller, then you will be likely requested to share private information with the online gambling site. Most governments around the world have updated their regulatory frameworks and casinos (especially licensed ones) need to be compliant with all these rules.
If you cared about privacy and using ZEC at online casinos, then you should know that you will be likely using a privacy-focused digital currency with platforms that collect a lot of information from you.
✔️ How to choose the best ZEC casino to play?
There are some things that you should pay attention to when you select the best ZEC casino.
Check their reputation
One of the things that you should do in order to open an account at an online casino is checking the casino’s reputation. This is the first thing that you should do, even before checking the games that a casino offers.
Knowing where you are depositing funds and whether there were any problems in the past would let you understand how the casino treats its customers and if there are some flaws that you should pay attention to.
You must avoid casinos that have very negative comments. Search for key red flags. For example, if you read several reviews where users claim the casino blocked their accounts or froze their funds, then you should avoid this platform.
Instead, if you see many positive comments and few negative reviews, you could then think that the casino is working as it should.
Country check and Terms and Conditions
Before creating an account at an online crypto casino, you should read the terms and conditions. This is like reading a contract between you and the casino platform itself. The T&Cs will be key for you to understand how the casino works, which things are allowed and which things are not, and what you can expect from them.
One of the most important things to check when you read the terms and conditions is the country check. You don’t want to open an account at a gambling platform that restricts users from your region. The casino will have the right to suspend and terminate your account without giving your funds back to you if you play from a restricted country. The same applies to users that use a VPN if the casino forbids it.
Hence, it is very important for ZEC players to read the terms and conditions and find some conflictive points before opening an account.
Games
The number of games on offer is also very important. As a ZEC player, you don’t want to open an account at a casino that has few games. Some casinos are already offering more than 5,000 games and titles that would offer you hours of fun.
But there is one thing that you have to take into account as a ZEC gambler. Some casinos might offer the games that you want to play, but not all these games will support ZEC. Therefore, you should not only check the number of games they offer but you should confirm that these games will let you play with Zcash or the digital currency that you want to use.
The best thing that you can do is apply filters trying to find the best combination between games and virtual currencies supported. But remember that ZCash is not the most common digital currency to play at online casinos and the game availability might be reduced for that market.
Welcome offers
Welcome offers are a great way for casinos to differentiate themselves from competitors. Despite the fact that welcome offers are not being properly used by casinos, you can find some options out there that will make sense.
For example, some online ZEC casinos could offer bonuses without wagering requirements. Make sure that if you find these types of promotions you take advantage of them, as they might be for a limited time or just for some players or specific deposit methods.
The same applies to bonuses given in-game. If you care about these bonuses as a ZEC player, then you should search for casinos offering bonuses without wagering requirements attached.
Loyalty programs
Moreover, you should also take into consideration the loyalty program that the casino has in place. If you are going to be playing with ZCash for a long period of time at the same online gambling site, then you should search for a platform that will reward you for your longevity.
The best loyalty programs are those that let you move levels fast and that do not have a large betting requirement to get access to discounts, better rakeback, or unique rewards. Casinos that have a loyalty program with difficult-to-reach levels should be avoided as they are betting against players.
Withdrawal fees
While most online casinos have free withdrawals, some platforms still apply some fees if you want to withdraw funds. This shouldn’t be the standard or a normally accepted practice. Indeed, you should avoid at all costs casinos that have withdrawal fees in place.
The casino business should not be linked to taking commissions from ZEC players that withdraw their funds. Casinos make money with the house edge that each game has. Therefore, you should search for a gambling site that does not impose withdrawal fees.
👍 Pros and cons of ZEC gambling
Let’s get into the pros and cons of using ZEC for gambling at online crypto casinos.
Pros
These are the positive things about using ZEC for gambling:
- It offers privacy solutions with Zk-Snarks
- ZEC is a relatively large cryptocurrency
- ZCash has been in the market for many years already
- This virtual currency has a large community and a recognized developer team
- ZEC casinos are expanding all over the world
- Most online exchanges support this digital currency
Cons
These are the negative things about using ZEC for gambling:
- It might not be the best coin to use for gambling purposes
- Some casinos might not support this coin
- Many games will not be available for ZEC players
- It can be difficult to find live casino games for players that use ZCash
There are many other positive and negative aspects of this virtual currency, but it is up to you to decide whether ZCash cryptocurrency fits your gambling needs or not.