Who Uses Skrill for Betting in Australia? Demographics and Trends

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Author: Jai Walters Last updated: June 2026 Reading time : 7 min

The 25-to-44 age bracket represents the largest segment of online casino and betting users in Australia. That data point from CasinoPrego’s 2025 demographic study aligns precisely with what I have observed over eleven years of analysing payment method preferences in the Australian wagering space. Skrill’s user base is not a random cross-section of the betting population – it skews toward a specific demographic with identifiable characteristics, and understanding that profile tells you something about where e-wallet adoption is heading.

Age and Gender Breakdown of Skrill Bettors

Skrill and Neteller’s combined user base is approximately 70% male, aged 18 to 45, with primary activity in online gaming, sports betting, and cryptocurrency trading. That Paysafe demographic data mirrors the broader pattern of online betting in Australia, where men significantly outnumber women in participation rates and average expenditure.

Within that 18-to-45 range, the distribution is not uniform. The 25-to-34 cohort tends to be the most active Skrill betting users – digitally native, comfortable with app-based finance, and old enough to have established betting habits beyond casual experimentation. This age group grew up with smartphones and treats a digital wallet as a natural extension of their financial toolkit rather than a novelty requiring a learning curve.

The 35-to-44 cohort represents the second major segment, and their relationship with Skrill tends to differ. These users are more likely to have migrated from traditional payment methods – debit cards, bank transfers – after experiencing the friction of those methods during time-sensitive betting situations. Their adoption of Skrill is practical rather than instinctive: they chose it because it solved a specific problem, not because it was the default they started with.

Users over 45 represent a smaller but growing portion of Skrill’s betting demographic. The credit card gambling ban that took effect in June 2024 pushed some older punters toward e-wallets for the first time, as their preferred payment method was suddenly unavailable. For this group, Skrill adoption is regulatory-driven rather than preference-driven, and their usage patterns tend to be less frequent but higher in average transaction value.

The Shift to Online: How It Drives Wallet Adoption

Bruce Lowthers, CEO of Paysafe, has spoken about the company being in its strongest position since going public, and part of that strength comes from the structural shift toward digital payments in industries where cash and cards previously dominated. Online betting is one of those industries, and the numbers confirm the trend: over 56% of Australian gamblers now play predominantly online.

That shift is not just about convenience. The pandemic accelerated online adoption by closing physical venues, but the migration has persisted because the online experience is genuinely superior for many bet types. Pre-match analysis, live odds comparison, multi-bookmaker accounts, and instant deposit capability – none of these are possible at a TAB counter. And each of these activities benefits from a payment method that operates at digital speed.

Skrill’s position in this shift is that of an enabling technology. As bettors move online, they encounter the limitations of traditional payment methods: bank transfer delays, debit card expiry disruptions, and the privacy concerns of having bookmaker names on bank statements. Each limitation creates a moment where the bettor considers an alternative, and Skrill’s presence across the Australian betting landscape means it is consistently available at that decision point.

The demographic implication is clear: as the overall online betting population grows, Skrill’s addressable market grows with it. Every new online bettor is a potential Skrill user, and the conversion rate from traditional payment methods to e-wallets accelerates as the infrastructure becomes more familiar. For a broader view of how different payment methods compete for Australian punters, the alternatives comparison provides context on where each method fits.

Spending Habits of Australian Punters Using E-Wallets

Australian punters spend an average of $940 per person on sports betting annually, but that average masks enormous variation. The median bettor spends far less, while a small percentage of high-volume punters push the average upward. E-wallet users tend to fall above the median – not because the wallet encourages higher spending, but because the type of punter who sets up a Skrill account is typically more engaged with betting than the casual once-a-month bettor who uses whatever payment method is most convenient.

Deposit frequency tells a more interesting story than deposit size. Skrill users at Australian bookmakers tend to make more frequent, smaller deposits rather than large infrequent ones. The instant processing time removes the incentive to deposit a large lump sum “just in case” – if you can add funds in thirty seconds, there is no reason to hold a large balance in your bookmaker account. This pattern aligns with sound bankroll management principles: deposit only what you plan to bet in that session.

Withdrawal behaviour is the complementary data point. E-wallet users withdraw more frequently than bank transfer users, partly because the withdrawal processing time is faster and partly because the low friction of the process reduces the psychological barrier to taking money off the table. A punter who knows their Skrill withdrawal will process overnight is more likely to withdraw after a winning session than one who faces a three-day bank transfer wait.

Growth Projections for E-Wallet Betting in Australia

The trajectory is upward on every metric. The global digital wallet user base has reached 4.5 billion people in 2025, projected to exceed 5.2 billion by 2026. Australia’s adoption curve follows the global trend with a domestic amplifier: the credit card gambling ban removed a major competing payment method and redirected transaction volume toward debit cards, bank transfers, and e-wallets.

Within the Australian betting market specifically, e-wallet adoption is growing faster than the market itself. The market grows at 5-8% annually depending on the segment, while e-wallet transaction volume in betting is estimated to be growing at double-digit rates. This differential means e-wallets are capturing share from other payment methods, not just growing with the market.

Paysafe’s own numbers support this trajectory. The company reported 7.8 million active digital wallet users globally, growing 6% year-on-year, with transaction volumes of $167 billion in 2025 – up 10% from the prior year. The iGaming segment is one of Paysafe’s strongest verticals, and investment in Skrill’s betting-specific features is likely to continue as the company pursues growth in regulated markets like Australia.

For individual punters, the implication is practical: as e-wallet adoption grows, bookmaker support for Skrill will deepen. More operators will integrate Skrill, processing times will stabilise at near-instant levels, and the competitive pressure between payment providers will push fees downward. Being an early adopter of Skrill in the Australian betting market positions you to benefit from these improvements as they arrive.