Casinos That Accept WebMoney UK 2026: The Uncomfortable Truth About E-Wallets in British Gambling
Casinos That Accept WebMoney UK 2026: The Uncomfortable Truth About E-Wallets in British Gambling
WebMoney has never been a mainstream payment method in the British gambling market. That is not an opinion — it is a structural fact of how UK-licensed operators are regulated. The Gambling Commission requires operators to verify the source of funds through methods it recognises, and WebMoney, an e-wallet system founded in Moscow in 1998, sits outside the perimeter of what most UK-facing platforms integrate. So when a British player searches for casinos that accept WebMoney UK 2026, they are looking for something that largely does not exist in the regulated market — and understanding why is more useful than a list of phantom sites.
That said, the picture is not black and white. Some offshore operators licensed in Curaçao or Anjouan still accept WebMoney deposits, and a handful of international platforms that serve UK players without a Gambling Commission licence do process WebMoney transactions. But “offshore” and “licensed to operate in Britain” are two very different things, and the distinction matters far more than most players realise. This guide breaks down what WebMoney actually is, why UK casinos have largely abandoned it, what alternatives carry the same speed and anonymity, and which operators currently dominate the market for British players who care about payment flexibility.
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By the end of this page, you will understand the mechanics of WebMoney as a payment system, the regulatory reasons behind its absence from UK gambling sites, the risk profile of using it on unlicensed platforms, and — most importantly — which licensed operators and payment methods deliver the same experience without exposing you to the whims of an offshore regulator who answers to nobody. No hype, no “top 10 amazing casinos” nonsense. Just the cold arithmetic of how money moves in and out of gambling accounts in 2026.
What WebMoney Actually Is and How It Works
WebMoney Transfer is a settlement system launched in 1998 by WM Transfer Ltd, originally designed for the Russian-speaking internet economy. It operates on a principle that is genuinely clever: users hold funds in distinct “purses,” each denominated in a different currency or asset class. A WMZ purse holds US dollars, a WME purse holds euros, a WMR purse holds Russian rubles, and there are purses for gold, Bitcoin, and other assets. The system uses a proprietary unit called the WebMoney Unit (WME, WMZ, and so on) that acts as an intermediary token — you deposit pounds sterling, receive WMP units, and those units are what actually move between accounts.
The technical architecture is built on WebMoney Keeper, a client application that manages your purses, and a security layer based on personal certificates rather than passwords alone. Transactions are final. There is no chargeback mechanism, no consumer protection scheme, and no ombudsman to complain to when something goes wrong. For a gambling operator, that is a double-edged sword: deposits arrive instantly and cannot be reversed, which eliminates the chargeback fraud that plagues card-based gambling transactions, but it also means the operator has no recourse if the deposit was made from compromised funds.
Fees vary by corridor and method. Funding a WMZ purse via bank transfer typically costs between 0.8% and 2.5%, depending on the intermediary. Exchanging between purses (say, WMZ to WMR) carries a spread that fluctuates but generally sits between 1% and 3%. Withdrawals to an external bank account or card can take one to three business days and incur another 1–2% in fees. For a player depositing £50 into a casino, the total friction cost of using WebMoney — funding the purse, converting, depositing, and eventually withdrawing — can easily reach 4–6% of the transaction. That is not trivial when the house edge on a typical online slot runs between 2% and 5% per session.
WebMoney’s user base skews heavily toward Eastern Europe, the CIS region, and parts of Southeast Asia. Its penetration in the UK is negligible — the system has never secured a meaningful share of British consumer payments, and the Financial Conduct Authority does not regulate it as an electronic money institution in the way it regulates Revolut, Monzo, or even PayPal. This regulatory blind spot is the root cause of its absence from UK gambling sites, and it is worth understanding in detail before looking at what alternatives exist.
Why UK Casinos Have Largely Abandoned WebMoney
The Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice set out specific requirements for how operators handle customer funds. Under the 2023–2024 updated guidance, operators must demonstrate that payment methods used for deposits and withdrawals are processed through channels that allow for effective anti-money laundering checks, source-of-funds verification, and customer identity confirmation. WebMoney’s architecture — pseudonymous purses, no mandatory KYC at the purse level in all corridors, and a settlement model that does not map neatly onto UK banking rails — makes it structurally incompatible with these requirements.
Compare this to how the Commission treats other e-wallets. PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller are all integrated into UK gambling platforms because they operate as authorised e-money institutions (or their parent companies do), they perform their own KYC checks, and they provide transaction records that operators can use for AML monitoring. WebMoney, by contrast, has never sought FCA authorisation and its corporate structure — WM Transfer Ltd, historically based in jurisdictions that do not cooperate fully with UK regulatory information requests — makes due diligence a nightmare for compliance teams.
There is also the matter of the 2020 credit card ban and the broader push toward traceable payment methods. The Gambling Commission has been tightening the screws on payment methods that obscure the source of funds, and operators that once accepted a wide range of e-wallets have been narrowing their options. Bet365, for example, restricts its payment methods to those it can fully monitor for AML purposes, and the same logic applies across the board at Betway, Sky Bet, and the other major UK-facing platforms. None of them list WebMoney. None of them are likely to.
What this means in practice: if you are a UK resident looking for a casino that accepts WebMoney, you are looking at offshore operators licensed in Curaçao (Gaming Curaçao, formerly Curaçao eGaming), Anjouan, or Kahnawake. These sites may accept WebMoney deposits, but they are not licensed to offer services to UK players, and the Gambling Commission has been increasingly vocal — and increasingly litigious — about operators that target the British market without a licence. Depositing via WebMoney into such a site means your funds sit in an account protected by nothing more than the operator’s goodwill and the solvency of an offshore entity you cannot easily investigate.
The Risk Calculus of Using WebMoney on Offshore Casino Sites
Offshore casinos that accept WebMoney tend to share a common profile: they operate under a Curaçao or Anjouan licence, they offer generous welcome bonuses to attract deposits, they process withdrawals slowly or selectively, and their customer support exists mainly to delay complaints rather than resolve them. This is not cynicism — it is the observed pattern across hundreds of operator reviews and player complaints filed with organisations like AskGamblers and CasinoMeister over the past decade.
Let us run the numbers on a typical scenario. You deposit £200 via WebMoney into a Curaçao-licensed casino that offers a 200% welcome bonus with a 40x wagering requirement. Your bonus is £400, giving you £600 in total play money. To clear the wagering, you need to place £24,000 in cumulative bets. At an average slot RTP of 96%, your expected loss across that volume of play is roughly £960 — which exceeds your deposit and bonus combined. You are mathematically certain to lose the entire balance before completing the wagering, and that is before the casino adds game weighting (slots count 100%, table games often count 10% or less) and maximum bet limits during bonus play (typically £5 per spin).
The withdrawal side is where offshore operators earn their reputation. A common tactic is the “pending period” — your withdrawal request sits in limbo for 24 to 72 hours while the casino “reviews” it, during which time you can reverse the withdrawal and lose it all. Some operators extend this to five business days or more, and if you deposited via WebMoney, your withdrawal is typically processed back to the same WebMoney purse, which then requires another conversion and bank transfer to reach your actual account. Total time from clicking “withdraw” to money in your UK bank: seven to fourteen days is not unusual. And if the casino decides your account requires “additional verification” at the withdrawal stage — a classic stalling tactic — you may be asked for documents you already submitted, and the clock resets.
There is also the matter of dispute resolution. UK-licensed operators must offer access to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service approved by the Gambling Commission, and the Commission itself can investigate complaints against licensees. Offshore operators offer neither. Your only recourse is the licensing jurisdiction’s complaints process, which for Curaçao historically amounted to sending an email into a void. The 2024 Curaçao reform — the transition to a new regulatory framework under the Curaçao Gaming Authority — has improved things marginally, but “marginally better than nothing” is a low bar, and the transition is still ongoing in 2026 with many operators operating under transitional arrangements.
Payment Methods That Do the Same Job as WebMoney in the UK
For British players who valued WebMoney for its speed, its separation from their main bank account, or its relative anonymity, the good news is that several UK-licensed payment methods deliver comparable functionality without the regulatory grey area. The bad news is that “relative anonymity” is a feature that UK regulation has been deliberately dismantling, and any payment method that fully anonymises gambling transactions is, by definition, incompatible with the UK’s regulatory framework.
Skrill and Neteller remain the closest functional equivalents to WebMoney in the UK gambling ecosystem. Both operate as e-money institutions authorised by the FCA, both offer instant deposits to gambling sites, and both allow withdrawals back to the e-wallet within minutes of the operator processing them. Fees are comparable: Skrill charges 2.5% on card-funded deposits and offers free transfers between Skrill accounts, while Neteller charges 2.5% on most deposit methods and 3.99% on international transfers. Neither is free, but both are transparent, regulated, and — critically — accepted by every major UK-licensed casino and betting site.
PayPal occupies a slightly different niche. It is the most widely accepted e-wallet in the UK gambling market, and its integration with UK bank accounts means deposits and withdrawals are typically processed within minutes. PayPal’s buyer protection does not extend to gambling transactions, which is worth knowing, but its dispute resolution process is faster and more player-friendly than anything an offshore casino offers. The downside: PayPal charges operators significant per-transaction fees (estimated at 1.4% plus a fixed fee for gambling transactions), and some operators pass these costs on to players in the form of slightly lower bonus offers or restricted payment-method eligibility for certain promotions.
For players who specifically wanted WebMoney’s multi-currency purse functionality, Revolut and Wise (formerly TransferWise) offer multi-currency accounts that can be funded in GBP, EUR, USD, and dozens of other currencies. Neither is an e-wallet in the gambling-specific sense — you would use the Revolut or Wise debit card to fund a casino account — but the multi-currency functionality means you can hold funds in the currency you intend to gamble in, avoiding conversion fees at the point of deposit. Revolut’s gambling transactions are permitted on its standard accounts, though the company has periodically restricted gambling-related activity on certain account tiers, so checking current terms before relying on it is prudent.
Trustly and open banking payments represent the newest wave. Trustly’s “Pay N Play” model, popular in Scandinavian markets, allows deposits directly from a UK bank account without creating a separate e-wallet account, with identity verification handled through the banking layer itself. Several UK-licensed operators have begun integrating Trustly, and the model’s appeal is obvious: no third-party wallet, no additional fees, and the KYC requirements are satisfied by the bank’s own identity checks. Withdrawals via Trustly are typically processed within minutes of approval, making it one of the fastest withdrawal methods available to UK players.
Casinos That Accept WebMoney UK 2026: What the Market Actually Looks Like
The honest answer to the question “which UK casinos accept WebMoney” is: none of the licensed ones. The UK-facing operators that dominate the market — and they are listed below, in the order they rank in the British market — all operate under Gambling Commission licences and all restrict their payment methods to those that satisfy AML and KYC requirements. WebMoney does not qualify. What these operators do offer is a range of payment methods that cover the same use cases: instant deposits, fast withdrawals, and separation from your primary current account.
The operators below are the ones that matter for British players in 2026. They are listed in their market order, and each has been assessed on the criteria that actually affect your experience: payment method coverage, withdrawal speed, licensing status, and the overall quality of the platform. None of them accept WebMoney. All of them accept the alternatives discussed above, and most accept several.
| Operator | Licence | Typical Withdrawal Speed | Min. Deposit | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Bubble Bingo | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | Bingo-focused platform with slots integration; strong on community play |
| Sun Bingo | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | Tabloid-backed brand with regular promotional offers for existing players |
| Genting Casino | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | Land-based casino heritage; physical venues complement the online platform |
| Gala Bingo | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | One of the oldest bingo brands in the UK; extensive game library |
| Betway | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | Full-spectrum operator: sports, casino, live dealer; strong mobile app |
| Sky Vegas | UKGC | 1–2 working days | £10 | Sky Group brand; clean interface and fast e-wallet withdrawals |
| Bet365 | UKGC | 1–2 working days | £5 | World’s largest online betting company; extensive payment method coverage |
| NetBet | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | Established European operator; competitive casino and sportsbook |
| Sky Bet | UKGC | 1–2 working days | £5 | Sky Group; mobile-first design with quick payout processing |
| Betfred | UKGC | 1–3 working days | £10 | High-street betting heritage; physical shops complement online operations |
These figures are typical for the category rather than guaranteed terms for each specific brand — operators adjust their minimum deposits and withdrawal timelines based on payment method, account verification status, and promotional eligibility. A first withdrawal from any of these platforms will almost always take longer than subsequent ones, because the initial KYC check adds a layer of processing that later transactions skip. And if you deposit via an e-wallet like Skrill or Neteller, expect the withdrawal to return to the same e-wallet within hours of approval, even if the operator’s stated processing window is one to three working days.
What none of these operators offer is WebMoney. What they do offer is something arguably more valuable: the certainty that your funds are held in a segregated account, that your disputes can be escalated to a UK-approved ADR service, and that the Gambling Commission can — and does — fine operators that fail to meet their obligations. Bet365, for instance, paid a £2.5 million settlement to the Gambling Commission in 2023 for AML and social responsibility failures. That kind of accountability does not exist in the offshore WebMoney-accepting world, and it is the single most important difference between the two markets.
How WebMoney Compares to UK-Licensed E-Wallets: Fee and Speed Breakdown
Numbers matter more than promises in this business, so here is a direct comparison of what it costs to move money through WebMoney versus the e-wallets that UK-licensed casinos actually accept. The figures below are based on typical published rates and publicly available fee schedules as of early 2026, though individual corridors and intermediary providers can shift the numbers by a percentage point or two in either direction.
| Payment Method | Deposit Fee | Withdrawal Fee | Deposit Speed | Withdrawal Speed | FCA Authorised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WebMoney | 0.8–2.5% | 1–2% + conversion | Instant to purse | 1–3 business days + conversion | No |
| Skrill | 2.5% (card) | Free to Skrill account; 3.99% to bank | Instant | Within hours of approval | Yes (FCA e-money) |
| Neteller | 2.5% | 1.45% to bank; free to Neteller account | Instant | Within hours of approval | Yes (FCA e-money) |
| PayPal | Free to player (operator pays ~1.4%) | Free to player; instant to PayPal balance, 1 working day to bank | |||
| PayPal | Free to player (operator absorbs ~1.4%) | Free to player; instant to PayPal balance, 1 working day to bank | Instant | Instant to PayPal; 1 working day to bank | Yes (FCA e-money) |
| Trustly / Open Banking | Free | Free | Instant | Minutes to hours | Yes (FCA regulated) |
| Debit Card (Visa/MC) | Free | Free | Instant | 1–3 working days | Bank-regulated |
One caveat on the PayPal figures: the “free to player” label is accurate only if you are depositing from a linked UK bank account or PayPal balance. Funding PayPal with a credit card carries a cash-advance-style fee from your card issuer, which is why the Gambling Commission’s push toward debit-only gambling transactions matters — it removes that particular trap from the equation. And on the Trustly row, “free” means free in the sense that no one charges you a fee; your bank may still apply its own charges for certain international transfers, though for UK-to-UK transactions that is rare in practice.
What “Free Spins” and “No Deposit Bonuses” Actually Mean When WebMoney Is Involved
The marketing language around casino bonuses is designed to make you forget that you are engaging in a transaction with a commercial entity whose business model depends on your losing money. The word “free” in “free spins” is doing enormous heavy lifting, and the word “gift” in “welcome gift” is doing even more. Casinos are not charities. Nobody is giving away money. The entire bonus ecosystem exists because the expected value of a bonus to the operator — calculated across thousands of players who accept it — is positive, meaning they make more from the players who take the bonus than they give away in bonus funds.
Here is the arithmetic that marketing departments hope you will never see. A “free” no-deposit bonus of £10 with a 50x wagering requirement means you must place £500 in cumulative bets before you can withdraw anything. At a typical slot RTP of 96%, the expected loss across £500 of play is £20 — more than the bonus itself. You are, on average, worse off accepting the bonus than ignoring it, and the only scenario in which you come out ahead is if you hit an unusually large win early, which is exactly the outcome the wagering requirement is designed to prevent (by forcing you to keep playing through the statistical noise until the house edge grinds you down).
Free spins carry the same mathematical structure with a different wrapper. A “20 free spins at £0.10 per spin” bonus gives you £2 in theoretical play value, but the winnings from those spins are typically capped at £10–£50 and subject to the same 40–65x wagering requirements as cash bonuses. The expected value of 20 free spins to the player is roughly £0.80–£1.60 depending on the slot’s volatility profile, and the probability of clearing the wagering requirement and withdrawing anything is low enough that most players will deposit real money before they ever see a withdrawal.
For UK-licensed operators, these bonuses come with additional constraints that offshore sites do not impose: maximum stake limits during bonus play (usually £5 per spin or 15% of the bonus value, whichever is lower), game weighting rules (slots typically contribute 100%, but live casino games often contribute 0–10%), and time limits (bonuses expire after 7–30 days regardless of wagering progress). These constraints exist because the Gambling Commission requires operators to ensure bonus terms are “transparent and not misleading,” though whether a 50x wagering requirement qualifies as transparent is a matter of ongoing debate in the industry and among consumer advocacy groups.
Responsible Gambling: The Part Nobody Puts in the Headlines
Gambling harm is not a hypothetical risk for a small minority — it is a statistical reality that the industry, the regulator, and the public health sector all acknowledge, even if they disagree on the details. The Gambling Commission’s own research estimates that around 0.3% of the adult population in Great Britain are “problem gamblers” on the PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index) scale, with a further 1.1% classified as “at-risk.” Those percentages sound small until you convert them to absolute numbers: roughly 300,000 problem gamblers and over a million at-risk individuals across a population of roughly 53 million adults.
UK-licensed operators are required to provide a suite of responsible gambling tools, and the quality of those tools varies significantly between platforms. Deposit limits (daily, weekly, monthly), loss limits, session time reminders, reality checks, self-exclusion via GAMSTOP (which blocks access to all UKGC-licensed operators for a chosen period of six months to five years), and access to free support services including GamCare, Gamblers Anonymous, and the National Gambling Helpline (0808 8020 133). These tools are mandatory, but mandatory does not mean effective — the Commission has repeatedly criticised operators for burying responsible gambling features in submenus while placing deposit buttons in prominent positions, a design asymmetry that reflects the commercial incentives at play.
Offshore operators that accept WebMoney have no equivalent obligations. There is no GAMSTOP integration, no mandatory deposit limit tools, no requirement to display helpline numbers, and no obligation to intervene when a player shows signs of harm. Some offshore sites do offer voluntary limit-setting tools, but compliance is unenforced and the tools can often be reset or bypassed by contacting support and asking nicely. For a player who is struggling with gambling harm, the difference between a UKGC-licensed platform with mandatory safeguards and an offshore site with optional ones is not trivial — it is the difference between a safety net and a prayer.
If you or someone you know is affected by gambling harm, the resources are free, confidential, and available 24/7. GamCare operates the National Gambling Helpline and provides live chat support. Gamblers Anonymous runs meetings across the UK. GAMSTOP allows you to self-exclude from all licensed operators in one action. And the Gambling Commission’s “Take Time to Think” campaign exists precisely because the industry’s own incentives are not aligned with player wellbeing, and someone has to say so out loud.
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The Future of WebMoney in the UK Gambling Market: 2026 and Beyond
WebMoney’s position in the UK gambling market is unlikely to change materially in the near term, and the reasons are structural rather than circumstantial. The Gambling Commission’s regulatory trajectory is toward greater traceability, stricter AML requirements, and closer alignment with FCA payment standards — all of which move further away from WebMoney’s architecture rather than toward it. The 2024 Curaçao regulatory reforms, while a step in the right direction, do not change the fundamental fact that Curaçao-licensed operators are not authorised to serve UK players, and the Commission has shown no appetite for recognising foreign licences as equivalent to its own.
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What might change is the payment landscape around WebMoney’s functional equivalents. Open banking payments are gaining traction, with Trustly and similar providers processing an increasing share of UK gambling transactions. The Gambling Commission has signalled support for payment methods that provide better AML visibility, and open banking’s direct bank-to-bank model — with identity verification handled by the banking layer — fits that preference neatly. If open banking adoption continues its current trajectory, it could displace e-wallets like Skrill and Neteller for a significant share of gambling transactions within three to five years, which would further marginalise the already-niche WebMoney corridor.
For players who specifically want WebMoney’s multi-currency functionality, the honest advice is to use a regulated alternative that offers similar features: Revolut’s multi-currency accounts, Wise’s borderless balances, or even a standard e-wallet like Skrill that supports multiple currencies within its own ecosystem. None of these replicate WebMoney exactly, but they deliver the core value proposition — holding funds in a currency other than GBP, moving money between currencies at competitive rates, and keeping gambling transactions somewhat separate from your main current account — without the regulatory risk.
The broader trend in UK gambling payments is toward fewer, better-regulated methods rather than a proliferation of options. The Commission’s position is clear: payment methods must be compatible with AML requirements, and methods that obscure the source of funds or the identity of the transacting party will not be permitted on licensed platforms. WebMoney, whatever its merits as a settlement system, does not meet that standard, and no amount of player demand is likely to change that in the foreseeable future. The market for casinos that accept WebMoney UK 2026 is, in the regulated sense, empty — and it will remain so.
Is WebMoney legal to use for online gambling in the UK?
Using WebMoney itself is not illegal for UK residents — there is no law prohibiting British citizens from holding a WebMoney account or using it for online transactions. However, depositing into an offshore casino that accepts WebMoney means gambling with an operator that is not licensed to serve the UK market, which places you outside the Gambling Commission’s consumer protection framework. The legal risk sits primarily with the operator, not the player, but the practical risk — no dispute resolution, no fund protection, no responsible gambling safeguards — falls entirely on you.
Why don’t UK-licensed casinos accept WebMoney?
UK-licensed casinos require payment methods that support effective anti-money laundering checks, source-of-funds verification, and customer identity confirmation. WebMoney’s pseudonymous purse system and lack of FCA authorisation make it structurally incompatible with these requirements. The Gambling Commission’s Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice expect operators to demonstrate due diligence over payment channels, and WebMoney’s corporate structure and settlement model do not satisfy those expectations.
What is the fastest withdrawal method for UK online casinos in 2026?
E-wallets like Skrill and Neteller offer the fastest withdrawals from UK-licensed casinos, typically landing in your e-wallet within hours of the operator’s approval. PayPal withdrawals are similarly quick, with funds appearing in your PayPal balance almost immediately and reaching a linked UK bank account within one working day. Trustly and open banking payments are emerging as competitors, with some operators processing withdrawals to bank accounts in minutes.
Are offshore casinos that accept WebMoney safe for UK players?
No. Offshore casinos licensed in Curaçao, Anjouan, or Kahnawake are not authorised to offer gambling services to UK residents, and they operate outside the Gambling Commission’s consumer protection framework. This means no access to UK-approved ADR services, no GAMSTOP integration, no mandatory responsible gambling tools, and no regulatory recourse if the operator fails to process a withdrawal or closes your account without explanation. The “safety” of these sites depends entirely on the operator’s goodwill, which is not a reliable foundation for trusting someone with your money.
Can I use Skrill or Neteller instead of WebMoney at UK casinos?
Yes. Skrill and Neteller are both FCA-authorised e-money institutions, both are accepted by every major UK-licensed casino and betting site, and both offer instant deposits and fast withdrawals. Fees are comparable to WebMoney’s — Skrill charges around 2.5% on card-funded deposits, Neteller around 2.5% — but the critical difference is regulatory protection: both operate under FCA oversight, which means access to the Financial Ombudsman Service if something goes wrong. For UK players, they are the closest functional equivalents to WebMoney that actually work within the regulated market.
What should I look for in a UK casino’s payment terms before depositing?
Check four things: the minimum deposit and withdrawal amounts (typically £5–£10 for deposits, £10–£20 for withdrawals), the withdrawal processing time by payment method (e-wallets are fastest, bank transfers slowest), any fees charged by the operator (most UK-licensed casinos do not charge player-side fees, but some impose minimum withdrawal amounts that effectively function as fees for small balances), and whether your preferred payment method is eligible for welcome bonuses (some operators exclude Skrill and Neteller deposits from bonus eligibility, a restriction that dates back to bonus abuse prevention measures and persists despite being widely criticised by players).
