USA Casinos
Online gambling in the US has had its ups and downs. From an open and fluid industry pre-2006 to the UIGEA ban on internet gambling until very recently, to the reassessing of the Federal Wire Act and UIGEA allowing states to decide gambling laws for themselves, it has been a riveting ride. What does this mean now, though?
Can you legally gamble at US online casino sites, or are you continually forced to play at offshore and sometimes dubious betting sites to get your fill? Each state has its own laws, which can prove tricky to navigate, but we’ll do our best to explain it all to you in this guide. Moreover, we will also look at top games, great bonuses, and other aspects you should expect to see in the very best real money online casinos in the USA. Let’s begin by showcasing a few of those sites below. They include:
Best Real Money Online Casinos for United States Players
Online Gambling Laws in the USA
Pre-2006, the US online gambling sector was scarcely regulated but legal. That changed in 2006 when the Bush Administration passed the UIGEA 2006 bill. The Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, coupled with the Federal Wire Act of 1961, ensured that betting at legal gambling sites in the USA was a thing of the past.
Today, things are quite different. What began in 2018, when the US Supreme Court overruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (1992) to revoke a federal ban on sports betting, extended to the Federal Wire Act. The old law of 1961 and the UIGEA bill were amended to ensure that each state has its own say on what were deemed legal gambling sites in the US on a state-by-state basis.
Where do we stand? Is online casino gaming legal in the United States right now? Each US state has to decide for itself. The Federal Wire Act still exists in a modified form, and it states that state-licensed casinos and sports betting sites can only offer gambling services to those who reside in that state. For instance, a player from Montana can’t wager in a New Jersey licensed online casino.
In the case of Nevada, only land-based casinos can offer online websites, and you must be physically present in the land-based casino (or your hotel room) to bet at these sites. Idaho and Wisconsin are strongly opposed to gambling, as are Utah and Hawaii.
What if you are based elsewhere, though? Playing at offshore casinos has long been “technically illegal”, but there have never been any prosecutions for players who do so. Therefore, if your state hasn’t legalised online gambling options (and many are considering it), then playing at an internationally licensed, offshore casino is advantageous, especially as they almost always accept US dollars and US-friendly payment providers.
Now, let us look at the legal status of each type of gambling option in the USA…
Online Casino
Online casinos are not legal in all states that have permitted online gambling. For instance, legit US online casinos are available in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Delaware only. As mentioned, online casinos are only legal in Nevada if you are on the premises of a land-based site. Moreover, you can only wager at your state-licensed casino, not those licensed in other states. You can still opt to play at offshore US casinos, though, even if it isn’t strictly legal.
Online Poker
Online poker games are available in all the same states as online casinos, namely Delaware, West Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. However, you can also expect to play online poker games in Nevada, even if you are playing from home.
Online Sports Betting
Sports betting is accepted in a far larger number of states. Delaware is bizarre in that poker and casino gambling is legal there, but not sports betting. However, states that have legalised online sports betting include New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Colorado, Iowa, Virginia, West Virginia, Nevada and New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Montana, and Oregon.
Online Lottery
Lotteries are legal in but two states. The US Powerball and Mega Millions lottos can be played in every state bar Utah and Hawaii. Hawaii and Utah forbid online gambling in all forms, including lotteries, for religious reasons. Despite being opposed to gambling, Wisconsin and Idaho do permit lottery games.
Online Bingo
Most online bingo games are illegal in the USA, even today. A couple of online casinos in states where they are licensed may have video or instant bingo games, but they do not actively support bingo rooms – no US online casino does. However, offshore betting sites licensed internationally may offer bingo games, and playing at them falls under a grey zone. There is no law that can see you prosecuted for doing so.
History of Gambling in the United States
The history of all gambling in the USA is nothing short of a messy tale. Freedom-loving gamblers clashing with bent underground criminals, evangelical do-gooders, greedy tax authorities and gambling lovers all have a part to play. Allow us to take you on a whistle-stop tour of gambling in the USA.
- 1680s: The early colonist runs hundreds of lotteries across their territories.
- 1769: The British Crown restricts lotteries, making them effectively illegal in the colonies.
- 1800s: French settlers in Louisiana and the southern states bring many games with them, including roulette. New Orleans becomes a hub for gambling. In the 1850s, San Francisco takes over as the capital of gambling, primarily due to the Gold Rush, until California passed laws restricted gambling. Gambling becomes popular amongst those in frontier settlements. Horse racing was popular but declined following the Civil War.
- 1900s: Number games are controlled by criminals who own the police. This, coupled with evangelical attempts to prohibit gambling see virtually all racetracks closed by 1917. It won’t last long.
- 1920s: Prohibition legislation all but ends gambling. However, horse racing makes a comeback (as the only legalised form of betting), and over twenty new racetracks open within a decade.
- 1931: Nevada legalised online gambling to bring economic relief following the Great Depression. Las Vegas grows rapidly in the 1950s. In most other states, gambling remains illegal.
- 1961: The Federal Wire Act makes it illegal to transfer money from banks for gambling purposes.
- 1977: New Jersey also legalised gambling in casinos, with Atlantic City becoming a major hub. Several other states follow suit.
- 1990s: Riverboat casinos are made legal in Louisiana, Illinois, and other states. Michigan legalised casino betting in 1996.
- 1992: The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act makes it illegal to bet on sports.
- 1994: The very first internet casino goes live and is powered by Microgaming. The industry remains unregulated for over a decade.
- 2006: The Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act is introduced by the Bush Administration. It makes it illegal to gamble online. Most US players flock to offshore casinos, and major operators, payment providers and software providers leave US shores on mass.
- 2011: Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and other sites are sued by the DOJ (Department of Justice) under the UIGEA in an event known as Black Friday.
- 2018: The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 is overruled, essentially making sports betting legal once more. At the same time, the Federal Wire Act is altered to ensure that only interstate and international gambling transactions are illegal. The UIGEA is also re-read as a bill that states illegal gambling to be anything that “violates state gambling laws”. Each state is given the green light to decide its own laws, effectively making the UIGEA useless in many states. New Jersey immediately starts licensed operators and opens online casinos, accompanied by those in Pennsylvania and later, Delaware and Michigan.
- 2020: New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s online gambling sectors are going strong. Many other states flock to join them and legalise all forms of online gambling in a bid to cut the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on their land-based betting revenue. As a result, online gambling becomes more regulated in the US (and legal) than it ever has since its inception.
Future Online Gambling Trends in the US
The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the gambling sector in the USA. Many states had already decided that legalised internet betting was the way to go and followed New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s lead. If states hadn’t come to that conclusion before 2020, they tended to do shortly afterwards. By moving operations online, states could raise a large amount of revenue from punters playing online slots for real money in the USA. This has helped balance the banks for many casinos throughout the pandemic.
Of course, once you’ve let the cat out of the bag or the genie out of the bottle, it is hard to keep them inside. With that in mind, it is no surprise that online gambling is now regulated, legal and licensed in many states. While you will always see religious groups such as those in Utah, Alabama and Hawaii hold out, our expectation is that online gambling will be legalised in most states over the coming years. However, don’t expect them all to be casino sites. We’d imagine a fair few legalise internet sports betting or poker. However, the industry is in motion, so anything is possible right now.
Is It Safe to Gamble at a USA Online Casino?
This really depends on where you play. If you really want to be safe at online casinos in the US, then be sure to play at one of your local, state-licensed casinos. For instance, opt to play at a New Jersey licensed casino if you reside in New Jersey.
How to Choose the Best Online Casino?
Our team goes above and beyond to ensure that we explore and research every aspect of the casinos we represent. By only promoting the most trusted online casinos for US players, we know that you will enjoy the experience you have in a safe and secure venue.
To find the best online casinos, you should check our online gambling reviews for the United States. Each casino has been put through a tough test to ensure that it fits the bill. Don’t take our word for it, though. Allow us to showcase some of the things we like to see in top US casinos and betting sites.
Casino Bonuses
Casinos come with all sorts of nifty bonuses and promotions. US casinos tend to make their offers worth mega sums of cash. However, there is more to top bonuses than big sums of money. They must also come with fair wagering requirements and other top conditions such as low deposit limits, big win caps and good game eligibility rules.
Games and Software
Offshore US casinos often suffer from being licensed by a single provider, such as RTG, Rival Gaming, or BetSoft Gaming. However, when you venture into state-licensed US casinos, you can often find games from multiple providers. On top of that, internationally renowned and trusted sites may also offer you a selection of 1,000 games from many developers.
The Reputation of the Casino
The reputation of the casino is important. We don’t just take what we see and use that as a basis for trusting a casino. We also need to know what you (the players) think. We line that up alongside what we know, and we check the casino’s licenses, regulators, certifications, and previous complaints to ensure that it has a reputation we can endorse.
Casino Customer Support
Casino support services for US players are some of the best in the internet betting world, so naturally, we expect them to hold up well under scrutiny. We want to see 24/7 live chat, an e-mail service, FAQ guide, but also a toll-free telephone number in many cases.
Payment Methods
US players can often find themselves frustrated with payment providers at offshore casinos. The main reason is that the Federal Wire Act prohibits so many payment providers from doing business with US players and offshore or interstate casinos. Those that are prepared to take the risk often command transfer fees. However, we make sure that any casinos we support have enough options to make depositing and withdrawing at US casinos a comfortable process for you.
Online Casino Games Available for US Players
Part of finding top online casinos that accept US players is looking for a site that has an excellent gaming library. You shouldn’t just look for the best online casinos for United States players, but also sites that offer new online casino games in the USA. Here is what we typically want to see in top US casinos:
- A collection of at least several hundred, if not over a thousand games
- Ideally, games should come from more than one software provider
- Live casino games should be made available alongside RNG ones
- All games should be playable for free (and real money)
- Downloadable casino options are not as important as mobile optimised games
- You should want to see a good mix of many different games, such as slots, table games, video poker and specialty titles
With that said, let’s look at some of the games you should expect to see:
Online Slots
Online slots in the USA should consist of both progressive jackpot and non-progressive video slots. Classic slots and fruit machines should also be thrown into the mix. MegaWays slot machines in the US are trickier to come by, but 3D slots should be available.
Online Blackjack
Most blackjack online games you can play with real money in the United States consist of Classic, European or American Blackjack variants. However, Multi-hand, Atlantic City, Vegas Strip, Vegas Downtown, Perfect Pairs, and Pontoon variants are not out of the question, either.
Online Roulette
The best online roulette gambling sites in the USA should offer European and American roulette variants. However, French roulette, Auto Roulette and perhaps even live dealer games are a plus. These can sometimes be found under the “speciality” header rather than the table games section.
Live Dealer Games
While not as prevalent or available in as great a number at US sites as their European counterparts, it should still be possible to enjoy live casino games online in the US. Just don’t expect as many variants, with baccarat, blackjack and roulette the primary options at betting sites.
Other Online Casino Games
Most US casinos offer video poker alongside the offerings listed above. Moreover, many have a separate section known as “speciality games”. This is where you can find instant win games, scratch cards, keno, bingo, and a few others.
Most Popular Casino Software in the United States
Any online casinos that are licensed on a state level are likely to feature games from top, established software providers. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Microgaming casinos in the US or the very best NetEnt casinos the USA has to offer featured here. However, if you opt to play at offshore casinos, then you are likely to come across games from just a handful of developers. These include:
- Real Time Gaming (RTG)
- BetSoft Gaming
- WGS Tech
- Rival Gaming
As mentioned, though, state-licensed casinos tend to offer much more. When playing at these sites, we could easily see games from these developers:
- Ezugi
- Evolution Gaming
- Big Time Gaming
- NextGen Gaming
Banking Information for US Players
In virtually all offshore USA online casinos, PayPal is not going to be an available option. Even online casinos in the United States that accept VISA Debit could prove tricky. The main reason is the Federal Wire Act, which still prohibits gambling-related transactions on an interstate and international basis – in short, offshore casinos.
In most cases, these are the payment methods open to you:
- Wire Transfers
- Money Transfer
- ACH Payments
- Prepaid Coupons
- MST Gift Cards
- Credit Cards
However, if you are playing at a state-licensed site, your options are considerably better. Payment methods include:
- MasterCard
- Discover
- PayPal
- VISA
- Bank transfers
- Wire Transfers
When depositing (and withdrawing) at a state-endorsed USA casino, you should expect no withdrawal fees and instant transaction times. However, playing at offshore sites can often see extensive transaction times of up to eight days, high minimum withdrawal limits ($100 to $500), low maximum withdrawal limits (seldom more than a couple of grand), and withdrawal fees that could cost upwards of $50 per transaction. Of course, we aim to help you get around all this with our trusted US casino reviews. We double-check this data before we recommend any site to you.
Cryptocurrencies
US players can often use cryptocurrencies (at offshore sites only), too. As BTC deposits and withdrawals are processed faster than most other payment methods and afford US bettors a touch of anonymity, they are highly in demand. Notable cryptocurrencies accepted at US casinos include:
USA Gambling Apps
There aren’t many online gambling apps for USA players to take advantage of that come highly recommended. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t play at mobile casinos in the US with iOS and Android devices. Instead, all you need is a mobile casino account, a Wi-Fi connection, and a web browser to play games on the goal at HTML5-friendly US mobile casinos.
US Online Casino Bonuses & Promo Codes
Newbies and seasoned pros alike love casino bonuses, and some of the best bonus deals online can be found in casinos in the United States. While the state-licensed sites tend to have more reserved offers, those based offshore tend to carry gargantuan deals for their members, often worth tens of thousands of dollars.
On our page, we will introduce you to many of the best bonuses and promotions, we’ll walk you through them, and we’ll highlight any USA online casino bonus codes that need to be used to claim such deals. Allow us to introduce you to a few top US casino offers below. They include:
No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit casinos in the US are commonplace. Most sites will offer free bets and bonus chips to first time members, with no deposit required. Become a new player at US no deposit casinos can see you get off to a great start with such an offer, potentially allowing you to win real money without risking your own.
Deposit Match
When you make that all-important first deposit, you’ll likely receive a top bonus for your efforts. A first deposit bonus at a casino in the US will typically consist of a 100% match that doubles your deposit, although they may be worth a lot more. US online casinos with low deposit terms and favourable, and we’ll point you in the right direction with some of our top casino reviews.
Free Spins
Free spins are often given as loyalty offers at US online casinos. However, it is not uncommon to see online casinos offers free sign-up bonus deals that offer free spins with no deposit required to US players. The primary reason why you would claim such an offer is to spin the reels of slots for free to potentially win real money. Again, our team is on the ball and has the best of these for you to explore.
Reload Bonuses
US players can regularly find reload bonuses at online casinos. These may form a part of a welcome package, offering you the chance to claim subsequent deals after your first deposit. However, they may also be once a week or once a month offers or be regularly offered every time you deposit at a casino.
New Online Casinos in the USA
New internet casinos go live all the time. At our site, we make it our job to continually check them and make sure that they can offer you the best deals and terms around. As well as checking for new casinos (which you can do right here), we also regularly put our trusted US casinos through their paces once more to ensure that they maintain high standards. Head over to our new US online casino reviews to check out the hottest sites to launch recently.
FAQs
If you still have questions about United States online casinos, allow us to assist you with this brief FAQ guide.
