US Online Casino Guide
Places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City are known for some of the most exciting casino scenes in the world. Tens of thousands of people visit these world-famous destinations for a few days of thrilling gambling, testing their luck for fun and profit. But what if you are too far or too busy to travel? Don’t worry – there’s no need to drive across state lines to visit your favourite American casinos anymore! There are hundreds of top-tier USA online casinos out there and you can visit each and every one of them from the comfort of your own home. Looking for the best online casino USA has? Keep reading on! In this guide to Online Casinos USA, we will go over the following topics:
- What are the best online casinos in the US and where is gambling legal?
- What are the best payment methods to use?
- What kind of online casino games and bonus offers are available?
- Who are the leading software providers in the industry?
USA Online Casinos of 2024
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How to Choose a USA Online Casino
There are thousands of online casinos out there. Choosing the best online gambling sites USA can be a nearly-impossible task for an individual. However, our team of expert reviewers visited hundreds of the top online USA casinos and judged them on the most important criteria.
We evaluated the best online casinos on the following criteria
- The availability of the online casino for US players.
- Licenses and permits, in order to make sure the casino is regulated and operating legally.
- Player experience and the online casino reviews USA players have left previously.
- The availability and fairness of bonuses and promotional offers.
- The quality and reliability of the software used by the casino.
- The availability of a variety of payment systems.
- The quality and alacrity of customer support.
- Whether the casino has eCOGRA certification.
Where can you play Legal Online Casino Games in the US?
Laws regarding gambling in the US have always varied from state to state. So, a common question people have is: “Can you gamble online in the US legally?”
The answer is “Yes!” A few of the most notable states for legal US online casinos are:
- Legalized online casinos
- Expecting action
New Jersey Online Casinos
Atlantic City in New Jersey is one of the centers of US gambling. It’s of no surprise that New Jersey has fairly liberal laws regarding online casinos. Online gambling was first introduced to New Jersey in 2013. Since then, it’s grown to a massive force that brings in half a billion dollars in revenue every year. Many of the biggest Atlantic City casinos now have online sites where you can play any kind of casino game and even try out horse race betting. There are only two things you need to keep in mind when playing at NJ Online Casinos. First, in order to play at a New Jersey online casino, you must be living in the state. Second, you must be of the federal gambling age – 21.
Pennsylvania Online Casinos
Pennsylvania is probably one of the most progressive states in the country when it comes to legal online gambling USA. Pennsylvania became a hub of casino gaming and betting when it legalized several forms of betting in the 2000s, including horse races, slot machines and table games. PA’s horse race betting scene is the biggest in the country. All of these gambling opportunities are available both offline and online. PA has the most widespread casino gaming in America. All of PA’s biggest USA casinos have online and mobile versions of their website so that you can sign up and play from anywhere.
Delaware Online Casinos
The online casino scene in Delaware is a relatively small but growing one. There are fewer online casinos in Delaware compared to other big casino destination states like Nevada, New Jersey or Pennsylvania. However, Delaware is still one of the biggest USA Casino gambling states. In addition to an expansive and lucrative horse racing and betting market, Delaware has plenty of opportunities for other kinds of casino gaming. While there are only a handful of brick-and-mortar casinos in Delaware, all of them have an online presence. As a US online casino player, you can play at any one of them or even at an international casino that is available in the US.
West Virginia Online Casinos
West Virginia is a relative newcomer onto the stage of online casinos. Although physical gambling has been legal in West Virginia for more than 20 years, online legal gambling was only put into place a few years ago. In West Virginia, the first online casinos started appearing just last year, in 2020. These online branches of already existing brick-and-mortar casinos are among the top USA online casinos. The state has a thriving sports betting scene, as sportsbooks have been legal for years. The requirements for playing at a West Virginia casino online are simple – be located inside the state and be 21 or older.
Michigan Online Casinos
The last of the US states with casinos we are looking at is Michigan. The most recent state on this list to legalize online casino gambling, Michigan only passed these laws in December 2019. It was quite well-timed, all things considered. In January 2021, various American online casinos officially opened in Michigan. Both Sports betting and other forms of casino gambling such as Poker are now online and available for Michigan residents. While Michigan is the most recent state to legalize online casinos in the United States, we expect there to be many more online casinos to start appearing in MI soon.
States that Could have Online Casinos in the Near Future
US online casinos are already bringing in billions of dollars in profit. As online gambling in the United States continues to become a bigger and bigger industry, we expect some more state to allow online casinos in the future. For now, it’s important to stay abreast of various online gambling legal matters.
Nevada Online Casinos
Nevada is already well known as one of the gambling capitals of the world. After all, it’s home to Las Vegas! However, the lucrative position of various brick-and-mortar casinos in Vegas means online gambling has been relatively slow to spread in Nevada. Online gambling is legal in Nevada, but with some conditions. Poker, Sports and Horse betting are the only types of US gambling sites that are legal in Nevada. So, most Nevada casinos have not gone online yet as they would lose a good portion of their games. That could soon change, as physical casinos lose businesses while online casinos become more prominent.
Illinois Online Casinos
Illinois is one of the few US states where online gambling is totally illegal. There are no online casinos located within the state. In order to play online, Illinois players have to either visit a physical casino or go out of state. At the moment, the only legal American online casinos in Illinois are the ones that only offer sports betting. Fortunately, there are a large number of people working hard to ensure that the gambling laws in Illinois are changed to allow online casinos, with a bill being prepared. Online casinos could bring a lot of revenue to the state government, so it is likely that the bill will pass.
Indiana Online Casinos
Sports betting is the only form of online casino betting that is legal in Indiana. As an offshoot of sports betting, Fantasy league betting is also allowed. Despite physical gambling at brick-and-mortar locations being legal in Indiana, the same luxury does not extend to online casinos. Similar to Illinois, a bill is in the works that could change the laws and allow online casinos to be established in the state. Until then, Illinois players who are a fan of games like Poker, Blackjack or Slots will have to travel out of state in order to legally play at USA online casinos.
Connecticut Online Casinos
Connecticut is one of the less liberal states when it comes to casinos and gambling. There are only a few brick-and-mortar establishments that were mostly set up by Native Americans on their land.However, it has been proven that casinos, whether online or offline, bring in a lot of state revenue through taxes. This revenue can be used to develop infrastructure, education, healthcare and other valuable aspects. So, it is possible that online gambling sites may get legalized soon in Connecticut.
Massachusetts Online Casinos
In Massachusetts, online casino gambling is in a gray area. The main reason for this is that until recently, there were no laws on the books regarding internet gambling. Only physical US casinos were illegal. So, many MA residents would simply join an online casino in order to get the thrill of gambling. Physical casinos were legalized in the state recently. So, it is possible that laws will soon be passed that will make it clear that online casinos are also legal.
Virginia Online Casinos
The situation in Virginia is similar to that in Massachusetts. When the original laws prohibiting gambling were decided, nobody even had the concept of an online casino. So, while physical casinos were declared legal in Virginia a few years ago, online casinos have remained in the gray zone.At the moment, players in Virginia can sign up for other US casinos online or international casinos and play. They will not be fined. Since there are many advantages to having online casinos, we expect the state to declare them officially legal soon.
Top Online Casinos that Accept Players from US
With so many restrictions on online casinos in United States, it is natural that many players look at international casinos instead. There are many extremely popular international online casinos based out of Europe and Asia that accept American players.
We have checked all these casinos to make sure that they are safe and trustworthy. We also used the criteria mentioned earlier to filter out the best of the best. Here are the top 10 international online casinos to accept players from the US
Casino | Legal States | Bonus Offer | Play |
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DraftKings Casino | MI, NJ, PA, WV | $1,500 | Play |
FanDuel Casino | PA, MI, WV | $200 | Play |
BetMGM Casino | MI, NJ, PA, WV | $1,000 | Play |
Golden Nugget Casino | NJ, MI | $1,500 | Play |
Luckyland Slots | All Except WA | 10 Free Sweeps | Play |
Funzpoints Casino | All Except WA | $2.50 Free | Play |
Deposits and Withdrawals at US Casino Sites
The concept of gambling is closely intertwined with money. In order to play at any international or US casino, you must deposit some money. This money will be placed into a wallet that is linked to your account on the casino site. When you place bets, the credit will be taken from this wallet. Winnings are also paid out to the wallet. To cash out, you can simply withdraw money from the wallet.
There are many methods of making both deposits and withdrawals. They range from credit cards and debit cards to prepaid cards and electronic wallets. Any US casino will accept the following payment methods:
Types of Online Casinos
Online casinos are not monolithic. There are many types of online casinos, each catering to different aspects of the gambling experience. For example, Sportsbooks Casinos will focus on offering a wide range of Sports and Fantasy League betting. Mobile Casinos will be optimized for mobile devices rather than large desktop screens. Live casinos will focus on having a large selection of live dealer games.
In this section, let’s explore the various types of online gambling sites USA has.
Top US Mobile Casinos
Today, almost everyone in the US owns a smartphone. Modern mobiles have plenty of processing power – enough to browse the internet, watch movies, listen to music, check email, and of course, play video games and casino games.
The top USA online casinos offer mobile gaming in two forms: mobile casino sites and casino apps. For mobile casino sites, a player simply visits the casino’s website to launch the game inside the browser. For casino apps, you have to install the app on your phone first before you can launch any games. Playing on the browser means there’s no need to download anything, but load times will be long and gameplay experience might not be optimal. Downloading the app gives you minimal loading times and optimized gameplay, but it comes at the cost of memory space.
Best Live Casinos
Most USA online casino games are virtual experiences – the game board, the cards, etc. are all computer generated and computer-controlled. By contrast, a Live Casino involves a real dealer sitting at a real table at the studio. Cameras and microphones are set up on the casino’s side so you can view everything and issue commands in real time. For your part, you only need a microphone if you want to talk to the dealer or other players.
The dealer will physically shuffle cards, throw dice and spin the roulette wheel. It’s set up like a video conference call, so you can chat with the dealer just like at a physical casino. The whole live casino experience is a lot more immersive and closer to the feel of a real America casino.
New Casinos
Have you wondered how many casinos in USA are older than 10 years, and how many are less than a year old? Some of the best casinos online USA has are venerable institutions with years and years of experience. However, sometimes a fresh new outlook is a better option. The online casino industry is an extremely fast paced and competitive one. Every year, hundreds of both American and international online casinos arrive on the market.
Newer casinos have the advantage of using the latest and greatest games and promotional offers. An older casino might have a library of titles spanning ten years that range from poor quality to excellent. Meanwhile, a new casino will have a small library of good or great titles.
Our Recommended New Casinos
We have explored some of the best new online casinos that have entered the scene in the last few years. Using our reviewing criteria, we have picked out the top new casinos. If you are looking for a fresh experience when gambling online, try out some of these recommended casinos.
Online Casinos USA Real Money
Casino gambling typically has two purposes – fun and profit! For many players, the thrill of testing your luck against others is an exhilarating thing. For other players, it’s the fun of winning money through sheer luck.
Whatever your reasons are, there are many different forms of gambling online USA has. In addition to slot machines and table games, United States casinos offer opportunities for sports betting, fantasy sports, horse race betting and online lotteries.
- US Sports Betting – At its simplest, sports betting involves betting on the winner of a sporting event such as Football or Baseball. It’s one of the most common forms of betting, as it is legal in most states. Sports betting is not entirely random compared to other forms of betting, since you can often research on the players to predict a winner.
- US Online Lottery – In the US, there are lotteries in every state. To enter a lottery, you simply buy a ticket for a small price. If your ticket is drawn, you can win up to millions of dollars. Both the cost of entry and odds of winning are extremely low. In fact, a lot of normal people participate in lotteries without realizing it’s the biggest form of online gambling USA has.
- Horse Racing – Horse Racing has a long and prestigious history in the US. The race tracks in Pennsylvania and Delaware are some of the most famous horse race courses in the world. Horse Racing is one of the more socially acceptable forms of gambling in the US and most casino online USA have it.
- Fantasy Sports – Fantasy Sports is similar to sports betting in that it’s about betting on the outcome of a match. The key difference is that fantasy sports are all virtual. You can make a team out of your favourite players (hence the ‘fantasy’) and pit them again other players’ teams.
Best Online Casino Games for American Gamblers
All casinos, whether online or physical, have a huge number of games for their customers. Every casino will feature hundreds of slot machines, plus various table games. You can expect to find typical table games such as Poker, Blackjack, Baccarat, Roulette as well as more niche games such as Craps, Keno and Bingo.
Each game has a different strategy and approach. There are also major differences between playing the video game and the live casino version of a game. Basically, when it comes to USA online gambling there’s something for everybody.
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Slots
Slots are the most common type of game to see at a USA casino online. Visit any casino’s website and you will see a library of hundreds of the best online slots USA has to offer. Slot games have an incredible variety. They can have themes ranging from fantasy to sci-fi, and from history to pop culture. They can be simple games with a few reels, or massive and complex games to keep you busy for hours. The RTP of slot games can range from 94% to 99%.
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Roulette
Roulette is one of the most well-known casino games. Originally imported from Europe, many casinos in US play a variant of the game called American Roulette. However, you can find all three main variants of Roulette at USA casinos online – European, French and American.
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Blackjack
Blackjack is one of the most popular US casino games. It’s a very simple game that is easy for beginners to get into. The goal is to get a higher sum of cards in your hand than the dealer, without going over 21. When looking for the best blackjack casino US has, it’s important to consider the different Blackjack options such as Classic Blackjack, Double Exposure Blackjack and Blackjack Surrender.
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Baccarat
Baccarat is another casino game based on cards you can find at all United States casinos online. Players hold several hands at a time and bet on which hand will have the highest value. For hands that sum over 10, the higher digit is disregarded. Baccarat is a little more complex than Blackjack, but still a simple game many players can learn easily.
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Poker
Poker is the quintessential gambling game. While the basic principles of Poker are easy to learn, mastering the game will take long hours of dedicated practice. All the top USA online casino sites offer many variants of the game. Different variants change the number of cards in hand, the number of community cards, how many cards are hidden, the rules of the game and more.
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Bingo
Bingo is another game that you will find at almost every online casino in USA. It’s similar to a lottery game. Players fill up a board depending on the lottery results. A contrast to many other casino games, Bingo is also played casually at various community centers or gathering places. However, gamblers can also play it for higher stakes from the comfort of their homes by visiting online casinos.
Best Payout Online Casinos
One of the most popular questions any casino player has is “what are the payouts like?” The payout of a casino is extremely important, since it is what allows players to make a profit if they are lucky. Keep in mind that all United States online casino sites are slightly biased towards the owner of the site. This slight bias is called the ‘house edge’ and this house edge is how the casino makes a profit and stays afloat.
When you play any casino game, you will see a number called ‘Return to Player’. This number varies from game to game but is usually around 95% or higher. This means that you are guaranteed to get back 95% of your spent money from winnings. To get a higher return, you need two things: luck, and bonuses.
History of Gambling in United States
Gambling had a hard time taking off in the US. This is because many of the original American settlers were conservative folk who did not like the idea of gambling at all. This attitude started changing in the 1900s, as the first casinos in America appeared. In 1906, a wealthy businessman decided to set up the first casino in Nevada. Several other casinos popped up nearby over the years, as people began to realize that the casino business was extremely lucrative.
In 1931, Nevada also became the first state to officially make gambling at brick-and-mortar casinos legal. More than 40 years later, in 1977, New Jersey became the second state to legalize casinos. In both these cases, legalizing gambling attracted a huge amount of revenue from taxes and tourism. However, many parts of the country are still conservative and dislike gambling. This is part of the reason why American online gambling is having a hard time taking off everywhere. Fortunately, laws are slowly changing in order to make online casino legal in USA everywhere.
Top Casino Bonuses
Every legal online casino USA offers a plethora of bonuses and promotional offers to encourage players. Bonuses can reward players with extra spins on a slot game, or extra credit for betting, or loyalty and other types of rewards
Each bonus comes with a wagering requirement and other restrictions. This is the amount of money you have to wager before you can get the bonus rewards. For example, if a $100 deposit bonus has a wagering requirement of 20x, that means you have to wager 20 times $100 to get the bonus. Sometimes wagering requirements can be unfair, restricting you from playing your favourite type of game. They can also have outrageously high wagering requirements. So, be sure to read the terms and conditions before accepting any bonus offer.
There are several different types of casino bonuses you will encounter as a player in the USA gambling online. Let’s go over a quick review of the most popular bonuses.
1. Welcome Bonus
A Welcome Bonus is basically given out to welcome players to the casino. Welcome bonuses are usually quite large, in order to attract new players to the casino. This bonus may also be given out over several installments, such as with first deposit, second deposit and third deposit bonuses.
2. Free Spins Bonus
A free spin bonus is simply a bonus that rewards players by giving them several free spins on a slot game. These free spins won’t cost any credits but can give out winnings. Keep in mind that free spins are often limited to a specific slot game rather than any slot title. The amount you can win from free spins may also be limited.
3. No-Deposit Bonus
No-Deposit bonuses are quite rare. This is simply a bonus that is given out without requiring the user to deposit any money. An example of a No-Deposit bonus would be a $5 credit given out to players when they sign up for the casino. No deposit is needed – this money is freely given away.
4. High-Roller Bonus
Some players have a lot of money and are out to spend huge amounts in each gaming session. For these high rollers, typical bonuses are not very exciting. High Roller bonuses give out huge rewards but are also extremely difficult to earn and have high wagering requirements.
Best Casino Software
Most online casinos get their games from third party casino software providers. As we mentioned earlier, the quality of this software is a key factor in determining the best US casinos. Our top selections on the list of best casino online US all use the reliable software providers. Some of the most well-known software providers are Microgaming, NetEnt and Betsoft.
Microgaming has been around for more than 20 years. They specialize in great slot titles with huge jackpots and high RTP. Games such as Mega Moolas, Immortal Romance and Thunderstruck 2 can be found in almost every casino.
NetEnt has a similar pedigree with their high-quality and mobile slots like Starburst and Gonzo’s Quest. They are experts at telling stories through slot games.
Betsoft is also a developer of high-quality graphical slot games and table games. They have been critically acclaimed for their table and live dealer games like blackjack, poker, baccarat and roulette. Betsoft also has some excellent slot games in their catalogue, such as Mamma Mia, Sugar Pop 2 and Chili Pop.
Top Casino Tips
If you are a new player online casinos can be very intimidating. So, here are some tips to help you while online gambling in USA. Even veteran players might find some of these tips helpful!
- Choose a reliable and trustworthy online casino. For online casino USA legal sites can be recognized by the seal of the State Gaming Authority or Control Board at the bottom of the page.
- Learn as much as you can before you start playing. It will do you no good to lose your money because you don’t know the proper rules and strategies for the game. There are many guides and tutorials for various casino games all over the internet!
- Set limits on your spending. Gambling addiction and overspending are serious issues. If you keep a close track on how much you are spending and stop as soon as you hit the limit, you’ll be fine.
- Target bonuses and promotional offers. Read up on the terms and conditions and then select a bonus that is easy to earn. The bonus will give you rewards and let you play for longer!
- Start with simple, low stakes games. Luck can be very fickle, so it’s best to play lower stakes games and have fun before you move onto high stakes games that could potentially leave you broke in the first round.
- Learn and use a betting strategy. Strategies such as the Martingale or the d’Alembert system can help you win as much as possible and lose as little as possible.
How can you tell the difference between offshore and legal US online casinos?
There are a few key differences between legal US online casinos and various international or offshore sites. First of all, a regulated and legal casino site will have a .com domain. However, .com domains are more expensive, so offshore sites often try to use cheaper domains.
In America online casino sites will also have plenty of legal proof that it is the correct site. It will have a sticker from the state regulatory body at the bottom of the page. It will be available on regulated, third-party stores like the App Store.
Finally, legal US casinos will only accept transactions in USD. Other currencies will be converted to US dollars. Crypto currencies can be a red flag, as they are anonymous and might suggest that the casino is trying to hide something.
Our blacklist of casinos that should not be played
While most online casino legal USA sites are safe to play at, there are a few sites that we have blacklisted. These sites are illegal in the US, so you may be in trouble if you are caught playing at them. They also have shady business practices such as withholding bonuses and cash outs, having no customer support or contact information, etc. If you find yourself at one of these sites, leave immediately!
As long as you remember what we have mentioned in this guide and visit some of our recommended casinos, you will have a great time!