The United States is one of the trickier countries to live in if you want to play online casino games at the best online casinos in the world.
While there are certainly US online casinos that you can sign up to, the process can sometimes be fraught with questions.
Is it legal for you to play at an online casino in the USA, for instance?
This actually depends on which state you are living in and using US-friendly Bitcoin casino sites may be mandatory for you, if you live in the “wrong” state. Or, if it is the “right” site, you may have free access to casino sites, like Goodwin casino is. The same thing goes for Bitcoin casino – Canada-based sites.
Our guide takes players through the pitfalls and booby traps of playing in the USA at online casinos, and provides them with a handy guide to the laws of the country.
As well, we provide you a list of the best online casinos for a US player to choose from in 2023.
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Learn About The History of Gambling in the US
The United States has had a very much on and off love affair with gambling in general.
From the early days of the British prohibition of lotteries to the hotbed of gambling from New Orleans up the Mississippi River valley in the Nineteenth Century, gambling has been legal and illegal at numerous times in US history.
Throughout the early Twentieth Century, gambling was outlawed once again, although bingo was socially acceptable as a means to raise funds for honourable causes, such as churches during The Great Depression of the 1920s.
The 1930s saw the emergence of Las Vegas in Nevada, which exploded onto the scene and grew rapidly throughout the following three decades after the state legalised gambling.
New Jersey followed suit in 1977, and numerous Native American tribes also took advantage of their own autonomy (in a manner of speaking) to legalise gambling on their reservations. Riverboat casinos were next to become legalised in the south in the 90s.
The advent of internet gambling in the USA at online casinos in the late 90s was the latest, popular way to play. However, under the Federal Wire Act of 1961, funds were not permitted to cross state lines or international borders for gambling purposes.
This was followed up the prohibition of all online gambling activities under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of (UIGEA) of 2006.
In more recent times, the Federal Wire Act has been repealed, and the US Government authorised each US state to compose its own laws regarding internet gambling.
In other words, USA internet casinos kind of became legal, as long as the states themselves agree on the matter.
This has created confusion in the US gambling sector, but we will attempt to straighten out this bag of snakes for you.
Important - The Current US Gambling Laws
There has been chatter about online casino gaming in the USA being fully legal soon. Unfortunately, we’re not quite there yet. However, there is undoubtedly some truth to the matter. Many US states are indeed looking at legalised some forms of gambling.
To date, the only states which have fully legalised and regulated online casino gaming are Delaware, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Players are permitted to for an online casino low playthrough at legit online casinos in those states, but only if they reside within the state lines.
Naturally, best USA casino sites are also located in these states, because there is no other option.
Land-based casinos much like those found in Las Vegas are also permitted to offer online gambling services (and mobile gameplay) but this is only possible within the confines of the property (so you have to be on the casino/hotel premises), and only at the internet casino site associated with the resort you are staying at.
Things are Changing in the USA - What to Expect in 2023 and Beyond
Work is afoot to bring online casino gaming to other states, though. There has been natter about legalising sports betting, too. The general feeling is that those states located in the north of the country are the most likely to legalise casino gaming in the near future.
New York, Michigan, and West Virginia are states to keep an eye out for. Those states located in the deep south are generally those which are far less tolerant of online casino gaming. As always, though, there are exceptions to these.
In the meantime, many American players will continue to play at the best offshore US online casinos. These are often licensed (and sometimes based) out of Curacao and cater to US players.
The repealing of the Federal Wire Act makes things a touch easier for players to transfer money to such sites, and Americans residing in a state where gambling has not been legalized may wish to try their luck at these top offshore USA online casinos.
So, What Makes An Actually Great US Online Casino?
Work is afoot to bring online casino gaming to other states, though. There has been natter about legalising sports betting, too. The general feeling is that those states located in the north of the country are the most likely to legalise casino gaming in the near future.
New York, Michigan, and West Virginia are states to keep an eye out for. Those states located in the deep south are generally those which are far less tolerant of online casino gaming. As always, though, there are exceptions to these.
In the meantime, many American players will continue to play at the best offshore US online casinos. These are often licensed (and sometimes based) out of Curacao and cater to US players.
The repealing of the Federal Wire Act makes things a touch easier for players to transfer money to such sites, and Americans residing in a state where gambling has not been legalised may wish to try their luck at these top offshore USA online casinos.
Best Online Casinos in the USA in 2023:
We’ve put together a top ten mobile casino list for you here. The casinos which we will briefly cover can be checked out in further detail with our online casino USA reviews.
Each of the top US online casinos can be found on our list of safe online casinos. So, let’s meet them:
- 24 VIP Casino: This site offers around the clock customer support, features mobile gameplay and the best online casino software providers. It can also be played in downloadable, instant play and mobile formats.
- Bovada Casino: Arguably the most famous site on our list, Bovada has years of experience in the industry. They specialise on the US gambling industry, offers sports betting alongside casino games, and are one of the most trusted brands around.
- BoVegas Casino: A GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) certified US casino, this site features US-friendly payment methods, like eWalletXpress or PlayPlus. It is renowned for offering quality games from big developers.
- Cherry Gold Casino: Cherry Gold is one of the most dedicated casinos around. A TST certified site which features SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption, safety is of paramount importance to this domain and is one of the best instant withdrawal casino sites.
- Downtown Bingo Casino: As its name suggests, Downtown Bingo offers both casino and bingo games to players. Famed for its sizeable bonuses, this epic site also provides a handsome loyalty program.
- Las Vegas Casino USA: Established in 1999, this site may just be the oldest and most experienced US casino around. They are an instant play casino and also offer downloadable games, 24-hour support and progressive jackpot games.
- Red Stag Casino: Tournaments and the casino VIP program are the forte of this US-friendly casino, which is not shy about offering cashback, deposit bonuses, free spins and other goodies to its players to boot.
- Slots of Vegas Casino: Notable for an epic welcome bonus, Slots of Vegas is also one of the most mobile-friendly casinos you will come across when playing in the USA. The site is about as transparent as you can ask for in terms of how it operates.
- Slots Plus Casino: Slots Plus features an old-school look and design, and has remained the same way for years. This retro casino offers free play games, as well as real money titles, many of which have generous jackpots.
- Vegas Casino USA: Provides its players with what can fairly be described as the largest welcome bonus around. Slots are the forte of this slot, although all your favourite traditional table games are also supported.
Play at Our Top 10 Casinos: The Checklist
Of course, we didn’t just pick ten casinos out of the air and decide to recommend them. We’ve done ample research into each one, to ensure that fulfil certain criteria.
Any casino which failed to has fallen by the wayside, leaving just the best USA casinos for you to play at. At any of the top United States online casino sites that we recommend, the following checklist is applied.
- Approval Ratings: A casino cannot receive too many complaints. The site should pay out winnings to players in decent time, make themselves readily available to offer assistance, and not feature over-the-top wagering requirements and/or terms and conditions.
- Safe, Secure and Trusted Platforms: A good casino will offer transparent gaming, be regulated and audited as well as licensed to ensure fair play and secure gaming protocols are adhered to. They must at least reach the industry standard in these regards.
- Phenomenal Arrays of Games: We like to see casinos which offer a wealth of different games, not just slots. Moreover, games should be fair, and payout rates should be produced. Games should either come from more than one developer, or from a single developer which has a library big enough to accommodate any player’s needs.
- Large Casino Bonuses: We want to see top promotions and the best online casino bonus offers. However, while the best casino welcome bonus is advantageous, we also want to see fair and modest wagering requirements. Alongside that, we also look for an array of different promotions, not just deposit offers.
Any casinos which fit the bill according to our checklist may receive a favourable review and become one of our recommended sites. You needn’t solely take our word for it, though.
Going It Alone - Find Your Ideal US Casino
Some players like to explore and find their own casinos which offer online gaming to USA based players. That is fair enough. If you are going to put in a shift and do the homework for yourself, we would still recommend you use the guidelines above to find the best online casino for US players.
To assist you, let us look at some of the criteria in greater detail, to see just what top US online casinos have to offer, and what you should expect to see in terms of games and banking options at any top online casino in the USA.
Popular Online Casino Games: Real Money Titles You Can Play in the USA
Playing at an online casino in the USA to win real money is usually the main reason why people play online. There are lots of real money online casino USA games for you to try, and the best sites around will be able to offer you all (or almost all) of the following games:
- Baccarat: Associated with James Bond, and also known as punto banco, baccarat is far easier to play online than in land-based casinos, as you don’t need to learn the third-card rule, but you might want to learn how many betting positions are there on a baccarat table.
- Bingo: Americans prefer to play 75-ball bingo, on a 5×5 card, with a coverall style of gameplay, as opposed to the 90-ball, line-based bingo that Brits prefer. Video bingo games and instant win titles can frequently appear at US casinos.
- Blackjack online games: American blackjack tends to be the big winner here, although other variants do exist.
- Craps: A game which tends to be far more popular with American players than others across the globe, it is commonly found at US sites.
- Keno: These simple, lotto-style instant win games provide a fun alternative to bingo.
- Roulette online games: American roulette may not be the most prosperous (with its double zero and higher house edge than European roulette), but it is the most common and popular at US Bitcoin roulette casinos. One of the biggest roulette win is 2 million Francs, won by Charles Wells. Another type of roulette that you can play at American casinos is alternative roulette.
- Best online slots: Classic slots, video slots, 3D slots (like Demi Gods III), mobile slots, and progressive slots? You name it; US casinos will often have it.
- Video Poker: Ideal for poker virgins to practice their skills, as well as those who just want to avoid dealers and other human players. The game is often found with multiple variants available.
- Others games: It is not uncommon to find online scratch cards (known as pull-tabs), instant win games and live dealer games at online USA casinos, too. The latter represents the latest advance in online gaming technology, with games streamed to players using a real-to-life human dealer. Scratch cards should be played more for fun, as they come with low RTP rates. We explain more in our “are scratch cards worth it?” article.
Best Online Casino Software Providers in the US Market
There are several software providers which dish out games to players at the best online casinos in the USA. These tend to be software providers who specialise in the US market and positively focus on it.
Many of those games have themes, gameplay or rules which will appeal to Americans, and are perfectly suited to the US dollar currency in terms of bets.
Ideally, the best online USA casinos you can play at will be those which either offer you games from several different providers, or a vast library of titles from the same one. Playtech casinos, for example, also have a variety of games from many other providers.
Either way, you’re going to want to make sure that all of the games listed above can be found, so you always have something to play.
The Most Commonly Found Deposit Methods at US Casinos
Depositing at the best online casino sites in the USA has been made a touch easier of late, thanks to the relaxation of some gambling laws. Depositing is usually an instant process at casinos and is almost always free of charge. Important deposit methods found at the best US online casino sites (also at minimum deposit casinos) include:
- Bitcoin: Albeit only being ideal for those who know how to use it. Bitcoin is amongst the speediest banking methods around. At the best Bitcoin casinos you can play Bitcoin high limit casino games like Bitcoin blackjack, for example.
- Credit Cards: VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are the most widely used bank cards to deposit with. Transfer times are instant once more, and these options can be found at any USA casino that takes credit cards.
- Western Union: Admittedly, a Western Union deposit does take time, and you are likely to face a fee for using this service, too.
Other Options: Other options which can commonly be used at the best USA online casino domains include UPayCard, MST Gift Card, EZ Voucher, Ethereum, Dogecoin (here’s our list of Dogecoin slots) or Litecoin.
Withdrawal Information: Everything That You Need To Know
Even the best USA online casinos still have the odd hiccup with withdrawals. In most cases, the withdrawal times tend to be a bit slower than at European casinos, with transactions taking up to 5 days to clear.
Withdrawing via cheques is not advised, as it can take a month to receive your winnings. On top of that, bank wires can be quick enough but come with hefty fees, sometimes up to $50 per transaction.
Generally speaking, USA casinos offering online cashouts do not permit credit or debit card withdrawals.
Our advice would be to select a casino with a wide array of deposit methods. Any of the top ten sites we’ve recommended certainly offer that.
How can I find the best online casinos in the USA?
If you’re living in a state which has legalised gambling, we would advise playing at one of that state’s authorised, regulated and licensed casinos. If not, then the best online casino sites open to US players tend to be located offshore. Any of the sites you can find on our page should work a treat.
Which online casinos have the fastest payouts for US players?
While it is true that some casinos do process payments faster than others, most of the time, the speed of the transaction comes down to the banking option selected by the player, rather than the site itself.
Bitcoin and e-wallet withdrawals are much faster (and cheaper) than other methods at the best Bitcoin casinos. The most popular online casino sites in the USA will offer you a variety of options so you can choose. You can check our list of US online casinos with fast payout here.
You may also want to drop an eye on our NetEnt mobile casino sites, as well as on our NetEnt casino PayPal list in order to find some highly trusted US online casinos that accept PayPal.
Casino Online USA FAQs:
Before you set off to join the best online casino for USA players to join, why not take a moment and double check our FAQ? We’ve covered the most commonly asked questions here, to guide you on your way.
Choose The Best USA Casino That Suits You And Start Playing Today!
We’ve provided ample resources for you to be able to find a top online casino in the USA to play at. All that remains is to get started.
If you want to begin straight away, why not speed the process up by looking at our highest rated online casino sites accepting USA players? You can find those and many more top sites right here on this page.