Top Online Casinos (USA) for US Players
When you think of gambling in the US, you think of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. This is a no-brainer. Las Vegas is considered the mecca of gambling with dozens of premium casino resorts that have been around for decades.
However, when you give online casino gambling some thought, the situation is not so clear cut. Although online casinos are popping up all over the market with their enticing gaming offers and bonuses that appeal to US players, they face complex legislation surrounding gambling in general, and more specifically, online casinos.
Complex federal and state laws might make it difficult to know whether online casinos are legal or not, but you need not worry. We will address the legal aspect of things in the sections below. If there is one thing players from the US need to know, it is that they can legally play in online casinos without any fear of legal prosecution.
Our list of best online casinos for US players is compiled by looking at these casinos’ choice of games, accessibility, welcome bonuses and promotions, banking options, customer support, and many other essential characteristics that all top online casinos (USA) need to have.
Most Trusted Online Casinos in The USA
The search for the best online casino (USA) begins with an overview of casinos like BetOnline, SlotsLV, Bovada, and others, which have met my strict requirements and earned the right to vie for the elusive title of Top Online Casino in the USA for Real Money.
Table of Contents
See my list below to help you find your best online casino for US players:
BetOnline Casino
BetOnline Casino has been present on the iGaming market since 2001 as one of the most diverse gaming platforms available to US players. Namely, BetOnline is more than just a casino. It is also a sportsbook with hundreds of betting markets for NBA, NFL, NHL, and other top sports competitions. On top of that, their online casino is one of the most popular in the US.
BetOnline Casino features over 250 different slot games, poker, blackjack, roulette, and other premium casino games players love to play. Their gaming offer is powered by leading software providers, such as Betsoft, Pariplay, Nucleus Gaming, and many others that offer top games like Take the Bank, Back to Venus, A Time to Win, Single Deck Blackjack, and others.
In BetOnline Casino, you will find blackjack tournaments and other exciting promotions that help you get the best gaming experience and the best value for your money. There is also a live casino section powered by Fresh Deck Studios with Casino Hold’Em, European Roulette, and other games where wagers can go up to $10,000 per hand.
BetOnline Casino is also home to several banking methods, starting with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin, and including the likes of credit/debit cards, wire transfers, personal cheques, and more. These methods allow you to complete fast and safe deposits and withdrawals to and from your playing account in BetOnline Casino.
Bovada Casino
Established in 2011 Bovada Casino has been a major player in the US online casino market ever since. Bovada has its exciting game portfolio to thank for its success, hosting over 400 different slots, blackjack, roulette, live dealer games, and even specialty games such as lotto-style games, scratch cards, keno, and many others.
The Bovada gaming library is powered by leading software providers, such as Real Time Gaming, Betsoft, and Rival Gaming. The most popular games you can find are 3D games, Real-Series Slots, i-slots, and video slots such as Jack the Ripper, 5 Reel Circus, Atlantic Treasures, and even some progressive jackpot slots like A Night With Cleo.
Bovada Casino is also considered to be the number one casino for playing poker games in the US. There are numerous poker tournaments with prize pools worth millions of dollars that you can participate in, provided you have the necessary skills to qualify. There are various poker versions, like Omaha and Texas Hold’Em, and numerous special features like anonymous tables, zone poker, and more.
The casino provides players with a number of payment methods to choose from when making deposits and withdrawals, like Bitcoin, Visa and Mastercard credit/debit cards, bank transfers, and more.
Once you decide to set up an account and play in Bovada, you can claim their hefty welcome bonus offer that matches your deposit 100% up to $3,000 in bonus funds. There are also exclusive Bitcoin and poker bonuses that help Bovada take such a high position on my list.
Wild Casino
Wild Casino has been one of the top online casinos for USA players ever since 2017. Their gaming catalog houses over 200 different games, mostly slots, but with a decent choice of blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other casino games.
The Wild Casino game library is powered by Betsoft, Nucleus Gaming, and Platipus mostly, while Fresh Deck Studios is in charge of the live casino section. Wild Casino also offers a decent choice of progressive jackpot slots, like Good Girl Bad Girl and Mr. Vegas from Betsoft, with jackpots that frequently reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
New players can expect a variety of different bonuses, like the deposit match bonus up to $5,000 for your first five deposits, and up to $9,000 if you choose to deposit in Bitcoin. The minimum deposit required to claim the bonus is $20. Note that there is a 30x playthrough requirement you need to meet before any winnings can be withdrawn.
Speaking of Bitcoin, it is one of the preferred banking methods in Wild Casino, with Visa, Discover, Mastercard debit/credit cards, bank transfers, cheques, and money orders as the other available methods.
Wild Casino games can be played from desktop and mobile devices since it is an instant-play casino accessed via any web browser, which is another essential characteristic that secured its place among the top online casinos for USA players.
Slots LV Casino
Slots.lv Casino is a significant player on the iGaming market and one of the preferred online casinos for USA players. Slots.lv Casino offers more than 400 different slot games, blackjack, roulette, video poker, and live dealer games that come by way of Betsoft, Real Time Gaming, Nucleus Gaming, and other top software providers in the business.
New players are welcomed with a superb deposit bonus from Slots.lv Casino that matches your deposit up to $5,000, or up to an incredible $7,500 in free cash when you make your first deposit via Bitcoin.
Slots.lv Casino is a safe and secure gaming venue protected by SSL encryption technology, which safeguards accounts and transactions from any third-party interference. The level of security, superb choice of games, and the ability to make deposits in Bitcoin are what US players love about Slots.lv, and why I couldn’t help but put it on this list of the best online casino sites.
Vegas Casino Online
Vegas Casino Online is another widely played US online casino powered by Real Time Gaming’s software. The casino offers more than 120 premium RTG games, ranging from slots such as Lucha Libre 2, Vegas Lux, and T-Rex, to table games like Baccarat, European Blackjack, Keno, and even video poker titles like Deuces Wild, All American Poker and many others. There are also progressive jackpot slots, like Aztec’s Millions, with jackpots worth millions of dollars.
Vegas Casino Online can be accessed via their free downloadable software or instant-play mode through your web browser – the choice is yours. What’s more, once you register an account, you will gain access to several kinds of bonuses, including the 150% deposit match bonus worth up to $3,000 in bonus funds. The minimum required deposit to claim the bonus is $25, and the wagering requirements you need to meet before withdrawing any winnings are 40x the amount of the bonus.
To get hold of the bonus and start playing games in Vegas Casino Online, you need to make a deposit first, right? Well, Vegas Casino Online offers Bitcoin, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express as deposit methods, while for withdrawals, you need to use Bitcoin, cashier cheques, courier checks, and direct bank transfers. Vegas Casino Online charges no fees for these transactions, and the latest security measures completely protect them.
Legality of Online Casinos in the US
The law regarding gambling in the US, more specifically online gaming, leaves much room for interpretation. Luckily for you, I am here to break down the legal framework surrounding the legality of online casinos and tell you all you need to know to engage in legal online casino gaming.
Legal Framework – Federal and State Laws
Gambling in the US is regulated on two levels. First, the federal level is in charge of broader gambling legislation, followed by the state level. State autonomy has been the driving force behind legalizing online casinos in the US. According to law, individual states can regulate gambling within their borders, all the while keeping them compliant with the federal law.
Currently, three levels of legislation impact online casinos and gambling in the USA. Namely, the 1961 Federal Wire Act brought by the Kennedy Administration remains a significant obstacle to the expansion of online casino gaming in the US. The Federal Wire Act prohibits the use of wire communication for placing bets on any sporting event. The Act’s legal interpretation says that online casino games fall under the same category as wagering on sports, which handicapped the online casino market.
Furthermore, the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is another major legislation that continues to direct the fate of online casinos. Namely, under this Act, banks and payment processors are prohibited from processing funds related to online gambling. However, the legislation did not influence the right of individual states to legalize online casinos.
Finally, we come to the individual state provisions and laws that reshaped the US online casino gambling scene. When the PASPA Act that prevented sports betting and gambling in the US was rescinded in 2018, it gave states which haven’t been exempt from previous laws a chance to enact their own gambling laws and allow online casinos.
Is Gambling Legal in the US?
Although rules differ by state, the short answer is yes. Gambling on any of the online casinos listed here is legal in the US. It mainly depends on whether or not the online casinos have all the necessary licences that they claim to have. This is why it’s so important that you choose where you gamble carefully. If you don’t you could be breaking the law without knowing it. The only way to make certain you’re gambling safely and legally is choosing from our verified lists of online casino platforms in the USA. It’s that simple.
If a player is resident in a state then they are going to play by the rules of those states.
Online Casinos Are Legal and Regulated in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware are among the few states in the US that have completely legalized and regulated online casinos. Their constitutional amendments allowed them to establish gaming licensing bodies and control online casino gambling that goes on within the states. I have listed the bodies below:
- New Jersey Casino Control Commission
- Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Delaware Gaming Enforcement
- West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act
It is important to note that residents of these states as well as people who find themselves within these states’ borders can legally and freely play in their online casinos, without any legal repercussions. So, you don’t need to be a resident of these states to enjoy high-class online casinos. You can just be passing through and still get a premier gaming experience.
In all three states, online casinos can be operated solely as online versions of land-based casinos. So, to establish an online casino in these states, you need a land-based partner. These online casinos can offer slots, blackjack, roulette, live dealer games, poker, and all other casino games found in any of the land-based casinos they have partnered with.
It is important to note that these regulated online casinos use sophisticated geo-location software to pinpoint players’ exact location. Hence, you need to be within these states’ borders to be able to access the games.
Offshore Online Casinos Are Available and Technically Legal Too
You must be wondering about players who are not in these states – can they legally play in any online casinos? The simple answer would be – yes, they can. Although federal laws state that you can’t run an online casino business within the borders of the USA (except in the states with legalized online casinos), it does not say anything about accessing offshore online casinos. The legality of offshore casinos belongs to the gray area of gambling, and that gray area works to the advantage of both online casinos and players.
Namely, there is no section of the federal law that states that you will be prosecuted for playing in licensed offshore casinos. Technically, these casinos are licensed in other countries, which means they are not subject to any USA gambling law. They can accept players from the US and offer their services freely.
On the other hand, the players will be seen as playing in other countries, so there’s no violation of the law on that end either.
However, in states with legalized online casinos, like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, players are prohibited from accessing offshore online casinos since the law clearly forbids it. You can face legal prosecution if you are in these states and accessing offshore online casinos.
Players from all of the other states, where no online casinos are legal, can opt for offshore casinos without breaking the law.
Offshore online casinos are also licensed and regulated gaming entities, especially the ones I presented here. They can have gaming licenses from reputable gaming jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, Malta Gaming Authority, Panama’s Gaming Control Board, and other licensing bodies that run detailed checks to make sure players enjoy fair and secure gaming.
Online Casinos in the USA FAQ
Players do not need to be residents of a legal casino state to play in online casinos available in that state. They only need to be physically present in the state to access online casinos legally.
Online casinos that offer Bitcoin as a payment method, such as BetOnline Casino, Wild Casino, Bovada, and others, are among those with the fastest payout times.
There are over 500 land-based commercial casinos and dozens of licensed online casinos in the states that have regulated online casinos.
Online casinos registered in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware accept players who are physically in those states. In contrast, offshore casinos can accept players from all other states since no federal or state law prohibits it.
According to the National Indian Gaming Commission, there are 524 tribal casinos in the US.
Online casinos are not rigged as they operate using random number generator software that produces entirely random outcomes of spins and games.
You are allowed to play in online casinos in the US in states that regulate their own online casinos as well as in licensed offshore casinos that accept US players.
Online casinos are legal in states that regulate online casinos and online gambling.
The best online casinos for US players are licensed and regulated by states that offer legal online casinos and those offshore casinos that have been licensed by reputable gambling jurisdictions.