On this page, we’ll focus on playing for real money and provide you with all the information you need to make an informed decision on which site to join. All of the sites listed on this page are 100% safe and have been carefully selected by our editors. Each site has met our stringent criteria for being listed and they all have the following traits in common:
For the most part real money casinos are incredibly safe. Some of the biggest betting brands in the world offer online versions of their casinos, including Caesars, William Hill’s online casino, and many others.These brands are licensed and have their games and security regularly tested to ensure that everything is on the level. Leo Vegas Casino is also among the best casino online for real money despite it being new as it was founded in 2012 in Sweden. A lot of individuals in the USA use Leo Vegas because it has a vast choice of online games and it utilizes the Best developers in the world. The Best Real Money Casinos for Australians. At Australia-casino.org we have extensively reviewed the plethora of real money casinos out there so that we can provide you with the best, top-rated casinos for you to win real money.
- Have been in business for 10+ years in the United States
- Provide fair and 3rd party audited games for their players
- Offer high success rates for deposits, and very fast withdrawals
- Good selection of bonus offers and ongoing promos for players
- Treat their customers well and have 24/7 front line support
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Early Days of Online Gambling in The US
At BestUSCasinos.org, our team will stop at nothing to provide you with the most up to date and factual information regarding the online casino industry in the US. Not only has our team taken part in the online casino industry by playing casino games, we have also been keeping a watchful eye on the ever-changing industry for years. All of this experience and expertise has culminated in a site that is equipped with everything you need to know about online casinos in the United States. What’s more, we are constantly adding new information to keep up to date with the times.
When you talk about real money online gambling in the United States, the history does not extend too far before 2002.
It was in this year that the US Federal government passed the Federal Wire Act, which made it illegal to participate in the monetary dealings with any funds that are at all related to gambling on sports. By the letter of the law, the Federal Wire Act does not make it illegal to bet on anything other than sports.
In fact, the law does not even prohibit betting on sports, it merely says that it is illegal for financial institutions or anyone else to handle, transfer, or otherwise deal with any funds that will go towards or have been won from online sports betting.
In effect, this law makes it nearly impossible for people to deposit at online casinos, because people nowadays can do almost nothing with money that does not involve their bank.
So, now that the Federal Wire Act passed in the US, the real money gambling atmosphere was immediately shaken to its core. Though there were still plenty of online casino options in the wake of the Federal Wire Act’s passing, the general attitude people held towards online gambling was that participating in such activities was now considered to be illegal.
In some extremes, people were quite literally afraid that playing a hand of blackjack online would see the police come knocking at their door. In reality, this never has happened and is not likely to happen anytime in the foreseeable future. Adding to the general fear people have of playing real money online casino games in the United States was a Department of Justice that has consistently alluded that all types of internet gambling are illegal.
Though the Federal Wire Act has no verbage stating this, the DoJ has scared an entire population into thinking twice about doing something that they are well within their right to do.
Despite the mounting fear, the industry in the United States managed to mostly stay out of the headlines for the next 4 years. Then, in 2006, a few online casino executives were arrested and prosecuted in the United States for violations in relation to the Federal Wire Act.
Jay Cohen, and others, were charged under the presumption that facilitating online sports betting for players in the US is, in fact, a violation of the newly instituted Federal Wire Act. As you could have probably guessed, this sent another massive shockwave across the population of people who play casino games online.
US Online Casino Deposit Methods
The world of online casinos has grown in such a way that there are more than just one or two ways by which you can fund an online player account. Depositing money into an US online casino was once a headache, but more recently the process could not have been made any simpler. Unfortunately, with more deposit options comes more for the average player to understand.
In the following few sections we will walk you through the different methods by which you can fund an online casino player account and what benefits and pitfalls each method presents. When it comes down to it, the best way to deposit at an online casino is something that you must decide for yourself. There is no single surefire method that is always better than the rest and, depending on where you live, not every method discussed in this piece will be available to you.
| Overview of Casino Deposit Methods | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Card Online Casinos | Visa Online Casinos | ||
| Mastercard Online Casinos | Amex Online Casinos | ||
| Paypal Online Casinos | Neteller Online Casinos | ||
| Skrill Online Casinos | Bitcoin Online Casinos | ||
| Wire Transfer Online Casinos | Western Union Online Casinos | ||
Credit/Debit Card
Utilizing a credit/debit card is by far the most popular way by which players fund accounts at online casinos. If you have ever utilized your card to make any sort of online purchase, utilizing it to deposit at an online casino is a procedure that is no more difficult or elongated. By simply typing in your credit card number as well as a few other pieces of information you are just moments away from real money gambling online.
As is the case with every method of deposit, you must be sure that your preferred banking institution will facilitate deposits with online casinos. For players in the United States in particular, this is a method that can cause issues.
Direct Money Transfer/Bank Wire
Another extremely popular method by which you can fund a player account is by way of a direct bank or wire transfer. As its name implies, this method of deposit allows the player to deposit to an online casino by linking the casino account directly with their bank account. Just like it is with a credit card deposit, bank wires only need you to offer up a small amount of personal financial information in order to be executed. Also like credit card deposits, these methods of funding an account allow players to play with real money almost instantaneously.
The reason people are sometimes concerned about the aforementioned methods of deposit is that, once executed, it is very difficult to get your money back if you ever happen to deal with unscrupulous criminals online. Nowadays, fortunately, there is significantly fewer shady online casinos, and most are reputable operators who have no goal other than to provide a top-notch gaming experience for you. Still, the risks persist and it is imperative that you do your research before playing to ensure that you are only dealing with the most reputable online casinos.
Bitcoin Deposits
Another method of deposit that is gaining popularity at every turn is Bitcoin deposits. This new cryptocurrency offers protections that none of the aforementioned deposits methods can. Bitcoin transactions are always 100% anonymous, so players do not have to disclose any personal information to make a deposit. What’s more, Bitcoin deposits are instantaneous such that you can begin playing shortly after making the deposit.
Check Deposits
Though it may sound a bit antiquated, you are still able to mail a check as a form of deposit at most casinos. This is a fine way to deposit, however by the time the online casino receives and processes your check such that funds will be available to play with, you may have been forced to wait days or even weeks.
As modern day technology continues to advance rapidly, mailed checks are going to become a thing of the past. Cashier’s checks, money orders, and other, more instant forms of this same method, however, are likely to remain in use for some time to come. As you might have gathered, you need to be especially careful when it comes to check deposits due to the fact that not every site accepts them, and even further, not every site accepts them in all of their forms (cashier’s, money order, etc.).
E-Wallet Deposits
Depending on where you reside, depositing at an online casino via an e-wallet such as PayPal or Skrill is a convenient way to begin playing quickly. One advantage that e-wallets hold over depositing with a credit or debit card is the fact that they require you to give the online casino almost no personal information whatsoever. Because you have the protection of the e-wallet, not only is it easy to get your money back in the event of unforeseen problems, it is also much safer in that you do not have to give out any personal information at all. Unfortunately, e-wallet deposits are not available everywhere.
Are there fees associated with online casino deposit methods?
Yes, in almost every instance an online casino will attempt to make money off of you for having facilitated your deposit. Most often the fee incurred will be less than 5% of the amount deposited, but this is where you have to be careful. Some online casinos do well to hide how much they charge you per deposit, so it would behoove you to discover this information before ever trying to fund an online player account.
Still, like was stated earlier, most sites nowadays do their best to be as transparent as possible, so they will often make it very clear how much the fee associated with a given method of deposit is.
The UIGEA and Online Casinos Today
Even worse, and also in 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed as part of a larger bill and signed into law. This particular act made it increasingly difficult for players to play real money casino games online.
Though the UIGEA was brand new in 2006, it was really a more expanded upon version of 2002’s Federal Wire Act. Now, the Federal government made it wholly illegal for banking institutions to deal with internet gambling monies. In the immediate wake of the passing of UIGEA, many online casinos that previously offered their services to people in the US announced that they would be suspending these services.
Now, an industry that consisted of a seemingly endless quantity of online casinos was whittled down to its bare bones. Despite the UIGEA, real money casinos for US players still existed and still existed in such a way that players never had to worry about criminal prosecution for having gambled online.
Though it seems like the US has done nothing but prosecute the online casino industry, the online casino industry has persevered time and time again. With every new piece of legislation that passes, online casinos are thinking of new ways to make their operations legal. As it stands now, there are hundreds of online casinos that people everywhere in the United States can play at. In addition, a handful of states have made it legal to gamble online within their specific borders. This is a trend that is just beginning to pick up momentum.
Statistical Analysis of Online Gambling Revenue in US
The relatively new online gambling market in the United States completed its third full year of operations in 2016. The US regulated iGaming market is comprised of three state jurisdictions where online gambling is legal at the present time (Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware). Nevada’s online gaming is restricted to online poker. Of the 3 states, New Jersey has accounted for more than 90 percent of iGaming revenue in the United States. Although online casino gaming is also permitted in Delaware, it is a considerably smaller state.
Online Gambling Revenue Forecast in US
As you can see from the bar chart below, online gaming revenues in the United States has experienced tremendous growth since the introduction of a regulated market in 2013, reaching an all-time high of $200 million in revenue in 2016 even though it’s still shared between 3 states. For the year as a whole, iGaming revenue in 2015 was up 19.3 percent on 2014.
In 2016, the organic growth witnessed in 2015 continued and online gambling revenue increased by 24.4 percent. In contrast land-based gambling revenue in the US during the same period has been flat.
The US online gambling market is expected to exceed $9 billion in revenue by 2020, growing at an impressive rate of more than 50% according to Technavio’s latest market research study. That forecast includes all online casino and online betting activity within the United States.
The fact that these online casino websites appeal to a younger demographic is the main reason why the online gambling market in the US is predicted to get bigger, and real-money gambling transactions in regulated iGaming markets are expected to be processed more efficiently.
Additionally, other states including Pennsylvania are considering legalizing online gambling in 2017. As more states soften online gaming laws since it’s a source of tax revenue, it will further increase growth and states will partner together to improve liquidity.
Real Money Online Casinos FAQ
Are more states going to regulate online casinos?
At any given point in time, there are a few measures in state governments who have the goal of establishing an online casino industry. So far, these efforts have been met with limited success. To aptly answer this question, we cannot give a solid answer. While there is a good chance more online casinos will be legalized and regulated, the process to make this happen is a slow and arduous one.
Will I get in trouble for making deposits at an online casino?
It is always important to check your local laws before ever playing at an online casino, but the fact of the matter is that no one has ever been arrested nor prosecuted for depositing real money at an online casino.
Are cashouts processed slowly?
Because cashouts from online casinos in the US are a bit different than they are in other parts of the world, you might have a few questions. With regard to speed, online casino withdrawals are processed at different speeds at different online casinos. Being that mailed check is still the best option for a withdrawal, it is safe to say that most withdrawal will take at least a week in order to process and be put in the mail.
What are the fees associated with online casino deposits?
The fee you are charged for having executed an online casino deposit or withdrawal varies from site to site and from payment method to payment method. To make a long story short, you will almost always be charged a fee for any deposit or withdrawal from an online casino, it is your goal to find the method and site offering the lowest fees around.
Do I have to download anything?
This is something that depends on the casino in question, but more often than not you will either have to download an online casino client or play flash games, which is nothing more than a fancy way of saying you are playing real money casino games within your web browser.
On This Page
The Intangibles
We recently published a page pertaining to how to identify and differentiate between legitimate online casinos and illegitimate bad operators.
In that article, we discussed some of the more technical aspects of choosing a casino that is both fair and right for you. While those technical aspects, such as using fair software that they either have proprietary control of or are paying for permission to use and the security of both players' personal and financial data, among many other things, are quite important that page actually largely ignores the most important aspect of all: Having fun!
There are so many legitimate online casino operators out there that a player who does his or her research will still find that he or she has a good many casinos to choose from. With that, a player can engage in a good many activities to ensure that he or she is playing at a casino that will be the most fun for him or her, prior to depositing, by using a number of resources available to them.
While an advantage player has fun by finding and exploiting the most profitable bonuses, by expectation, those who play at a disadvantage seek out their version of fun in many other ways. On this page, we will explore how players can assure they will have the most fun before depositing at a casino for money.
Play For Fun
The best online casinos will have a, 'Play for fun,' feature that enables a player to play almost all of the games offered by an online casino with exception to live dealer games. Even then, the casino in question will often offer a demo of live dealer games that the player can watch. Occasionally, such as with Bovada, this feature will be referred to as, 'Practice mode.'
Table games that are played at an online casinos are both expected to conform to the probabilities associated with the physical implements, whether those implements be dice, cards or a roulette wheel, associated with the game in question. For example, a seven should be rolled on a craps game on one out of six attempts in the long run. Furthermore, on a single-zero roulette wheel (a wheel offered by most online casinos, and absolutely, the only roulette wheel that should ever be played for any reason) each number should have a 1/37 probability of coming up over a significant number of trials, furthermore, red should come up on 18/37 attempts over the long run.
Casino Play Online For Money
As discussed on the page linked above, the best online casinos will make these table games available for fairness testing by a company that certifies that players are playing a fair game. Players should definitely seek out those games that have been certified fair by one reputed agency or another, or otherwise, play at casinos at which they are protected by the Wizard of Odds Seal of Approval under our advertising policy. Here are a few of those casinos:
While any legitimate online casino for money can be expected to offer fair table games, there are still many differences with those casinos that can be explored in the, 'Play For Fun,' mode that the best casinos offer. For example, when a spin of roulette, a deal of the cards or a roll at the craps table occurs, there will be graphics associated with displaying the result of the outcome. The outcome itself is actually determined by the random number generator, as a result, the graphics are actually completely irrelevant to the outcome. Just as easily as a virtual roulette wheel spins and a virtual roulette ball lands in a numbered slot for, for instance, the number 27, the game could just as easily display the number, '27,' and have that be the end of it.
Of course, the fun, in this case, is in the presentation. Some of these games may display the ball as spinning either too fast or too slow for the player's taste. Furthermore, some of these displays may look, 'Clunky,' or give the player a feel that they are, 'Not as real as they should be.' The same goes for the fashion in which virtual dice are rolled across a craps table or virtual cards are dealt out of a deck or shoe.
For example, this very site offers a, 'Play for Fun,' craps game, even though we do not operate an online casino and cannot offer a play for money one:
The game is certainly fun, the RNG is spot on, and it is an enjoyable resource for testing craps, 'Betting strategies,' which, as we all know, succeed in nothing in the long-run but losing to the tune of the house edge. If there could be said to be any flaw in the game, however, I would say that it does not, 'Feel,' as realistic as it could simply because the virtual dice kick back and land fully contained in the, 'Come,' bet area almost every single time.
While the game is an enjoyable resource, I would not play a craps game at a real money online casino that behaved in this fashion (unless playing at an advantage) because the dice should behave more erratically in terms of where they land on the table. Real dice are not going to land fully contained in the, 'Come,' box all of the time, or even most of the time. If someone actually threw the dice and could land them in that small section of the table nearly every single time, after hitting the pyramids on the back wall, I would almost have to conclude that the concept of, 'Dice control,' is fully within the realm of reason!
I would have similar concerns with the blackjack game that is available for free on this site. Again, given that it is completely free and literally cannot be played for real money, (unless you're sitting next to a friend who wants to bet on the results with you) it is a fantastic game and a fantastic resource. If I were playing at an online casino for real money, however, I would demand that the cards be, 'Dealt,' in a more flowing and, 'Natural,' manner, sliding across the table to my betting spot, rather than simply appearing on the screen the way they do with this game.
For other players, there may be other factors that take precedence over the, 'Realism,' that a game has, even though that would be the primary factor for me when choosing a real money online casino at which to play a table game. Other players might be more concerned with the color scheme of the game, for instance, the craps game on this site is played with a green felt whereas Bovada has what I perceive to be a turquoise felt. While I prefer the green felt, as I find it reminiscent of what can be found in most casinos, I greatly prefer the, 'Action,' of the dice offered by Bovada as it seems more erratic and the graphics more similar to the behavior of actual rolled dice.
If I had to choose between the two, personally, I would go with playing at Bovada for money because I prefer the dice action substantially even though I don't like the color of the felt. If there is a way to change the felt color, I am failing to find it, but it doesn't seem like that would be too difficult a feature to add if they so chose.
If I were absolutely determined to play craps online for real money, which I'm not, I could certainly look through all of the legitimate online casinos in order to find one most to my liking. For me, it would be about the total presentation of the game.
In addition to table games, many players who play at a negative expectation enjoy a wide variety of slot games. The most reputable online casinos at which real money can be deposited and played will have a full catalog of slot games, and those slot games in the, 'Play for fun,' mode should correspond to the same probabilities that can be found in the, 'Real money,' or, 'Play for real,' mode. If they don't, then it should be clearly stated somewhere on the, 'Play for fun,' game that the probabilities are different than in the real money version because the slot machine, essentially, is a different game.
Consider the field bet at craps: The reason that I say a slot game offering a different return-to-player in the play for fun mode is a different game than in the real money mode is because the probabilities and/or payouts are different between the two games. For example, a field bet that triples either the two or the twelve has a house edge of about 2.78% whereas a field bet that triples both has a house edge of 0% and a field bet that only doubles both the two and the twelve has a house edge of 5.56%. In my view, these are three different bets because at least one of the potential results has different outcomes predicated upon the version of the field bet that I am wagering at that time.
If an online casino were to offer a zero house edge field bet, to wit, one that triples both the snake eyes and midnight (2 and 12, respectively) in the play for fun game and offers a version that only doubles them in the real money game, without making same expressly clear, I would consider such a practice unscrupulous. The reason I think that the games offered should be the same when playing for fun or for real money, or, if not, it should be made very clear that ˆthey are different and how they are different is because a casino could theoretically offer a fun game that has a RTP of 100%+ while the real money version, we can assume, has some kind of house edge working against the player.
In the play for fun game, then, the player would be more likely to experience a winning session simply because the player is mathematically supposed to win. While slot players should know better, that player could arguably have been led to believe that those results would carry over into the real money version thereby causing the player to make a deposit and thereby losing his or her money due to the fact that the game didn't play as expected.
Real Money Casino Online
Furthermore, there are an incalculable number of different slot titles out there, so I would certainly recommend to negative expectation players to take the time to find one that you thoroughly enjoy before making a deposit. You are certainly free to hope to win, but losing is the expectation on most slot games, (unless a progressive can be played at an advantage) so you should definitely enjoy yourself in the process. After all, you're paying for the entertainment.
These factors can also come into play with play for money online bingo games, and most reputable bingo sites that can be researched on LatestBingoBonuses.com either have a play for fun version, or alternatively, have demos of the bingo games that they offer. The same can be said for keno games, pull tabs and other novelty games that may be available at sites upon which a player may also choose to play for real money.
For example, my favorite keno game is that offered by Galewind Software, and I wish more online casinos had it! I like the paytable, the low house edge (at least, by keno standards) and the presentation.
If you're not like me and prefer to play all of the games on every online casino with the sound off and music playing on a different device, then the audio of an online casino might be relevant to you. Many players prefer to play games that not only have realistic sound effects, but also have sound effects such that the sound effects coincide almost seamlessly with the action on the screen. Once again, this is something that can be determined in the, 'Play for fun,' version on most websites.
Bonuses
For advantage players, bonuses and promotions are all about having a positive expectation by which the player is expected to make money. For other players, however, as long as the bonus doesn't make the game of choice mathematically harder to beat, (yes, believe it or not, sometimes they do for some games) then one should play the bonus that he or she finds the most fun. If you're a player with a very limited bankroll, then you might pursue, 'No-Deposit,' bonuses, but if you have any bankroll to speak of, it is important to remember that a player using such a bonus might forfeit the ability to take a more lucrative deposit bonus.
Furthermore, certain bonuses and casinos cater specifically to low rollers. Some casinos will accept deposits of virtually any size while others might require a minimum deposit, or alternatively, a deposit to qualify for a bonus, in excess of what the player in question is comfortable losing. The bonuses and promotions available to a player are also something that should be considered when deciding whether or not to play at a particular casino.
On the flip side of that, LatestCasinoBonuses.com has a section devoted specifically to high-roller bonuses, so for those of you who would rather deposit thousands than hundreds, make sure to give that section of the site a look and see if there are any bonuses that are for you:
Much like the other pages on the LCB site, that page offers easy links to other information about the casino including reviews and player feedback. For example, it is clear that Mission2Game absolutely blows and makes me embarrassed to bear the moniker, 'Mission146,' both on WizardofVegas.com and on LCB even though I have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with that casino.
Customer Service
Occasionally, especially when preparing to make a withdrawal, players will have to engage the customer service staff of the casino. The kind of treatment that a player receives from customer service will also go a long way in determining whether or not the player has any fun playing at a particular casino. We discussed customer service and payment factors extensively on the page linked to at the beginning of this page, so I will spare you readers any repetition. Suffice it to say, though, that a relationship with an online casino is much less fun if you have to fight customer service tooth and nail and wait unreasonably long periods of time just to withdraw the money that you rightfully won.
Fortunately, would-be players can also, 'Practice,' with the customer service of a casino he or she is considering in other ways. First of all, I would read the reviews and player feedback on LCB to determine what the customer service experience was like for others. Secondly, if you can contact customer service, either via, 'Live chat,' or by phone without having an active account, just come up with some questions to ask and see how they treat you. If they are standoffish to someone who is not even a customer yet, then how do you imagine they will treat you when it comes time to withdraw your winnings?
Conclusion
While there are a number of very serious factors that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a casino for real money that is right for you, just as bad as ignoring these important things, especially for a negative expectation player, is to ignore the, 'Fun factor.' Remember, unless you are playing with a mathematical expectation of beating the casino, then you are doing nothing other than merely hoping to win, and as a result, every negative expectation bet you make is nothing more than paying for entertainment.
Online casinos offer a convenient and comfortable experience because a player can play from his or her own home. There are no plane flights, car rides or other forms of travel, in fact, a player doesn't even have to put his or her shoes, or anything else (hey, I don't judge) on.
There are, however, a number of different factors that can either enhance or detract from the experience that a player has, but fortunately, a player is able to vet online casinos for these things before playing for real money. Given that your bets have a negative expectation, you don't want to feel like you're getting ripped off, so you want to make sure that an online casino offers both graphics and sound effects that are to your liking. If the way the game is displayed does not feel adequately real, or alternatively, if the color scheme of a game seriously bothers you, then shop around until you find a game that you like! The best online casinos for money go out of their way to offer potential players the opportunity to, 'Window shop,' in this regard by playing their games not for real money.
However, it is also important and goes a long way towards ascertaining the legitimacy of the casino in question that those, 'Free,' games be consistent with the, 'Play for money,' games that are being offered. The games should be identical, and if not, it should be clearly stated that two different games are actually taking place depending on which version the player is playing.
The player should also make sure that the deposits are within the player's means and that the bonuses are consistent with what the player would like to be offered, whatever that may be. For some players, the most important factor might be the dollar amount or percentage amount that a casino for money is willing to match. For others, however, having reasonable playthrough requirements might be the deciding factor.
Finally, a player should definitely look for a casino that has strong customer service standards. There is absolutely no reason for someone to spend his or her money somewhere if he or she is not going to be treated well at every turn.
Here at WizardofOdds.com, an online casino only receives our Seal of Approval in the event that they treat customers fairly and have high standards when it comes to customer service. Beyond that, we have vetted so many different casinos with such a wide variety of games, presentations and bonuses that you should be able to find one to your liking.
Written by: Brandon James