Legal Online Casinos In United States

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Is it legal to gamble at online casinos in the USA?

Online gambling laws in the United States are very murky and hotly contested. The Federal Wire Act of 1961 prohibits the transmission of money electronically for sports betting, but a United States Court of Appeals ruled in 2002 that this law does not cover betting on games of chance. However, the U.S. Department of Justice’s public opinion remains that online casino games are prohibited by the Federal Wire Act. In 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which prohibits companies from accepting online payments related to gambling. This caused many online casinos to terminate their relationships with U.S.-based customers. Since then, several states have made moves to legalize online gambling, most notably New Jersey. The Garden State allows online casinos to operate within its borders provided that they are partnered with a land-based casino. Many countries outside the United States are also moving to legalize online gambling.

How do you find legal online gambling sites in the United States?

Rating The Best Legal US Online Casinos. In order for an operator to provide online gambling services legally in a state in the United States, the operator must be licensed in that particular state. Only operators with a valid license are 100% legal.

If you’re in the United States and you want to participate in online gambling, it is important for you to do a research to ensure that you are staying within the parameters of the law. An online casino must have proper licensing to be legal within the United States and Canada , example: https://www.loonieonlineslots.com/ ; the jurisdictions that most frequently offer licensing to online casinos are Nevada and New Jersey. The Terms and Conditions of any reputable and legal online gambling site will give licensing information as well as information about which states’ and countries’ residents cannot legally do business with them. Licensing is based on software, so make sure you’re eligible to use a particular type of online gaming software based on your state of residence.

  • Current Status: Yes, online casinos are legal in the USA, and you can use either domestic, regulated options or offshore casinos that serve the American market.This latter option means that players who reside within regions that have not yet legalized state-based online gambling can still legally play at an offshore casino without the fear of breaking any laws.
  • In April 2013, the first legal online gambling site in the United States went live in Nevada. It was an online poker room called Ultimate Poker. By November, online poker and online casinos went live in Delaware and New Jersey. In 2017, Pennsylvania became the fourth and largest state to pass legislation regulating online gambling.

Important information about money management in online casinos

Transacting money over the Internet requires great care and caution to ensure that your funds and your sensitive personal information remain safe. Never do business with an online casino that doesn’t utilize the latest encryption technology on its web site. Encryption technology converts your personal information to an unintelligible computer language called Cybertext, so in the event of a security breach, it cannot be deciphered by a hacker. Your information is not decrypted until it safely reaches its destination. In addition, the ability to withdraw your winnings quickly and easily is also important. What good is winning a bunch of money in online gaming if you have to jump through a million hoops to access it? Before making a deposit with an online casino, make sure you’re okay with the available money transfer options they offer to you. The options available to most United States customers are debit cards, wire transfer, MoneyGram, and in some cases, paper checks.

What are the advantages of online gambling?

People are moving away from land-based gambling in droves in favor of online gambling. Many legal online gambling sites offer higher payouts with bigger perks and bonuses than their land-based counterparts. Online gambling also offers myriad advantages in the areas of convenience, privacy, and security. With online gambling, you don’t have to leave your home to play your favorite games, and with many casinos you can even do so on the go with your smartphone. Online gambling offers much more privacy, too. Unlike at a land-based casino, your every move isn’t being watched when you gamble online.

What are the top legal online gambling sites?

SiteBonusRatingReviewVisit
1.Liberty Slots$259 free bonus9.4 / 10Review
2.Slots.LV Online CasinoUp to $500 Bonus9.6 / 10Review
3.Lincoln Online CasinoUp to $1000 Bonus9.2 / 10Review
4.Uptown Aces Online CasinoUp to $2500 Bonus10 / 10Review
5.Loco Panda Online CasinoUp to $4000 Bonus9.8 / 10Review


Liberty Slots
is a legal online gambling site that uses WGS software and encryption technology. It offers numerous gambling options including poker, craps, table games, and slots.

Lincoln also uses software from WGS Technologies. Its encryption technology is state of the art. The bonuses and perks offered by Lincoln are some of the most generous in the business, including a gigantic bonus on your first five deposits.

Uptown Aces features a secure, encrypted legal online gambling site with games powered by software from RTG (Real Time Gaming) Technology. Uptown Aces offers many bonuses for new players such as 20 free initial spins on slot machines.

Slots LV is another legal online gambling site that also uses RTG gaming software that downloads quickly to your computer. Its 128-bit SSL encryption keeps your information secure.

Also powered by Real Time Gaming (RTG), Loco Panda offers a forward-thinking gaming experience for U.S. users with all accounts tracked in U.S. dollars. Like all the sites on this list, Loco Panda is a legal online gambling site that uses encryption technology to keep your information safe.

United States online casinos make up the most profitable sector of the entire US online gambling industry. It is projected to be a 60 billion dollar industry by the year 2021. There are currently two states in America that have legalized state-regulated online casinos: New Jersey and Delaware.

Several states have gotten in line behind them and are gearing up to follow suit. The online powerhouses of the industry are currently still located in the offshore gambling jurisdictions that provide the regulation that they require. Offshore online casinos that accept players from the US are commonly thought to be illegal, however, that is not the case at all.

The primary reason that we have created this guide covering US friendly online casinos is to inform American citizens about the legal and safe way to enjoy online casino gambling entertainment. We will provide information about the legal status of US online casino gambling, as well as insight into the industry. After that, we jump into all the various games you can find at USA online casinos and provide brief descriptions of what you can expect to find. You can find our US friendly online casino reviews for more insight into the brands we recommend.

Are USA Online Casinos Legal for Americans to use?

Yes. USA Online Casinos are legal to use by Americans, with the exception of those residing in WA or CT. These states are the only ones to pass a law that would specifically restrict the act of placing a bet online, and those restrictions have yet to be enforced. Most other states haven’t even addressed online gambling with the exception of a few territories that have legalized it at a state level. There are no US online gambling laws applicable to online casino gambling that would criminalize the bettor at the federal level. There are a few federal laws that are relevant to the industry in general, and we felt they were worth mentioning.

The first one is the Federal Wire Act. It was written in 1961 as a way to combat organized crime throughout the country. It makes accepting bets over wired communications like telegraphs, illegal. In 2011, the Department of Justice issued a formal opinion on the legality of the law. They stipulated that the contents of the law were to apply over the internet as “wired communications” which would effectively make it illegal for operators to set up online gambling websites within the US.

There was one important detail, however. In that same formal opinion, it was deemed that the law would only apply to US based online sports gambling and no other sub-sector of online gambling, including U.S. online casinos. This provided each individual state with the authority to determine whether they want to prohibit or allow state-licensed online casino gambling within their borders. As of this writing, New Jersey and Delaware have both launched online casino gambling initiatives that are regulated by the state.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has a very misleading name. The UIGEA bill adds a layer of federal oversight to the payment processors that deal with online gambling companies. It forces them to scrutinize their regulation and require that the operators follow correct customer reliability guidelines. It makes accepting payments from unregulated online gambling websites illegal, which was already illegal. It does not work to make placing bets at U.S.A. online casinos illegal. All that being said, there are no federal or state laws (with the exception of WA and CT) that make it a crime to engage in online casino gambling for real money at legally sanctioned offshore online casinos that are licensed to accept American players.

Trusted Online Casinos That Accept American Players

The sites that are listed below are the epitome of legality and customer reliability. We have taken them through our process of inspection that is overseen by industry specialists with decades of experience. These sites have been found to be located in globally respected online gambling jurisdictions with updated compliance certifications and the proper licenses that cover each of the games that they offer. They are outside of US federal jurisdiction and have excellent customer reviews from third party websites. These are our endorsed USA online casinos.

Are Online Casinos Legal In The United States

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What Games Are Available At U.S. Casino Websites?

When you arrive at your chosen online casino destination you will notice that the types of USA online casino games that are available are broken down into categories on the menu in order to make them more easily accessed. You will see all manner of “slots”, “table games”, “specialty games”, “video poker”, and “live dealer” games available in categories bearing those names. Within each of these sections there are numerous variations of the games that are listed within them. Below we organize the games in this guide the same way the U.S.A. online casinos do for a more clear understanding. We cover most of the games, but certainly not all of them. Explore these sections for yourself for a more complete look at their offerings.

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  • Slots: Slots usually make up the bulk of any online casino menu, and includes the following types of games; 3-Reel Online Slots, 5-Reel Online Slots, Video Slots and 3D-Slots, among others. Our USA online slots page will provide more insight into your options.
  • Blackjack: As one of the most popular casino games at both land based and online casinos, you will typically find several variations of this game available on the menu. Learn how to play online from our USA online blackjack games page.
  • Baccarat: This game is actually more popular than many realize, and for those who are new to the game, playing online provides the perfect environment to learn how to play without risking any real money until you’ve learned the ropes. Get more information from our guide to playing USA online baccarat.
  • Roulette: Another incredibly popular casino game both online and offline, you will find multiple variations of this game available including American Roulette, European Roulette and more exotic versions such as Diamond Roulette. Learn more from our page dedicated to USA online roulette games.
  • Keno: Keno is usually found under the ‘specialty games’ category along with scratchoff games, pull tabs and sometimes bingo. It is a lottery type game that is easy for anyone to play. Get a closer look at this game and what it entails from our guide to playing USA online keno.
  • Video Poker: For those of us who like playing poker but shy away from live games in the poker room, video poker is the perfect match. You’ll find a variety of themed video poker games available to play that are nearly identical to the ones found in land based casinos. Our guide to USA online video poker will provide you with additional information.
  • Live-Dealer Games: Advanced web streaming technology combined with live croupiers allows players to enjoy the convenience of online casino access when playing select casino games with a live dealer. Learn more about this technologically advanced option that is rapidly gaining momentum within the US gambling market from our guide to playing USA live dealer games online.

Online Casino Game FAQs

Legal Online Casinos In United States

Can I Play USA Online Casinos Games On My Mobile Device?

You can play each of the games that we have discussed in this guide from any mobile device on the market that has access to the internet and an updated browser. Mobile casinos are web based, mobile optimized applications that run on advanced HTML5 coding that allows the providers of these games to host them domestically rather than rely on the popular app stores like the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. Responsive technology allows the games to automatically accommodate the operating system and dimensions of the smartphone or tablet you are using to play.

What Is A Random Number Generator?

A Random Number Generator is an advanced algorithm designed to replicate complete statistical randomness to the nearest possible degree. Online gambling providers are required to have theirs updated routinely by software companies not financially associated with them. Once their RNG’s have passed these inspections they are awarded compliance certifications. Those RNG compliance certifications are checked by their regulating bodies and independent fair play organizations like eCOGRA for validity and are posted publically.

Bonuses And Promotions – What Can I Expect?

There are several promotions designed to attract patronage at online casino websites. The top-tier websites in the industry all make sure to offer multiple bonuses to many different types of games within their libraries. You will typically see refer-a-friend bonuses, bonuses that are made for special online gambling events, or specific to games that they specialize in. The one promotion that you will undoubtedly always see is the Welcome Bonus. This is usually structured as a deposit match bonus where online gambling providers will add money to your account’s value based on the amount of your initial deposit. At some providers, you will be able to use this bonus more than once, making it more lucrative to make your deposits with them than their competitors.

What Are Wagering Requirements?

Wagering requirements are the way that online casinos ensure that people don’t just sign up, take their money, and run. As we mentioned in the previous section about bonuses, you will usually be granted a welcome bonus for your first deposit, which results in the online casino operator essentially just giving you money to gamble with. If you try and withdrawal that money without making any bets just to take the money and run, the operator will deduct the amount that was awarded to you in bonuses funds and send you the rest deducting only a small fee of service. Wagering requirements typically entail a designated level of play through that must be satisfied in order to benefit from the bonus money. Most casinos require a 30x – 40x play through of eligible games before any bonus funds or associated winnings can be withdrawn.

State Regulated Online Casinos vs Legal Offshore Casinos – What Is The Difference?

The main difference between state licensed and offshore licensed casinos is simply where their base of operations exists. Of the two sates currently offering state licensed online casino gambling as of this writing, both of them only allow players who are physically located within their borders to access their online casino websites. Geo tracking software is utilized to enforce this policy.

Licensed offshore casinos do not carry this requirement, and hence enjoy a much larger customer base that spans across the United States and around the globe. The range of offerings, bonuses and quality is aligning more and more between the two types of markets, with US based online casinos beginning to operate more competitively with the offshore brands. State licensed online casinos are only accessible by players who are present in the state in which they operate, whereas offshore online casinos are accessible by players from most US states as well as many nations around the world.

Legal Online Casinos In The United States

State Specific USA Online Casinos

Are Online Casinos Legal In Usa

Following you will find quick access links to get information about US friendly online casinos by state. These pages will provide insight into regional gambling laws and how they intersect with the casino market in each state. You will find valuable information relevant to each state including recommendations for legally sanctioned, secure online casinos that accept players from each respective territory.

Can I win real money at legal online casinos?Yes, you can play and win for real at our suggested top sites. All you need to do is fund your account using trusted deposit methods and spin the r...

States With Legal Gambling Casinos

Legal online casino in united states

Do Legal Online Casinos Accept Players From The US?Yes, All Our Recommended Legal Online Casinos Accept Players From The US. However, We Still Suggest That You Check The Gambling Regulation For The...

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