Gamble Online US: A Guide to Gambling Online for Real Money in the USA

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Best Gambling Sites Accepting US Players

With so many offshore gambling sites available on the web, it can be a challenge to separate the good from the bad. That is exactly what we have done for you here. We have carried out in-depth research into the various options available, tested them extensively, and compared how they perform in a range of key areas. Only the very best performers have made it onto this list. And these sites don’t just accept US customers, they welcome them with open arms.

Best Offshore Casino Sites for US Players

Best Offshore Sportsbook Sites for US Players

Best Offshore Poker Sites for US Players

Forms of Online Gambling

Alongside these three main forms of online gambling, there are a few other options available. Here is a quick breakdown of each form of online gambling that is available to US players.

Our website mainly focuses on online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms. We give you the best offshore online sites accessible from the US that offer games for real money. Check out our guides for more information:

US Online Gambling Laws Summary

In the US, each state has its own written laws surrounding online gambling. Until recently, nearly all states prohibited any form of online gambling. This all changed when Nevada, the gambling capital of the world, legalized online gambling in 2013. Then, in 2018, the law which prevented any but a handful of states from offering sports betting to its residents named PASPA was struck down. This saw more and more states introduce mobile sports betting, which is rapidly spreading throughout the US.

As more and more states turn to mobile sports betting, the online gambling industry is on a rise. This has helped shift the attitude of some states toward internet gaming.

Here is a summary of what forms of online gambling are legal and regulated in each state. Please note, although some states may legalize a type of gambling, it does not mean they necessarily have live sites up and running. Click on each state name for more information.

State	Online Sports Betting	Online Casinos	Online Poker	Daily Fantasy Sports	Online Lottery
Alabama	No	No	No	Yes	No
Alaska	No	No	No	Yes	No
Arizona	No	No	No	No	No
Arkansas	No	No	No	Yes	No
California	No	No	No	Yes	No
Colorado	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Connecticut	No	No	No	Yes	No
Delaware	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Florida	No	No	No	Yes	No
Georgia	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Hawaii	No	No	No	No	No
Idaho	No	No	No	No	No
Illinois	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Indiana	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Iowa	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Kansas	No	No	No	Yes	No
Kentucky	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Louisiana	No	No	No	No	No
Maine	No	No	No	Yes	No
Maryland	No	No	No	Yes	No
Massachusetts	No	No	No	Yes	No
Michigan	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Minnesota	No	No	No	Yes	No
Mississippi	No	No	No	Yes	No
Missouri	No	No	No	Yes	No
Montana	Yes	No	No	No	No
Nebraska	No	No	No	Yes	No
Nevada	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
New Hampshire	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
New Jersey	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
New Mexico	No	No	No	Yes	No
New York	No	No	No	Yes	No
North Carolina	No	No	No	Yes	No
North Dakota	No	No	No	Yes	No
Ohio	No	No	No	Yes	No
Oklahoma	No	No	No	Yes	No
Oregon	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Pennsylvania	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Rhode Island	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
South Carolina	No	No	No	Yes	No
South Dakota	No	No	No	Yes	No
Tennessee	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Texas	No	No	No	Yes	No
Utah	No	No	No	Yes	No
Vermont	No	No	No	Yes	No
Virginia	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Washington	Yes	No	No	No	No
West Virginia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Wisconsin	No	No	No	Yes	No
Wyoming	No	No	No	Yes	No

If you find yourself located in a country or state without legal online gambling options, overseas gambling sites can be a viable option, provided you take the time to make sure the gambling site is legit and educate yourself about the risks involved with real money gambling.

Betting in the US is an ever-changing landscape. For a while, gambling was the wild west in the US, then legislation locked things down, and now we see the resurgence of online gambling in the states but under a much more regulated pretense. To find out more about gambling in the United States and how to find the best offshore gambling sites for US players, check out our US offshore gambling page now that has overseas gambling site recommendations, legal breakdowns, and forecasts for the future.

Though the history of online casino gambling is short, it is full of incidents and with curvy paths that it had to face before being considered as the alternative to the traditional form of gambling.

For the last 30 years or so, the internet has revolutionized our society, and it has affected almost every sector including online casino gambling. Today, people tend to prefer online gambling to land-based gambling venues.

If you see the history of online casino gambling in the US, you’ll find out it has evolved a great deal during its journey.

Since the World Wide Web has been available to the general consumers in the early 1990s, the world has never been the same. Had anyone imagined that after three decades, we would be able to play through online casinos with just click on our phones?

The First US Online Casino Website

InterCasino boasts as the first online casino that began its operations in 1996, accepting all US players. Others like Australian Centrebet.com, also launched soon after.

The convenience, with which online gambling is characterized, soon made it the people’s preference over the land-based casinos. The popularity of the online gambling industry can be gauged by its rapid growth. Within two years from the first online casino was launched, there were over 700 online casinos with a turnover that exceeded $830 million.

Online Casino Regulation

With the growing number of online casinos and the affiliated technology, grew the need for regulation. Antigua and Barbuda was the first to take steps towards regulating online casinos. Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom regulated the industry in the 2000s.

In the United States, the first state to regulate online gambling was New Jersey, and the gamblers can only wager with state-based companies.

The Slow and Curvy Path to Legal US Gambling Online

However, the country was slow to catch up with the New Jersey pace. In 2011, the federal authorities busted a leading offshore online gambling network. But surprisingly the Department of Justice reinterpreted the Wire Act, meaning that it would soon officially regulate the online gambling industry.

Many states proactively pursued this process and pushed for the legislation. Delaware led the others in this by pushing for the move in 2012, followed by Nevada in 2013. However, things kept lagging for a while. The relevant bills were kept taking rounds across the US in the hands of those lawmakers who pushed for online gambling and those who were reluctant.

US States with Regulated Online Gambling

Subsequently, the year 2017 witnessed interstate compacts, formed by the states eager to bring online gaming to life within their territories. The following states have legal online casino gaming:

• New Jersey
• Nevada
• Delaware
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia
• Michigan

A Closer Look at US States with Legal Online Gambling

You can check out the brief history when online gambling was regulated in these states.

• New Jersey: In 2013, the state legalized in-state online betting, and since then NJ is the largest online gambling market in the country. Online casinos, sports betting, and online poker are allowed in this state.
• Nevada: This state legalized online betting in 2010, while online poker was available to the public in 2013.
• Delaware: Delaware caught up with NJ and Nevada in 2013 when it launches an online casino and poker. In 2018, it legalized sports betting.
• Pennsylvania: It regulated online gambling in 2017, and after two years in 2019 Pennsylvania launched its first casino site and online poker.
• West Virginia: West Virginia became the fifth state in early 2019 to regulate online betting.
• Michigan: The latest state to legalize online wagering in late 2019 is Michigan.

The Future of US Online Gambling

Considering the rapid progress of online gambling, it’s no wonder that it will engulf the traditional gambling in the foreseeable future. Some states have already regulated it, many others are considering following suit. It has a greater future ahead, not only because it’s becoming increasingly popular among the general public for the convenience and the huge number of gambling options, but also because its regulation will shoulder the dwindling state economies.

Types of Real Money Gambling Available Online

One of the neat things about real money online casinos is that you can test run things for play money. This could be in the form of social casinos or even real money betting sites letting you take a swing at their games for fun before you start playing for real money. This is a massive perk of playing your favorite casino games, slots, and making your bets online instead of in a land-based location.

But, let’s get real; play money is only fun for so long. At some point, you’re going to want to get into the real action and put yourself in a position to win real money. If you’re looking for the best real money gambling sites, you’re going to want to pay attention to the links we have for you below.

Real Money Sports Betting

There are a few significant differences between yelling your sports betting picks at your TV from the couch and putting them down as bets with a sportsbook. One, it’s a lot easier to make a pick when you have nothing on the line and two, you don’t get any money if you’re right as a couch commando. Real sports betting sites allow you to make your predictions and turn them into cash. If you just want to be the king of your couch, you can disregard this section. But if you’re ready to make some money with your expertise, check out the online betting sites we recommend.

Real Money Casinos

Whether you’re at a social casino or trying out a game at an online casino with play money, there comes a time when you’re going to be ready to make the jump to real money. There’s just something exciting about knowing that every spin, roll, or dice toss could make you some serious cash. But, you don’t want to be playing casino games for real money at just any online casino. If you want to play the highest quality games, have a shot at the biggest bonuses, and want to have the best experience possible, you’re going to want to play at safe offshore casinos.

Real Money Online Poker

Poker for play money or pennies with your friends is just not the same thing as the real thing. People play differently, play more hands, bluff more, and fold less. If you’re looking to make money playing poker or you want to work on improving your game, then you’re going to need to start playing at a real money online poker site. You don’t have to start with high stakes, but you do need to get some real money in action if you want to get some useful practice. See our recommended list of online poker sites.

Esports

You don’t have many options when it comes to betting on esports with play money. Sure, you could probably make a wager with your friends on doing each other’s chores or something like that, but it’s just not going to be as fun or lucrative as getting in there and betting for the real thing. If you’re an expert when it comes to picking out winners of esports tournaments, you have the opportunity to make a lot of money betting the sport. Get started with the best eSports betting sites.

Horse Racing

Looking to get into the horse betting action for real money but don’t want to leave the house? Thanks to technology, this is now a reality. With horse racing betting sites, you can place action on your favorite horses and favorite tracks from anywhere in the world as long as you have a smart device (phone or tablet) and a phone or internet connection. So, in other words, as long as you have that iPhone or Android on your hip, you can bet the horses.

Deposit and Withdrawal Options

When playing for real money at an online casino or betting site, you’re going to have to get money loaded into your account somehow. As far as we know, if you stuff dollar bills into your hard drive, it does not work correctly. But, there are a lot of great digital ways for you to handle your banking and make deposits and withdrawals with your online betting account. Below, we’ve outlined some of the most popular, safe, and efficient ways of getting money online into your casino or betting site account.

Credit and Debit Cards

One of the simplest ways to get funds into your real money gambling site is through a credit or debit card. Most people out there have access to at least one of these, and most of you have probably already used them to make purchases online. All of the best gambling sites have this deposit option. These cards can be used in the same way you do for purchases but to fund your online gambling account.

• Higher and lower limits accepted
• Instant deposits and access to funds
• Safe and additional security from your credit card company

Visa

Out of all the credit cards, Visa is the most widely accepted at US online casinos. In fact, Visa users normally have little trouble finding a casino where they can make a deposit. This, coupled with Visa’s reputation as being an all-around good company, has made Visa casinos very popular. This being said, it’s definitely worth taking a closer look at Visa as a deposit option.

The one big reason why Visa is worth using is that they are one of the most reputable companies in the credit card industry. Visa is very good at catching fraudulent transactions and reporting them to the real cardholder. In addition to this, Visa also has excellent customer service, and you can get your issues resolved fairly quickly.

Aside from the actual company, one good reason to deposit at Visa casinos is that you can use your card to make withdrawals as well. This is great because you don’t have to worry about finding another option for withdrawing money after using your Visa to make the deposit. But before you get excited about using one card for withdrawals and deposits, make sure that the casino in question offers these options.

Even if you can’t make withdrawals at Visa casinos, it’s not extremely hard to find another method for withdrawing money. In most cases, people who use credit cards to make deposits have to go through this anyway, so it won’t be a big deal for the majority of Visa casino players.

Going back to the deposits, if you decide to use a Visa card, you should deposit as much as you can comfortably afford. The reason why is because US online casinos offer signup bonuses to new players, and if you get the best casino bonus possible, you will be able to earn a lot more extra money.

Seeing as how most casinos are fairly large, you will be able to make a lot of bonus money through other means besides the signup bonus. That’s because Visa casinos offer VIP programs, reload bonuses, cash races, and plenty of other rewards that will keep you earning bonus money. In the end, the size and quantity of bonuses are one of the most important factors that you need to look at when choosing a US real money gambling site. And the more money you make, the happier you’ll be in the end.

Mastercard

Mastercard is also one of the more widely-used credit cards in the online gambling world. Mastercard casinos give people the option to make deposits with their credit cards and even withdraw money in some cases. If you’re a Mastercard user and you can find a real money casino that lets you make deposits and withdrawals, then you’ll have no trouble with online casino transactions. This being said, let’s take a look at how to find Mastercard casinos and make a deposit.

The best place to begin your search for a Mastercard casino is by looking at the top-ranked casinos. The reason being is that the top online casinos normally offer the most deposit options, so you’re more likely to find Mastercard as an option this way. With any luck, you might even find a casino that allows you to do both deposits and withdrawals with Mastercard.

But as long as you are able to make deposits at Mastercard casinos, the advantage is huge because of the ease in which transactions can be made. All you need to do is hop online, fill in your credit card information, then enter the amount you wish to deposit to complete the transaction. Once you are finished depositing, you will be able to play real money casino games from the USA, and hopefully, take advantage of a signup bonus.

Speaking of signup bonuses, this should play a heavy factor in how much you choose to deposit at a Mastercard casino. After all, the larger your initial deposit is, the more bonus money you can play for at the tables. To earn your deposit bonus, you need to meet wagering requirements that the online casino sets forth. A common wagering requirement involves making players bet up to 20X the deposit amount and bonus amount combined. So if you were going for a potential $100 bonus, you would need to bet a total of $4,000 to receive the full bonus. Assuming you use good gambling strategy and keep the house edge low, this isn’t too bad at all.

Going back to the credit card discussion, using your Mastercard to make deposits is definitely a good option when you are able to use it. It’s quick and simple, plus you won’t have to deal with any hassles once the money is in your account. And with the whole depositing issue out of the way, you will be free to gamble online with a clear conscious.

AMEX (American Express)

If you’re looking to make online casino deposits with a credit card, one way to do so is by using an American Express card. American Express is one of the most trusted credit cards in the world, and it’s widely used too. Seeing as how Amex is both trusted and popular, you will have little trouble with Amex casinos when funding your account. Of course, it’s important that you find Amex online casinos first, and we’ll take a look at this subject below.

If you have a particular real money online casino in mind, you should take a look at their deposit options to see if they’re an Amex casino. Assuming that the casino in question accepts American Express, you’re good to start looking at the rest of the casino’s features. Your best bet for finding Amex online casinos is to look at the biggest sites first because these places offer the most deposit options.

During your search for an American Express casino, it’s important to avoid depositing at a casino solely because they accept Amex. There are plenty of other cyber casinos in the online gambling world, so you don’t have to force anything just because you’ve found an Amex casino. After all, you need to ensure that the casino offers good bonuses and software before you jump into anything. But assuming it’s your only option for funding your account, by all means, go ahead and deposit.

Speaking of depositing, you can do this right after signing up, or you can wait until later when you have more funds. Making the actual deposit is pretty self-explanatory since you just need to visit the Cashier area (or similar section) to start the deposit. You’ll be asked for your American Express card details along with the verification code; once this part is finished and the funds clear, you’ll be ready to start gambling!

Before you go through with the Amex deposit, make sure that you can deposit a large initial amount because this determines the size of signup bonus you’ll be able to earn. For instance, if there is a 100% up to $200 signup bonus available, why make a hasty $75 deposit when you could just wait, then make a bigger deposit and get more bonus money.

Of course, it all goes back to finding an Amex casino first; once you do this, you can worry about the bonus size and everything else.

eWallets

Did you know that you can deposit money into an online gambling site or online betting site through an eWallet like PayPal, Skrill, EcoPayz or Neteller (just to name a few)? eWallets give you the ultimate in protection when moving money around the internet. They’re safe, secure, and your deposits are instant, which means you can get into the action immediately without having to wait as you do with some of the other online gambling site deposit options.

• Safely insulates your purchases
• Works excellent as a withdrawal option too
• Fast, safe, secure, and instant

Direct Bank Transfers

One of the fastest and most reliable online betting site deposit options is direct bank transfers. With the recent changes in technology, you can now load money into your online gambling account just by logging into your online banking! You don’t need routing numbers, account numbers, or anything like that. All you need is your username and password to your personal bank’s online banking system, and you can get money into your account instantly. Talk about the cream of the crop when it comes to convenience as well as security since it’s all done through your bank.

• Only requires access to your online banking
• Instant and the most user-friendly option
• Trustworthy, instant, and secure deposit and withdrawal option

Cryptocurrencies

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you’re aware of the recent popularity surge behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Besides using them as just a potential investment for hot returns, you can also use these digital currencies to fund your real money gambling account. Below, we’ve included some links to valuable resource pages about using cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin to do your gaming. No matter if you’re into online casinos or sportsbooks, you can use these digital currencies to place your wagers.

How we evaluate US gambling sites

Below, we have the main criteria that we look at when we’re reviewing online gambling sites.

Safety and Security

It’s paramount when you’re betting with real money on the line that you can trust only the best gambling sites that you decide to do business with. You will be sharing a lot of personal information with the site, including your home address and banking information. With all of this on the line, it’s vital to make sure that you’re working with a betting website that has the proper security measures in place to protect your cash and private data. We’ve scanned all the recommended sites above to make sure that we trust each of them to protect you.

Reputation and History

Understandably, you probably don’t have much of a clue when it comes to the past track record and history of many online gambling sites. Unless you spend hours doing research, it’s nearly impossible to get an accurate feel for which sites have a clean history and which ones have a sketchy past. Lucky for you, our team has been in the industry for a long time, and we’ve invested tons of time into making sure that any website that made our list of suggestions above has a stellar reputation and history behind them. We only recommend real money gambling sites that are licensed in reputable jurisdictions.

Banking Options

Before you can get the ball rolling with real money sports and casino wagers, you’ll have to fund your account with cash. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done with some online gambling sites. To make sure that you don’t hit any snags with getting money onto one of these websites, we’ve only selected places that have a quality set of banking methods available. Thanks to this, you’ll be able to load funds to your account quickly. As a bonus, we’ve also scanned the withdrawal banking options to make sure that you’re able to promptly remove funds from your betting account when you’re ready.

User Friendliness

Many of the best betting websites out there are seamless to use. However, some of them are a complete pain in the rear to navigate and search. To help you get the most out of your online betting experience, we’ve only selected sites that have excellent user interfaces that make them simple to use. Instead of wasting time looking for things, you can get right to enjoying your online sports betting or online casino playing.

Bonuses and Promotions

Do free money and prizes sound good to you? If so, then you should check out the different bonuses and promotions that our top gambling sites bring to the table. For each of them, you’ll find industry-leading offers that will give you the chance to earn loads of cash and other prizes. If you’re going to gamble online, make sure that you’re getting the most bonus bang for your betting dollar.

Fast Payouts / Withdrawal Speeds

Waiting for anything is no fun. This is especially true when you’re waiting for your money. In an industry where some betting sites can take weeks to get your money to you, we’ve found gambling websites that process and pay withdrawals at record speeds. Should you choose to gamble online at any one of the sites above, you’re sure to receive your withdrawn funds faster than you would at the average online casino.

Quality Customer Service

Sometimes, you may have a question or issue arise that you need help with. In these scenarios, you’ll want to be 100% sure that you’re betting at a gambling site that takes quality care of their customers. For this reason, we’ve personally tested out the customer service on all of our recommended gambling sites to make sure that things are well above the industry average. By working with one of our top picks, you’ll be receiving some of the best customer services in the online gambling industry. If you don’t believe us, test drive it yourself to experience just how good these support teams are.

Mobile Compatibility

In today’s age, only the best gambling sites are mobile-friendly, and if they aren’t, they don’t make the cut as one of our top suggested betting sites. We’re all huge fans of betting using our mobile phone. From sports betting to hands of blackjack, betting using a phone or tablet is super convenient. If you select any one of our top picks above, you’ll find a mobile-friendly website that you can use when you’d like to bet from a mobile device.

Legality of Using Offshore Gambling Sites

Most US states still do not regulate or offer all forms of online gambling. However, this does not mean you do not have options for gambling online. There are many sites that operate from overseas which allow US players to join. Contrary to popular opinion, many of them are legal. Despite not being regulated in the US, the sites are legal and regulated in the country in which they operate. These US-friendly offshore gambling sites are set up in countries where online gambling is legal, but outside of US jurisdiction.

In fact, the laws of most US states do not prohibit the use of offshore gambling sites. This means you can play at offshore sites without breaking the law. States which prohibit online gambling generally only focus on finding operators of illegal gambling sites running from inside the state.

Finding Safe Offshore Sites Accepting US Players

Most online casinos accept US players which is great news if you live in a state like Utah or Hawaii where state-run online gambling sites are unheard of.

However, as these sites are only allowed in the US as they fall outside of US law, there is no monitoring of the sites from inside the state. Many safe and legitimate sites do exist, but before playing online it is essential you can identify scam sites too. That is why it is important to only play for real money at trusted US offshore gambling sites like the ones we list here. That way you know your funds are safe and the games are fair.

All of our sites we suggest and review are safe, legal, secure, legitimate, and regulated. There are still some things you can do yourself. Follow these tips and you will be playing at a safe and legitimate offshore online casino, sportsbook, or poker room in no time!

History of Online Gambling in the US

US Online Gambling Sites: FAQs