US Casinos

Want the best online casino sites in the US? Below is our expert selection of US-friendly casinos with fast payouts and trusted service.

The US has one of the most confusing and complicated legal frameworks when it comes to online gambling. The complexity mostly stems from the fact that remote gambling is regulated at both the federal and state levels. What is legal in one state may be prohibited in another. While most states have already embraced legal online sports betting, only Michigan, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and West Virginia have passed legislation to license and regulate the provision of remote casino games. Each of these seven states has a unique regulatory framework and a separate watchdog that issues licenses and monitors regulatory compliance.

Players based outside these states normally resort to offshore casinos licensed in other jurisdictions where iGaming is legal, with Costa Rica, the British Virgin Islands, and Panama serving as great examples. To aid you in finding a reliable US-friendly casino, we have curated a list of what we believe are the 30 best gambling sites that cater to players from the Home of the Brave. Also featured is information on the banking methods with the highest acceptance rates at US online casinos and the games commonly available for real-money play.

Best US-Friendly Casinos

We have compiled a list of 10 of the best online casinos that accept players from the United States. All operators listed here are well-known for their reliability, fair and timely payouts, quality gaming libraries, and lucrative promotional incentives.

Legislation

The legal status of online gambling is a subject in which millions of US players are interested. Many US citizens are left with the impression that participating in online gambling activities is prohibited by US federal law, but this is not necessarily the case.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA, was passed in 2006. According to the UIGEA, people who reside in the United States are not allowed to make transactions through banks and other similar institutions to web-based casinos. Therefore, online gambling operators and banks were also prohibited from accepting payments associated with US residents who are known to participate in illegal gambling activities on the Internet. The UIGEA excludes certain markets such as fantasy sports and skill games like poker.

The key word here is “accept,” which causes misunderstandings. The Act does not explicitly state that online gambling is illegal in the United States. It simply makes it harder for US players to process financial transactions to and from gambling websites. Despite the fact US banking institutions were prohibited from transferring funds to offshore gambling websites, many players found loopholes and resorted to using prepaid cards, eChecks, and other similar banking methods.

While some online gambling operators withdrew from the US market after the enforcement of the UIGEA, many continued to accept US players, offering them alternative payment solutions. What is more, there are no known cases of US players being penalized for participating in online gambling activities.

States Which Work on Legalizing Online Gambling

Of course, many states have been working toward changing the strict regulations concerning the iGaming industry in the US. Since the government has noticed the constantly growing interest in online gambling, there is now hope for passing some of the bills that different states have proposed.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has already succeeded in legalizing interactive gambling. Thanks to a bill passed by the House in 2016 and subsequently approved by the Senate, Pennsylvania became the fourth state in the US to legalize online poker and interactive casino games at the end of 2017. Governor Tom Wolf has signed a bill into law that authorizes virtual betting activities in the state of Pennsylvania.

New York

In 2017, New York also worked hard to legalize online poker, and Senator John Bonacic and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow introduced bills S03898 and A05250, which propose the regulation, authorization, and taxation of online poker. In January 2018, the bill was passed by the Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee and was sent to the Senate Finance Committee. This is the Empire State’s third attempt to legalize online poker, and after the changes in Pennsylvania, there is renewed hope that the Senate will pass the bills.

California

California has also been trying to legalize online poker since 2008. However, passing the bill into law will probably take much more time. As the tribes in the state have shown no support for the authorization of online poker, bill A 1677 may be left on the sidelines in 2018 as well.

Massachusetts

Even though the land-based casino scene is not that strong in Massachusetts, there have been some attempts to introduce and legalize iGaming in the state. State Senator Eileen Donoghue introduced bill S2480, which would legalize daily fantasy sports (DFS) as well as online gambling. Although Massachusetts legalized DFS in 2016, certain restrictions rendered the regulation temporary, and it is set to expire in May 2018. Donoghue’s bill focuses on the permanent legalization of DFS and online gambling in Massachusetts.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire was one of the least expected states to initiate measures toward the legalization of online gambling. However, at the beginning of 2017 three members of the House of Representatives introduced a bill that could change the iGaming scene in the state. Although the bill authorizing an online lottery was enacted at the end of 2017, the bill intended to decriminalize virtual gambling was unanimously deemed “inexpedient to legislate”. Nonetheless, the state may make progress in legalizing interactive gaming thanks to the recent changes in Pennsylvania’s legislation.

Michigan

Michigan is also striving to legalize iGaming activities. The bill introduced by Representative Brandt Iden in September 2017 was approved by the Regulatory Reform Committee. Several amendments were added to the bill, which will hopefully help it gain the support of the Senate.

The first amendment stipulates that online gambling servers must be housed in casinos. This way, virtual gaming can be regarded as a new product offered by the state’s casinos rather than an expansion that would require constitutional amendments.

The second amendment focuses on a new tax distribution model. This is an attempt to gain the support of stakeholders, especially Michigan’s three land-based casinos – Greektown, MotorCity, and MGM Detroit. The biggest change in the tax scheme is reducing the tax rate from 15% to 10%.

West Virginia

West Virginia is yet another state working to authorize online gambling. In March 2017, a bill was reintroduced by five delegates, with Shawn Fluharty as the main sponsor. The bill stipulates that licensed casinos will be authorized to offer interactive gambling. The West Virginia Lottery Commission would be tasked with regulating iGaming in the state. Although the bill was rejected just a few weeks after it was proposed, there is still a chance it will be passed into law in 2018, since Pennsylvania—West Virginia’s northern neighbor—has recently legalized online gambling.

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