US Online Casinos in 2023
The current state of online casino play in the United States is extremely confusing and full of misconceptions for a lot of players. Because there are so many laws that have influenced online gambling and so many false claims by politicians and other figures, there's a thick layer of myth that surrounds the entire industry. We want to clear that up for players here so that there's a very clear idea of what the current state of online casino play is like in the United States.
What are the Federal Laws?
There are two relevant federal laws for online casino play. The first is the Wire Act that was passed in the 1960s to combat organized crime operations. This law made it illegal to accept sports bets over telephone lines, and a later court ruling had this include wagers placed over the Internet. However, the Department of Justice came out in 2011 to make it ultra clear that this law only applied to sports betting and no other forms of gambling.
The second law, and the one that's probably the most important at this point, is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Known as the UIGEA for short, this law made it illegal for foreign companies to offer online gambling services in the United States without a license. The two problems with this is that the US does not have jurisdiction over foreign companies offering services online, and it scared banks into blocking a lot of transactions for legal forms of online gambling because of threats of major fees and penalties if they accidentally let an illegal transaction slip through the cracks.
To be clear on this, the bottom line is that no federal law makes it illegal to play in online casinos in the United States. With that having been said, some states do have laws that make it illegal including Washington State, which ridiculously has online casino play as the same level of felony as punching a child in the face.
Software Company Issues
The UIGEA law came out in October of 2006, and it offered a period of compliance before it went into effect. Several software vendors decided to be safe and pull out of the US market, and this included major names like Microgaming and Playtech. The main motivation for most of the companies that left the US is that they are publically traded in other countries, and not adhering to the UIGEA's prohibition on offering games without a license would get them in trouble with those stock exchanges.
However, many others have continued allowing their operators to accept players from the United States. The current list of US-friendly online casino software developers includes Realtime Gaming (RTG), WGS, Slotland, Rival Gaming, Saucify (previously BetOnSoft), Nucleus Gaming, Arrows Edge, BetSoft and Vista Gaming.
What are the banking options for US Players?
For players in the United States, the single most-reliable way to make deposits and withdrawals is probably a pre-paid debit card or credit card such as Visa or Mastercard. Visa seems to be the preferred option, though MasterCard is also a good option. The key to choosing the right card for this and keeping your deposits from being blocked is choosing a card that says it allows international transactions. If you have any doubt about what you're getting, the support team for your online casino will be more than happy to help you out.
It's really important to note that you should keep up with your pre-paid card after you make your deposit. The reason for this is that many online casinos will pay back your withdrawals to the same card you made your deposit with, and you don't want to toss the card after your deposit and be stuck with no way to receive withdrawals.
Money transfer services like Western Union and MoneyGram are also used by some online casinos. This is a reliable option that isn't quite as convenient as pre-paid cards, but most online casinos that use this method will give you very detailed instructions on making deposits and receiving withdrawals that make it really easy on the player to get started.
Some newer options are Zelle which is an electronic transfer service that can be used on your mobile to make digital payments and depoit at online cassinos, it is only avaiable for US players and there are a variety of bank options so it should be avaiable to almost all US based players with a bank account. Another option is Ria, which is a money transfer method and can be used for deposits and withdrawals at a select few casinos.
Cryptocurrency is another option - Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dogecoin. BTC seems to be the favourite, here is a list of casinos allowing crypto deposits, make sure to check player ratings first and avoid sites with warnings.
US Allowed Casinos
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- Lucky Tiger Casino
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250% UP TO $1000
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. 250% bonus is valid for slots, table games and specialties on the first deposit of $25+ (Neosurf $10+) and up to $1000; WG x35, max cash out x20.Get extra 50% for crypto deposits. Valid once. 2nd deposit: 200% Bonus. 3rd deposit: 150% Bonus. -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- Highway Casino
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$30
New players only. T&Cs apply. 18+. This offer is not available for players residing in Ontario. New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 19+. $30 Free Chip. Players need to sign up from our link, activate bonus code in profile (email should be verified). Maximum cashout: $60. Restricted games: No. Max bet amount for no deposit bonuses: no restrictions. -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- ComicPlay Casino
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$30
New players only. T&Cs apply. 18+. This offer is not available for players residing in Ontario. New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 19+. $30 Free Chip. Players need to sign up from our link, activate bonus code in profile (email should be verified). Maximum cashout: $60. Restricted games: No. Max bet amount for no deposit bonuses: no restrictions. -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- Slots.lv
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200% UP TO $1000
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. The Promotion consists of one (1) 200% match bonus up to $1000 and eight (8) 100% match bonuses up to $500 each, to be used to play slot, keno and Scratch card games.game contribution: Single Deck & Double Deck Blackjack, Craps, Roulette 5%. -
+ 5 software
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Rating
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- Casino Extreme
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500% UP TO €/$5000
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. Minimum deposit: $20. Bonus percentage per deposit: $20-$99.99 get 500%. $100-$149.99 get 550%. $150-199.99 get 600%. $200+ get 650%. Wagering: 10x D+B. Max cashout: 10xD. Only NP Slots are allowed. Max bet per hand: $10. -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- Yabby Casino
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AU$70
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. Max cashout: AU$100. Max bet per hand: AU$10. Allowed games: Slots (no progressive slots) ,Video poker ,Keno only. Minimum Deposit required in order to cashout: Yes. Available on mobile: Yes. Offer Available on download and instant play version: Yes. -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- Shazam Casino
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250%
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. Bonus is valid once for slots, table games, and specialties on the first deposit of $25+ (Neosurf $10+), WG x35, max cashout x20. Get extra 50% for crypto deposits. The wagering requirements attached to Match bonuses are calculated as (deposit + bonus) x30 for slots, x35 for cards, and x60 for roulette. -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- Bovada Casino
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100% UP TO $1000
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. The bonus code NEWWELCOME can be redeemed up to three (3) times per player. Craps does not count toward meeting rollover requirements for withdrawal. Game contribution: Pai Gow, TriCard Poker, Let 'Em Ride, Caribbean Poker(all) 20%, Video Poker (All types), Blackjack (unless stated otherwise), Classic Blackjack, Baccarat 10%. Single Deck, Classic Single Deck & Double Deck Blackjack, Roulette 5%. -
+ 6 software
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Rating
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- Desert Nights Rival Casino
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$10
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. Max cashout: $180. Allowed games: All Slots, Scratch Cards and Keno games. When in the casino lobby, go to 'Cashier'. Within the 'Cashier', select 'Claim Promotion'. You will then see your '$10 FREE Sign Up Bonus'. Click 'Claim Now' to start playing with your no-deposit bonus.
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+ 4 software
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Rating
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- iNetBet
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130% UP TO ₿500
This code can be redeemed once per day and up to twice per week. The deposit and bonus must be wagered 35x on Slots only. Max bonus that can be received is $500. All bets placed must be under $5. Bonus is non cashable. Code: BITCOIN2 (Depsoit $30 via Bitcoin and we will boost your casino balance to $75 twice per week!). Code: BITCOIN3 (Make a deposit via Bitcoin and get an 80% Slots Match that can be used once per day). Code: BITCOIN4 (Make a deposit via Bitcoin and get a 67%. All Games Match that can be used once per day). -
+ 1 software
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Rating
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- EmuCasino
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+ 12 free spins
This offer is not available for players residing in Ontario. New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 19+. 12 Free Spins on Eddy Dundee slot. Go to your account settings and click on ‘Bonuses’. Under ‘Claimable Bonuses’, click on ‘Registration Free Spins’ and then ‘Claim Bonus’. Maximum bet size: CA$0.25. Maximum cash out: CA$15. -
+ 54 software
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Rating
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- MGM Vegas Casino
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$150
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. The Max Cash-out for Welcome Free Chip is $100. Wagering Condition: 30X Play-through on Slot Games & 60X Play-through on Table& Video Poker Games. Wagering on jackpot games, roulette, craps, Pai Gow Poker, and Baccarat with any no deposit bonus isn't permitted. -
+ 2 software
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Rating
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- Uptown Aces
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250% UP TO $2500 + 50 free spins
New Customer Offer. T&C’s Apply. 18+. PLUS 50 Spins. Only bets placed on Slots, Real-Series Video Slots (excluding progressive slots), Keno and Scratch Cards count towards the wagering requirements of the bonus. Player must deposit a minimum of $25 or higher to qualify for this promotions. No maximum cashout. Restricted countries from the bonus: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Thailand And United Kingdom. -
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Current State of US Online Gambling
At this stage in the game, online gambling is basically decided on the state level. While no states can allow online sports bets because of the federal Wire Act detailed above, a number of states have decided to regulate the industry. New Jersey and Delaware have regulated most forms of online gambling, and Nevada has regulated online poker only. Because these jurisdictions have government-mandated licensing process in place, software companies are allowed to offer games there since they aren't in violation of the UIGEA.
Most people from most states will have no problem connecting to an online casino, putting up deposits and receiving withdrawals. The main issue any player will run into now is one of the available banking methods because of how the aftermath of the UIGEA has worked out in terms of some banks continuing to block transactions, but the landscape has gotten much more favorable in recent years, especially after the 2011 clarification of the Wire Act not applying to online casino play by the Department of Justice.