Gambling Sites In The US
The online gambling sites in the US have been hampered by state and federal anti-gambling laws for years. Only five states in the entire country—New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Delaware—have formally legalized the activity. Fortunately, online casino gaming is legal in the rest of the country too, as long as the site hosting the games is based in another country. Online gambling covers a broad swathe of different gaming types, including poker, blackjack, sports betting, bingo, and anything else you can imagine betting money on.
This page will cover these various types of online gambling sites in the US, as well as the best sites to use to gamble online, the banking methods at your disposal when online gambling, and every other bit of information you might need to get the most out of your online gambling experience. With widespread availability and recent advances in online gambling infrastructure and technology, there has never been a better time to gamble online.
Are Online Gambling Sites Legal In The US?
Yes, online gambling sites are legal in the U.S. Only a handful of states offer legal sports betting and only four total states have fully legal online casino gambling, but players in all 50 U.S. states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, can legally gamble online using sites based in other countries. Federal and state anti-gambling laws in the U.S. don’t target individual players, and they don’t apply to providers outside their jurisdiction. As a result, all forms of online gambling can be legally accessed by anyone in the United States, on both a desktop computer or a compatible mobile device.
Best Real Money US Gambling Sites
While each of the online gambling sites in the US offers its own selection of interesting features and other incentives, there are a few that players should look for in any site they choose. The best real money U.S. gambling sites feature fast and easy banking, great data security and encryption software, 24/7 customer service, and payout rates that are even better than those you would find in a casino. While these all sound lofty and ambitious, the best sites have all of them, and players shouldn’t settle for anything less than the best when betting their hard-earned money.
Online Casino Gambling Sites In The US
Online U.S. gambling sites are available to all U.S. players, but only four states offer legal online casino gambling:
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- Pennsylvania
West Virginia has also formally legalized online gambling sites in the US but has yet to launch their own. Thankfully, aspiring gamblers in the other 46 states can all gamble online as well. International online gambling sites offer a world-class online gambling experience, whether you are betting on sports, playing poker, or enjoying any of the countless other activities online gambling has to offer. While there are many online gambling sites available, it is important to choose one that is reliable and trustworthy.
When considering your online gambling options, look for things like 24/7 customer service, high payout rates, a wide variety of gaming options to choose from, and lucrative promotions and deposit bonuses. Easy banking is also an important component of an enjoyable online gambling experience. Managing your account funding with Bitcoin is faster, easier, and more secure than with other payment methods. Many sites also offer extra deposit match bonuses for deposits using Bitcoin. All these factors should be considered carefully when choosing an online gambling site.
US States With Sports Gambling Sites
Online sports betting has been one of the fastest-growing components of the U.S. online gambling industry. Since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in May 2018, states have been free to set their own laws regarding legal online sports betting. So far, 14 states have authorized state-licensed online sports betting:
- Colorado
- Illinois (online gambling not yet launched)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Michigan (not yet launched)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee (not yet launched)
- Virginia (not yet launched)
- West Virginia
But even prior to the decision to overturn PASPA, there were legal online sports betting providers catering to players all over the U.S. market. International online sportsbooks were never bound by either PASPA or the Wire Act, which prohibits interstate sports wagering. While the PASPA decision grabbed headlines, the fact is that online sports betting was already a multi-billion-dollar industry. But still, since the decision, sports betting has grown immensely and become a widely accepted component of mainstream sports culture.
When considering your online gambling options, look for things like 24/7 customer service, high payout rates, a wide variety of gaming options to choose from, and lucrative promotions and deposit bonuses. Easy banking is also an important component of an enjoyable online gambling experience. Managing your account funding with Bitcoin is faster, easier, and more secure than with other payment methods. Many sites also offer extra deposit match bonuses for deposits using Bitcoin. All these factors should be considered carefully when choosing an online gambling site.
Online Poker In The US
Online poker is massively popular in the U.S., with millions of players nationwide. Although poker seems to meet all the requirements to be classified as a game of skill, only a handful of states have legally interpreted it to be one. Despite its popularity, the only states that offer legal online poker are the same four that offer full legal online casino gambling. Again though, international online poker websites are available to all U.S. residents.
The legal stance on online poker in the U.S. has softened in recent years, and the user base for major poker websites has grown steadily as a result. Online poker offers a great variety of options, including numerous variants of poker to choose from, a wide selection of buy-in levels to cater to both casual players and high rollers, and much more. Online poker sites even offer huge deposit bonuses to help new players get a head start.
Horse Racing Gambling Sites For US Bettors
Horse betting, also known as pari-mutuel wagering, is one of the most popular forms of gambling in American history. While horse racing isn’t the juggernaut it once was, people all around the world still tune in for the Kentucky Derby and the Dubai World Cup every year, and billions of dollars annually are wagered on races. In the U.S., online pari-mutuel wagering is much more widespread than other forms of online gambling, with 29 total states having access to online horse betting sites TVG and Twin Spires.
These sites are great for local races. Alternatively, nearly all international online sportsbooks offer racebooks as well. They don’t offer wagering on quite as many races, but for major national and international races, international sportsbooks feature better payout rates and a much wider selection of prop betting options. They also frequently offer large deposit bonuses that can be worth up to thousands of dollars. These international sites are available to bettors in all states, not just the 29 that can use TVG and Twin Spires.
Mobile US Gambling Sites
Many people mistakenly believe that mobile gambling in the U.S. isn’t possible outside the four states with legal online casinos. This is an unfortunate misconception because international online casinos invest heavily in optimizing their sites for mobile use. Mobile users of major international casinos can access all the same features as their desktop counterparts from anywhere with a strong data or wi-fi connection. These online casinos can’t offer downloadable apps in U.S. app stores, but they can still be accessed through a web browser as a player would do with a desktop computer. Mobile users can take advantage of all the same features, protections, and bonuses as desktop users.
How To Make Deposits Using Gambling Sites In The US
Most major gambling sites in the US accept deposits using a variety of payment methods. Credit and debit card deposits are popular because of consumers’ familiarity with them, and wire transfers are a popular (if expensive) method for large deposits. For most users, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are the best way to deposit, offering faster processing times, fewer processing fees, and larger deposit bonuses.
How To Cash Out Winnings Made From US Gambling Sites
Because of laws prohibiting banks from processing transactions directly from online gambling sites, withdrawing money from U.S. gambling sites is slightly more complicated than depositing it. Once again, cryptocurrency emerges as the best banking method. Using Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency, players can withdraw their winnings within minutes. Crypto withdrawals are often free as well and usually carry a higher withdrawal limit. For players uncomfortable with crypto, alternative withdrawal methods like wire transfers and cashier’s checks can also be used for a fee.
