Online Casinos for US Players

The US-facing online gambling industry is best described as a constantly changing landscape. At one time existing in a regulatory grey area, thereafter followed by prohibitory legislation (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA), and more recently marked by attempts at regulating on a federal level, through it all, U.S. residents continue to seek out and play at online gambling destinations. Indeed, there are plenty of online casinos with open-door policies for U.S. residents. The only problem is that some of these sites are poorly managed and/or do not necessarily have the greatest of intentions, while those that do, are oftentimes besieged with difficulties in getting funds transferred to and from players on a timely basis.100-chip-acrylic-chip-tray

In other words, traversing through the available selection of US-friendly online casinos can be a more tedious, and quite frankly, uncertain process. Since there are no regulations specifically protecting U.S. bettors, there isn't as much recourse for players to take if a dispute or denied payment is to arise. The good news is that word gets around very fast on the internet. Therefore, if a player can't make an online casino pay legitimate winnings, a player can post the complaint on any number of gambling forums that exist for this sole purpose. Needless to say, casinos that repeatedly engage in this type of behavior will either go out of business or be forced to rebrand and start over...hopefully having learned a lesson.

That said, online gambling forums are U.S. bettors best friends. Word of mouth is the most powerful ally that any gambler can have, so be sure to make use of this valuable resource. And, of course, there are independent review sites such as OCNet. While the playing field is slightly different in determining the trustworthiness of a U.S. facing online casino, the factors that we use in rating which USA casinos are the best of the lot, remain the same. In terms of the "givens", all US online casinos should hold minimum licensing and software credentials. They are as follows:

Licensing/Regulation: Of the best active regulatory jurisdictions (UK, Gibraltar, Malta, Alderney, Isle of Man), none will permit their license holders to do business with U.S. residents. However, the jurisdictions of Kahnawake, Antigua and Barbuda and Netherlands, Antilles - all respectable licensors in their own right - are all known to be home for many a reputable online casino. While it's true that these jurisdictions could stand to exercise more transparency and foster player relations, improvements have steadily been made over the years. All of the aforementioned now have direct channels for player communications, while more stringent standards to identify active license holders are now being incorporated.

Software: Before the passing of the UIGEA, top tier software platforms, such as Microgaming, Playtech and Cryptologic, dominated the U.S. online gambling market. With these software developers having dropped out of the US market - adopting a no-US policy and prohibiting online casino licensees to do business with U.S. residents - practically all of the traffic at US online casinos currently comes through Real Time Gaming, Vegas Technology, and to a lesser extent - Rival Gaming and Top Game. This could very well change as regulatory laws become more liberalized. However, in the mean time, approved USA casinos must be looked at on a case-by-case basis, especially with software platforms that do not impose ongoing due diligence on license holders or those that permit white labeling, which is when a software platform provides centralized support for a casino licensee. For example, since Real Time Gaming only acts as a software provider, many of their licensees do not hold proper regulatory credentials to ensure a safe bet. Rival Gaming will act as a white label software platform, however, many blunders have befallen on Rival's leading white label licensor operating through a number of online casino brands. That doesn't mean all Rival and RTG casinos fall into this category - there are some truly worthy of your business. That's precisely what we look for in searching out the best USA online casinos to wager at.

Understandably, with software and licensing credentials being met, there simply isn't as comprehensive a selection of US online casinos to play at compared to Europe or before the passing of the UIGEA. In effect, that makes it easier to sort out the best from the mediocre, i.e., those online casinos offering a generous and term-friendly welcome bonus, comprehensive promotions package, monthly tournament schedule, and of course, exceptional customer service.

Speed of payouts is another major factor to consider - even more so than non-US facing betting sites - as it is common experience for US sites to face payment processing setbacks, often manifesting in delayed payouts. This is an ongoing thing that should be monitored, for as the U.S. internet betting landscape changes by the hour, payment difficulties can be incurred by online casinos on any given day. Those US casinos demonstrating the most consistency in delivering payouts when promised within a reasonable time frame (two weeks) are obviously more deserving of the best title.

On a side note, for all U.S. residents reading this, please note that gambling laws pertaining to the internet will vary from state to state. U.S. casino policies will also vary. Some US casinos do not prohibit any US citizens whatsoever, while others may prohibit residents in select states. In general, the State's more commonly imposed with restrictions currently are (in no particular order): Washington, Michigan, Missouri, New York, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada and Illinois, although this could very well change soon for New Jersey and Nevada - both of which are exploring options to legalizing online casinos for us players. Kentucky has been at the front of some controversy, however, this has not proven successful at the current time. Kentucky is currently attempting to seize the domains of several respected gaming sites known to do business with Kentucky citizens.

After careful review we have listed our top USA online casino picks below. This top 10 list is made up of the highest quality online casinos that have proven to offer fair odds, knowledgeable, friendly support teams and on time payouts.