Best Real Money Gambling Sites In The USA
Is It Legal To Gamble Online For Real Money?
Real money gambling in the United States is legal throughout the country through the use of international gambling companies such as Bovada, Ignition, and BetOnline. These sites can take players for online gambling in the USA because of their foreign statuses based on laws at the federal level that trump state legislative status. International businesses are allowed to have customers throughout the USA, with offshore sportsbooks, casinos, poker rooms, and horse racing sites no different. Licensing is the lone requirement for international websites to operate in the US, with each of the gambling sites on this page governed and sanctioned in their home countries with those licenses for consumer protection.
Gambling For Real Money Online vs. Land-Based Gambling
Convenience
Gambling online laps land-based gambling in terms of convenience for players. With online gambling platforms, players can bet from anywhere using computers, phones and tablets, and they can begin real money online gambling instantly. Land-based gambling retailers (primarily casinos), conversely, often require consumers to drive a great distance. Players at land-based gambling outlets also must work through a physical dealer or bookie, which slows the game down and introduces a human element that can often work against players’ odds.
Variety of Options
The truth is that real money gambling sites offer more options for betting than brick-and-mortar retailers can. Retail gambling operators are limited by both high operating costs and a smaller consumer base, which means they can only afford to offer types of gambling that draw the highest volume of players. Online gambling both has a larger player base and cheaper operating costs and more developed infrastructure. This allows online gambling platforms to offer things that a brick-and-mortar retailer never could, like the ability to bet on virtual camel racing or five thousand different slot machines.
Consumer Choice
Ideally, gamblers will weigh the pros and cons of both real money online gambling and land-based gambling to determine the best option for their own needs. But when strictly comparing the two as separate entities, online gambling wins out in terms of choice. There are dozens of major online gambling platforms that are available to anyone at any time. Most states only have a handful of land-based casinos, and consumer access can be limited by distance.
Atmosphere
While real money online gambling is certainly fun, and there’s something to be said about being able to play with your friends from anywhere in the world, land-based gambling still boasts a better atmosphere. Casinos are explicitly designed to get consumers to spend as much time and money there as possible, and thus offer an engaging, pleasant experience for visitors.
Promotions
This one is a tie, so it all depends on personal preference. Online gambling platforms offer an impressive array of promotions focusing on matching player deposits, so they are a great choice for bettors looking to maximize their returns from real money online gambling. Land-based gambling operators, on the other hand, focus their promotions and rewards on maximizing the quality of experience. High volume bettors will enjoy things like free drinks, restaurant vouchers, and complimentary hotel upgrades.
Odds
If there are any differences in odds and payouts for different gambling activities, real money online gambling platforms will almost always offer the superior odds. Advanced algorithms for games like blackjack and roulette can drastically reduce the dealer advantage inherent at casinos, and the sheer number of players means that online gambling platforms can make more money despite smaller profit margins. The sheer scale of the online gambling industry allows it to simply dwarf what physical retailers can offer.
Online Gambling Revenues
It is tricky to determine exactly how much money is wagered and earned through online gambling, as there is no standardized process for reporting finances. Some states release extensive weekly or monthly gambling reports that go into exhaustive detail and differentiate between different types of gambling. Others only report the bare minimum of information, or don’t specify whether money was wagered online or not. And some states don’t report gambling revenues at all.
An even larger problem is that real money online gambling platforms based outside of the United States aren’t under any legal obligation to publicly share financial data. Because of this, all we have are rough estimates of the size of both the total and online gambling industries. These estimates are staggeringly huge. The overall sports gambling business is estimated at $150 billion annually, with only a small amount of that moving through state-licensed casinos. A large chunk of that $150 billion is bet peer-to-peer, but online sports betting likely accounts for the majority of it. Overall, online gambling is an industry worth at least several hundred billion dollars annually.
Real Money Gambling Sites
Players looking to gamble online have no shortage of choice. There are dozens of major websites that each handle anywhere from tens of thousands to tens of millions of players every year. It is important for gamblers to choose online gambling destinations that offer good customer service, intuitive interfaces, convenience, fast deposit and payout times, and high-quality options for whatever type of gambling you prefer. To ensure that consumers have all the tools they need to make smart, informed decisions, we offer comprehensive online gambling reviews to cover different online gambling platforms. These reviews cover all the aforementioned categories of quality and more. While individual website reviews offer a more thorough rundown, here are some recommendations for different types of gamblers.
Poker
Real money online poker was the first version of gambling that became prevalent in the United States back in the 1990s, with the US gambling sites for poker only improving since. There are now private poker rooms, large tournaments, and impressive real money poker bonuses available at many sites. Ignition Casino is likely the best real money online poker site in the United States, with Bovada a close second.
- Best Real Money Poker Site: Ignition
- Important Poker Site Features: Gaming Selection, Tournaments, Anonymous Tables, and Bonuses
Blackjack
Online real money blackjack is now a staple at nearly every reputable online casino in the US. Blackjack gambling sites have effectively established a baseline of competence that includes live dealer bj, automated blackjack, and 3:2 payouts for real money games. Any real money blackjack site that does not fulfill those three basic requirements should likely be avoided, with players instead going to Bovada instead.
- Best Real Money Blackjack Site: Bovada
- Important Blackjack Site Features: Live Dealer, Many different automated BJ Games, 3:2 Payouts, and Fast Hands
Slots
The staple of online casinos, real money slots in the USA are incredibly common and popular. Players now have hundreds of slot games at online casinos to choose from, with many sites making it easy to experience them all with slot bonuses. Online slot sites in the US will offer many different types of slots, with categories such as progressive slots and hot drop jackpots consistently among the most popular. Each category of online slots can be played for real money regardless of the number of reels or pay lines. The best real money slot site in the US is Slots LV, where players will notice how the singular dedication to slots gives players the best overall product.
- Best Real Money Slot Site: Slots LV
- Important Slot Site Features: Variety of Slot Games, Large Jackpots, Multiple types of Slots (i.e. pay lines and reels), and Slots Bonuses
Casino Games
Real Money Casino Games
A big focus in the age of online gambling has been on finding a way to accurately recreate the classic casino experience in a virtual setting. Algorithms have gotten advanced enough that it is a simple matter to accurately recreate popular casino games from the perspective of proper probability distribution, and animation has advanced to the point that it’s possible to create accurate visual representations of popular casino games, but the only hope to fully match the in-casino experience is likely with virtual reality. Some nerd is undoubtedly working on that as we speak, but for now, your enjoyment of online casino games will rely on their thrill of the game itself rather than on atmosphere or experience.
Slots
Online slots are some of the most diverse real money online gambling games available. They all run on the same basic randomization algorithm, but that algorithm has so many different permutations and cosmetic changes to it that it’s possible to easily design thousands of different online slot machines that all look, sound, and perform differently from one another. Most slot players consider player choice to be important, so online slots are a great option.
Craps
Craps is a dice game that involves a series of dice rolls onto a table with different areas of the table being assigned different point values. Because the player is the one who rolls the dice, this is one of the absolute hardest games to recreate in a virtual environment. No matter how many advanced physics simulation techniques you use, nobody will ever be satisfied with the results of a computer-driven dice roll. Virtual reality and special tactile virtual gloves have some potential to improve the online craps experience, but for now, this is one of the less popular online casino games.
Roulette
Like craps, the physical element of roulette is hard to duplicate, but unlike craps, said physical element isn’t initiated by the bettor in roulette, so it isn’t as essential to the experience. In roulette, a dealer rolls a small ball into a spinning wheel with 38 different numbers. Players bet on a variety of factors such as which number the ball will land on or what color the number will be. 18 numbers are black, 18 are red, and two are green. The safest way to bet on roulette is by picking a color, but a lucky roll on a number bet can result in a huge win.
Keno
Keno is played on a board with 80 numbers. Players select up to 20 numbers of their own, and then the house draws 20 numbers at random. Player payouts are based on the likelihood of the number of matches they get. Payouts vary depending on the casino and which keno board they use. Online keno is actually an extremely true-to-life experience because normal keno is already essentially just a randomization algorithm. Before playing online keno, check through the rules of whatever table you are playing at to ensure that you are giving yourself the best possible expected payout.
Video Poker
Video poker is like a combination of traditional poker and a slot machine. Like traditional poker, the object for video poker players is to build the best possible five-card hand, but unlike real poker, there are no competing players at the table. Instead, players are dealt five random cards and have the option to discard a set number of these cards. When players lock in their hand, they are awarded a payout based on the rarity of said hand. The development of online gambling has made video poker available to players of all levels of expertise all over the world.
Baccarat
Baccarat is similar to blackjack in that a player goes head-to-head against a dealer (called a banker), but rather than reaching a total of 21, the object of baccarat is to reach a hand value total of either 8 or 9. Hand totals in baccarat are only counted by the last digit, meaning that a total value of 19 counts as a value of 9. Baccarat has a complicated set of rules regarding when both the player and the banker must or must not draw cards, but computers simplify and streamline the game so that anyone can pick it up.
Real Money Mobile Sportsbooks And Casinos
In the modern online gambling community, having an excellent mobile sportsbook and casino at your disposal is vital. Mobile gambling options come in two forms: apps and mobile-compatible websites. Players will find that gambling companies based in the United States require players to download their apps and sometimes even a second geolocation app. Those apps are fine, but the slow download speeds and the storage space they take up on players’ phones make them a worse option than real money sportsbooks and casinos that allow players to simply play via a web browser. Those fully functional mobile sportsbooks and casinos are extensions of all the top-rated sites, meaning players never have to relearn how to use the site. Mobile-compatible real money sportsbooks and casinos can be accessed through all the top mobile internet browsers.
Real Money Live Dealer Casinos
Online real money live dealer casinos in the United States give players the option to get the in-person casino feel without ever having to make the trek to the closest retail casino. Live dealer casino sites offer a full variety of gambling options, with players most commonly given the option to play blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. Similar to the process of choosing the best site for automated versions of each game, players signing up for a real money live dealer gambling site should look for fast payouts, fair gaming odds, and many different versions of the game that are looking to play. Keep in mind that real money live dealer sites in the US do not have an unlimited number of seats at each table, so having multiple live dealers 24/7 is a must-have for all gamblers online.
Best Real Money Casino Sites
Arguably the most popular form of gambling in the United States, real money online casinos offer Americans fun casino gaming options that could lead to big wins. These online casinos have slots, table games, and live dealer sections that are all very popular. Players have many options when considering online casinos, with some players looking for top-rated overall casinos, or casinos with great individual sections. Through our research, the best overall casino sites and the best-dedicated sections for online casinos are listed below.
Best USA Online Casinos
Online Sportsbooks
Real Money Online Sportsbooks
Sports betting sites for real money in the United States are now available at the state level and through leading international online sportsbooks for US players. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of online sportsbooks for real money in the United States, with players wise to go with the most trusted brands in the industry. Whether it is Bovada or BetOnline, players will find more odds and better bonuses no matter the sport that they are looking to get some money on.
Most Popular Sports To Bet On
The most popular sports in the United States are football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Generally speaking, these are also the largest markets for sports betting, although major boxing and mixed martial arts fights can routinely draw hundreds of millions of dollars in bets. Popular sports can vary widely by region, which means that brick-and-mortar sportsbooks often boast a much more limited selection of betting events than online sportsbooks, which have much larger and more varied consumer bases. Generally speaking, you can bet on just about any sporting league in the world online, which makes it the superior option for diehard sports fans.
Betting On The NFL For Real Money
The NFL is the most bet-on sport in the country, and online sportsbooks offer fans the best NFL gambling experience. Options include spread, money line, over/under, futures, teasers, props, and more. The Super Bowl is the single biggest sports betting day of the year, with an annual handle reaching into the billions.
Betting On The NBA For Real Money
With every team playing 82 regular-season games, and a huge emphasis on individual performance that can actually be accurately predicted from night to night, the NBA is the ideal sport for betting hobbyists. Options for NBA gambling include spread, money line, over/under, futures teasers, props, and more.
Betting On The MLB For Real Money
Baseball popularized advanced sports analytics, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s also the sport with the smartest sports bettors. With every team playing 162 games, there are numerous MLB gambling opportunities for observant bettors to find a decisive edge.
Betting On NCAA Sports For Real Money
While there are some restrictions on betting on college sports in many states with legal domestic sports betting, online bettors are free to gamble on college football and basketball for every game. Although basketball and football are by far the most popular sports, baseball, softball, and hockey all have their own niche following. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is the second most popular sports betting event of the year, after the Super Bowl.
Betting On The NHL For Real Money
Hockey’s growth in popularity has been slow, largely due to a lack of American media coverage and high barriers to entry for youth players. Still, in areas with an NHL franchise, hockey betting is immensely popular. Options for betting on NHL games include spread, money line, over/under/ teasers, props, and more.
Betting On Boxing For Real Cash Money
While the popularity of boxing in America has fallen drastically, it is still an immensely popular sport for bettors, as evidenced by the frequency of Vegas-hosted title fights. Most boxing bets are placed on marquee title fights, but there is still a market for smaller fights as well. Options for betting on boxing are primarily money line and prop bets regarding how many rounds a fight will last, when it will end, etc.
Betting On Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
The most popular organizing body for MMA is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Betting on MMA fights is similar to betting on boxing in that only the marquee fights really draw a large volume of bettors. But that hasn’t stopped the UFC from capitalizing on the popularity of sports betting with Vegas-centric partnership deals.
Betting On Tennis For Real Money
Betting on tennis is generally more popular in other countries, but American stars like John Isner and Serena Williams draw a healthy share of business when they play in major tournaments. The most popular bet types at tennis gambling sites are the spread, money line, over/under, futures, and props. Live tennis bets are also immensely popular in tennis.
Betting On Golf For Real Money
Golf betting has found a niche with older American bettors despite being infamously hard to predict. In 2019, for instance, Irish golfer Rory McIlroy failed to even qualify for the Open Championship despite being the overall favorite to win. Popular golf betting options include moneyline, futures, props, and live betting. Golf sportsbooks in the US now also offer head-to-head matchups for big tournaments.
Best Real Money Sportsbooks
If you want to bet on any of the aforementioned sports above, or even any sports that aren’t listed above, there are online sportsbook options for you. You are encouraged to do your research to ensure that your sportsbook of choice meets your needs, but it’s hard to go wrong with some of the most trusted brands in the industry.
Best Online Sportsbooks
Poker Sites
Real Money Poker Sites
Online poker surpassed physical poker in popularity years ago, largely because of how convenient and easy to pick up it is. Online poker offers players an intuitive interface that helps make it just as accessible to inexperienced players as it is to experts. Real money poker still does have some elements that might appeal to some players, the biggest of which is the emphasis on controlling and reading body language as it correlates to opponent tendencies. But for many people, the fact that they don’t have to control their body language and reactions is a selling point, not a drawback. Adding to the appeal is the ability to play both with friends and with other players around the world without leaving your home.
Texas Hold ’Em
Hold ’Em is the most popular variant of poker. Players are each dealt two cards and look to build the best popular hand using their two cards plus three of five community cards that are laid out on the table.
Omaha
Similar to Texas Hold ‘Em, except each player is dealt four cards and must build an ideal five-card hand using two of their own cards plus three cards from the community cards.
Stud
A variant of poker in which every player is dealt two cards, one face up and once face down. After each round of betting, each player is dealt another card face up. When all rounds of betting are finished, all remaining players flip up their initial face down card and the highest-ranked five-card hand wins.
Draw Poker
All players are dealt a five-card hand and must improve this hand by replacing cards in each betting round. The best five-card hand at the end of the betting wins the pot.
Hi/Lo
Hi/Lo is a modifier that can be added to any variation of poker. Essentially, hi/lo makes it so that every round can produce two potentially winning hands—the highest value hand and the hand with the lowest “high card”. In other words, whichever player’s highest individual card value is the lowest.
Every online poker room is going to be different, so the best one will always be a matter of personal opinion. Still, there are some universal standards that all poker platforms should aspire to, including a quality user interface, smooth gameplay experience, and simple deposit and withdrawal options.
Best Online Poker Sites That Accept US Players
Horse Betting
Real Money Horse Betting Sites
There are few things more American than horse racing, with real money horse racing sites making it possible for players across the country to get in on the pastime. Horse racing sites in the US like Bovada and BetOnline offer odds for nearly all graded stakes around the world, meaning players always have a chance to bet on the ponies. There are standard betting options like win/place/show wagers available at every real money horse racing site, with key secondary options like specialty wagers separating the options below from lesser real money racebooks in the country.
Best Real Money Horse Betting Sites
If you aren’t able to make it out to a track to watch a race live, rest assured that there are online options for you to bet on races. Primary considerations fans should focus on when picking an online horse betting site are the favorability of the odds, payout times, and the quality of information available to bettors (e.g., the weather forecast at race time, horse physiology and record in past races, etc.) The best sites for online horse betting are:
Best Online Racebooks
Daily Fantasy Sports
Real Money Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports were a transformative innovation for the sports betting industry. In effect, daily fantasy allow players to play fantasy football, baseball, soccer, etc., while only getting locked into their roster for a day or a week, rather than an entire season. This margin for error has proven hugely popular with players, with startup companies like DraftKings and FanDuel transforming into sports betting titans overnight. While they have since expanded into traditional sports betting, those two companies are still the top daily fantasy sports sites in the US. There have also been a slew of copycats with mixed results.
What separates daily fantasy sports from traditional fantasy sports?
Both daily fantasy sports and traditional fantasy sports have some similarities in common, but there are also some key differences between the two types of fantasy sports betting.
Daily Fantasy
Traditional Fantasy
Traditional fantasy sports are great for fans who want to enjoy themselves and feel like they are managing an actual roster, but for those who want to play and win faster, traditional fantasy can’t compare to daily. Here are some of the best and most trusted daily fantasy sites:
DraftKings
The most valuable and most-used daily fantasy website, with a player base in the millions of big-money tournaments nearly every day of the week.
FanDuel
The 1-b operator in the online daily fantasy sports world. They offer championships where players can win up to $1 million and other prizes.
eSports Sites
Real Money eSports Sites
Esports are a relatively new phenomenon, tracing their roots back to the original Starcraft in South Korea in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In recent years, they have exploded in popularity in conjunction with the rise of internet streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Games like Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and League of Legends helped eSports cross the Pacific and find popularity among American consumers. As with any popular sport in America, eSports betting sites offer a slew of options for bettors. Some of the most popular games in eSports are:
Most online sportsbooks now offer dedicated eSports betting options, but fans will still want to do research to ensure that they are getting the best odds, the fastest payouts, and the most complete betting options possible. The best eSports betting websites are:
Bingo Sites
Real Money Bingo Sites
Bingo is one of the most accessible and popular forms of gambling, owing largely to the fact that anyone can play it. There are numerous different variations of bingo, but they all have the same basic structure. Players fill out spaces on a board or a card with a combination of letters and numbers. There are five letters to choose from (B-I-N-G-O) and 75 numbers for each letter. A central moderator pulls letters and numbers at random and players fill out any corresponding spaces on their board. The first player to fill five spaces in a row wins the game.
There are both free and paid options for real money online bingo, and many websites offer interesting variations on traditional American bingo, including the 90-ball English variant. Bingo is extremely conducive to online play because of the fact that it relies on randomized results that don’t involve physical action from players. Many different sites offer bingo, but it is still important for players to do some research about the quality of available options as well as accessibility, payout times, etc. These are some of the best available bingo sites:
Online Gambling For Money vs. Playing For Free
Gambling for real money and playing for free is going to provide vastly different experiences for players. That isn’t to say that either one is better than the other, just that they are different. Real money online gambling is generally going to be a more built-up and intuitive experience because it is more profitable for companies. The risk-reward aspect also heightens the experience of playing for real money. Conversely, playing at free online gambling sites does not offer the same adrenaline-fueled experience of risk versus reward, but it can be a more relaxing way of passing the time without stressing over the potential to lose money.
The primary concern for most real-money bettors is their financial security. The safety and convenience of deposit methods is probably the single biggest barrier to most players looking to gamble with real money for the first time, while player-friendly promotions and bonuses can help entice new players.
- Deposits
- Most modern online gambling deposits are made either using a traditional credit or debit card or through a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Cyrptocurrency is an easy-to-use and completely untraceable currency that has become the gold standard of both convenience and security for both players and gambling websites.
- Deposit Bonuses
- When the quality of offerings is universally high, deposit bonuses can be an important deciding factor for players trying to determine where to bet. Most deposit bonuses offer to match a portion of player deposits, provided certain conditions are met.
- Account Creation
- Some websites offering free play will require players to create an account before they can play. This doesn’t mean that the website is unsecure, but it does generally mean that they are trying to funnel you into a real money game.
- Free/Real Money Websites
- Websites that offer both free and real-money versions of their games are a great learning tool. Players can get to understand the system before risking real money on it. For smart bettors who never risk money when they’re at an informational deficit, this is invaluable.
Mistakes To Avoid When Gambling For Real Money
If your just starting out with real money online gambling, take note of our top mistakes to avoid so your experience can be as enjoyable and profitable as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Real Money Online Gambling
Are Real Money Gambling Sites Legit? Can I Win Money?
Yes, real money gambling websites are completely legitimate, and if you couldn’t win money, they’d hardly be worth writing about. Odds and payouts will vary based on which forms of gambling you prefer, but as long as you choose a reputable website, legitimacy shouldn’t be a concern.
How Much Money Can I Win?
That depends on how much you wager and what type of gambling you prefer. With some low-risk bets, your payout will only be a small fraction of what you risk. For high-risk bets, payouts might be many times greater than your bet. There is a strong positive correlation between how risky a bet is and how much it pays.
Will I Have To Pay Taxes On My Winnings?
Yes, gambling winnings are considered taxable income and must be reported on your tax return. It is also worth noting that gambling losses are deductible to the same point as your winnings. In order to deduct gambling losses, you will need to file for an itemized deduction. Losses must be thoroughly documented in order to be deducted.
How Old Do I Need To Be To Gamble Online?
Every state has its own rules about how old players must be to gamble with a domestically hosted online gambling platform, but for websites based outside of the United States, the only requirement is that players be at least 18 years old. In individual states, age requirements range from 18 to 21 years old.
Can I Try Online Gambling Sites For Free?
Yes, some real money gambling sites offer free play options to help players get acquainted and comfortable with their systems and games. Many websites even give players a free currency to more accurately simulate the traditional gambling experience. Players should be warned that some games, like poker, fundamentally change when there is nothing at stake, and that the free experience isn’t always representative of real money gambling.