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Best gambling sites for 2020

The best online gambling sites are legal and regulated sites. Here’s a look at the top legal and regulated online gambling sites in the US and where they are currently available:

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  • NitrogenSports is a 100% anonymous bitcoin sportsbook & casino. I’ve had an account for a couple months now and have had multiple successful deposits & withdrawals. Any site that claims to be US friendly that DOESN’T process their deposits/withdrawals through bitcoin is going to have a higher level of risk associated with it.
  • This is one of the reasons licensed online gambling sites have done financially worse than expected. Only existing brick & mortar casino owners within those states can apply for licenses, although they can apply together with an existing online gambling site in a software-licensing agreement, like Caesar’s Interactive and 888.com have done.
  • Our top-rated US gambling sites offer everything under one roof, making it even easier to bet on sports and play online casino games. Whether you have a penchant for slots, a romance with roulette, or a love of blackjack, you can find all the games you love neatly categorized and readily available to play.

The United States is a unique market in the world of online gambling. Americans place more real money bets than any other group, but US citizens are also subject to a complex and confusing legal system. The good news is that there are many gambling sites out there that cater specifically to American gamblers.

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When it comes to online gambling in the US, you have a choice. You can play with legal and regulated online gambling sites where your money and personal information are guaranteed to be safe and secure.

State government bodies regulate and license these online gambling sites and ensure you have somewhere to turn if something goes wrong. Plus, part of the revenue these online gambling sites generate is paid in taxes to the state and earmarked for important things like major infrastructure projects and education.

Of course, you can also play with illegal offshore online gambling sites where you’ll be risking your hard-earned money, have no recourse if something goes awry and the profits are hoarded by billionaire scofflaws with no ties to the US.

The list below gives you an overview of the top 10 sites in the US, most of which offer sports betting and casino games.

Top 10 legal US gambling sites

RankSportsbook & CasinoLegal StatesBonus OfferGet Your Bonus
1.Unibet CasinoPA, NJ$500 MatchGet Bonus!
2.BetMGM CasinoNJ, WV$500 MatchGet Bonus!
3.PlaySugarhouse CasinoNJ, PA$250 MatchGet Bonus!
4.DraftKings CasinoNJ, PA, WV$35 FreeGet Bonus!
5.Hollywood Online CasinoPA$502 MatchGet Bonus!
6.Golden Nugget CasinoNJ$1,500 MatchGet Bonus!
7.Tropicana CasinoNJ$100 MatchGet Bonus!
8.LuckyLand SlotsAll US (except WA)Get A $10 Gold Coin Package for $4.99Get Bonus!
9.Chumba CasinoAll US (except WA)Get A $30 Gold Coin Package for $10Get Bonus!
10.FunzPointsAll US (except WA)$20 MatchGet Bonus!

The importance of reading gambling site reviews

Reviews of legal and licensed online casinos, online poker sites and online sportsbooks will tell you what these online gambling sites have to offer. Our reviews are created by real people who gamble online and write about online gambling for a living. They can help you make the right decision when it comes to which online gambling site is best for you.

You won’t find reviews for shady offshore gambling sites here. Promoting illegal offshore gambling sites is irresponsible. Legal and regulated gambling sites are the only online gambling sites operating under US law, delivering real consumer protection and keeping your money and personal information safe and secure. As a result, they are the only online gambling sites we promote.

Here’s a few words about some of the top legal and regulated online gambling sites in the country, including a link to our full review:

  • BetMGM Casino: An integrated online casino, online poker site and online sportsbook, where legally available, from one of the biggest and most trusted names in the US casino and gambling industry.
  • FanDuel Casino: One of the top brands in daily fantasy sports has branched out into online sports betting and online casino gambling where it legally can.
  • DraftKings Casino: The daily fantasy sports market leader has also moved into online sports betting and online casino gaming where it legally can.
  • Golden Nugget Casino: An integrated online casino and online sportsbook, where legally available, promising the largest game library in most markets from a trusted name in US gambling.
  • PokerStars Casino: An integrated online poker and online casino site with ties to a partner online sportsbook, where legally available, from the worldwide leader in online poker.
  • Caesars Casino: An integrated online casino, online poker site and online sportsbook, where legally available, from one of the biggest and most trusted names in the US casino and gambling industry.
  • William Hill Casino: The largest retail sportsbook operator in the country has launched online sports betting and online casino gambling where it legally can.

Where is online gambling legal?

Certain forms of online gambling are legal in the states that have passed laws making it so. Here’s a look at states with poker, sports betting and legal casino gambling:

  • New Jersey: New Jersey has legal and regulated online casinos (2013), online poker sites (2013), and online and mobile sportsbooks (2018). It is the largest regulated online gambling market in the country right now, generating hundreds of millions in revenue annually.
  • Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania has legal and regulated online casinos (2019), online poker sites (2019), and online and mobile sportsbooks (2019). The regulated online gambling market is much smaller than it is next door in New Jersey, partly due to higher tax rates.
  • Delaware: Delaware has legal and regulated online casinos (2013), online poker sites (2013), and online and mobile sportsbooks (2018).
  • Michigan: Michigan is planning to launch the state’s first legal and regulated online casinos, online poker sites, and online and mobile sportsbooks by the end of 2020.
  • West Virginia: West Virginia has legal and regulated online casinos (2020) and online and mobile sportsbooks (2018). Online poker is expected to launch in 2021.

Here’s a look at states with legal sports gambling only:

  • Colorado: Colorado has online and mobile sportsbooks (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Illinois: Illinois has online and mobile sportsbooks (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Tennessee: Tennessee has online and mobile sportsbooks (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Indiana: Indiana has online and mobile sportsbooks (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Iowa: Iowa has online and mobile sportsbooks (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • New Hampshire: New Hampshire has an online and mobile sportsbook (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Oregon: Oregon has a sportsbook app (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Rhode Island: Rhode Island has an online and mobile sportsbook (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Montana: Montana has a sportsbook app (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
  • Washington, D.C.: Washington, D.C., has an online and mobile sportsbook (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.

Nevada is the only state with both online poker and sports betting.

  • Nevada: Nevada has legal and regulated online poker sites (2013) and online and mobile sportsbooks (2010). However, there are no current plans for online casinos.

Gambling sites by category

Here’s a look at the different kinds of online gambling available across the country:

  • Online casinos: Legal and regulated online gambling sites offering online casino games and online slots.
  • Online slots: Online versions of the slot machines you find in land-based casinos across the US and some exclusive-to-online-casino slots.
  • Online poker: Online peer-to-peer poker games, including tournaments and cash games featuring various poker variants like Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
  • Sports betting: Single-game sports wagering on a variety of pro and college-level sports from around the world.
  • Real money sites: Online gambling sites that allow you to play online casino games, online slots or online poker, or bet on sports, with real money.
  • Online gambling apps: Apps that allow you to play online casino games, online slots or online poker, or bet on sports, on your mobile device with real money.

How to find the best gambling site for you

We can’t tell you which is the best online gambling site for you. That’s a personal decision you’ll need to make based on what’s important to you. What we can do is point out certain factors we think you should consider when making this decision:

Gambling apps

This is an emerging factor in separating great online gambling sites from good ones as more and more Americans enjoy the freedom of gambling with mobile devices. Some casino, poker and sportsbook apps are smaller versions of what’s available through desktop browsers. Others are just as robust.

Ask yourself if you want to play with your smartphone or tablet. This will help you determine how important the quality of the online gambling site’s app is to you.

Casino payouts

Legal and regulated online gambling sites have to pay out winnings quickly and accurately in accordance with operating rules mandated by regulators. This is one of the great benefits of regulated online gambling, and payouts typically happen within 24 to 48 hours.

What separates great online gambling sites from good ones in this category is the availability of a variety of banking options. Some have more than others, and that makes them a better bet to have one that works for you.

Game library

Good online gambling sites have a decent selection of games or betting markets. Great online gambling sites have a huge selection of hundreds of games and betting markets. Good online gambling sites may have what you want. Great online gambling sites pretty much guarantee it.

Bonus offers

Pretty much every legal and regulated US gambling site in the country offers you some kind of bonus for signing up for an account, making a deposit or being loyal to the brand. What separates great sites from good ones in this category is the size of these bonuses and how easy it will be to meet any gambling requirements attached.

Obviously, the bigger and easier, the better.

Customer support

If you go through your entire existence on this earth and never have to contact an online gambling site’s customer support team, you’ll have lived a happy life.

That said, issues may arise, and while good online gambling sites have accessible and functional customer support, great online gambling sites go the extra mile to make sure you continue to enjoy a happy life even if you have to contact them.

Real money gambling vs. free-to-play sites

You have another choice when it comes to online gambling in the US. You can choose to play free online casino games and online poker through various social media and free-play apps. Unfortunately, you won’t win anything real.

In other words, you can have a ton of fun playing these online casino and online poker games, but you aren’t going to win any real money.

Legal and regulated online casinos, online poker sites, online sportsbooks, and sweepstakes casinos and poker sites are the only ways to win real money gambling online.

There is usually some risk involved, but without the risk, there is no reward. The games are equally as fun, but with legal and regulated online gambling sites and sweepstakes operators, there’s real money on the line.

Of course, you can also get started with most legal and regulated online casinos, online poker sites, online sportsbooks, and sweepstakes casinos and poker sites for free.

Take advantage of the many bonuses legal and regulated online gambling sites offer, and sweepstakes laws, and you can win real money without the risk.

How to gamble online safely in the US

Gambling online safely in the US is about leaning on regulation. The states that have legal and regulated online gambling guarantee the safety of your money and personal information when you gamble with licensed online gambling sites.

In other words, you’re only gambling safely when you’re gambling with online casinos, online poker sites and online sportsbooks licensed by the states in which they are operating.

Why trust our reviews?

You can trust OnlineGamblingSites.com for several reasons.

We only promote legal and regulated real money gambling sites operating on US soil. That means every real money online casino, online sportsbook and online poker site we write about is licensed by a state with legal online gambling.

In other words, if you can trust the state government, you can trust the information about the online casinos, online sportsbooks, and online poker sites you find on OnlineGamblingSites.com.

We also write about sweepstakes casinos, sweepstakes slot parlors, and sweepstakes poker sites that operate under US sweepstakes laws. If that ever changes, so will OnlineGamblingSites.com.

Legal and regulated real money gambling sites are the only online gambling sites licensed by state governments, operating under US law, offering real consumer protection, and guaranteeing your money and personal information are safe and secure.

These factors make these the only online gambling sites you can really trust. The fact we promote only these sites is why you can trust us.

You want a safe place to gamble online — an online casino, sportsbook or poker site licensed by a state government that guarantees your safety and privacy.

We want to point you in that direction and let you decide what online gambling options are best for you.

Skip the Headaches and Play at a Legitimate Site

You’re looking for a legitimate U.S. gambling site, but can’t decide which site to trust with your hard-earned money?

Good news! We’ve been in the online gambling industry for over a decade (several decades, really, if you add all of our experience together), and we’ve spent countless hours to bring you a list of the most legitimate sites.

Here’s what all of these sites have in common:

  • 10+ years in the business with strong reputations.
  • Attractive promotions for first-time customers.
  • Quick money withdrawals (relative to the U.S. market).
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  • Great user experience
  • Lots of casino games
  • Strong welcome bonus
200% up to €500
  • Eight Figures of Jackpots
  • Fast and Safe Payouts
  • Generous Bonuses Available
100% up to €400
  • Top of the line games
  • Good weekly promotions and bonuses
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100% up to €300
  • Casino games and sports betting
  • Excellent bonuses and promotions
  • 100% deposit bonus offer
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  • Lots of options to choose from
  • Strong bonuses and promotions
  • 100% welcome bonus

Why Bovada Is #1 in the U.S.

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#1: Fastest Check Cashouts

Online

Bovada gets 10 times as much traffic as its second best US competitor and still delivers check payouts faster than any of them. Bovada processes check withdrawals in 7 days; many of its competitors take weeks, some more than a month to do the same. (There are other fast options, like the #3-ranked BetOnline, which delivers checks in 14 days.)

#2: Service

An equally important aspect of Bovada’s operations is its customer service. If there ever was an indication of how much a company respects its customers, it’s the level of customer service the company provides. I haven’t found any US-friendly site doing this aspect of the business better (although 5Dimes is a worthy runner-up).

#3: All-In-One

Finally, all parts of Bovada’s business (sportsbook, casino, poker, racebook) are popular. Bovada is best-known for sports betting and casino games, however, even its online poker room has around four times as many players online as the second biggest US poker site. You can access all of their games with one player account.

… But You Should Know This

Bovada is recreational-friendly, perhaps more-so than any other US site. You’ll find few golden opportunities in their sportsbook (read more about their use of dual lines), they have a relatively high overall house edge (especially after recently increasing house edge in video poker games) and their online poker room only has “anonymous” tables.

Although not everyone agrees with me, the recreational-friendly part is an advantage for skilled poker players. Since Bovada appeals to recreational gamblers, you’ll be like a shark among regular fish.

Bovada charges a 4.9% fee for credit card deposits (a lot considering how most sites charge nothing). The impact of the deposit fee is slightly compensated by their welcome bonuses, which are better than average.

All online gamblers look for entertaining games, attractive promotions and aesthetically pleasing software. To have a safe experience, however, you want a site to:

  1. Serve its customers with safety and respect,
  2. Operate with a reasonable house edge, and
  3. Handle money transactions promptly.

Yes, the third point is included in the first point but it’s also such an essential part of the customer experience that it must be mentioned separately. Many online gambling websites operate without an adequate level of service so these points are worth considering. It’s rare to find a combination of all three points.

Bovada fulfills all of the above criteria better than other sites but 5Dimes does well, too. In fact, I’m confident in ranking those two as the best USA gambling websites specifically because they deliver so well in the areas related to safety and trustworthiness. A site without proper customer service and safety measures is not one you should deposit money to, regardless of its promotions and whatnot.

What Are Some Alternative Options?

For Sports Bettors

5Dimes.eu is the best betting site in the US for the following reasons: they’re professional-friendly and offer reduced juice betting lines (in other words, less house edge). Before betting on any game, I recommend taking a look at the odds 5Dimes is offering. They’ve been a reliable sportsbook for over 10+ years — you’ll find few complaints about 5Dimes online, and the ones you find have been resolved quickly.

For poker and casino games, I would go with Bovada. But for sports bettors, it makes the most sense to have an account at 5Dimes.

Another Solid Option

BetOnline.ag is my third suggestion. It’s not significantly better than the others in any area but they’re simply a solid option. Prompt cashout processing, decent poker traffic, good sports betting options and entertaining casino games. Additionally, I’ve had good experiences with their customer service.

For sports bettors, BetOnline is worth signing-up at simply to be able to compare betting lines among a few sites. For poker players, BetOnline may offer some good games every now and then (keep in mind: you can bet on sports and play casino and poker games with the same account, so plenty of gamblers will stumble on the poker games eventually). For casino gamblers, BetOnline has a basic but reliable offering.

BetOnline charges a 6% fee for credit card deposits.

Is It Legal to Play?

The definition of ”gambling” and the laws surrounding vary depending on which state you live in.

In Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, some forms of online gambling have been legalized and regulated (only state-licensed sites are allowed to operate legally). In other states, it’s likely (although not widely agreed upon) that playing – and certainly operating – online gambling games for real money is illegal.

On a federal level, sports betting is the only form of prohibited gambling via the Wire Act of 1961. For several years, the Department of Justice (DOJ) maintained that the Wire Act applies to all forms of online gambling, but in December 2011, they corrected that stance by stating that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting – a result of a 13-page memorandum from the Office of Legal Counsel to the Criminal Division of the DOJ (source).

State laws, however, often indirectly prohibit gambling. Or to put it another way: it would be difficult to claim any forms of online gambling legal with absolute certainty in most states (lotteries and such aside). Most state laws indirectly prohibit gambling simply by making all forms of gambling unlawful that have not been made lawful.

Purely based on history, it’s unlikely you’ll get into legal trouble; then again, if something is illegal, you can get into trouble, and someone probably will. Gambling online may be illegal where you live. Contact a local gaming lawyer to get a better idea of your local laws.

Legal Troubles

Industry-changing events have taken place in the online gambling world – mainly concerning online poker – such as the UIGEA and Party Poker’s exit from the US market, or PokerStars’ exit from the US market in 2011.

Those crimes were committed by online poker operators, though, not players. Still, the mere fact that online poker companies were targeted was enough to cast a shadow over the legality of US online poker, and furthermore, players grew more and more worried about one of these sites getting shut down along with the money on their player accounts.

In fact, there is a legitimate reason to worry about dishonest US gambling sites taking your money. Some sites have indeed taken off with the money – a recent example is Lock Poker, which currently may owe its customers over $15 million. I created LegitGamblingSites.com mainly to give more exposure to the sites with strong track records of honest business practices.

The lawmakers, in that regard, have a point about not allowing unlicensed sites to provide online gambling games to US citizens. While that may not be the reason, it’s likely one of them. (If I had to guess, I’d say they’re more concerned about losing out on tax dollars and protecting the interests of brick & mortar casino owners such as Sheldon Adelson, although through the RAWA – Restore America’s Wire Act legislation – he tries to do that by himself.)

How to Move Money Around

Ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) became a law, US citizens have had a more difficult time finding a suitable deposit method.

There are only a few left, actually.

The most common deposit method for US citizens is still credit card deposits, out of which VISA is the most widely accepted brand, followed by Mastercard, with American Express being a distant third. Cards must be eligible for both international and online transfers.

The alternative method is to use a money transfer service such as Western Union. Western Union is mostly a deposit-only method. (Bovada is an exception since they only allow you to withdraw money via a check.)

Why to use a money transfer service instead of a credit card?

  • A card deposit fails to go through. This happens every now and then, and the only way to know if your card will be accepted is to try. According to various forum reports, Vanilla VISA is declined at most sites while Netspend VISA has been successful.

    Surprisingly, players have had problems with card deposits even at state-licensed sites due to banks like Bank of America outright declining all gambling transactions. Things will likely get better with the new MCC codes for VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Distant which will help casinos to identify gambling transactions more accurately. It’s unclear how much of a help this will be since banks still have the right to decline transfers marked with the new MCC codes, and due to not wanting to violate the UIGEA (according to which they’re prohibited from knowingly processing unlawful gambling transactions), banks may decide it isn’t worth it and keep cancelling transactions even if they were for state-licensed sites.

    This is expected to change once bigger states – perhaps even the biggest of them all, California – join internet gambling, since declining the transactions will then affect such a large percentage of any bank’s customer base.

  • You want a faster cashout. While money transfer services cost more (many sites, like Bovada, allow one free check cashout a month), the money is usually delivered to be picked up at a local Western Union location in five days or less.
  • You don’t want a check cashout. You need to go to a cashier to cash a check. Most people would rather avoid doing this, especially since banks aren’t allowed to knowingly process online gambling related transactions (unless in Delaware, Nevada or New Jersey, but people have had problems in those states as well).

In general, you’ll have higher transaction costs with money transfer services than with a combination of credit cards and checks. BetOnline and Bovada are the only major USA sites charging for credit card deposits and most allow one free check cashout per month – some, like True Poker, allow a free check withdrawal every seven days.

How to use a credit card/check combination?

  1. Enter your credit card details online after which you have the money on your player account instantly.
  2. When done playing, order a check cashout, which will take from a week to over a month depending on which site you’re dealing with.
  3. Go to your local bank to cash the check.

How to use a money transfer service (like Western Union)?

  1. Go to their website or a live Western Union location and send money to the gambling site. (You’ll need to contact the gambling site first to get their transfer details.)
  2. When done playing, initiate the withdrawal from your player account.
  3. Go to a live location to collect the money.

State-Licensed Sites

As mentioned, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey have legalized and regulated some forms of real-money online gambling. Delaware started with online poker but has since expanded into casino games as well; Nevada offers online poker games only; New Jersey offers online poker and casino games.

As you can see, not a single one of these states offer online sports betting. In New Jersey – clearly the biggest market of the three – there’s a clause according to which sports betting may be considered to be added in the future.

Requirements

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You must be physically located within a state’s boundaries to play at the licensed sites. If you’re currently located in California but live in Nevada, you’re unable to play until you return to Nevada; if you’re currently located in Nevada but live in California, you can play as long as you stay within Nevada’s state boundaries.

Licensed sites have to make sure nobody outside of the state can participate in the games. Geolocation – identifying exactly where a person is located – has been difficult, and there are still people who are unable to play even though they’re located within those states. This is one of the reasons licensed online gambling sites have done financially worse than expected.

Only existing brick & mortar casino owners within those states can apply for licenses, although they can apply together with an existing online gambling site in a software-licensing agreement, like Caesar’s Interactive and 888.com have done. If a poker site kept operating in the US after the UIGEA of 2006, it will be subjected to a ”bad actor” clause in Nevada and be prohibited from operating in the state for now.

Performance

Each state has had a rocky start, although New Jersey is doing OK. In March 2014, they did $11.87 million in revenue, which grew into $13.16 million in March 2015. A growth rate of 14.57% year-over-year is better than nothing, but still a far cry from the $1 billion within the first 7 months of operating Governor Christie expected (New Jersey gambling sites were launched in November 2013). In other words, his expectations were a little over $140 million a month on average, or about ten times the current revenue.

According to PokerScout.com, Nevada’s online poker revenue is going downhill. Year-over-year decrease in revenue of around 44% (from February 2014 to February 2015) is, no matter how you look at it, a disappointing result. Problems with card deposits and geolocation – both of which exist in other states as well – and player liquidity have undoubtedly contributed to the significant decrease. Players have to deal with fewer problems when playing at offshore sites, and as long as that continues, it will be difficult for state-licensed sites to gain major traction.

In Delaware, the state keeps all yearly revenue up to $3.75 million. Since total revenue for 2014 was around $2.1 million, gambling operators have made nothing. The main reason for such a low amount of revenue is Delaware’s population of 0.94 million (in comparison, New Jersey has a population of 8.9 million). Liquidity is important for online poker since you need lots of players to run games at various stakes, in several forms and throughout the day. Delaware is trying to improve its poker liquidity by combining player pools with Nevada but so far there hasn’t been a significant improvement to its online gaming revenue.

If all of the three states were to combine their player pools, it would create a poker economy of around 12 million people, which could add significant liquidity to the games and thus bring in more revenue to each of the states.

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Offshore Sites

Gambling sites accepting US customers from outside of the three states are all ”offshore” sites, meaning they operate from outside of the US and have no license to operate within the US. They have obtained a license in some other jurisdictions – such as Antiqua & Barbuda or Panama – but many of those jurisdictions have less-than-stellar reputations.

The disadvantage of gambling at offshore sites is the lack of safety. For an outsider, it’s impossible to know how strict testing measures these sites go through to prove their legitimacy, and hypothetically, if one of them were to disappear from the internet tomorrow along with your money, what could you do about it?

Lock Poker, as already mentioned, is an ongoing example. They’ve now lost their license in Curacao (weirdly, they were able to keep the license easily over a year after refusing to process customer cashouts) and there’s nothing anyone can do to make sure Lock Poker’s customers have their money returned. All we can do is spread the word to the people who are considering signing-up and depositing money to their site.

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The best thing you can do is consider the reputation of the site rather than the jurisdiction since all jurisdictions have had dishonest sites. The longer a site has been fully operational, and the fewer complaints it has generated, the better. Essentially, Bovada has been in the online gambling business since 2000 when Bodog.com was founded (the US-friendly operations of Bodog were re-branded as Bovada in 2011), and as mentioned, they’ve achieved an excellent reputation with a high level of customer service.

But there are advantages to playing at an offshore site, too, and you can legitimately argue that the advantages override the disadvantages. Offshore sites place fewer restrictions on customers, need less personal information and have to compete with lots of other sites (within US states, competition is limited) which forces them to be at their best in order to succeed. There are no geolocation issues either.

Safety and legality aside – although obviously, both are big considerations – offshore sites are the better option in almost every area. Since only three states have legalized some forms of real-money online gambling in the US, they’re the only places for internet gambling for around 96.4% of US population.

What’s Next?

US online gambling is in a transitional phase: after a long wait of legalization, three states have done it, mostly with lackluster success. Suggesting geolocation and deposit issues are resolved, revenue streams may grow. With online poker, though, most likely at least one of the bigger states has to legalize it and combine player pools with the others to create a meaningful poker economy.

A federal legalization would create much-needed competition and player pools, which in turn creates a bigger incentive for operators to participate and, in many ways, a better environment for gamblers. If internet gambling was to be legalized nationwide, every operator and their grandmother would want a license. As of now, it’s more beneficial for most operators to stay outside of the US.