LEGAL US ONLINE GAMBLING GUIDE Gambling online is quickly becoming the way to place a bet. More Americans are turning to their mobile devices and laptops to play their favorite slots, poker games or bet on sports online. If you live, work, vacation in the US, you are probably much closer to a legal gambling. The so-called Lawful Internet Gaming Act, or House Bill No. 4311, has effectively legalized all forms of online gambling, making online casinos fully legal. The only prohibitions in force are that operators can have a single online skin and that the casinos cannot offer multi-state games. Online casinos accepting players from the United States. Whether it is the thrill, winning, risk, competitiveness or sheer adventure, there is something about casinos that spark a fire of interest in the gambling community. One region that ranks high in adulation is the United States.
Honesty, security, licensing, reputation and safety, as we mentioned on our homepage, are the five areas where we intensively review potential US friendly sites before we consider them legitimate USA casinos.
Dictionary.com tells us that the word legitimate is defined as 'in accordance with established rules, principles, or standards'. And Thesaurus.com proclaims the words authentic, valid and legal as interchangeable with legitimate. We could not agree more, and the standards and principles with which we judge U.S.A. friendly online casinos and other gambling portals are very demanding.
The typical online gambler will click on the first casino they come across if it provides the wagering opportunity they are looking for. If they see a slot site and that is their favorite online casino activity, they sign up for the first website which offers them a decent bonus without even exploring what bonus qualifications are demanded.
The casual American online casino player honestly may not know what to look for that designates a website as a reputable USA casino or not. But our decades of experience online in the casino, poker, and sportsbook gambling community has given us a unique insight.
Bovada is easily one of the best USA online casino options in the industry. They were launched in late 2011, and operate exclusively for USA players. They operate under the licensing of their parent company, Bodog, who holds licenses in multiple jurisdictions.
Bovada has carefully implemented a sophisticated security profile that stems from using premium, industry-leading software as well as its own added efforts to increase security. Along with a very safe gaming environment, they offer players a generous $3000 casino welcome bonus, and access to their poker room, sportsbook, and racebook.
Not only does Bovada process cryptocurrency deposits and payouts such as Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash, but they also feature Zelle to Bitcoin that facilitates instant BTC purchases - which are perfect for first-time crypto users. Cryptocurrency is the safest and most reliable method for funding your online casino gaming and for getting same-day payouts of your winnings!
As we mention several times throughout our website, we feel Bovada reflects the best that the industry has to offer for US citizens. They are very reputable and an excellent choice for anyone who considers reputation and honesty as important factors.
Most Trusted And Secure USA Casinos For 2020
Top Rated Sites
Casino/Rating | Bonus | USA Friendly | Visit/Review |
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2 | 100% up to | ||
3 | 500% up to | ||
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5 | 200% up to | ||
6 | 200% up to | ||
7 | 300% up to | ||
8 | 250% up to | ||
9 | 200% up to | ||
10 | 100% up to | ||
11 | 400% up to | ||
12 | 400% up to | ||
13 | 150% up to | ||
14 | 400% up to | ||
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16 | 100% up to | ||
17 | 400% up to | ||
18 | 200% up to | ||
18 | 450% up to |
Identifying Safe Online USA Casinos
Hey, we are not sticks in the mud who simply look at the technical side of online casinos. We were born and raised, and live, in the United States, and enjoy wonderful graphics, realistic 3-D video and live casino dealer entertainment as much as the next person.
We just believe that we should identify honest U.S.A. casinos before we fall in love with a particular site's visual and audio experience, and interface. And you may not care where a particular website is licensed, but we do.
We understand which gaming authorities or more particular about offering licensing than others, so we know which ones deliver an immediate sign of legitimacy.
As far as identifying safe USA casinos where you do not have to spend any time worrying about falling prey to a shady operation or predatory behavior, if you locate a couple of things, your safety is guaranteed.
- Does a particular website have their random number generator tested frequently by an independent third party?
- What type of SSL security and data encryption is employed to keep your personal information and financial transactions safe?
- Does this particular website support players from the United States while also offering a leader in online casino gaming software, like RTG?
These are the questions one must ask about particular online gambling operators before you can declare them reputable USA casinos and open an account. By the way, we know these are dull topics to consider. But if you enjoy profits rather than losses, and want the best possible opportunity to enjoy a winning session every time you play, these things must be taken into account.
Over the years we have used these criteria to uncover the most legitimate USA casinos and sportsbooks online. As demanding and discerning gamblers both online and off, we stake our hard-earned reputation as leaders in the online gambling community on the websites we recommend below because we play there ourselves.
Characteristics of the Most Reputable Online Casinos that Accept USA Players
How can I find the most trusted online casinos? In order to be considered reputable and trusted - a casino must be more than just 'legal'. There are some key components that are deal breakers for us when identifying reputable online casinos. These elements speak to the ethics and competence of any brand, and all of our preferred casinos hit the mark!
Transparency - upfront about how they operate
Legitimacy - individually licensed or owned and operated by someone who is
Secure - utilizes sophisticated security technology profile to protect players
Software - reliable, secure, and feature-rich for a high-quality gaming experience
Payout Speed - same day payouts for Crypto and reasonable turnaround for other withdrawal options
Bonuses & Promotions - attractive offers with reasonable wagering requirements
Customer Support - accessible assistance when needed and robust help resources
Valid Associations - part of a respected network or group of industry brands
How We Rate United States Online Casinos - Our Process For Approving Reputable Casinos For American Players
Below you will see a breakdown of how we determine the legitimacy of any US online casino. We take this process very seriously, and complete it with a tenacity to arrive at the true nature of any online casino brand that players may consider playing at.
Our guide will evolve to include the good and the bad options that are out there waiting for you so that you know precisely which ones are the safe USA online casinos and which ones you should avoid at all costs. But for now, the sites we recommend above are the cream of the crop and each of the casinos gladly accepts USA players.
How Safe Is The Software At USA Casinos? - There are really only a few trusted gambling software platforms that support U.S. players. Having been very involved in the industry, we know which software brands are legitimate and which ones to stay far far away from.
All new brands that emerge undergo extreme scrutiny and examination from our team of online gambling professionals, hence we know a platform inside and out by the time it reaches the pages of this website. Each USA casino review that you find in our guide will address software safety.
We look at multiple components to determine the safety factor of any software solution, including:
- What built-in security features are present as far as SSL protocols and data encryption?
- How often the software brand undergoes independent third-party testing for fair gameplay and RNG technology compliance?
- What type of banking suite security and options are present?
If the software brand being used by a casino is legitimately secure and safe, then you're halfway there in finding a legit USA casino. As far as safe brands for American players, we recommend trying out legitimate RTG casinos, and we have several of them featured on this page.
Honest US Casinos
Honesty is a non-negotiable element that must be present at any online gambling site you consider doing business at. Even sites that use reputable gaming software are not guaranteed to be honest operations.
It takes first-hand experience to determine if an online casino is honest, and our goal is to save you the trouble of finding out the hard way when a brand lacks this critical quality.
Our team of online gambling professionals has evaluated each brand you see featured on our site, and has placed them in the honest or dishonest category. Rogue or dishonest brands that we include in our guide for the purpose of warning players will be clearly designated as such in our guide.
The honest USA online casinos you find here will carry a 5 star rating for legitimacy and will have a detailed explanation of why they were deemed as honest in the review we provide.
Casino Security For Americans
There are a couple of security features that absolutely must be present for any brand to be considered a legitimate casino. First, they must employ the most advanced SSL security, preferably to a level that exceeds industry standards. If they have received a 5-star rating from us, then the presence of this feature and its quality have been verified by our team.
Secondly, the most sophisticated data encryption technology must be utilized to ensure that your personal financial information is transmitted and stored in the safest and most secure way possible. This is the same type of security profile that you would find at a bank or financial institution.
Legal Casino License And Certification For United States Online Casinos
Licensing is one of the first things we look at when evaluating the legitimacy of any U.S.A. online casino. After all, if a gambling site doesn't hold the proper licensing and certifications, there's no point in going any further into the review process.
We require that all reputable USA online casinos featured here hold a license from a genuine governing authority, or are owned and operated by a parent company that holds legitimate licensing credentials, as well as compliance certifications from recognized third party regulatory associations.
On top of all that, we don't consider any brand as legitimate that doesn't subject their software and games to regular testing by third-party authorities to ensure that their RNG technology meets industry standards and that their games and software comply with fair gaming practices.
We will also list undesirable casino brands that try to sidestep this part of the operation so that you know to avoid them at all costs.
Casino Reputation - Identifying Reputable Online Casinos for USA Players
A casino's reputation tells a lot about a particular brand. It will reveal if a site delivers fast and efficient payouts to their players, if their customer support is satisfactory, and if you can trust their operation with your money.
Input from industry professionals and other players can really save you time and effort, as well as a substantial risk by learning from their bad experiences.
On the flip side, positive feedback can confirm that a brand can be trusted or one of the fastest paying online casinos in the industry. We have provided this type of expert input for you in our reviews, and it is based on personal experience as registered players and professional gamblers.
We consider our reputation to be on the line when players trust our recommendations, so we take our evaluations and reviews of these sites very very seriously.
Casino Safety
All of the elements of reviewing a particular USA casino will result in determining if the brand is safe or not. Honest USA online casinos put player safety first, and it will be evident in everything they do.
While it may be inconvenient, if a gambling site does not want you to complete a document authorizing your credit card transactions, something is wrong. In other words, the sites which may seem to drive you nuts with hoops to jump through regarding deposits and withdrawals are very likely the ones who are taking your safety seriously.
You don't want to gamble at a site that takes your work for everything and doesn't require you to prove who you are. That is an identity thief's ideal environment.
You can be sure that we've evaluated the level of casino safety present with each gambling site we review, and we're more than happy to share our findings, good or bad to help inform players of the safest USA online casinos on the Web.
Debunking US Online Gambling Myths
There are some players who are under the impression that the UIGEA bill, also referenced to as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, has rendered all USA friendly gambling sites illegitimate by blocking Visa deposits accepted by online casinos. This is definitely not the case.
This piece of legislation only addresses the regulations surrounding how online gambling transactions are processed and does not make online gambling for players in the United States illegal. The law is focused on the gambling sites themselves and not the players. You can read more about this legislation here: UIGEA Bill of 2006.
Popular Casino Software Providers Used By US Friendly Online Casinos
Contents
Gambling has always been prevalent in the state of Michigan. It was first legalized in the 1930s, during the famous Great Depression. Since then, it has become a big part of the overall culture of the state, which is especially true for horse racing, as this form of gambling was the first to be legalized and the first to gain popularity.
Now, almost a century later, online gambling has become the norm of the entire world of gambling for Michiganders, in the same way it has been for players worldwide. Fortunately for the state’s casino players, online casinos are now fully legal, but as the law is still fairly new, there’s a lot a player like you needs to know. Let’s take a look.
Top 5 Michigan Online Casinos
Here is a list of our top 5 recommended online casino sites to play at for real money from Michigan.
Is Online Gambling Legal in Michigan?
The short answer is yes. Online casinos and online poker games were legalized in the state of Michigan on December 20, 2019. The so-called Lawful Internet Gaming Act, or House Bill No. 4311, has effectively legalized all forms of online gambling, making online casinos fully legal. The only prohibitions in force are that operators can have a single online skin and that the casinos cannot offer multi-state games.
However, as the law is still fairly new, it hasn’t become fully effective yet. In essence, it’s still necessary for the regulators to put the legislation into practice. Then, casino operators need to apply and receive proper licensing for their gambling offers. After that, they need to build up the virtual infrastructure to comply with the state’s laws.
For all these reasons, online gambling is legal in the state, but it hasn’t gone live for players. It is expected that the first online gambling options will become available to Michigan-based players in the second part of 2020.
Additionally, it is currently estimated that online gambling will become fully available to Michigan-based players in 2021.
Naturally, until online casinos become fully available, you can gamble in other ways. At the moment, Michiganders can still play and enjoy off-track betting and online lottery. You can also play in offshore online casinos that unfortunately are not legal, but they are not illegal either. That’s because the state doesn’t prosecute Michigan-based players for using an offshore casino. What’s more, players from Michigan play in these casinos all the time without any problems, be them legal or of any other kind.
Land-Based Casino Options in Michigan
Land-based casinos have been legal in Michigan for a long time and, currently, you have the option to play in a total of 26 casinos — 23 tribal and 3 commercial. There, you can enjoy a wide variety of casino games like slots, table games, and many more.
Naturally, with the legalization of online gambling, all these casinos can apply for licenses to start offering virtual casino games. What’s more, chances for this are very high, because Michigan includes tribal casinos in the state’s casino licensing regulations. However, this is not the case with most of Michigan’s counterparts in the United States. Although they allow online casinos, the majority of other states allow only commercial casinos to apply for online gambling licenses.
By the time operators get licenses for online gambling in Michigan under the 2019 law, they will belong to these land-based casinos. That’s because only existing Michigan casinos can apply for online gambling licenses. As for other operators, the current law doesn’t allow them to apply.
Out of the many land-based casinos, we picked a few that are the best in the state.
Soaring Eagle Casino Resort
Soaring Eagle is both a hotel and a casino, located in the Isabella Indian Reservation near Mount Pleasant. It was fully renovated in 2018 and now offers many table games like roulette, crap, blackjack, poker, and more. Naturally, you can also play on numerous slot machines spread throughout this 200,000 sq. ft complex.
MGM Grand Detroit
The MGM casino belongs to the famous MGM Grand group that owns a total of 13 major properties, including the famous Luxor Las Vegas complex. More importantly, at the MGM Grand casino in Detroit, you can play over 150 table games and 3,500 slots.
FireKeepers Casino
This massive casino and hotel complex is located in the Emmett Charter Township. It’s owned and operated by a Potawatomi tribe. If you ever find yourself in the casino, you’ll be able to play more than 2,900 slots and 76 table games that include baccarat, blackjack, roulette, and many others.
Other Gambling Options in Michigan
As we’ve stated in the beginning, gambling is very popular in Michigan, which naturally means that there are other forms of gambling in the state, not only casino games.
Horse racing is still fairly popular in the state; however, nowadays there is only one racetrack called Northville Downs. It offers adults the possibility to gamble on both live and simulcast racing.
The Michigan State Lottery provides a lottery to the state’s players. Many options are available, including instant cash, pull tabs, keno, lottery draws, second-chance games, and scratch cards. On top of that, the state participates in interstate draws like the Mega Millions lottery.
In the end, there is also bingo and, most importantly, sports betting that has become legal in 2019, together with online gambling.
The Future of Online Gambling in Michigan
With the latest online gambling law from 2019, we can safely say that the future of online gambling in Michigan is extremely bright. The online infrastructure is still not there, as it takes time for operators to apply and obtain licenses. Still, we can expect a wide range of Michigan-based online casinos to be fully established during 2021.
You can expect operators to quickly jump on the bandwagon, as all of them will want to get established before the competition, so the future of Michigan online gambling is assured.
Summary
As you can see, with the online gambling law from 2019, Michigan became one of the many states in the US that permits online casinos to operate within the state. Players will soon have the chance to enjoy numerous casino games in Michigan-based sites, not only in offshore and land-based casinos.
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Thanks to the fact that tribal casinos have a chance to open online casinos, you can expect many online casinos to pop up fairly soon.
FAQ
Us Casinos Online
At this point, only an online lottery is available to Michiganders. However, with online gambling legalized, online sports betting and online casino games will also become available very soon.
You can, as soon as the first online casinos open in the state. For now, you can only enjoy state-run online lotteries or opt to play in offshore online casinos.
Sports betting has already gone live in a handful of land-based casinos. As for online casino games, we can only make predictions. The first online casinos will likely appear in 2020, but the more probable date is somewhere in 2021.
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You can, as online poker was legalized in 2019, along with most other online casino games. However, you still have to wait for casinos to start offering online poker.
Any person who is at least 21 years old can gamble online in the state of Michigan.