Casinos

After the unfortunate passing of the UIGEA, it can be difficult and confusing for US players to find casinos to play at. Not only do players need to find a good casino, but one that will accept US players. And with UIGEA, deposit options are very limited. So what do you need to know about finding online casinos?

Which Casino is Best?

As you are probably aware by now, not all online casinos will accept US players. Real Time Gaming is one of the few software providers who accept US players. Compared to the very wide selection of online casinos are available, there are very few available to US players, and not all of them are reputable.

Casino players need to look for a casino that not only is reputable and secure, but also offers regular and generous promotions. While these are an enjoyable part of playing online, the serious players will look for a casino that offers fair games, good software and even a loyalty program.

Security

The most important point of finding an online casino is to find one that is reputable. Unfortunately the UIGEA makes this difficult. While it does not technically make playing at online casinos illegal, it does regulate depositing. Not many of the biggest casinos risk accepting deposits from US players. Because of this, it is important for players to research to find as much information as possible about the casino they prefer. Players can look at reviews online to see if the casino is reputable, pays out within a reasonable time frame, and keeps player information secure and encrypted.

Legality

Gambling is currently restricted in the United States (not for long!), with each state free to decide what types of gaming is allowed. Just as land-based casinos are only legal in certain states, the same goes for online casinos. Online gaming is outright banned in certain states and  other states allow certain forms of gaming.  In 2013 we are starting to see more and more states passing online gambling legislation (making it legal in that state).  Some of these states are Nevada, Delaware, Illinois and New Jersey.  If you are in doubt, please check the laws of your state, as they change regularly with the laws of the industry constantly changing to find the best balance between allowing players to play and ensuring the legality of their game play.

Banking Information

The one thing the UIGEA did succeed in is making depositing and withdrawing notably more difficult for US players. Not only did many casinos, but many payment processors backed out of supporting US players as well. One great example is Click2Pay. They no longer accept new US accounts, but will still service existing accounts. There are still some good and safe payment options that are currently available to US players including credit cards, checks and wires. However, it is important to double check the deposit and withdrawal methods available to you before depositing any cash.

Where to Play

After UIGEA passed, some software providers stopped licensing to casinos who were accepting US players. Casinos who use Playtech, Microgaming, and Cryptologic don’t accept US players, but that still leaves quite a wide variety of casinos available to choose from. The most well known is the Real Time Gaming software, which licenses a wide selection of casinos.

However, just because a casino will accept US players doesn’t mean you should give them your business. When it comes down to it, players need to do their research to find out which casinos accept players from their location, have the best bonuses, with banking options that are convenient to them. Not all casinos will offer the same options, and the casinos who offer the highest payout percentages offer the best chance of profiting.