US licensed online casinos

The US online gambling market has had more than its fair share of issues over the years. From being legal, to being partially legal, to being legal in some states and not others, to being completely banned. It’s been on quite the shaky ground, although today, it is becoming a lot more liberal than it has been in recent years.

That’s why it’s always nice to see a selection of US licensed online casinos coming to light. These platforms cater nicely to the US gambling market, ensuring that players within the United States get the opportunity to play their favourite casino games. Because we’re enthusiastic about gaming, it’s a pleasing sight to see that the US gaming market is managing to free itself from various restraints. And even though it still has quite a way to go in rectifying this completely, there are plenty of positive signs regarding it.

Now, while it’s true that land-based casinos are fairly active in certain American states (after all, Las Vegas, Nevada is pretty much the heartland of all things casino-focused), online casinos aren’t as readily accessible. Yet, there are some platforms that provide their services to the US market, allowing remote gambling to be undertaken by citizens of the USA. US licensed online casinos are swiftly growing in number as well – but how can they operate with most US states banning them?

The great thing about US licensed online casinos is that they also work much more in favour of their players. While a land-based casino has to pay money for both the rental and maintenance of all their machines – which is something that is then pretty much taken out on the establishment’s gamers – online platforms don’t have that issue. So, it’s quite simple to say that there’s likely to be much more of an enthralling gaming experience by accessing an online casino platform.

What does this mean for US licensed online casinos?

Generally speaking, you’ll usually find that US licensed online casinos are able to provide players with better odds than those that can be found within land-based casinos. This is especially true in the case of playing video slots, with online games often featuring return to player (RTP) rates of 96% or more. At physical casinos, this amount can be significantly lower – it’s often the case that this is around the 75% mark, which is a drastic drop in comparison. And with regards to US licensed online casinos; aren’t we all trying to be winners?

So, if you had the choice of playing at a land-based casino with less chance of winning on the games that you’re playing or accessing an online platform with stronger chances of winning, which would be more appealing to you?

Now, while it’s true to say that there are still only a few online casinos that will provide their gaming services to the US market – or rather, a few good sites – more are becoming available in recent times. So, it’s likely that plenty more will be coming to light as the months go by and the US market becomes a lot freer in this respect.

It’s already become apparent that various online software developers have placed their focus on entering the US market. It’s thought that it will be the next big sector, so US licensed online casinos are very much likely to make up a part of this.

What rules surround US players?

The first and most important rule that surrounds US gamblers is that there is a different age limit to many other locations. In the United States, gamblers need to be aged 21 or older to participate in such games. This differs to the age of 18 in the United Kingdom, for example. Therefore, it’s important to understand that anyone under the age of 21 in the USA is considered a minor in terms of gambling.

Furthermore, there is quite the focus that needs to be placed upon the state that you’re residing in. While land-based gambling may be accepted in your US state, online gambling may not be, which calls for alternative routes. However, the locations that do provide official legal online gambling are Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Recently, states including West Virginia and Michigan have been trying to push legal online gambling through into their laws.

In looking at those states, it’s quite easy to find us licensed online casinos in operation. New Jersey, for example, has several in operation, although it’s a requirement for them to all have bases in Atlantic City to provide their services legally in the state.

Due to the introduction of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006 and the 1961 Federal Wire Act, many online casinos were forced to shut down their online operations, as both of these restricted banks from processing payments to gambling sites. This is why the industry still remains with limited access to us licensed online casinos for the moment. Yet, some casinos incorporated alternative payment methods into their sites, allowing for the possibility to make deposits and withdrawals for US players.

Offshore US licensed online casinos

While it’s true that there are a few online casinos catering to the US market that base themselves within the country’s main borders, many of them are actually located outside of that area. It’s not uncommon to find an online casino providing its gaming services to the US market while being based in and holding licenses from locations like Puerto Rico or Curacao. This does provide an alternative route for US gamers to take if there aren’t any US licensed online casinos operating within their specific state.

This, of course, makes things easier for US players to indulge in their favourite casino games. With casino platforms not being based within the United States, they don’t fall under the legislation of US law. Therefore, as long as there is a payment method that US gamers can use to fund their account at such a casino, there’s nothing to stop them from joining and playing to their heart’s content.

Many of these foreign-based casinos have become quite popular with US gamers, as it happens. And generally speaking, as long as they’re licensed by a reputable enough regulatory body, then there’s very little reason why you shouldn’t take the opportunity to register at one. They often tend to have decent collections of games, with various software developers readily willing to provide their content to such sites. So, while these platforms are US licensed online casinos, they don’t have to be based within the United States borders.

Developers that work with US licensed online casinos

It’s important to realise that because of the situation regarding gambling in most of the United States, not all software developers will offer their game catalogues up to sites catering to such a market. That’s why it’s quite common to see at those offshore casinos, that they only incorporate games from one or two developers. This is often Real Time Gaming (RTG) and/or Betsoft a lot of the time.

Yet, if you take a look at the US licensed online casinos within New Jersey for example, you’ll see that because things are fully legal there in terms of online casino gaming, more developers are working alongside such platforms. At these sites, you can see offerings from providers such as Netent, Bally and IGT, amongst others. Of course, you’re only able to play at a New Jersey online casino if you’re in the state of New Jersey. Anyone outside of the state’s borders cannot sign up to play at such online casinos.

However, even if a smaller number of developers are offering their services up to offshore US licensed online casinos, this doesn’t mean that the selection of games is any less appealing. Far from it. The developers that do work with these sites still offer up great catalogues of games, ranging from table games and slots through to video poker and progressive jackpots, for example. Therefore, joining one of those offshore casinos won’t see you missing out on anything in terms of game selection.

Recognised and unrecognised jurisdictions

We noted earlier that there are four locations that are legally now able to offer US licensed online casinos. However, things are still moving along for Pennsylvania in terms of their online offerings, so for the time being, it can’t really be considered to have anything of note to offer up.

That being said, there are two US states that have provided online gambling licenses already to allow casinos to provide their game catalogues to internet players. The first of these is the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. This regulatory body actually provides licenses to both New Jersey and Delaware casinos looking to provide their gaming services online.

Secondly, the United States recognises the Nevada Gaming Commission as being a legal jurisdiction for gambling licensing. Anyone existing within the Nevada state boundaries has the ability to play at a huge number of online casinos because, as noted before, it’s pretty much the central gambling hub of the world.

Now, there are also two other countries which issue their licenses to online casinos and provide gambling services within the US. However, these are not seen as being legally recognised by the United States. They are the Government of Curacao first of all. This is perhaps the most popular location for casinos to turn to when they’re looking to hold a license that will allow them to provide online gambling. This is potentially due to the fact that Curacao doesn’t really have a huge set of rules to adhere to when it comes to online gambling license reception. So, it’s perhaps the easiest country to attain something like that from.

The other unrecognised gambling license is the one from the Antigua Directorate of Offshore Gambling. This country has been providing such licenses for some time now, although it isn’t quite as popular as the Curacao offering. In fact, Antigua licenses aren’t particularly recognised by many countries around the world, and this has led to the decline in such licenses being handed out. However, a few US licensed online casinos still maintain their legality with an Antigua gambling license.

How to find good US licensed online casinos

In the case of seeking out any new online casino to sign up to, it’s always vital to ensure that it actually holds a license. This doesn’t just pertain to US licensed online casinos, but any type of casino. While some licenses can be considered more reliable than others, it’s always important to ensure that it possesses at least one of these. Unlicensed online casinos should never be trusted, because they aren’t operating to any sort of rules. Therefore, your gameplay, your money and your personal details could be at risk with such.

Something else to look out for when it comes to US licensed online casinos is whether or not it has a good reputation. By this, we mean that it’s quite possible to seek out reviews of such casinos. Take a look at these reviews and find out what other people thought of their time gaming at such sites. If they have a string of negative feedback and reviews, then it’s a sure sign that registering at one of them is a bad move.

Make sure that they provide payment methods that cater to the US market. Signing up to a US licensed online casino only to find that it has the possibility of depositing through a credit or debit card isn’t going to be so helpful. Especially considering that the US laws still block banks from processing transactions to gambling sites via such cards. If there are alternatives, such as Money Orders, cryptocurrencies or others, then such an online casino will be able to provide you with a good service.

Finally, make sure that you’re not joining a US licensed online casino solely for its promotions. Fair enough, find one that offers something extra to help boost your first and ongoing deposits. However, be certain that what is on offer is something that you first of all want to claim, secondly can benefit from properly and thirdly doesn’t have impossible terms attached to it. Be smart about these things and you’ll have a great time playing your favourite casino games at a US licensed online casino.