How to Find the Best Online Casino

How to find the best online casino for your playing style and preferences can be a tricky assignment, particularly if you are new to the world of iGaming. There are so many different platforms competing for your attention, all vying to provide the best possible experience.

However, with so many sites failing to deliver upon expectations and even ending up on blacklists, how to choose online casino sites so you avoid playing at the poor ones and instead spend your time on top operators is a task. In this piece we will examine the full criteria that goes into choosing online casinos and suggest some reputable online casinos in the USA where you should consider playing.

• Our Criteria for Choosing Best Casinos
• How to Choose Online Casino – Signing Up
• List of Recommended Online Casinos

Our Criteria for Choosing Best Casinos

When it comes to choosing online casinos, we have established a solid criteria that allows you to separate the best from the rest and understand how to pick the best casino sites that will provide the greatest possible experience for their players.

License and Reputation

Licensing is a hugely important consideration for players learning how to find the best online casino. As it stands in the United States there are only seven states where you can legally play casino games – Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. Sites that are officially licensed in these legal states will insist that you be physically present within state lines to use them and will carry icons showcasing licenses from regulatory bodies or confirm this in writing. Here are the regulatory bodies per state:

• Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection
• Delaware Division of Gaming Enforcement
• Michigan Gaming Control Board
• New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
• Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
• Rhode Island Division of the Lottery
• West Virginia Lottery Commission

If you are using an offshore site that is licensed by an international regulatory body such as the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) or Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) you can also be assured of a good experience, although as US players you may not be covered by those bodies if something goes wrong. Most casinos licensed by Curacao eGaming are okay to play at, but some have been known to leave players frustrated.

Game Library

The game selection available at online casinos is probably the most important factor for players, because after all the whole point of gambling is for entertainment and this is where you will be having your fun. The best sites will stock thousands of casino games in total, with the biggest amounts almost always found in the slots section. You can expect to choose from a wide range of different game types, from classic three-reel fruity games to progressive jackpots where the total amount you win keeps rising.

Online casinos today offer a huge array of themes when it comes to slot games too, spanning from Ancient Egypt to Norse mythology and all manner of other categories including popular TV shows, films and more. You’ll find games with exciting bonus features such as free spins, multipliers and other bonus prizes too.

Table games remain as popular as ever at online casinos, where you can choose from classics like blackjack, poker, baccarat and roulette to lesser-heralded options like keno, sic bo, craps and more. Then you have live dealer games which are versions of table games that provide as close to the experience you would get at a table in a land-based casino as possible. In live blackjack a real dealer will shuffle the cards and deal to you, while in live roulette a genuine croupier will throw the ball and spin the roulette wheel. You can chat to other players and the dealer too, providing a social element to the action you don’t get with regular table games.

Banking and Payments

Banking and payments are overwhelming element of online casinos but they do play a essential role for a seamless gaming experience on a site. Plough ahead and register without checking and you could risk not being able to use your preferred method of payment for withdrawals or having to wait days to get your hands on your winnings.

Reliable platforms should offer a range of payment methods for players to choose from including debit and credit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers and even cryptocurrencies. You’ll want to ensure there are no hidden charges for making deposits or withdrawals and that they process quickly, particularly for withdrawals.

Bonuses and Promotions

Every online casino worth its salt will offer players a welcome bonus as a reward for registering for an account on their site, which can be a significant amount of money in bonus cash, cashback or even come combined with free spins. Be sure to also check if there is a regular supply of ongoing promotions available to players, so you keep getting rewarded for continued play after making the most of the welcome bonus. The best sites will also offer a loyalty club or rewards program that provides further benefits and prizes with tiers or levels for you to progress along as you play.

We must stress the importance of carefully reading the terms and conditions of any bonus before claiming it as you will usually have to meet wagering requirements before you can withdraw any associated winnings. There will also often be time limits on offers so be sure to use them before they expire, or you’ll run the risk of forfeiting any funds.

Security

Security measures are of paramount importance at online casinos because you will likely have to part with your personal and financial information to use them. There is always a risk of fraud at unregulated sites but stick to legitimate operators and you can rest assured they use modern encryption technology like Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to keep your data protected.

The issue of responsible gambling has grown in seriousness in recent years, as the issue of problem gambling has become better understood and treated. Reliable casinos will now dedicate a whole page or series of pages to the practice and provide a range of tools to help players stay in control when gambling online. These include deposit limits, wager limits, time limits, self-exclusion, and permanent exclusion, while they should also link to external organizations where players who need it can seek help.

Mobile Compatibility

Modern players increasingly want to be able to play on their mobile phone or tablet devices, allowing them access to the world of online casino gaming wherever they may be. This should be possible on any handheld device using just a web browser, which should load a mobile-optimized version of the site in question and allow you to experience as much as you can on desktop. Some established brands will also offer dedicated mobile apps for iOS users to download from the Apple App Store and Android users to download from the Google Play Store.

How to Choose Online Casino – Signing Up

Now you know how to find the best online casino to play at – using our recommended criteria to make the best possible selection – you will need to register for an account. Just follow this step-by-step process to get up and running, although the exact process will vary depending on the site in question:

1. Navigate to your chosen online casino and select the ‘Join now’ or ‘Sign up’ button.
2. Enter your personal information such as email address, chosen username and password.
3. Add your full name, date of birth, address, mobile phone number and the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN).
4. Agree to all the declarations on the site including terms of service, privacy policy and more.
5. Confirm and proceed to set up your account.
6. Verify your identity by providing further documentation.
7. Once your account is active make a qualifying first deposit.
8. Choose your favorite casino game and start playing!

List of Recommended Online Casinos

When it comes to choosing online casinos in the US we are spoilt for choice. Since online casino gambling became legalized in the states the quality of operators has gone from strength to strength, with the US market one of the most advanced in the world. Below we have selected six of the best US online casino sites so you get the idea about where to start on how to choose online casino sites for you.

BetMGM

BetMGM Casino is available to players in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with new players welcomed with a 100% deposit match bonus worth up to $1,000 plus $25 on the house. Once you’ve registered and made the most of that you can get a regular supply of promotions including casino bonus cash, daily jackpots, referral bonus money and even more great benefits and prizes with their MGM Rewards program.

BetMGM offers casino, sports, poker and arcade all under one platform, with subsections in the casino for live dealer, new games, wheel of fortune, sports favorites, table games, exclusive, jackpots, slots, Hollywood hits, pride of BetMGM, variety games and lion’s share.

Caesars Palace

Caesars Palace Online Casino is available to players in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, who can receive a $10 sign-up bonus plus a 100% deposit match up to $1,000 and 2,500 reward credits when you wager at least $25. They have hundreds of great slot games to choose from, while you can earn further bonuses and exclusive benefits with every play using the Caesars Rewards program.

Once you have signed up you can grab a slice of their ongoing promotions including leaderboard challenges, daily deposits, giveaways and refer-a-friend bonus and make the most of their neatly-designed casino stacked with exclusive games and more.

DraftKings

DraftKings Casino is currently available in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with new players welcomed with a play $5 get $50 in casino credits offer. Once you’ve signed up you can make the most of their reign makers promos and other benefits available with Dynasty Rewards.

They are rather unique in that they also offer daily fantasy as well as a sportsbook, horse racing and more on the same platform as their casino offering. With thousands of games including some ace branded titles you won’t be short of choice either.

FanDuel

FanDuel Casino is available to those in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with new players given up to $1,000 back in casino bonus cash if you’re down after your first day as well as 200 bonus spins for signing up.

After registering and making the most of the welcome offer you can access a range of ongoing promotions including game of the week bonus spins, gift giveaways, refer-a-friend bonus cash, daily jackpots and reward machine prizes. They have a casino and sportsbook on the same platform, as well as fantasy, racing, research, TV and faceoff.

Fanatics

Fanatics Casino is available to players in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with new players welcomed with 250 free spins on their first deposit. More renowned for their sportsbook, Fanatics casino games include slots, table games, live-action dealers and their exclusive Blackjack title. You can earn FanCash on your play to spend on new team swag or more gameplay.

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget Casino is available in Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with new players given $50 casino credits for signing up. There are further promotions once you’ve registered as well as exciting bonuses and prizes with their Dynasty Rewards program. Choose from a wide range of games including some branded and exclusive titles or get stuck into their leaderboards.