Real Money Online Casinos

Find the most reputable real money online casinos, which we have reviewed for the highest quality service and player experience, including great customer service and plenty of deposit options. The online real money games are broken down by category, where players can search for their favorite casino titles, including blackjack, video poker, and slot machines. There are many online casino bonuses that you can claim and use when playing for real money.

Our expert team will give you the best options for making a real money deposit, this includes both USA and non-US players. You will also find all information regarding laws and regulations that ensure fairness and safety of the online real money casinos.

Best Online Casinos for Real Money 2018

Real Money Online Casino Games

Before I discuss how to sign up for a website, I’ll give a broad overview of the list of games offered by typical real money casinos. Sites in the industry almost always have a similar layout, so this should give you an idea how to search for your favorite casino game.

Play Real Money Games at the Best USA Online Casinos

Play at Wild Casino

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Play at SportsBetting.ag

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Play at BetOnline

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Play at Bovada

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Play at Cafe Casino

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Real Money Mobile Casinos

Online Casino Registration – Start Playing for Money

To get started, register an account with an online casino. Sign up by providing your name, username, address, and email address. Signing up incurs no obligation and costs nothing. The worst that might happen is you’ll end up on the site’s mailing list.

Some casinos offer a no-deposit bonus for signing up. This is a small amount of house money with which players can gamble. It’s a promotional tool for casinos, but real serious gambling is done after your account is funded and are ready to take advantage of everything that each online casino real money site has to offer.

Live Dealer Casinos

The software allows you to bet with a click of your computer keyboard or mobile touchpad, so live casino gaming is as convenient as traditional online casino gaming. If you’ve never tried live dealers, it is the newest and best way to play online. Find our recommended Live Dealer Casinos here.

Player’s Club – Online Casino Rewards Systems

Player’s clubs are influenced by the slots clubs that brick-and-mortar casinos have. A VIP club is an online rewards system which gives both loyal customers or high-volume gamblers rewards and incentives. Many have multiple tiers, so advanced players receive bigger bonuses, higher cash back, or quicker attention from a casino representative. VIP players can negotiate withdrawal terms or justify a personal account manager.

Player’s club’s online rewards can include anything, with some online casinos, offer free vacations, free entry into live tournaments, cars, and other merchandise. Always research the player’s club when choosing a real money online casino.

Why Play in a Real Money Casino?

Many people enjoy social gaming sites with casino-style games, but most players prefer the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes with playing casino games for real money. Whether you’re a penny player or a high roller, most games are more entertaining when something of value is on the line.

Practice mode in an online casino is useful for learning the rules and practicing basic strategy, but it’s equivalent to playing with Monopoly money. If you need further reasons to consider real money casino games, take a look at this list of advantages you might not have considered.

Advantages of Real Money Casino Play

• You Can Win Cash: Playing real money casino games is a gamble, but you have a good chance of winning money.
• Convenience and Privacy: Playing online for real money provide the same level of excitement as land-based casinos at a fraction of the cost or time spent playing.
• House Money: Casinos offer promotional money for players who sign up or make a deposit.
• Customer Rewards Program: Players receive rewards for customer loyalty and volume play. Online casinos provide entry into tournaments, special prizes and merchandise, casino rebates, and other rewards to VIP members.
• Cashback on Payments: Players who use credit cards, e-wallets like Skrill, Neteller, and PaySafeCard can receive cashback incentives.
• VIP Treatment: When you play for real money, you can play games with live dealers like you would in a land-based casino.
• Progressive Jackpots: The best online casinos have huge lottery-style progressive prizes which have life-changing implications.

Disadvantages of Real Money Casino Play

• High Stakes: Not all online casinos are equal. Some disreputable sites slow-pay customers or decline payment for minor breaches of the terms and conditions.
• You Can Lose Cash: Real money casino play is a gamble, so you might lose more than you win. C
• Safety and Security: Choosing an online casino requires finding an operator which invests in safety and security.

Real Money Casino Bonuses

Any online casino is going to offer a deposit bonus to players willing to bet real money. Some sites call these promotions “welcome bonuses” or “initial deposit bonuses” though the latter term is a bit outmoded. Bonus money helps even the odds of playing against a house edge while letting gamblers get more play out of their bankroll.

A deposit bonus has several components:

Real Money Deposit Options

Gamblers make deposits with a variety of methods to fund their account. Deposits can be made with credit, debit, prepaid, and gift cards. If you don’t want to use any of those methods, depositing can be done with a wire transfer, eCheck, web wallet transfer, or e-voucher.

Online and mobile casinos make it as easy as possible for real money gamblers to make deposits. The only real restriction is from the processor because some financial institutions do not want to be involved in gambling.

• Credit Cards

  VISA and Mastercard are the two most common payment options. These are allowed at thousands of casinos and is available in over 150 countries worldwide.

  Discover Card (or Japanese Credit Bureau (JCB)) is another option, whenever Discover Card is not allowed, JCB is found in many online casinos which accepts Asians, Australians, and New Zealanders. JCB partners with Discover for some programs, so those using that credit card should research JCB.

  American ExpressIs another payment method at some websites, but Amex tends to avoid gambling. Your real money online casino selection will be fewer than the rest of the credit card options, but you will still be able to find casinos that accept American Express credit cards.

• Debit Cards

  Debit cards and other prepaid options are preferred at many of the online real money casino sites these days. Some casinos even offer special bonuses for prepaid deposits. Among these cards, the VISA Electron and Switch programs are popular, while MasterCard Maestro is widespread. Regional options are supported on some sites. For instance, POLi Payments is offered on many sites friendly to Aussies.

• Wire Transfer Companies

  Wire transfer companies like Western Union and MoneyGram can be used to fund an online casino for real money account. These methods are also useful for withdrawals, as they can be used by most players that live near one of them.

• Money Transfer Processors Transfer

  Web wallets are money transfer sites which process and store electronic cash. There are dozens of these processors, many of which are used as international payment methods. Not as many of these options exist for American players because the U.S. government once hounded Neteller out of the market. In the wake of the UIGEA, most e-wallets left the U.S. market, but for non-US players this could be a great way to make a deposit at a real money online casino.

  PayPal is not available at many offshore sites though it now supports New Jersey online casinos. PayPal is a preferred method by many Americans in the few locations which allow licensed gambling, because many have PayPal accounts due to its affiliation with eBay.

  There are too many to list, but the most popular services players can use when playing at real money online casinos include: EcoCard, Entropay, ClickAndBuy, UseMyBank, UseMyWallet and many more

• Bank Wire Transfers

  Bank wire transfers is a safe method of depositing cash, but may take longer than some of the other real money online casino banking deposit methods. We will discuss these more later on when we talk about withdrawals. This is a secure, instantaneous method of getting money directly from your bank account to your online casino account.

• E-Checks

  Echecks, which are sometimes called “eCheques”, is another favorite payment method. An eCheck works much like a standard written check would, except it is handled electronically. Like the bank wire transfer, it is a popular, because it is so secure.

Withdrawal Options

Withdrawals are a bit more time-consuming and restricted than deposits because they require players submit proof of identity. Security is the main reason cashouts take more time. Not many scammers are going to be depositing money in a casino, but plenty of identity thieves want to remove someone else’s money from an account. Online casinos want to be sure they’re paying real money to the right person.

Below is a list of the basic services uses to make casino withdrawals. I offer a basic concept of the cash out time and fees associated with each service. They are web wallets, bank check, cash transfers, and bank transfers.

• Ewallets

  Web wallets are fast, but they require significant fees from the processor. Gamblers who want to take advantage of the much-advertised 12 to 24-hour withdrawal processes should use an eWallet.

• Check

  As long as you make only an occasional withdrawal, then the bank check is a perfectly accepted payment method. In fact, it might be best if you do not mind slow processing time. Most sites allow 1 free payout every month through a service like this. The time for such transactions to complete can be outrageous, with a 2 to 4-week delay being common.

• Cash Transfer

  Cash transfers using Western Union or MoneyGram are possible, also. These payments are fast, but not offered at every casino. This withdrawal method involves fees. Also, you need a Western Union or MoneyGram physical location in your city.

• Bank Transfer

  The bank transfer is a withdrawal method offered by all real money online casinos, but it’s used mainly for larger cashouts. The fees are high, with $25 charged both by the casino and the bank involved.

With so much money involved, security is a major concern. One of the main reasons a gambler needs to choose a trustworthy casino is the safety and security of payments.

A number of safeguards exist in the industry. The job of a gaming commission is to assure an operator is honest and legit. Gaming commission auditors need to check a system for the advancement of its security systems.

How Legal Are Online Casinos?

Make sure gambling for real money is legal in your location. In the United States, this means checking on the state and local levels. The UIGEA makes it illegal to process payments on sites which are considered illegal under the 1961 Wire Act.

The U.S. Justice Department’s interpretation is that online sportsbooks are illegal, but online casinos and poker sites are legal. Mobile casinos fall under the same interpretation of the law. That means federal authorities do not ban online casinos at the present, but the state and local governments might ban iGaming.

Look at state laws to see if playing for money is legal. New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware have legalized, regulated, and licensed casinos. California and Pennsylvania lawmakers are both seeking to legalize online gambling, but both states might allow online poker only. A handful of other states has discussed legalization since federal policies changed in 2011. Most states ban online gambling for real money.

The same can be said in other countries. For instance, the national government in Canada allows online gambling, but the provinces and territories have their own laws. The City of Markham in Ontario has a law against online gambling. In Australia and Germany, federal and state laws overlap, creating a complicated legal system similar to the United States (though less complicated).

Player Safety

Gaming commissions license certain sites as a safe and secure. A number of gaming commissions worldwide specialize in such verification: Gibraltar, Antigua and Barbuda, Malta, Cyprus, Alderney, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission in Canada, The Isle of Man, and the Netherlands Antilles (Curacao). When one of these agencies has licensed a site, it confers a certain legitimacy on it. Players should research further, though.

Researching who handles third party testing is important. Several services are hired to handle verification, including Technical Systems Testing (TST), iTech Labs, and Gaming Associates. All three companies are based in Australia and all three provide third-party testing of sites. They audit the site to make certain their software is secure and their games are fair. Sites with a seal of approval from one of those companies should be deemed safer.

Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing an Online Casino

When it’s time to choose an online casino and make a deposit, new players need to keep a few things in mind, such as overall reputation, licensing, software support, game selection, bonuses and promotions, payment methods, and customer support. In the space below, I describe each of these categories, so you’ll have a checklist of factors when picking an online casino.

• Overall Reputation: If a site doesn’t have a good reputation, then it’s not worth your time and trouble. Our recommendations and reviews take into account the player-led review sites and authority sites found online.
• Licensing and Regulation: Online casinos need to be licensed, so you have assurance that the site has passed a regulatory inspection. Look for casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, as well as regulators in Gibraltar, Malta, the Isle of Man, Alderney, Antigua & Barbuda, Curacao, Panama, Costa Rica, and Kahnawake (Canada). These are the best-known regulators.
• Software Support: Most online casinos license software from a well-known developer. They pay to use that game designer’s casino games. Top software companies include NetEnt, Microgaming, RealTime Gaming (RTG), Rival Gaming, Playtech, Betsoft, 888, IGT, Bally Technologies, WMS Interactive, and Pragmatic Play.
• Game Selection: A site’s game selection usually is tied to software choices, but some sites use proprietary software, meaning they design their own games in-house. Some, like Bovada and Bodog, use a combination of proprietary and licensed software. Others have a main provider, as well as a number of business-to-business (B2B) software suppliers. The most famous B2B suppliers are NYX Gaming, Thunderkick, Arrow’s Edge, Play’n Go, and ELK Studios.
• Welcome Bonuses: When selecting an online casino operator, many players shop for the biggest welcome bonuses or no-deposit bonuses. Make sure to check the wagering requirements (how many times you have to bet the money) and contribution rates (how much a particular game contributes to the wagering requirement).
• Casino Promotions: Most casino promotions are those offers given to ongoing players. These can be through a VIP rewards program, or through special bonuses and free chips.
• Payment Methods: Variety on payment methods for both withdrawals and deposits is very important when it comes to choosing an online casino
• Customer Support: Sometimes, issues and questions arise while playing online for real money. When researching an online casino’s reputation, check to see if they have fluent, knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful customer service.
• Mobile Casino Apps: Most online casinos are compatible with Android, iPhone, and iPad, but you might want to check if you use Blackberry, Windows Phone, or Symbian devices. Mobile casinos now allow play in the web browser, so more devices are optimized for online casino gaming.

Online Casino Fairness

People might be wondering if online casinos for real money are fair. A legit site has no reason to cheat if it is licensed and legal. Online casino operators license software from trusted companies, or design software themselves. This software uses true random number generators (RNGs) to determine the outcome of events. Most real money online games have a built-in house edge which weights the game in the casino’s favor. Probability all-but-assures a profit, but the outcomes are determined by random chance. The house can be beaten in the short term.

An online casino that is allowed to set up a legal house edge would be crazy to cheat.

Think about it: online or land-based gambling under those terms is a virtual license to print money. The risk of cheating is losing that license and perhaps going to prison. The reward isn’t profit itself, but higher profits. A legitimate company would be a bit mad to cheat under those circumstances.

That being said, greed does win out over good sense at times. That’s why it’s best to research any site you use for reviews and recommendations. A site’s reputation helps you learn about bad actors who use deceptive methods and underhanded policies. Check player forums and review sites like this one to learn whether a site is slow to send out winnings, or uses nebulous policies to close down profitable accounts.

Keeping Your Money Safe – Online Casino Security

The advice about safety and fairness is about an operator’s intentions. Security is about an operator’s capabilities. It doesn’t matter if an online casino means well if it doesn’t have the technical capacity to handle funds security. Therefore, it’s important to learn a site’s security profile.

Learning about the gaming commission and third-party verification process is important, once again. Other methods exist to verify, such as industry watchdog groups like eCOGRA.

The eCOGRA network tests member real money online casinos each month to see whether they are secure and fair. The network then publishes the results of their testing monthly, so gamblers have a good understanding of a site’s payout rates and level of security.

Also, sites publish information about their software providers and verification technology in their Frequently Asked Questions. Read the FAQ to see whether a site uses 128-bit verification or not. Look over their site to see which software providers they use. In each case, do a bit of research away from the casino site to learn whether their technical support is sufficient and up-to-date.

Real Money Online Casinos FAQ

Below are some frequently asked questions that new gamblers have had in the past regarding real money online casinos. This Q&A style discussion is meant to answer the most basic and common questions gamblers have. These are particularly targeted towards real money gamblers.