USA (American) Online Casinos

Players from all over the world enjoy gambling and many will make use of online casinos to meet their gambling needs. For players who are from the United States, it is important to be aware of gambling laws before accessing any online casinos. This country has some strict regulations that can restrict where players play and how they fund casino accounts. The government did not condone this form of gambling and while it was not illegal, there was an act passed in 2006 called UIGEA. Under this Act, online casinos that were operating off shore would not be allowed to process any casino transaction being made with credit cards, debit cards or bank transfers. This greatly restricted players from the US and made it quite difficult to play real money games.

In addition to the restrictions regarding payments, some leading software providers will not accept US players. Microgaming and Playtech casinos will not allow a US player to register an account. However, there are still sites that do accept US players, such as those powered by RTG. Once players find a site that will allow them to create an account, they then have to find a way to deposit funds and withdraw winnings. This can be a great challenge, which is why many US players wanted online gambling to be legalised.

In 2013, great changes occurred and the United States Government made it legal for online casinos to operate within the country. However, this choice was ultimately up to individual states, so not many jumped on board. As of now, there are three states where online casinos are operating and these include Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. The laws state that an online casino can only operate where a land casino is located. It also restricted out of state players from accessing the real money games at those sites. Only players from these three states can play at online casinos and they can only access those that are in their own state.

Since online gambling has been made legal, any other states have considered offering online gaming to its residents to increase revenue for the state. At this time, no other state has joined the original three. For those that are gambling in states that allow it, players will benefit from lifted UIGEA restrictions and can use their credit cards and bank accounts to conduct casino transactions.

For those that reside elsewhere it the United States, finding an online casino remains a challenge. Many players believe it is illegal to gamble online, but there are no laws that state residents of the country cannot engage in online gambling activities. While there are limited options within the country, there are a number of off shore online casinos that will gladly accept players who are from the US. The problem remains in finding a usable payment option. All US players are able to purchase a prepaid card and redeem it at an online casino, so the problem does not lie with funding the accounts. It is the withdrawals that create problems.

One way for players from the US to receive funds from a casino account is to use a Wire Transfer if supported. It is also possible for players to request a cheque. These are the two main options when it comes to collecting winnings from off shore casino accounts. Unfortunately, there are not many easy ways to remove winnings for casino accounts, which is why US players are still restricted when they gamble online.

US Online Casino Resources:

VegasClick.com - Provides information surrounding the law, risks associated with online gambling within the United States and other useful info.

Wikipedia.org - This section within the online gambling page on Wikipedia provides some great information about online gambling in the United States.

GamblersAnonymous.org - If you or someone you know is suffering from a gambling problem contacting Gamblers Anonymous and attending a meeting is a great first step to getting help.

NCPGambling.org - The National Council on Problem Gambling is the biggest help group and organization for problem gambling within the United States.