Ever since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was struck down in 2018, many US states have taken steps to legalize online casinos. The front runners in this regard were the likes of Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware, who had already legalized their first online gambling sites in 2013.
Even though some states in the US are yet to legalize online casino gaming for real money, players here have many options and the list will only get bigger. Today, you can enjoy a wide array of quality casino games which include slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat, to name just a few.
Unsurprisingly, the games featured in US online casinos are designed and manufactured by reputable entities. These suppliers have player interests at heart and follow fair practices in their operations.
Apart from the trust placed in these companies and the fairness of their random number generators (RNGs), mechanisms are also in place to ensure that their games are crafted in good faith. Independent third-party audit firms have also been roped in to ensure that players are not getting a raw deal.
No, online casino games that are regulated and licensed are not rigged. US online casinos use RNGs to ensure that the outcome of any spin or round cannot be manipulated, and is entirely independent.
These RNG devices are constantly at work, creating potential outcomes even when no one is playing the game. This makes it highly unlikely that anyone can rig online casino games.
Furthermore, online casino games operate under the concept of provable fairness. What this implies is that the game locks down an outcome before you place a bet.
The size of your wager or winning selections has no bearing on the outcome since it has already been determined. This is a verifiable feature that even players can ascertain.
This is a common dilemma. Which are better, online casino games or land-based alternatives?
On one side you have the established norm, real casino games which you access by going to a walk-in establishment and playing there. And on the other, the disruptor, promising to change the face of casino gaming as we know it.
Our intention here is not to sway you in any direction, but to present the facts, highlighting the good and the bad of each route.
You cannot ignore the lure and charm of playing casino games in the land-based atmosphere. It is an experience that cannot be matched, even with Live Dealer games at online casinos.
However, the online casino lobby offers thousands of gaming options in one place. It’s easy to see why a choice between these two can be overwhelming.
So, to give you some perspective, we have discussed the pros and cons of each below.
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Cons
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In many respects, the qualities that make up a good online casino game are personal. What’s deemed good by some, can be intolerable to others.
But there are some general features that you need to look out for when selecting your favorite online casino game.
Online casino games are supposed to be fun and enjoyable. So you need a game that gives you all the thrills of playing in a casino, but at the same time, is easy to learn and understand.
An online casino game may have all the bells and whistles, bonus features and even rewarding payouts. But if it takes a brain surgeon to figure out how it’s played, we doubt it will draw much affection from a ton of players.
You also find that online casino games are usually based on a theme. A game with a clear, understandable theme will be more appealing than the one which seems confused and ambiguous.
Lastly, casino games are about winning real money. It’s easy to forget that when faced with a sea of online casino bliss designed to keep you locked in. But, you need to ensure that the game you select provides a healthy return-to-player percentage as well as generous payout amounts.
Listed below are some more key factors which make up an enjoyable online casino game:
There are tons of online casino games, but here are some of the most popular and best games you can find at US online casinos.
Online slot machine games are the most popular game type in the virtual casino. Slots are pure games of chance where player skill or strategy counts for nothing.
The layout of online slot machine games is straightforward, you are presented with a display on which lies a system of reels with symbols. To win, you need to align like symbols on marked winning pay lines.
While slots exhibit various themes and storylines, there are only a handful of types that you find in the online casino. These include classic slots, video slots, and progressive slots.
This is a common card game found in all US online casinos. Unlike slots, blackjack is a strategic game in which player skill is rewarded.
When you play this game, you are pitting your chances against the dealer. The winner is the one who gets a higher card score without going over 21. There’s a lot to learn in blackjack, but a grasp of the card values and variant game rules is all you need to start.
Some popular forms of this game are single deck, double deck, 4-deck, 6-deck, and 8-deck blackjack.
The game of roulette is unmistakable, even when it’s played online. US casinos feature some imaginative versions of the game, but you generally see a wheel and betting table wherever roulette is played.
Online roulette gameplay is effortless to grasp, you only need to correctly guess where the white ball will rest to win. Once you feel you have figured that out, there are numerous bets you can make. These include straight, split, street, square, and so on.
To play this game successfully, you need to learn the rules of the variant you get. Most enthusiasts in US online casinos enjoy either American or European Roulette.
If you are a fan of land-based poker, then online video poker is definitely worth a look. This game is played much like the real deal, but instead of having real players and dealers, you have a computer instead.
Online casino players enjoy this game for one special reason, it gives you the chance to reverse the house edge. We’ll discuss more on this later.
In US online casinos you can look forward to enjoying numerous variations of video poker, which include deuces wild, joker poker, double-double bonus poker, jacks or better, and many more.
This refers to a selection of table games that players can access online and play with real dealers. This fantastic feat is a marvel of modern technology, which leverages advances in live streaming to bring you casino gaming in the comfort of your own home.
You can enjoy games like roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker, and now even slots in some cases in the live casino lobby.
Even though technology has come a long way in providing players with a superior online live casino gaming experience, the truth is land-based games still hold their own in many respects.
Sometimes starting at an online casino can be overwhelming because there is so much to choose from, so it’s easy to see why some find it intimidating. That’s why you must start with a beginner-friendly game that gives you all the online gambling thrills, but with minimum fuss.
There are plenty of games like that in US online casinos. It shouldn’t be difficult for you to find a title to get stuck in.
Below, we have listed three casino games you need to consider when kicking off your online gambling journey.
Land-based slots are among the easiest games you can play in walk-in casinos. The situation isn’t much different when you take the action online. All you need to remember when playing online slot machine games is to set your wager and press spin.
But like with all casino games, exercising proper money management is key. In online slots, this is very simple as you can preset your desired limits.
Though the roulette table carries lots of wagering options, the basics of the game are easy to understand, even for complete novices. This ease of play makes roulette an ideal game for beginners, more so when playing online.
New players like the fact that understanding roulette wagering options is also a breeze, as these are displayed clearly on the betting table. The RTP figures are not too shabby either, giving new players maximum chance of collecting real money earnings.
Popular in Asia, baccarat is another simple game that is perfect for beginners in US online casinos.
The goal in this game is to predict who gets closer to 9, without going over, between the banker and the dealer. You can even settle for a tie, and if your guess is right, you win. What could be simpler than that?
Baccarat is also great because you are not playing against the dealer and you can wager both ways. This means you have less pressure and are free to focus on playing the game.
As we mentioned earlier, apart from having fun, players enjoy casino games because they can win real money.
When it comes to the best gambling payouts, not all casino games were created equal, there are some which are more generous than others.
To get the most rewarding games, you need to consider the RTP. This is the percentage of wagered funds you can expect to get back from the game.
Here is a list of our top picks:
This game is not only simple to play, but also offers players one of the best chances of cashing out.
One way you can earn in baccarat is to bet on the banker, this bet has a house edge of only 1.06%. With such low figures, it’s not surprising at all that baccarat has a healthy RTP. To maximize this advantage, you will find a good deal of online baccarat players who only bet on the banker.
Other betting options in this game are not as attractive. The tie bet, for example, has a house edge of 14.4%.
If you are looking for the highest RTP percentage, and your best chances of winning back your wager, you can’t do much better than video poker.
Just consider the variants like deuces wild, double bonus poker, double-double bonus poker, to mention a few. All these games have RTP percentages of over 100%.
Now, you need to learn to play this game properly to enjoy these figures. But it is a worthwhile endeavor, and will literally payout in the end.
Now, this does not apply to all forms of blackjack, but Face Up 21 is a game that offers an impressive return.
In this version of blackjack, players can see both the dealer’s cards. Using a basic blackjack strategy, you can make better decisions in this variation than in all the others, increasing your odds of winning.
Face up 21 players enjoy over 100% RTP percentage values.