There is a stigma surrounding online casinos and the entire Internet gambling in the United States because of laws that ban the operation of an online gambling site in the U.S. And because of those laws, it is assumed that the act of placing a wager or playing slots for money online is also illegal... not true!
It is important to make the distinction as to what is banned in the U.S. and what is not banned when it comes to online casinos and playing games for free or for money. If a prospective player living in an unregulated state knows this when going to select an online casino, they would see they are within their rights to freely play for real cash with the best online casinos that take U.S. players which are based outside of the United States' borders + jurisdiction.
But you certainly do not have to take our word for it though as we invite all readers to make their own decision on the legality of online casino gambling in the U.S. This article is designed to help readers learn about the current online gambling legislation and find the text within those laws that leaves the door open for Americans to play casino games for real money at offshore casinos operating online.
When it comes to online gambling legislation that relates to Internet casinos, there is one law that users should be well-versed on - the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The UIGEA was passed in 2006, and was part of the Safe Port Act (an attachment is a more accurate description, as the UIGEA does not have to deal with the Safe Port Act). Advocates against online gambling knew that it would be a sure thing to get passed - prompting the 'attachment'.
What the UIGEA does is prevent businesses from accepting payments for placing or paying out any form of bet or wager. And since this would directly relate to an online casino in the U.S., you can see why this would be a problem for them. What the UIGEA does specifically mention is the fact that individual bettors are excluded from this - meaning that the person placing the bet is not doing anything illegal. This is the most important point made because it provides a precedent for legal online casino activity conducted by U.S. gamblers online. Therefore, an establishment of what is legal as far as the relationship between Internet casinos and U.S. residents is made.
With the operation of a site illegal, it has allowed for online casinos outside of the country to accept USA players legally. These sites do not violate the UIGEA, as they are not based in the U.S. Therefore, signing up for an online casino outside of the United States and placing online wagers for real money is legal to do.
There are literally hundreds of online casinos that accept USA players however not all over them can be trusted... as we said, most every option is based outside of the U.S. where there are no consequences for something as simple as not paying users. As dubious as that sounds, there is still hope in finding an online casino where you will at least be afforded a fair + legitimate opportunity to win money and be paid.
Just below, the BestLegalCasinos.net staff has reviewed some of the best-rated online casinos for U.S. residents. Each of the options show passed rigorous criteria to make the list and these websites can be considered elite... the best of the best. There are certainly different qualities and aspects of any online casino that are very important, and each was considered before giving the subject a passing grade. Additionally, full-length reviews will be provided where everything from depositing, withdrawals, games, registration plus a plethora of extra information will be consolidated + covered with them; they are a complete guide to using each website.