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Before we go into our article, we know there are two top questions in your mind when you think of online gambling. One is, “is online gambling legal?” The other is “is online gambling safe?”
To answer your first question, online gambling is perfectly legal in the United States, at least in certain states. Most of the laws are directed towards the sites rather than towards the players themselves. So, if online gambling has been legalized in your state, you have no reason to fear.
As for the second question about the safety of online gambling, online gambling is, in fact, safe. However, and as you can imagine, there will always be risks, especially when you gamble with shady sites. This is why it is crucial to run a thorough background check on any site you think you might want to try. Read reviews, hundreds of them. Find out if they are licensed. Find out who audits them. Ask questions.
Now, we know that’s a tall order. What adds to the complexity is that online gambling is a vast industry. There are different online gambling sites, each with various types of games and bets depending on your interests. Sports betting sites, online casinos, online gambling apps, crypto gambling sites, horse racing betting sites, and real money gambling sites.
The chances are that you don’t want to go through each one and waste precious time you could be spending making money. In that case, it’s a good thing you have us as we’ve compiled a list of the best online gambling sites. As you will come to realize later in the article, our methods of selection are strict because we understand that this is your hard-earned money that you’re depositing on these sites.
With that being said, let’s dive right in!
List Of Top 5 Online Gambling Sites And Casino Games
1. Ignition Casino – Overall Best Online Gambling Site
2. Bitstarz – Top Rated Online Casino Games For High Payouts
3. Wild Casino – Multiple Bonus Offers In Online Betting
4. Intertops – User Friendly Gambling Website
5. Monkey Knife Fight – Most Famous For Progressive Slots
#1. Ignition Casino – Overall Best Online Gambling Site
You could say Ignition Casino is a new kid on the block. It only just launched in 2016, which means it has not had as much time as its competitors in the business. But that’s what’s particularly impressive about Ignition. Even in such a short time, Ignition Casino has managed to build a high-class online casino with a promising future.
Now, this site mostly had US players in mind while designing this site. But players from other countries can also sign up as well.
There’s no question about Ignition Casino’s legitimacy. The company works with gaming companies of a high reputation and a proven track record. Plus, the site itself is highly secure, which means that players’ information is entirely safe on there.
Signing up on Ignition Casino is pretty straightforward and begins by clicking on the “Join” button. When you do that, you’d have to enter a few personal details into a simple form. You’d have to fill in your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email, password, city of birth, and your mother’s maiden name.
Once you’ve done that, you simply open your account, and you can make your first deposit. The whole process takes up only a few minutes of your time.
Highlights
Simple User Interface: The user interface on the Ignition Casino is pretty intuitive and straightforward. Even for first-timers, you’d find it super easy to locate whatever it is you need on the website.
Mobile Compatibility: Ignition Casino has a mobile-friendly site thanks to an excellent design. The only challenge with playing from a mobile device is that you won’t have as many games to play, but you’ll be able to play regardless.
Several Banking Options: There are seven banking options you have on Ignition Casino, which you can use to make deposits and withdrawals. All the popular payment methods are available, from credit cards to bitcoin to wire transfers. So, payments and deposits should be reasonably easy.
Promos and Bonuses: As a player, you get to enjoy loads of bonuses as well as other perks. In fact, the promotional offers and bonuses on Ignition Casino are about some of the best you’ll get in the industry.
High-Quality Casino: There are more than 300 games you get to play when you sign up on Ignition Casino. It’s not a lot, but the games are great. Among the games available on Ignition Casino’s website are slots, table games like Blackjack, American Roulette, Tri-Card Poker. The website also offers video poker, live dealer games, and specialty games. You might also want to check out the Poker Room if you enjoy online poker.
Pros
• US players are welcome at Ignition Casino.
• Many freebies with a mouth-watering $1000 welcome bonus.
• Ignition Casino accepts bitcoin payments.
• Mobile-friendly site so you can play from your smartphone or tablet.
• Excellent 24/7 customer support available.
Cons
• There are no e-wallet banking methods like PayPal or Skrill available.
• We could have more games in the games library.
• No official license.
⇒ Visit the Official Website of Ignition Casino
#2. Bitstarz – Top Rated Online Casino Games For High Payouts
When Bitstarz set out in 2014, it came on the scene to do something new: create a casino that would combine crypto payments with traditional fiat payment methods.
Before Bitstarz, there were bitcoin casinos. However, most existed on the fringes. Bitstarz’s entrance into the industry changed everything, effectively establishing the genre in mainstream online gambling.
Fast forward to 2021, and BitStarz has earned a reputation for being one of the best bitcoin casinos you can find online right now. Thousands of players have enjoyed gaming on this site, with loads of positive reviews to show for it.
The game selection on BitStarz is obviously high quality. They also look well-organized on the site and well laid out. As for bonuses and promotions, you’ll get many of such on BitStarz. Plus, it’s probably hard to believe, but you also get free withdrawals on this site.
Another thing we find pretty interesting about this site is that you can take it out for a test drive before opening an account. If the site pleases you, you can open an account, and if it doesn’t, you can always walk away.
Highlights
High-Quality Games: You’ll get some of the best casino games on the internet on BitStarz. The graphics are also excellent and load pretty fast. You also get to test them to see if you like them before opening an account. BitStarz stands behind their games with complete confidence.
Experienced casino players will find the game assortments refreshingly familiar. Of course, there are slot games that aren’t difficult to nail for an online casino. What’s harder to do excellently, though, are casino table games, and BitStarz does it better than most other online casinos we’ve seen.
Many Banking Methods Available: When it comes to flexible banking methods, BitStarz takes home the crown. There are 13 deposit options and nine withdrawal options. Deposits come with a small fee, but withdrawals are completely free except in one case. And, of course, you get to pay in bitcoin, which only makes this platform even more flexible when it comes to payments.
Loads of Bonuses: Just right there on the site, you’ll find the bonus and promotion section well outlined for all to see, and there are many of those to make players happy. There are also day-specific promos and rake races you get to benefit from as well.
We particularly liked BitStarz’s bonuses because you don’t need to opt-in to take advantage of them. Maybe the bonuses could be bigger, but they are more spread out than you’d find on other sites, which, we believe, makes up for the size of the bonuses.
Pros
• Bitcoin accepted
• A wide array of quality games to play
• Great bonuses and promotions
• Easy registration
Cons
• It does not accept US players
⇒ Visit the Official Website of Bitstarz
#3. Wild Casino – Multiple Bonus Offers In Online Betting
Wild Casino looks every bit like you must have imagined it would when you heard its name. Somehow Wild Casino has combined the wildness of a jungle theme with a modern touch to give a really appealing outlook.
And functionality isn’t sacrificed on the altar of looks too. You get a user interface that you can easily navigate.
Wild Casino gets its game selections from Betsoft and Nucleus, and these games come with excellent graphics and animation that make them a joy to play. Plus, you get to make deposits either with traditional currency or with crypto, whichever you prefer. And with the site being mobile-friendly, you can also play from your smartphone.
There are loads of mouth-watering bonuses waiting for you once you sign up on Wild Casino. We’ll talk about all of that shortly. But for now, it would do to rest assured that Wild Casino is 100% legit.
Highlights
Tempting Welcome Bonus: A $5000 welcome bonus is one of the largest you’ll find in the industry. Many question how practical the bonus can be, though, being that the sum is quite large. However, Wild Casino has had that sorted. The bonus is split and spread across five deposits, and each of these deposits has its terms and conditions.
Of course, we have to mention the crypto first deposit bonus. This one is worth as much as $9000, which you will receive in the bitcoin equivalent.
There are other bonuses and promos which come with bonus codes and promo codes. It might feel a little antiquated since most online casinos just automate the process these days. But it makes players involved, so it’s really not that bad.
High-Quality Casino Games: While the selection of casino games on Wild Casino isn’t huge, they are of high quality. This isn’t very surprising considering that Nucleus Gaming supplies the software and Betsoft supplies the games. Together, these companies make Wild Casino the site to beat for the quality of games and player experience.
As a player on Wild Casino, you’ll enjoy the regular slots, table games, jackpot games, video poker, Blackjack, and Live Dealer.
A Variety of Banking Methods: For deposits or withdrawals, you have several options available: thirteen for deposits and eight for withdrawal. Depending on the method you choose, the minimum deposit can range from $20 to $50, and you can deposit as much as $2500 if you’re using traditional banking methods.
But if you’re paying with crypto, you will be able to make deposits of up to $100,000. As for withdrawals, you’re limited to $3000 per transaction and a minimum amount of $500 per request. Keep in mind that it takes 48 hours to process each request.
Pros
• The site is mobile-friendly and is fully compatible with both Android and iOS.
• Excellent customer support with live chat access available
• Huge welcome bonus
• A variety of banking methods
• High-quality games with great graphics and animation
• Interesting jungle theme
• US players are accepted
Cons
• Customer support could be better.
• Withdrawal fees can be high in a few cases.
• Some basic poker games are not available.
⇒ Visit the Official Website of Wild Casino
#4. Intertops – User Friendly Gambling Website
Their strapline says, “Trust the First.” Well, that’s because Intertops is the world’s oldest online sportsbook. Although they first opened shop in 1983, they went online in 1996 to become the first to do it in the industry.
Jukka Hunkavarra, a Finnish bettor, placed a wager on the Intertops on January 17th, 1996, effectively becoming the one to declare the world of online betting birthed officially. This was about 25 years ago.
Now, Intertops has grown to cater to a massive international client base. The site offers support in a variety of languages, including Polish and Italian. Plus, it translates to German as well.
In the past, Intertops was invite-only and open to clients from the United States only. However, from 2015, the site began to accept sign-ups and players outside the United States, and now anyone interested in online betting can take advantage of Intertops’ impressive website.
Highlights
Easy-to-Navigate User Interface: Intertops has a straightforward and seamless user interface. You won’t have any issue finding whatever you’re looking for on the website. There are tabs for “live betting” and “hottest bets.”
You also get to change how the site displays the odds of whether you prefer that in fraction, decimal, or American format.
The site loads super fast. There’s no lag whatsoever, so you can tell that Intertops invested heavily in the back end. More importantly, you can tell that you’d have a fantastic user experience on this site.
Casino Games: Intertops might be a sportsbook, but that does not mean that it’s all that it offers. Intertops also offers an online casino with more than 300 different high-quality casino games. Get ready to play slots, video poker, table games, and more. The graphics are great too, which only heightens user experience.
There aren’t many brand name games, but, at least, you get live dealer games: a hot trend today in online casino gaming. From Baccarat to Blackjack, you’d get to play any of these you enjoy with live dealers in real-time.
Flexible Banking Methods: There are ten options for making deposits and seven for withdrawals.
A Great Lineup of Bonuses and Promotions: You’ll be overwhelmed by all the bonuses and promotions in the lineup for you when you sign up at Intertops. The bonuses are plentiful whether you’re engaging the sportsbook side of things or the casino side.
Pros
• Accepts Bitcoin
• Excellent customer support team, available 24/7
• Many banking methods are available
• A huge selection of games.
• Many sports and bets.
• Bonuses and promotions are large and varied.
• Available to US players.
Cons
• Payout takes a long process sometimes.
⇒ Visit the Official Website of Intertops
#5. Monkey Knife Fight – Most Famous For Progressive Slots
Monkey Knife Fight, like its name, is a unique website on our list today. It’s not exactly an online sports betting platform. But if your state is yet to legalize online betting, then Monkey Knife Fight (MKF) is probably your next best option. Here, players play against the house rather than against other players and can earn up to 100 times their buy-in.
From its name, it’s not hard to tell that MKF is a platform that does not take itself too seriously. The site is very light-hearted and loves to make fun of itself now and then. But don’t let that front fool you. Behind all of that is a tight ship of a business run by experienced professionals.
MKF makes use of player props which it uses to make fantasy games of different kinds. MKF has many different online casino games players can enjoy in all major sports, the most popular being More/Less.
Signing up on MKF is super easy, and you stand a chance to win as much as 100X your buy-in.
Highlights
Mobile-Friendly Website: Although Monkey Knife Fight does not have a mobile app, it does have a mobile-friendly website. This means that you get to enjoy gaming on this site with your smartphone, Android, or iOS.
The site loads super fast without any lag and is also very seamless, even on a mobile device. Whatever function you get on your desktop, you’ll be able to enjoy it on your mobile device as well.
All Major Sports Leagues Available: Whatever league you enjoy playing, the major ones at least, you’ll find them on Monkey Knife Fight. Of course, the availability of each league would depend on the time of the year. But MKF has games for the following leagues: NFL, NBA, NHL, soccer, golf, MLB, NASCAR, and Esports.
An Interesting Assortment of Games and Contests: Monkey Knife Fight has an exciting assortment of games and contests for each sport. You’ll be spoiled for choice.
Some contests you can expect to enjoy on this gaming site include Over/Under, RapidFire, Touchdown Dance, 4-Point Play, and Putting Up Points.
Easy Interface: The developers did a great job designing the Monkey Knife Fight platform. The site is clean and easy whether you’re accessing it via desktop or via your mobile device. Everything is properly laid out and easy to find.
Pros
• Gaming is based on props which is unique in the gambling industry.
• Fast payouts.
• Bonus with first deposit.
Cons
• Deposit options are limited.
⇒ Visit the Official Website of Monkey Knife Fight
How We Chose the Best Online Casinos
We started by scouring the internet, looking at all the gambling sites available. When we made a list of the functioning ones, we began to cut down the list in a stepwise process.
Per our principles, our selection process involves more than giving the websites a scan-through. Our team has to spend hours poring through every aspect of each website to get what does and does not work, as these would inform how we rate each site.
Of course, we understand that not all sites will have the same methods of operation. In fact, we expect that, and that’s why we factored in the uniqueness of each site into the ratings.
Nonetheless, it’s imperative to us that everyone, both novice, and expert, has a wonderful user experience on any site that makes it to our list. So, we were strict with our standards.
With patience and meticulousness, we were able to cut our overwhelmingly long list down to a handful of sites. But we wanted to stick with the cream of the crop, so we whittled the list down further. We did this by considering other expert opinions on each of these sites. So, you’d find that these websites are almost universally agreed upon as the best on offer.
That said, to confirm things for yourself, we listed a couple of things we looked out for when choosing the best online gambling sites. Here they are:
What We Looked Out For
• Trustworthiness. Any site where you’re going to deposit your money and give your personal information must be safe and secure. This way, you get to enjoy your game without fear.
Licensing was another thing we considered. Licensed gambling sites are obligated to make their sites safe, their games fair, and their bonus practices legit.
• How substantial are the bonuses and promotions? Any credible online casino will offer bonuses and promotions. Yes, these will come with terms and conditions, but they must be offered.
• Quality of the customer support. Sometimes things go differently than they should have. In those moments, you’d need customer service. A gambling business without excellent customer service is hardly a business at all.
• User Interface. An online gambling site must be intuitive and easy to navigate for both newbies and experienced players. Mobile-friendliness is also a must at this point of technological advancement.
• Variety of games available. Anyone would get bored playing the same games over and over again. So, we made sure to select sites with a wide range of games.
• Reviews. Customer reviews say a lot about a site’s reputation. So, we made sure to factor those into our reviews as well. We made sure to only select sites with the best reviews.
Factors You Should Consider When Choosing an Online Gambling Platform
1. Legitimacy
Before you begin online gambling, it’s essential to make sure you do your research and select legit sites. Go through reviews from trusted sites. Run background checks. Don’t just jump at the first site whose ad manages to get to you first. You could end up having a bad experience or, worse, putting your sensitive information in the hands of fraudsters.
Naturally, this takes quite some time. But as you saw at the beginning of this article, we went through a rigorous process to select the sites that made it to our review. So, every site on our review is credible and legit. Feel free to indulge.
2. Terms and Conditions
Especially where bonuses and promotions are concerned, there are usually terms and conditions attached. You must be careful to go through these terms and conditions. There’s plenty of helpful information in the fine print that could mean the thin line between making good money or losing it all.
So, as you lick your lips at the juicy bonuses and promotions, remember that there are always conditions like betting limits and wagering requirements attached. At the very least, scan the text and pick out the most critical parts so you don’t get disappointed in the end.
3. Budget
Before you begin your gambling venture, set out a budget for it and stick to it. It does seem difficult in practice, but it is possible. Budgeting is the only way to manage your financial losses and increase your chances of winning.
And since we’re here, learn to play smart as well. Say you’ve created your budget, and you plan to spend $50 in total. It’s not smart to go to $10 slot spins. You’ll run out of money in a short time, and you wouldn’t have enjoyed your time. Your next recourse would then be to overshoot your budget.
But what if you played smaller spins like $1 slots, for instance? You’d get to play for longer and enjoy yourself better. Budgeting and smart decisions like these could make all the difference. So, you must learn to make them through your gambling venture.
4. Learn the Basics and Practice First
There are myriads of games at a casino, and each of them has its own rules. If you don’t learn these rules and go in blind, you’re obviously going to lose, except perhaps your lucky star is working overtime.
Not only do games have their own rules, but they also have the best strategies for winning at them. It would help if you learned both: the rules and the strategies.
Now, after doing that, you are going to need practice. Many virtual/digital casinos allow you to try out demo games for free. That is, you won’t need to deposit money.
Practice will give you real-life experience with the dynamics of whatever game captures your interest. Your learning curve is not complete without practical experience, and that’s what free games give you.
5. An Online Casino’s Banking Methods Matter
What are the options you have when it comes to making deposits and withdrawals? For most online casinos, deposits are speedy for obvious reasons.
Withdrawals, however, can take some time. But some online casinos are faster than others. You also want to consider that and avoid casinos that take too long to pay you your winnings.
FAQs About Gambling Sites And Apps
Q1. Is There any Major Trick to Playing Online Slots?
A noteworthy fact is that online slots are entirely random. So, there are no skills per se that you need to learn to win at them. You can, however, equip yourself with a few tips that can help improve your chances of winning.
That said, you should remember a few tips when playing online slots. For starters, always try to ensure you only choose the right slot. In your own best interests, you want to go for slot machines with high RTP (Return to Player) rates. So, be sure to check thoroughly ahead of your games. Also, you’ll want to practice and pay attention to the paytable so you can understand it. Finally, you’ll need to pay attention to smaller jackpots and remain disciplined throughout the process.
Q2. Do Online Casinos Cheat?
The short answer to this is no. Online casinos do not cheat. On the one hand, they have no reason to. On the other hand, the risk is too high for them and the rewards too. Let’s explain.
First, all casinos have something that is referred to as a house advantage. With this, casinos do not need to cheat because they always win whatever the game. Games like roulette and blackjack, especially, come with a significant house advantage.
Secondly, you’ve probably heard of the payout percentage which applies to video slots. So, say a slot machine has a payout percentage of 97%, this means that 97% of people who play that slot will win while 3% goes back to the casino.
Besides, the casinos don’t even make these games or build slot machines. There is a small network of casino game developers who create the software and set the percentages. Casinos only subscribe to these games. So, they can’t touch the backend, which means that they don’t have access to rig them.
Another reason you can be sure that online casinos do not cheat is that they do get audited, and the credible ones even display their audit reports.
And finally, as we mentioned, it’s just not worth it to cheat because the casino will get found out, which would only lead to the downfall of that business.
Q3. What Is the Best Time to Gamble Online?
As you can probably guess, summer is a “dead season” for online gambling businesses? Why? It’s warm, and everyone wants to get out, travel, and have fun. The winter seasons are different as people prefer to snuggle up in bed and layer up.
But they have to find a way to keep businesses going during this season. So, they bring out their particularly generous bonuses, rewards, and promotions during the summer to entice new players and retain the old players.
However, as we begin to approach the colder months, when people are more likely to be home, bored, and tampering with their phones, the offers become less generous.
Nevertheless, even during the winter, the holidays are another particularly lucrative time. Here’s why.
The holidays bring with them a festive spirit that often encourages indulgence, especially with alcohol. Online casinos know that most gamblers cannot control their desire for alcohol during the holidays. So, they make the prize pools especially fat to lure them. Most end up making bad decisions, anyway and don’t win the money in the end.
Finally, if you’ve gambled for a while, you’d probably notice that most of the action comes toward the end of the month, particularly the last couple of days of the month. So, avoid playing on the first day of the month as much as possible. It’s probably the worst time to play.
Q4. Casino Apps Pay Real Money?
Yes, several casino apps pay real money.
Q5. Are There Any Legal Online Gambling Concerns in the US?
The laws regarding gambling in the United States are constantly changing. Right now, you can’t run your own sportsbook, poker room, or casino in the United States as it is illegal.
However, residents of the United States are allowed to place bets online. The current administration has made it so that individual states can do as they seem fit for online gambling laws.
The following states in the United States have legalized online gambling: New Jersey, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Iowa, Virginia, Maryland, and Arizona.
The following states are considering legalizing online gambling: California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Ohio.
Don’t forget that even in states where online gambling is legal, the laws would look different from state to state. It is, therefore, essential to acquaint yourself with state laws in your jurisdiction before going ahead.
Q6. Can Casinos Refuse to Pay?
Nearly all casinos have what is called a malfunction clause. The story of how this became a thing is actually quite interesting.
So, back in the 70s, in a casino in Nevada, a slot machine broke down, and this player played it, and the numbers came to 777. Usually, the casino should have paid the player, but the machine was faulty, and so they saw no need to.
Unfortunately, this player won’t take things lying down, so they went to court. They had found a loophole. All the rules said was that the casino would pay if the slot machine landed on 777. It didn’t say anything about how the slot machine stops.
In the end, the court ruled in the player’s favor, and the casino had to pay up. But after that, the malfunction was immediately introduced. So, in any reputable casino, you will be paid your winnings no matter how large as long as there was no malfunction and no terms and conditions were violated.
Gambling Online – Conclusion
If you’re old enough to engage in online gambling, we probably don’t need to tell you that gambling has risks. Gambling is not a wealth-building strategy.
If you’re in financial straits, gambling is not your solution. It’s better to find ways to increase your income and invest wisely. While gambling is fun, and you might be able to win every now and then with some skill, it is still a game of chance.
Plus, you know what they say, the house always wins. So, if you’re broke, yes, luck might smile on you. But at the same time, gambling might make your situation go from bad to deplorable.
Also, don’t forget that gambling is addictive. So, be wise and responsible in your gambling ventures. And if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, then make sure to get professional help. You can contact Gambler’s Anonymous at 1-626-960-3500.
Finally, we do not endorse online gambling by anyone under 18 as it is illegal. The sites listed in this review are for individuals aged 18 years and over only.
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