First 5 Casinos for USA players
This article introduces some of the best casinos to try first if you are just starting out in the world of online gambling. We have assessed several factors including the casino's quality and selection of games, reputation, and bonus offers made to new players when compiling this article.
Beginner's Casino Crash Course
Transferring money to and from online casinos
As you may know, the US Government passed a law in 2006 called the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Act" or UIGA. Contrary to what you may have read, the UIGA does not prohibit gambling online. What is does do is place restrictions on financial institutions from transferring money to online gambling sites.
Many casinos get around this problem by establishing a 3rd party payment processing company that is not strictly gambling related, so you can use your credit card to make a deposit. This is usually your first option. Should the transaction be declined, there are several "e-wallet" companies that allow instant transfers to and from online casinos which you can set an account up with in minutes. You can then fund the account using your US bank credit card, check, or wire transfer and use the account when playing at online casinos. Some of the better ones that accept US citizens are ePassporte and QuickTender.
- Bonus:
- $50
- Deposit:
- $50
Vegas Towers - $50 and no wagering requirements
Vegas Towers (our review here) has a 100% welcome bonus, up to a maximum of $50. The bonus is non-cashable, which means you can wager with the bonus, but you cannot withdraw the bonus. So for example, you deposit $50 and have $100 to play with, but when you withdraw, the $50 bonus is subtracted from your balance. A unique feature of this casino's bonus is that there are no wagering restrictions placed on you, so you can play as many or as few games as you like before making a withdrawal. Vegas Towers uses Microgaming casino software, which is widely regarded as the best online casino software available, and features the widest selection of games. Have fun and try a few different games to see what takes your fancy.
One tactic you may like to try for a quick win is to bet the entire $100 on a single hand of baccarat, roulette (red/black or odds/evens), or blackjack. If you win, your balance goes to $200 and you can withdraw $150, a profit of $100. If you lose, you only lose your $50 deposit. Why is this a good bet? In effect the $50 bonus "leverages" your bankroll, enabling you to get a potentially bigger win, without increasing the amount that you have to risk. If you make a roughly 50/50 bet, half the time you win $100, and half the time you lose $50 - in other words you are getting paid double for an even money bet if you win.
- Bonus:
- $125
- Deposit:
- $100
Slots Plus Casino - $125 bonus, quality service
Slots Plus Casino (our review here) is one of the premier online casinos catering to players from the USA. As you can tell by the name, the emphasis is on slots, but don't let that dissuade you if you are not a slots player because they also offer a full range of table and card games. The software is attractive and easy to use, and the customer service offered by the Mainstreet Vegas Group that owns and operates the casino is second to none.
No matter if you have a small or large bankroll, Slots Plus has you covered with a special first deposit bonus: deposit between $101 and $100,000 and you recieve a $125 bonus on the first $100 plus an extra 25% on remaining portion of your deposit. You just need to email support@slotsplus.com to request your bonus.
- Bonus:
- $200
- Deposit:
- $200
Players Only Casino - $200 Wednesdays bonus
Players Only Casino (our review here) offers a whopping $200 fully cashable bonus via a 100% match deposit. The bonus is only available after depositing on Wednesdays, is exclusive to US players, and you will have to email the bonus code Match200 to theinsider@playersonly.com after depositing to claim the bonus. Even better, you can claim this one once every month. Oh, and we nearly forgot to mention that the casino is a stunning flash website where you play all games in your browser, without downloading and installing any extra software.
Note that you must wager 20 times the bonus amount before you may withdraw. There are smart ways to play this though - playing perfect blackjack basic strategy you would expect to end up with around $384 on average after wagering $4000. If you want to try this, use the blackjack basic strategy chart on our blackjack guide page, and keep your bet size low to smooth out the variance of winning and losing streaks.
- Bonus:
- $2000
- Deposit:
- $500
Rushmore Casino - a mountainous 400% bonus
Rushmore Casino (our review here) is another casino with an excellent website, and the bonuses to match. Their 400% slots bonus is about as big as you can get these days and you can deposit up to $500 to claim a bonus which is capped at a very generous $2000. Rushmore has the non-slots players covered too, and although not as large, 200% up to $1000 for the blackjack players out there is still not a bad deal. Note that, like Vegas Towers above, these bonuses are non-cashable, and they also have wagering requirements you must meet before withdrawing.
- Bonus:
- $450
- Deposit:
- $300
English Harbour Casino - 150% bonus
English Harbour (our review here) offers another generous bonus deal to prospective players, and accepts Americans from all US States. Their current promotion gives you $5 free just for signing up (they have a wheel-of-fortune style game at the website), and then you can claim a 150% bonus up to $450 after depositing. The software used by English Harbour is supplied by Odds On, and the casino software is attractive and easy to use. The English Harbour bonus is non-cashable and requires wagering of 25 times your bonus amount.
Taking stock
We hope you have enjoyed your introduction to the online casino world and have learnt a lot along the way. We would love to hear your stories of how you went at your first five casinos, so feel free to leave a comment below and tell us how you fared. Why not also drop by our casino forum, introduce yourself, and say hello?
More Bonuses?
We have bonuses listed for over 160 different online casinos on this site, and all of them are sortable so you can filter out the ones that don't allow US players. We have prepared several categorized lists of all the best casino bonuses on offer such as sign-up bonuses, blackjack bonuses, and monthly and weekly bonuses, plus many, many more.
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