• Best Legal Online Gambling Sites
• Best Online Sports Betting Reviews

Best gambling sites for 2020

Best Legal Online Gambling Sites

The best online gambling sites are legal and regulated sites. Here’s a look at the top legal and regulated online gambling sites in the US and where they are currently available:

We review the best legit poker sites so you can safely choose where to play real money poker online. Our top pick for December 2020 is Governor of Poker 3. Governor of Poker 3.

These are just a couple of the casino-based gambling sites we recommend, so be sure to view our other online casino rankings which focus strictly on gambling websites with above-average casinos. If you enjoy multiple types of online gambling, you would be best served at an all-in-one gambling site with sports, casino and poker combined in one convenient location. I've been reviewing the best (and the worst) online casinos since I created Beat The Fish in 2005. I've played for real money at dozens of online gambling sites since then. What I think makes these casino reviews different is the effort my team and I put into each one.

When it comes to online gambling in the US, you have a choice. You can play with legal and regulated online gambling sites where your money and personal information are guaranteed to be safe and secure.

State government bodies regulate and license these online gambling sites and ensure you have somewhere to turn if something goes wrong. Plus, part of the revenue these online gambling sites generate is paid in taxes to the state and earmarked for important things like major infrastructure projects and education.

Of course, you can also play with illegal offshore online gambling sites where you’ll be risking your hard-earned money, have no recourse if something goes awry and the profits are hoarded by billionaire scofflaws with no ties to the US.

The list below gives you an overview of the top 10 sites in the US, most of which offer sports betting and casino games.

Top 10 legal US gambling sites

The importance of reading gambling site reviews

Reviews of legal and licensed online casinos, online poker sites and online sportsbooks will tell you what these online gambling sites have to offer. Our reviews are created by real people who gamble online and write about online gambling for a living. They can help you make the right decision when it comes to which online gambling site is best for you.

You won’t find reviews for shady offshore gambling sites here. Promoting illegal offshore gambling sites is irresponsible. Legal and regulated gambling sites are the only online gambling sites operating under US law, delivering real consumer protection and keeping your money and personal information safe and secure. As a result, they are the only online gambling sites we promote.

Here’s a few words about some of the top legal and regulated online gambling sites in the country, including a link to our full review:

• BetMGM Casino: An integrated online casino, online poker site and online sportsbook, where legally available, from one of the biggest and most trusted names in the US casino and gambling industry.
• FanDuel Casino: One of the top brands in daily fantasy sports has branched out into online sports betting and online casino gambling where it legally can.
• DraftKings Casino: The daily fantasy sports market leader has also moved into online sports betting and online casino gaming where it legally can.
• Golden Nugget Casino: An integrated online casino and online sportsbook, where legally available, promising the largest game library in most markets from a trusted name in US gambling.
• PokerStars Casino: An integrated online poker and online casino site with ties to a partner online sportsbook, where legally available, from the worldwide leader in online poker.
• Caesars Casino: An integrated online casino, online poker site and online sportsbook, where legally available, from one of the biggest and most trusted names in the US casino and gambling industry.
• William Hill Casino: The largest retail sportsbook operator in the country has launched online sports betting and online casino gambling where it legally can.

Where is online gambling legal?

Certain forms of online gambling are legal in the states that have passed laws making it so. Here’s a look at states with poker, sports betting and legal casino gambling:

• New Jersey: New Jersey has legal and regulated online casinos (2013), online poker sites (2013), and online and mobile sportsbooks (2018). It is the largest regulated online gambling market in the country right now, generating hundreds of millions in revenue annually.
• Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania has legal and regulated online casinos (2019), online poker sites (2019), and online and mobile sportsbooks (2019). The regulated online gambling market is much smaller than it is next door in New Jersey, partly due to higher tax rates.
• Delaware: Delaware has legal and regulated online casinos (2013), online poker sites (2013), and online and mobile sportsbooks (2018).
• Michigan: Michigan is planning to launch the state’s first legal and regulated online casinos, online poker sites, and online and mobile sportsbooks by the end of 2020.
• West Virginia: West Virginia has legal and regulated online casinos (2020) and online and mobile sportsbooks (2018). Online poker is expected to launch in 2021.

Here’s a look at states with legal sports gambling only:

• Colorado: Colorado has online and mobile sportsbooks (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Illinois: Illinois has online and mobile sportsbooks (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Tennessee: Tennessee has online and mobile sportsbooks (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Indiana: Indiana has online and mobile sportsbooks (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Iowa: Iowa has online and mobile sportsbooks (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• New Hampshire: New Hampshire has an online and mobile sportsbook (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Oregon: Oregon has a sportsbook app (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Rhode Island: Rhode Island has an online and mobile sportsbook (2019). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Montana: Montana has a sportsbook app (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.
• Washington, D.C.: Washington, D.C., has an online and mobile sportsbook (2020). However, there are no current plans for online casinos or online poker sites.

Nevada is the only state with both online poker and sports betting.

• Nevada: Nevada has legal and regulated online poker sites (2013) and online and mobile sportsbooks (2010). However, there are no current plans for online casinos.

Gambling sites by category

Here’s a look at the different kinds of online gambling available across the country:

• Online casinos: Legal and regulated online gambling sites offering online casino games and online slots.
• Online slots: Online versions of the slot machines you find in land-based casinos across the US and some exclusive-to-online-casino slots.
• Online poker: Online peer-to-peer poker games, including tournaments and cash games featuring various poker variants like Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
• Sports betting: Single-game sports wagering on a variety of pro and college-level sports from around the world.
• Real money sites: Online gambling sites that allow you to play online casino games, online slots or online poker, or bet on sports, with real money.
• Online gambling apps: Apps that allow you to play online casino games, online slots or online poker, or bet on sports, on your mobile device with real money.

How to find the best gambling site for you

We can’t tell you which is the best online gambling site for you. That’s a personal decision you’ll need to make based on what’s important to you. What we can do is point out certain factors we think you should consider when making this decision:

Gambling apps

This is an emerging factor in separating great online gambling sites from good ones as more and more Americans enjoy the freedom of gambling with mobile devices. Some casino, poker and sportsbook apps are smaller versions of what’s available through desktop browsers. Others are just as robust.

Ask yourself if you want to play with your smartphone or tablet. This will help you determine how important the quality of the online gambling site’s app is to you.

Casino payouts

Legal and regulated online gambling sites have to pay out winnings quickly and accurately in accordance with operating rules mandated by regulators. This is one of the great benefits of regulated online gambling, and payouts typically happen within 24 to 48 hours.

What separates great online gambling sites from good ones in this category is the availability of a variety of banking options. Some have more than others, and that makes them a better bet to have one that works for you.

Best Online Sports Betting Reviews

Game library

Good online gambling sites have a decent selection of games or betting markets. Great online gambling sites have a huge selection of hundreds of games and betting markets. Good online gambling sites may have what you want. Great online gambling sites pretty much guarantee it.

Bonus offers

Pretty much every legal and regulated US gambling site in the country offers you some kind of bonus for signing up for an account, making a deposit or being loyal to the brand. What separates great sites from good ones in this category is the size of these bonuses and how easy it will be to meet any gambling requirements attached.

Obviously, the bigger and easier, the better.

Customer support

If you go through your entire existence on this earth and never have to contact an online gambling site’s customer support team, you’ll have lived a happy life.

That said, issues may arise, and while good online gambling sites have accessible and functional customer support, great online gambling sites go the extra mile to make sure you continue to enjoy a happy life even if you have to contact them.

Real money gambling vs. free-to-play sites

You have another choice when it comes to online gambling in the US. You can choose to play free online casino games and online poker through various social media and free-play apps. Unfortunately, you won’t win anything real.

In other words, you can have a ton of fun playing these online casino and online poker games, but you aren’t going to win any real money.

Legal and regulated online casinos, online poker sites, online sportsbooks, and sweepstakes casinos and poker sites are the only ways to win real money gambling online.

There is usually some risk involved, but without the risk, there is no reward. The games are equally as fun, but with legal and regulated online gambling sites and sweepstakes operators, there’s real money on the line.

Of course, you can also get started with most legal and regulated online casinos, online poker sites, online sportsbooks, and sweepstakes casinos and poker sites for free.

Take advantage of the many bonuses legal and regulated online gambling sites offer, and sweepstakes laws, and you can win real money without the risk.

How to gamble online safely in the US

Gambling online safely in the US is about leaning on regulation. The states that have legal and regulated online gambling guarantee the safety of your money and personal information when you gamble with licensed online gambling sites.

In other words, you’re only gambling safely when you’re gambling with online casinos, online poker sites and online sportsbooks licensed by the states in which they are operating.

Why trust our reviews?

You can trust OnlineGamblingSites.com for several reasons.

We only promote legal and regulated real money gambling sites operating on US soil. That means every real money online casino, online sportsbook and online poker site we write about is licensed by a state with legal online gambling.

In other words, if you can trust the state government, you can trust the information about the online casinos, online sportsbooks, and online poker sites you find on OnlineGamblingSites.com.

We also write about sweepstakes casinos, sweepstakes slot parlors, and sweepstakes poker sites that operate under US sweepstakes laws. If that ever changes, so will OnlineGamblingSites.com.

Legal and regulated real money gambling sites are the only online gambling sites licensed by state governments, operating under US law, offering real consumer protection, and guaranteeing your money and personal information are safe and secure.

These factors make these the only online gambling sites you can really trust. The fact we promote only these sites is why you can trust us.

You want a safe place to gamble online — an online casino, sportsbook or poker site licensed by a state government that guarantees your safety and privacy.

We want to point you in that direction and let you decide what online gambling options are best for you.