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Play baccarat online: Best baccarat casinos

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Checked by Geraldine S.Lorella F.

Baccarat’s a popular game all over the world, and the virtual halls of online casinos are no exception. Whether you’re playing a simple card sim or betting on a fully decked-out live dealer stream, operators are constantly competing for your attention, striving to be the best baccarat casino.

So, who actually is the best? We’ll blast off with our top picks in the next section, then we’ll break down how we rated those, and what makes them better than the rest of the US casino scene for online baccarat.

After that, we’ll give you a primer that’ll cover everything you need to make your way to the top baccarat casinos. From the different baccarat types available, to what makes a good casino bonus, the pros & cons of free and real money baccarat, safety & legal info, and a tips list for new & advanced players.

Ready? Let’s start at the top. Best baccarat casinos, here we go:

Casino Logo Odds rating Bonus Go to casino Button Show more T&C
1
Mohegan Sun review
92/100 Games rating by Lorella F. 85% Playscore based on 100% up to $1,000
Play now

Good to know

  • Email, live chat, phone support
  • iOS and Android apps
  • Over 790 slot games

9 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
PayPal
Play+
PayNearMe
VIP Preferred
ACH Network
Bank Transfer
Cash at Casino Cage
2
SugarHouse review
91/100 Games rating by Ian Z. 92% Playscore based on 100% match bonus up to $250
Play now

Good to know

  • 1x bonus wagering
  • 28 software providers
  • Exclusive software on offer

11 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
PayPal
Play+
VIP Preferred
PayNearMe
VanillaDirect
Discover
Wire Transfer
Cash at Casino Cage
Venmo
3
Harrahs review
90/100 Games rating by Sarah C. 80% Playscore based on 100% up to $100 + 100 free spins
Play now

Good to know

  • 850+ slot games
  • iOS and Android app
  • Simple registration

9 payment methods

Visa
PayPal
PayNearMe
MasterCard
Discover
ACH Network
Bank Transfer
Play+
Cash at Casino Cage
4
Tropicana review
88/100 Games rating by Lorella F. 90% Playscore based on 100% up to $200
Play now

Good to know

  • 24/7 customer support
  • Caesers Rewards member
  • Community jackpots

11 payment methods

MasterCard
Visa
PayPal
Play+
VIP Preferred
ACH Network
PayNearMe
Discover
American Express
Cash at Casino Cage
Bank Transfer
5
Caesars review
88/100 Games rating by Ian Z. 86% Playscore based on 100% up to $2,500 and 2,500 Reward Credits on a $25+ wager
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Good to know

  • Caesars Rewards loyalty program
  • Quick registration
  • Over 1,000 games

11 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
PayPal
Play+
PayNearMe
VIP Preferred
American Express
Discover
Bank Transfer
Cash at Casino Cage
Apple Pay
6
BetRivers casino review
88/100 Games rating by Claire S. 85% Playscore based on Bonus Money reload up to $500
Play now

Good to know

  • Community chat with rewards
  • Native app for Android
  • Low bonus wagering requirements

9 payment methods

Play+
MasterCard
Visa
VIP Preferred
PayPal
Cash at Casino Cage
Check
Venmo
Trustly
7
Resorts review
87/100 Games rating by Lorella F. 84% Playscore based on 100% up to $1,000
Play now

Good to know

  • Easy, quick registration
  • Email, live chat, phone support
  • iOS and Android apps

9 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
PayPal
Play+
VIP Preferred
PayNearMe
ACH Network
Cash at Casino Cage
Bank Transfer
8
Stardust casino logo
Stardust review
85/100 Games rating by Paul P. 86% Playscore based on $25 free + up to $500 in deposit bonuses
Play now

Good to know

  • Quick withdrawals
  • Huge game variety
  • Plenty of promos

9 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
PayPal
Play+
PayNearMe
VIP Preferred
Cash at Casino Cage
Venmo
Bank Transfer
9
PlayStar casino review logo
PlayStar review
81/100 Games rating by Charlie S. 82% Playscore based on 100% Deposit Match up to $500 + 500 Free Spins
Play now

Good to know

  • Two-part welcome deal
  • Five-tier Playstar Club
  • Smooth mobile apps

7 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
Play+
e-Check
PayPal
VIP Preferred
Cash at Casino Cage
10
bet365 casino review
63/100 Games rating by Ramona D. 85% Playscore based on 100% deposit match up to $1,000
Play now

Good to know

  • Low bonus wagering requirements
  • Exclusive games on offer
  • 20 software providers

11 payment methods

Visa
MasterCard
PayPal
PayNearMe
Skrill
paysafecard
Discover
Cash at Casino Cage
American Express
Bank Transfer
Apple Pay
21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler (call or text in Colorado).

The baccarat casinos highlighted above are specifically chosen to reflect their baccarat offering.  The expert scores displayed are their overall ratings from our casino game reviews; if there’s a spot higher up on the list with a slightly lower overall rating, it’s because it does baccarat better than the other spots do.

If you’re still not convinced and want to play baccarat with free coins before choosing a real money option, we suggest you check out our best sweeps cash casinos.

How we rate baccarat casinos

Games

The games themselves are the first things we consider. Baccarat is popular enough, but there still isn’t much variety when it comes to baccarat online in the US. We look at the number of different games offered, and the variety of types. We also look for sites like BetMGM NJ that offer a range of games from classics like online blackjack to rarer games like sic bo. Most casinos run the same 3-5 baccarat titles, so we favor places that run exclusives (like Golden Nugget) or spots that offer less common titles, or even just more (such as SugarHouse). Read more about the different types of baccarat games. Of course, some stuff differs by state — New Jersey online baccarat casinos are usually stronger than most other states’.

Online casino bonuses

Baccarat-specific bonuses are practically unheard of in the US. The closest things you’ll get are some recurring promos, like Unibet’s weekend Live Dealer boost. We rate that sort of thing highly when it comes up, but again, it’s rare. What we look at instead is how useful other bonuses can be for baccarat players. Bonus amounts are a factor; BetMGM currently wins there. But we also look at the wagering requirements needed to cash out bonuses. Card & table games online are sometimes excluded, and when they’re not, their contributions are capped, often at 10%. BetMGM and Borgata hit 20%, while Golden Nugget offers 25%. We talk more about baccarat bonuses later on

Software

As we’ve said, it’s usually the same few game titles showing up in the baccarat online offering in the US casino scene. We want top games from top studios, and fortunately, the software scene at our top casinos knocks it out of the park. NetEnt and IGT are 2 of the best providers in the world, and they’re the most-seen US-wide. Evolution Gaming is the undisputed king of live dealer gaming, and it’s around too. Evolution also has an RNG baccarat game, and there are a few baccarat-like titles from Evolution and SG Digital, which aren’t available everywhere. When we see those at spots like SugarHouse, we sprinkle in a few extra baccarat points.

App and mobile Interface

Mobile gaming is more popular than ever, and any online baccarat provider has to take it into account. We’re used to seeing operators lose some titles on their mobile platforms vs their desktop ones, but that’s unacceptable for blackjack games. There are so few already, we can’t afford to lose more. We also consider whether the games run have mobile-specific interfaces, optimized for smaller screens. This is usually not a problem when NetEnt games are present. Good graphics and quick load times sweeten the deal and are usually not points of concern when the games come from top studios.

Safety

Time2play makes it a point to only recommend sites that are specifically licensed for the US and are publicly green-flagged by state governing bodies. That means they’re tested regularly, audited, and safe. If they’re licensed in multiple states, even better; it means they’re getting tested by more people. Necessary things we look out for are SSL-encrypted websites, responsible online gambling site tools, and pages linking to external help organizations for player safety. The above-and-beyond types usually have bespoke safety programs or donate to problem gambling research.

Payment methods

Sure, you can play baccarat online for fun, but the fact is, most people hope to win real money on their games. To do that, you need to be offering a good payment portfolio, cover all the options from cash & card to online wallets and ACH, and you need to have solid offers for both deposits and withdrawals. Seeing top names like Visa, MasterCard and Play+ reassure players that the casino’s trusted by some top financial figures. Both PayPal and Amex casinos and tend to be a favorite among our baccarat players for instance.

Overall offering

Some things won’t directly affect your baccarat game but will have some effect on your casino adventure. We usually consider stuff like the website’s ease of use and the customer support options here. We want signups and bonus claims to be quick and easy, and we give top customer support points to operators who offer phone, email, and FAQ options alongside a 24/7 live chat.

Online baccarat games — tons of types

In this section, we break down all you’ll ever need to know about the different types of online baccarat. Honestly, we’re getting way ahead of ourselves. Most of these aren’t available at legal US casinos yet, and probably won’t be for a while.

But they’re available at European casinos and we’re an optimistic bunch, so we’ll break ‘em down for you anyway, and then direct you to US spots where you can get your fix for baccarat online.

Baccarat punto banco

Punto Banco baccarat

The classic. By far the most common in the US. You bet on whose cards will have the highest total score, either the player, “punto” or the banker, “banco”. You can bet on ties too, but that’s not recommended. If either score is over 10, the left digit is dropped. So a 10 is worth 0, a 15 is worth 5, and a 16 is worth less than a 7. Both player and banker start with 2 cards, sometimes getting a 3rd depending on the score they draw. Bankers tend to win slightly more often, so the casino keeps a 5% commission on banker bets to even it out.
Baccarat live dealer

Live dealer baccarat

The second-most widespread option in the US. It’s Punto Banco, but with the classic casino flair and brick-and-mortar feel. You’ll be able to use a chat function to interact with your dealer, and if you trust physical cards more than RNG software, you may find it easier to relax with a live game.
Baccarat one card

“One-card baccarat”

Let’s be frank. “One-card baccarat” is not a thing, or any form of official designation. But there are some US casinos offering one-card, baccarat-like games, so we thought it’d be worth a mention. SG Digital’s ‘Casino War’ or Evolution’s ‘Dragon Tiger’ and ‘Football Studio’, will have you bet on player, dealer, or tie, and the highest card wins. Unlike Punto Banco, picture cards are worth their suit value. So Ace beats King beats Queen etc.
Baccarat mini

Mini baccarat

Usually smaller and lower stakes. Offline, another difference between Mini and Punto Banco is that in Punto Banco, players deal the cards, while the banker is always the dealer in Mini. This difference doesn’t translate to online games, since, y’know, computers.
Baccarat midi

Midi baccarat

Another difference that doesn’t translate to baccarat online. In this variant, cards are handled and revealed by the player who makes the highest bet (whether that bet is on the player or banker makes no difference).
Baccarat chinese

Chinese baccarat

Also known as Macao. Rather than betting on the player or banker, players try to beat the banker’s hand. You win less often, but winning with an 8 pays 2:1, and winning with a 9 pays 3:1. In a tie, the winner is whoever has achieved the tying score with fewer cards.
Baccarat super6

Super 6 baccarat

In Super 6, there’s no 5% commission on banker bet wins. However, there is a 50% commission on banker wins with a 6. The house edge is larger than in Punto Banco, but you can bet on the higher banker chance without any remorse.
Baccarat chemin de fer

Baccarat Chemin de Fer

James Bond’s favorite card game! (Poker only really became a thing in the Daniel Craig movies). Players take the role of the banker, with the banker position passing counterclockwise. In each round, the player-banker sets the bet by deciding the amount he wants to risk.

Which is the best for you?

There’s a boatload of variations of baccarat to be found. While Punto Banco is the main favorite you’ll find loads of types available at US online casinos — including live dealer baccarat. We’re certain we’ll see the variations flood in as the internet casino industry continues to grow on our side of the Atlantic; so we’re giving a quick breakdown of all the top trends.

Type of baccaratBest forWhere to play online
Punto Banco baccaratClassic baccarat loversSugarHouse casino
Live dealer baccaratPlayers who want the casino experience at homeBetMGM casino
“One-card” baccaratPlayers who want a more chill vibeSugarHouse casino
Mini baccaratLow-stakes-loversN/A
Midi baccaratHigh rollers who enjoy dealingN/A
Chinese baccaratCompetitive types who prefer to bet on themselvesN/A
Super 6 baccaratThose who want to remorselessly make banker betsN/A
Baccarat Chemin de FerJames Bond fansN/A

Online baccarat casino bonuses

So, what bonuses are available for baccarat online? Unfortunately, it’s rare to find baccarat-specific things. Stuff that pops up semi-regularly would be things like Unibet’s live dealer boost, which offers a small amount of cash weekly to players who wager on live games. It’s specific to online tables, rather than online baccarat.

Still, there are plenty of baccarat casinos whose general casino welcome bonus can be used on baccarat games. The most common casino bonuses in the US are deposit matches, available at most of the top states’ casinos like NJ online casinos, WV online casinos, PA online casinos, and MI online casinos.

Deposit bonuses will match the money you deposit in free bonus cash, up to a certain amount. Wagering this bonus cash a certain number of times turns it into ‘real cash’ that you can withdraw as real money. The number of times you need to wager this bonus cash is called a ‘wagering requirement.

If you’re not ready to part with your money, some casinos will let you get a taste of baccarat through their no deposit bonus codes.

When it comes to real money, baccarat, and other card/table games, are sometimes excluded from paying off wagering requirements since they have a small house edge, and casinos feel players don’t lose enough of their money. Good casinos usually allow you to pay off wagering requirements on table games, though more slowly. It’s quite common for them to say that only 10% of each wager goes towards paying off the requirements. Most of our top baccarat casinos fall into this category, but BetMGM and Borgata raise that to 20%, and Golden Nugget runs it all the way up to 25%.

Here’s what to look for in the best baccarat online bonuses:

  • Amount – Anything over $750 is great
  • Wagering requirements – top places will be 15x or less
  • Wagering requirement contributions – 10% is average, anything above is a plus

Free baccarat vs real money online baccarat

Right. Most players do tend to prefer real money play, but there’s certainly merit to the free versions. Let’s talk about free first — why do people like it?

First off, you can gain some experience. We’ll admit — baccarat’s a bit weird, especially around the third card rules. You don’t really need to understand the rules for drawing a third card, since they’re applied automatically and it’s the dealer’s job to do that, but still. If you’re betting real money on baccarat online, it’s certainly better to understand how the game works. Free games can help you out with that.

Second, while online baccarat’s options are kinda limited in the US, there are a few versions out there. You won’t know which one’s your favorite till you try, so why risk real money on a discovery mission you could get for free? Third, though related; you can’t lose real money on free games. That is a perk, even if it’s an obvious one.

Real money versions have their own advantages. The obvious one; you can win real money if you play for real money. Beyond that, you could also list in Live Dealer games. Baccarat casinos don’t usually run live games for free — they’d lose money by having to pay a real dealer to stand there and entertain you.

Tournaments are another baccarat bonus in the online casino real money bracket. True, the pickings are still kinda slim in the US casino market, but A) that’ll change with time, and B), there’s SOME stuff out there already. What you’ll usually find is automated tournaments that rack up points on a leaderboard based on your wagering, with cash prizes for the top players. Unibet was running one of those a while back — they called it a Table Game Race.

There are also just more real money games. Not all developers bother making free versions. The final perk is bonuses, you can’t use those on free plays.

Free online baccarat:

  • Can’t lose money
  • Learn the game
  • Find your faves
  • No rewards for wins
  • No bonuses
  • Live dealer games are almost non-existent

Real money online baccarat:

  • Bonuses
  • Win real money
  • Live dealer games
  • Tournaments
  • You can lose money

Tips on how to play baccarat

Winning is never guaranteed, but there are always things you can do to try to mitigate the house edge as much as possible. There is some strategy to baccarat, in that you can choose which of the 3 main bets (player, banker, or tie) you want to go for, but less than in blackjack, since that first bet is the only ‘real’ decision you make.

We’re putting together some baccarat beginners tips, and a few for the advanced players, that’ll give you a starting boost. For more in-depth tips, check out our dedicated page on how to play baccarat.

Magnifier on  laptop
Tip 1

Knowing the betting options

There are essentially 3 different bets you can make on good old classic Punto Banco baccarat. You bet that the player’s hand will be higher, that the dealer’s hand will be higher, or that both hands will show the same value (a tie). Because ties are less likely, they often pay out much higher volumes than the amount betted.

Casino on a mobile screen-with payment card and cash
Tip 2

Set betting limits, and keep to them

Whether it’s deposit limits, single-bet limits or loss limits, casino responsible gambling tools are there to ensure you keep to your limits. Make a budget of money you can afford to lose, and stick to it. Chasing losses never ends well in the long run.

Mobile phone screen with money
Tip 3

Avoid betting on ties

Sure, they pay 8:1 and (rarely) 9:1, but the odds of a tie are significantly smaller than any other hand. The house edge for banker and player bets is usually under 1.5%, and it’s around 14% if you bet exclusively on ties.

Hand holding pen signing clipboard with approved stamps
Tip 4

Learn the rules, including Third Card

This won’t affect the outcome of your game much but is useful to know for 2 reasons. 1) The rules are a little complex, and it’s always worth it to know when you should be winning and losing. Glitches and mistakes are very rare, but knowing the rules can help cover your butt if a game breaks or a live dealer slips up.

Advantages of depositing with Visa casinos
Tip 5

Try banker bets

The split between player and banker wins is nearly 50/50, but Nearly is the operative word. Because of the way 3rd card rules work, the banker hand wins slightly more often. Most casinos charge a small commission (~5%) on banker bet wins on that account, so it’s up to you to judge whether that’s worth it for you. Player hands aren’t a bad option either, in light of that whole commission thing…

Deposit with Visa casinos
Tip 6

Try a betting strategy

There are lots out there, advising you on how to adjust your bets in response to your wins & losses. Paroli is a common one with baccarat, online and off. It advises players to double their bets when they win, and reset to their minimum when losing or after 3 wins in a row. Other strategies, such as Fibonacci and Martingale, advise the opposite, increasing bets on losses to ‘cover’ losses once the wins come.

Casino bonus terms and conditions
Tip 7

Be wary of commission-free banker bets. Read the T&Cs

Commission-free banker bets sound like a win-win. But do read the rules and terms to be sure. Online baccarat casinos usually have all the terms and fine print available with 1-2 clicks within the game itself, so there’s no reason to ignore them. You may find that they’ve adjusted the house edge to favor themselves, then lured players in with a commission-free bet. We don’t have a record of this happening in licensed US casinos, but there’s 0 reason not to check.

US online baccarat: Is it safe and legal?

Let’s not mess around: yes, baccarat casinos are safe. However, you need to make sure you’re playing at the right ones. Time2play only recommends sites that are legal, licensed, and listed (preferably publicly) by state governing bodies as approved sites. Because legal online casino gambling is still quite young in the ol’ US of A, there are still a bunch of legally grey offshore sites lurking at the top of Google search results.

Now, it’d be wrong to say that all those offshores are INHERENTLY scammy, but why take the risk when there are licensed US sites that are regularly tested by government agencies, and are actually within US legal jurisdiction in case anything does go wrong? In fact, you’ll notice that most of the states that have legalized online casino gambling so far in the US made it a point to de-legalize offshore casinos at the same time.

If you want to avoid offshores, one easy way to do it is to stick to our recommendations. Again, we only recommend licensed sites. If you don’t know who we are, and you don’t have a reason to trust us yet, that’s fine; you can check our work. Here’s an NJ .gov site showing all the licensed casinos in the state.  Our online casino reviews integrate 2 extra scores apart from our own — the Playscore, which shows an average of what all the reviewers are saying about each operator, and uncensored user reviews from you guys.

TLDR, if we’re recommending a baccarat casino, we’re pretty frikkin’ confident it’s safe.

FAQs

What is the best baccarat online casino?

Our vote goes to DraftKings because it features IGT and NetEnt games, its own exclusive RNG baccarat game, live dealer online baccarat games. It’s also got a $1,000 bonus, and baccarat contributes towards the wagering requirements at a rate of 25%, more than the 10% average in the US. Other options could be BetMGM or Borgata, who have more live titles and a small no-deposit bonus, but no exclusives, and a $1,000 bonus contribution rate of 20%.  

What is the best bet in baccarat?

Anything except the tie, really. In standard baccarat, banker bet tends to win a little more often, but casinos usually charge a 5% commission on those wins to compensate. Player bet wins a little less often than banker, but pays 1:1. Ties pay a lot more, usually 8:1, but the house edge on tie bets is nearly 15x higher than banker or player bets.

What are the best baccarat bonuses?

Our gold medals go to 1) BetMGM, who give a deposit match of up to $1,000 and $25 free cash, and allow wagering requirements to be paid of on table games at a contribution rate of 20%, exceeding the standard 10%. 2) Golden Nugget, who also give $1,000 and compensate for their lack of a no-deposit bonus by having a wagering contribution rate of 25%.

Is baccarat skill or luck?

It leans a little bit towards the luck side, since the only real decision you make is the initial bet. Things like 3rd card draws are activated automatically, it’s not a call you make. However, there are better bets to make (like avoiding ties), and some players use ‘betting strategies,’ altering the amounts of their wagers to take advantage of win streaks and cover their losses.

How to play online baccarat

The goal of the game is to get as close to 9 points as possible. It’s impossible to have more than 9. Any picture or 10 card has a value of 0 points, aces have a value of 1, and any combination which exceeds immediately ‘resets’ the count, dropping 10 points from it. For example, 7+7 would not = 14, it would = 4. A 5 and a 3 would have more value than two 6’s. You bet on whether the player or the banker will have a final point value closest to 9, or on whether they will tie.

What are the types of baccarat?

The classic baccarat game is Punto Banco, and that’s what you’ll usually find for both RNG and live dealer online baccarat games in the USA. You’ll also find some “one-card” baccarat variants. Other types of baccarat include Super 6, Chinese or Macao baccarat, Mini baccarat, Midi baccarat, and the James Bond classic, Chemin de Fer.

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