The best online casinos for real money 2024

Written by Ian Zerafa

Checked by Geraldine S.Lorella F. •

Last updated on August 28, 2024

Looking for the top real money online casino for us players?

The no. 1 topic of this page is covering the best real money online casinos in the US and what exactly makes them so. We also cover the real money casinos to avoid, why a player might prefer playing for real money versus for free, and how to get started playing at online casinos for real money. 

Below is our list of real money licensed casinos. It’s ranked starting from the casino that offers the best player experience overall – including great bonuses, promotions, deposit and cashout options – and works its way down based on those categories.

 

On This Page On This Page

• Top real money sites
• Category winners
• How we rate
• Real money vs free play
• Getting started
• FAQs

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Casino Logo	Odds rating	Bonus	Go to casino Button	Show more	T&C
1 SugarHouse review	89/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 92% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% match bonus up to $250 PACASINO250	Play now	Show more Good to know 1x bonus wagering 28 software providers Exclusive software on offer 11 payment methods Show less
2 Borgata review	88/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 92% Playscore based on 8 critics	$20 Bonus Dollars + 100% up to $1,000 MCW1000	Play now	Show more Good to know Strong real money bonus Cross-casino jackpots No fees 13 payment methods Show less
3 BetMGM casino review	87/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 91% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% up to $1,000 + $25 Free Play MCW1000	Play now	Show more Good to know Best real money bonus Frequent slot promotions No fees 14 payment methods Show less
4 PlayStar review	87/100 Expert rating by Charlie S. 82% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% Deposit Match up to $500 + 500 Free Spins	Play now	Show more Good to know Two-part welcome deal Five-tier Playstar Club Smooth mobile apps 7 payment methods Show less
5 BetRivers casino review	86/100 Expert rating by Claire S. 85% Playscore based on 8 critics	Bonus Money reload up to $500 CASINOBACK	Play now	Show more Good to know Community chat with rewards Native app for Android Low bonus wagering requirements 9 payment methods Show less
6 Caesars review	85/100 Expert rating by Ian Z. 86% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% up to $2,500 and 2,500 Reward Credits on a $25+ wager TIME2500	Play now	Show more Good to know No max deposit limits Instant in-person withdrawals Highest-cash bonus 11 payment methods Show less
7 Mohegan Sun review	85/100 Expert rating by Lorella F. 85% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% up to $1,000	Play now	Show more Good to know Frequent promos including cashback Weekly cash giveaways Real money iOS & Android apps 9 payment methods Show less
8 Resorts review	85/100 Expert rating by Lorella F. 84% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% up to $1,000 DEPOSIT1	Play now	Show more Good to know No payment limits on PayPal Unique slot features No fees 9 payment methods Show less
9 Stardust review	85/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 86% Playscore based on 8 critics	$25 bonus bet	Play now	Show more Good to know Competitive gambling for cash prizes 6-tier loyalty program with perks Daily Plays bonus offers 9 payment methods Show less
10 Tropicana review	83/100 Expert rating by Lorella F. 90% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% up to $200 TROPTEN	Play now	Show more Good to know Cashback bonus Caesar’s Rewards program 11 payment methods Show less
11 PartyCasino review	81/100 Expert rating by Claire S. 86% Playscore based on 8 critics	200% up to $100 + 25 free spins WELCOMEBONUS	Play now	Show more Good to know Safe and secure payments 500+ slots Unique roulette variants 14 payment methods Show less
12 bet365 casino review	78/100 Expert rating by Ramona D. 85% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% deposit match up to $1,000	Play now	Show more Good to know No bonus codes needed No timed deposit/withdrawal limits 3min avg. CS response time 11 payment methods Show less	21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler (call or text in Colorado).
13 Horseplay review	78/100 Expert rating by Paul P. 88% Playscore based on 2 critics	200% match up to $500	Play now	Show more Good to know Unique betting experience Selection of bingo games Detailed FAQ and Help Center 5 payment methods Show less
14 Harrahs review	73/100 Expert rating by Sarah C. 80% Playscore based on 8 critics	100% up to $100 + 100 free spins	Play now	Show more Good to know 850+ slot games iOS and Android app Simple registration 9 payment methods Show less

Top 3 recommended real money casinos – a deeper dive

Our list of real money online casinos is an ultimate list of the casinos we rate. To find out more about why the selected casinos have their spots on the list, read on. 

SugarHouse: best for low wagering requirements

Want to see your bonus as real money as soon as possible? SugarHouse is the best site for you. It has one of the lowest wagering requirements out there (x1). For high rollers they have a 50,000 max deposit, too — so you can start playing for big bucks ASAP.

• Low wagering requirement (1x)
• Speedy withdrawals 
• High max deposit 

Borgata online: best for real money casino offers 

Borgata online casino has a deposit match bonus of 100% up to $1000, and a no-deposit bonus of $20. That plus mega jackpot slots, and high (100k high) withdrawal limits make this a top choice for newcomers and seasoned players alike. 

• Generous real money bonus
• $100,000 max withdrawals 
• Mega cross-casino jackpots

BetMGM: best for real money promos

BetMGM online casino knows how to make sure players keep coming back with generous real money promos. You can also deposit a massive 500,000 without any fees from the casino — which makes it one a top high roller online casino. There’s also a $25 sign-up “FREEPLAY” sign-up bonus which you can use to win real cash. 

• Best for real money promos
• $500,000 max deposit 
• Top selection of real money table games

Who has the best real money casino offers in each category?

We don’t pick the best real money online casinos just for their generous welcome bonuses. Each casino we list shines in a real money category. The categories help you find the best real cash casinos for you — whether you’re looking for the best for payouts or real money games.

How to choose the best real money online casinos

Looking for the best USA real money online casino? A generous deposit match bonus and games with big payouts are (most likely) on your list.

Those things are important for all players – even when you’re looking for online sweepstakes casinos. But you should consider other factors too, like payment methods and withdrawal limits. 

Take a look at each section for more info on how to choose the best real-money online casino:

Payments

Across all the casinos we rate you’ll find Visa, Mastercard, and Discover credit card options. There’s an advantage if they’re a real-money casino with PayPal – because you’ll be able to deposit and withdraw using the same method. Payouts shouldn’t take longer than 3 days — that’s an average score for USA real money online casinos. Sites without cashout limits like 888casino are rare, but even if there are ‘transaction limits’, you can usually make multiple at once. When it comes to payment options, you should be able to find an online real money casino that accepts Paysafecard, Play+, and PayPal, as well as the major credit card options. 

Bonuses

Bonuses come in different forms – if they’re deposit matches you should go for matches of at least 100% that exceed $750 (Caesars knocks it out of the park with 100% up to $2,000). No-deposit cash casino bonuses or free spins are great for players who just want to dip their toe into the real money casino world. They usually don’t go beyond $30 (at BetMGM you get $25 FREEPLAY), so it’s a low-risk-low-reward option. Out of all the sites we rate, FanDuel is the only casino that offers cashback or risk-free betting bonuses. You’ll usually have 24 hours to try your luck with different casino games. Then you’ll get a refund on any net losses, often up to $1,000.

Games

When it comes to games variety is important – but if you want to win big you’ll want to go for real money casino games with the biggest payouts. Online slots and jackpots, along with card and table games (e.g. online baccarat) are the standard at most casinos. Extras like online keno for real money, sic bo real money, bingo, and scratch cards sweeten the deal.

There should also be live dealer options, and the best online real money casinos will offer live online real money casino games from multiple providers. Looking for live dealer and table games with the chance to win big payouts? Go for a casino like BetMGM NJ which offers live dealer games, round-the-clock, and daily poker tournaments where you can bag 10k in winnings.

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Software

You should expect the most reputable, trustworthy software names when you land in the games lobby of a legit US casino. Look for iGaming studios like NetEnt, IGT, SG Digital, Playtech, and Evolution. You’ll also probably want to find an instant play real money casino like SugarHouse that allows you to play for real money immediately after you’ve signed up. 

Evolution are the masters of live dealer games, and you’ll find that their stakes can go high enough to satisfy most hardcore online casino real money players. NetEnt and IGT both cover real money online slots, RNG table games, and progressive jackpots. These two giants offer games for players of all levels – with everything from low volatility slots to high-bet live roulette. Running their real money games is a checkmark in the operator’s favor.

Mobile

A real money casino app should have at least 90% of the casino games the desktop versions have and should be optimized for things such as live mobile roulette. The best real money online casinos in the US offer full real money games offering and mobile-exclusive editions.

For a good experience, we expect mobile casinos for real money to have an intuitive navigation system and excellent load times. Native Android / iOS apps are a must, and while glitches and crashes do happen on mobile, they shouldn’t happen while you’re betting in-game, especially when it’s for real money casino play.

Safety

You should expect (at minimum) a US online real money casino to be licensed, regulated, and listed by the government licensing boards in whichever state(s) it’s operating. Some real money casino sites do safety better than others. You should consider the following, especially if you’re about to deposit funds: 

How transparent are their signup, bonus, and payment terms? Sites like Golden Nugget NJ and Unibet are explicit about these things. How clear are they with info about their auditing and game fairness? They should also offer wide range of responsible real money online gambling tools and an RG page that links to helpful organizations. But a good casino site should go further by having their own RG platforms or by donating to RG programs.

Awards, a partnership (or even a shared brand name) with a reputable land-based casino, and a wide range of positive reviews are a few more indicators that you’ve found one of the safest online casino real money sites to play at.

Customer support

Reliable customer support is essential when you’re playing for real money. You need to know that you have a helpful and trustworthy customer support team you can turn to should any problems come up.

Real money online casinos should have multi-channel support – SugarHouse is a good example. You should be able to reach your casino by email, live chat, and phone. FAQ and Help pages should be available to help resolve minor and common issues, but they shouldn’t take the place of the main channels. Live chat should be available 24/7, but failing that, from morning till very late, seven days a week.

It shouldn’t take more than 1-3 minutes to get a response, and at most of the best online real money casinos, it’ll take less than 1 minute. Ideally, you should expect clear responses with minimal clarification required.

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Online casino payments for real money

There are a few things you should consider with online casino payments for real money. You should expect them to be fast, secure, and for a decent range of payment options. A good example of a site hitting all these would be SugarHouse NJ – which offers instant deposit times, fast withdrawal (can be as fast as 30 mins), major credit cards like Visa, and e-wallets like PayPal. 

Let’s take a look at some points you should look out for:

Instant withdrawal casino

At fast payout casinos we’d expect withdrawal times of 24 hours at the very least. It’s not just the casino, though, it depends on the method you use to withdraw. At Golden Nugget NJ you can get your real money winnings in an instant if you use their branded Play+ card. At the same casino, with bank transfers things aren’t instant at all – it can 5-7 days for you to see your winnings as real cash.

Fast withdrawal casinos

Casino payments

Looking for the best real money payment methods? You’ll want a good range of deposit and withdrawal limits. An online casino should also not charge transaction fees, and be fast, easy to use, and safe. Safety-wise most casinos offer a high standard of protection for your private payment info. Want a payment method and a site that covers all these? PayPal at a site like Borgata NJ or Golden Nugget is probably your best bet.

Go to casino payments

Visa

Visa is accepted at all the real money casinos we rate. Along with Mastercard, it’s the one real money payment option we’d expect to see at an online casino in the US. Depositing with a Visa credit card is usually fast (or, in some cases, instant). It’s possible to withdraw your funds to a Visa debit or prepaid account at BetMGM in certain states – but you won’t be able to withdraw to your Visa credit card.

Go to visa casinos

PayPal

PayPal hits it out of the park when it comes to fast deposits and withdrawals as well as high withdrawal limits (up to $60,000 at Golden Nugget NJ). It’s also an easy-to-setup process if you’re already using it. But if you don’t, signing up to this popular e-wallet is also a pretty easy process. PayPal also offers an extra layer of security for your transactions.

PayPal casinos page

Online casino bonuses for real money

The best online casino bonuses for real money aren’t just about finding sites that offer the highest no-deposit and deposit match bonuses. You’ll want to know that you can get your hands on your money fast – that means finding the lowest wagering requirements possible. 

A fan of live games and table games? Read the T&Cs – there might be further restrictions around wagering requirements. At Borgata NJ for example, whatever you bet with slots contributes 100% towards fulfilling those requirements. Want to bet on live baccarat or practice your blackjack strategies? Each bet will only contribute 20% towards them. That means you’ll have to bet more before you see those winnings as real money.

Online casino bonuses for real money usually come in a few types – no deposit, deposit-match, and free spins bonuses. The average no-deposit bonus is between $10-20, but can go up to $25 – BetMGM offers $25 “Free Play” with a 1x wagering requirement.

A good deposit-match bonus should be 100% up to $750-1000 – but wagering requirements will be higher. Free spins bonuses are usually attached to a specific game (like Starburst at Party Casino).

Online casino games for real money

What are the best online casino games for real money? It depends on what type of games you prefer, and how quickly you want to see your bonus funds as real cash. Some RNG games, particularly progressive jackpot slots like Divine Fortune, offer the chance of big payouts. Table games have better odds than slots, but with bonuses, they have more restrictions on how much your bets contribute to meeting your wagering requirements.

Casino games

At every online casino we rate, all online casino games are for real money. At some operators, like Caesars casino NJ you can demo play RNG slots and table games. These games are designed for players who want to risk their money for the chance of a reward. That means when it comes to real money casino games it’s all about preference. Want the lowest possible wagering requirements? Choose slots. Prefer strategizing? Choose table games like poker.

Go to casino games

Online slots

Slots are accessible and easy to play, plus there’s a huge variety of slot types out there (and every casino offers them). RTP% and volatility are important when choosing the right real money slot for you – but so are bet limits, and max payouts. If you’re looking to win back money over time go for a higher RTP% slot. For big payouts, you should go for slots with the highest volatility, good betting range, betting limits, and the largest possible

Go to real money slots

Live casino games

Live casino games are ideal if you want a sociable style online casino gaming experience. They tend to have higher RTP%, but with that comes lower max payouts compared to slots. A good example is Live Dealer Unlimited Blackjack at Golden Nugget NJ – the RTP% is 99.56%, but the max payout is just $12,500.

Go to live casino games

Table games

The house edge tends to be lower (and the RTP% higher) for table games like roulette, poker, blackjack, and baccarat. The same terms and conditions usually apply for table games as they do for live casino games. That means tougher wagering requirements and more restrictions in the terms and conditions. Online roulette aside, there’s more strategy involved in table games. That means you could develop your strategy to help you win real money.

Go to table games page

Playing at real money casinos vs playing for free

Why play at real money casinos? To win cash, of course. Sure it’s possible to enjoy playing for fun, especially with table and card games that have some strategy behind them, like blackjack and poker. But there is less of a kick, particularly with slots. All you’re really doing with free ones is watching some pictures spin. Woo.

Playing for free does have its advantages: you can learn casino games and practice. This could help maximize your chances of winning real money at US online casinos. This is especially in states with great payouts like the top NJ casinos. Are you in a state that hasn’t legalized regular sites? You can still win rewards without having to lay a real money wager at social casinos.

Some real cash casinos offer free demo play. But at an operator like Golden Nugget online casino, you can’t demo play live games. That means if you play for real money you’ll have access to more games.

Casino games are meant to be played for real money, and there’s little profit in creating free games, so developers rightly put most of their effort and creativity into creating real money products.

You also get to use online casino bonuses and participate in tournaments, competitive gambling, and get VIP / loyalty points when you play for real money. Some loyalty point programs at real casinos include offline perks like comped stays at international casino resorts.

Free casinos

• No risk
• No need to verify documents
• Learn how games work

• Even your biggest wins are worthless
• Access to less games

Real money casinos

• You can win real money
• More games, especially live dealer
• Compete in tournaments
• Claim online casino bonuses!

• Element of risk
• Account setup takes longer

Blacklisted casinos — avoid at all costs

The best online casinos  for real money are completely safe to play at, but there are definitely places you should avoid out there. Fortunately, it’s not likely you’ll ever see one of those with a state-approved license, so it’s not too difficult to keep safe once you know what you’re doing.

When we’re talking about real money casinos, it pays to be extra safe, whether you want to spin slots or opt for a real money blackjack app.

Transparency is our mission, and we call out bad practice where we see it. We write negative reviews where they’re merited, and we spread the word far and wide when there’s a real money online casino that’s showing shady practices. Remember, we only recommend casinos that have been tested and licensed by government-approved boards.

As for the others… keep your wallet away from them.

Pro tips for getting started at real money casinos

We’re not going to walk you through the sign-up process, we assume you can figure that out on your own. But here’s a few useful things to keep in mind when picking your real money casino.

Tip 1

Pick. Licensed. Sites.

There’s a lot of legal gray area around offshore casinos, and our take is that it’s not worth the risk, especially when there are so many licensed USA real money online casinos. Go to a state where online casino betting is legal or where you can at least place a sports bet (if you’re from the Centennial state you can’t take part in online gambling real money Colorado, but you can place a sports bet or play DFS), check what real money casino sites are licensed, and just stick to those. It doesn’t matter how flashy offshore welcome bonuses are if they’re going to refuse to honor them. You can find legal online gambling sites either through the state’s local authority or by heading to our online casino reviews.

Tip 2

Research — a lot

Seriously, if you’re looking to bet the big bucks, prep time is super-valuable. There’s a lot of stuff worth checking out, but for the Real Money squad, our top tips are; Look up the real money bonuses and their terms, especially wagering requirements & expiration. Same for payment methods and their terms, especially deposit/withdrawal time, and what’s available. If you’re going to be playing a lot, make sure there’s a loyalty program with perks, and that the casino has frequent promotions, like weekly rotating ones. You can get started by checking out our best online casino welcome bonus list.

Tip 3

Optimize your payment method choices

This is genuinely possible — not only are there casino payment methods  that have different limits or inherent strengths, but some casinos online also give players specific perks or promotions. Cashbacks on card deposits or a cash bonus for signing up to a casino’s Play+ card are things we’ve seen before.

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Tip 4

Take advantage of free online casino games

You can consider this part of your research and prep. There’s never a guarantee that you will win real money playing at casinos, but using free play to practice and learn how online casino games work can’t hurt your chances.

Tip 5

Strategize

Building on our previous point, we live in an age where history’s largest well of information is just a few keystrokes away. Any sort of skill-based game has strategies you can learn to try and maximize your chances, and even where the skill component is minimal, there’s still potential to gain useful knowledge before entering a real casino. For example, when a certain slot has multiple bonus round options, watching online gambling streamers can give you insight on what other people pick, and why.

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FAQs