Real Money Gambling Sites
Certain gambling sites rank higher in some areas than others, so even if you are already enrolled in one, it is worth your time to explore other sites. The top real money sites are listed in the table below, which provides direct links to each online gambling website. Online casinos is a modern type of gambling platform that allows you to play casino games using the Internet.Such websites began their active development since 1994. At the moment, online casinos have become available for gamblers around the world thanks to modern technology.
- Top Online Real Money Casinos
- Best Real Money Casinos Online
- Real Money Gambling Sites
- Real Money Online Gambling Sites
- Online Gambling Sites Real Money Usa
- Gambling Sites For Real Money
There are so many real money casinos on the web that it can be difficult to know which one to choose. That’s why websites like this exist.
Luckily, our team of experts has decades of experience in the industry and is trained to spot rogue casinos as well as world-class ones.
We’ll explain to you how we pick the best online casinos for real money to recommend, how the various games work and your chances of winning them, whether or not you can gamble for real money for free, and we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about real money gambling.
The casinos listed below all have:
- Top-Quality Graphics and a Large Variety of Games Available
- Excellent Ratings for Safety and Security
- Proven Real Money Payouts
Rank | DE Gambling Site | Sign Up Bonus | Get Started |
---|---|---|---|
#1 | Betway Casino | 100% up to €250 | |
#2 | Europa Casino | 200% up to €500 | |
#3 | Jackpot City Casino | 100% up to €400 | |
#4 | Spinia | 100% up to €250 | |
#5 | Spin Casino | 100% up to €400 |
Best Real Money Casinos by Location
If you’re unsure if the above accept players from your country, don’t worry; we still have lots of top-rated online casinos for real money which we can recommend to you. There are also some we definitely won’t recommend, and we want you to be aware of those, too.
It’s crucially important to pick a real money casino which accepts players from your country for a few reasons.
First, it’s possible that your government has some sort of minimum standards a casino needs to meet. That’s definitely the case if you’re from the UK or some other European countries.
Second, you don’t want to face unnecessary restrictions such as not being able to claim bonuses, not being able to play some games, or not being able to sign up at the given casino you have spent time researching.
Finally, this will help you stay on the right side of the law. Some countries prohibit players from their countries from signing up at anything other than state-sanctioned online casinos. While these laws are difficult to enforce, they do exist in some countries.
Take a look at some of the regions listed below. If you’re from there, click on the relevant button to see a list of online casinos for real money which accepts you.
Beating the House Edge
Every online casino game has a house edge. This is the casino’s built-in advantage and means that it’s mathematically guaranteed to make money over a long enough timeline.
In the long run, you honestly can’t beat it. It’s pure mathematics. Ever heard the saying “the house always wins”? Well, it does!
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t win in the short term. If everybody lost at online casinos constantly, it wouldn’t be long before people stopped playing at them. The fact is, some people do win real money at casinos.
While the majority of winners will simply double or triple their money and walk away after having had a great time, there are some crazy stories of life-changing wins that enter the realm of the almost unbelievable. If they weren’t documented, they might seem like fiction.
A Spin from Heaven
One such example is the story of the biggest online slots jackpot ever won. A British soldier playing Mega Moolah slot won £13,200,000, which shattered all existing records and hasn’t been topped since. Best of all, he won it with a £0.25 spin.
That’s just one headline story. There are many more, and it’s no coincidence that video slots are involved in many of them. If Lady Luck is going to visit you and then change your financial destiny, there’s a good chance that this type of huge win will come while playing slots.
These colossal wins aside, we’ve all heard stories of people winning enough to buy a house while playing poker, paying off debts after a great night at the blackjack tables, or going on a roll while playing roulette and buying something they’ve always dreamed of afterwards.
Even when these insane wins happen, the casino still makes money because of house edge. The majority of players won’t win, and you can be sure that over the long run the casino makes a percentage no matter what.
Not All Games Have the Same Edge
It’s important to recognize that house edge is not a fixed number across all games. Different games have different math involved in them, and understanding this can be the key to winning more often.
For ExampleIt’s widely accepted that some variants of video poker have the lowest house edge, whereas keno and lottery games have the largest house edge, meaning the worst odds for you as a player.
We’ll talk a little later about the odds of various games and their pros and cons. For now, just be aware that not all games are mathematically equal. There are some you have a much higher chance of winning than others, and there are some in which you have a greater degree of control over the outcome as compared to games of pure chance.
Safety and Legality
It’s essential to know how to stay safe while gambling online. There are a few potential pitfalls which you may not be aware of if you’re not an experienced online gambler.
Luckily, you have us to show you the ropes. Here are some of the things you have to be aware of to gamble safely online.
Risk Associated with Sharing Financial Details
Sharing your credit card, debit card, or bank details with any online merchant carries some degree of risk. If that merchant is untrustworthy, you could find yourself in a world of trouble quickly.
You can immediately find out if a casino site is trustworthy by reading our reviews.
Take the time to look around, and you’ll see that we certainly don’t recommend every site we review, and we aren’t afraid to call out scam casino sites when we discover them.
Financial predators are everywhere online, and sadly the casino industry attracts its fair share of them. Stick with expert-recommended real money online casinos to avoid falling into their clutches.
Predatory Terms and Conditions
There are real money online casinos which aren’t direct scams in that there are real games to play and you can win actual money.
Warning:However, they can make it extremely difficult for you to get your money out when the time comes to do so, even if it’s technically possible. The idea is to make you give up and go away without collecting.
Usually, a site will state in its terms and conditions that withdrawals can be held for no reason, that the casino can drag its feet before paying, or that they can simply void winnings on a whim without justification.
Believe us; we’ve seen it all in our years of reviewing real money online casinos. This type of casino site preys on the fact that nobody takes the time to read endless pages of legal jargon before registering.
Once again, having experience in dealing with casinos online can solve this problem.
Our experts know exactly where to look in the terms and conditions, and our casino reviews show you all of the deposit and withdrawal methods and any good or bad sides to the terms and conditions of the sites we review. If a site is going to try to screw you, we’ll let you know.
Fixed or Pirated Games and Software
As you gain experience in playing at real money online casinos, you get to know more about the software companies that provide the games. In time, you’ll know instantly by looking at the range of games whether or not you can trust an online casino.
This can help you avoid the fixed games which are run by some rogue software companies in order to fleece you.
Note:However, it takes a little bit of more time to get to know how to spot pirated versions of legitimate games.
By assessing a real money casino’s licenses and looking at some other factors, our experts can instantly tell if the games on a casino site are pirated. By playing the games and assessing them against the published return-to-player figures, we can quickly figure out if they’re fixed.
You probably don’t have the time to figure this all out for yourself, and by the time you realize the games are fixed, it will likely be too late.
Once again, that’s where we come in. It’s our job to figure this out, so you don’t have to.
The Legal Situation in Your Country
While online casino gambling is a global phenomenon, each country is still sovereign and has its laws and regulations. This can confuse the matter of whether or not it’s illegal to gamble online in some places.
You can check out our gambling laws page for the latest and most up-to-date information on the legality of gambling in your country.
You won’t only have to contend with the authorities if you get caught, but scam artists know you have no legal recourse when they hustle you out of your hard-earned cash.
After all, if gambling is illegal in your country, you can’t exactly go to the police and report that you lost money to a scam artist while gambling on the internet.
Keeping things legal is one of the keys to gambling safely online.
Online Casino Bonus Offers
There are a few different types of real money casino bonuses available to new and existing players. We have an entire page dedicated to explaining the differences between these bonuses. Check it out by clicking the button below:
There are pros and cons to taking casino bonuses. Let’s start off by looking at the reasons you might want to take them before turning our attention to why they might not be suitable for you as an individual player.
Whether casino bonuses are right for you depends on what your goals are.
The Positives
You Can Test the Waters Without Risk
It’s nice to be able to play the games available in an online casino and to be able to check it out in general without having to make a financial commitment.
While some bonuses do require you to deposit to activate them, there are many which don’t. These are known as no-deposit bonuses and are the ideal way to test an online casino without risking your own money.
Once you’re sure you can trust the casino site and have decided you would like to play the games, then you can start playing for real money.
Some Bonuses Can Increase Your Chances of Winning
In the casino bonuses and promotions page we linked to above, we explain the concept of wagering or rollover requirements. Bonuses which have these attached make it difficult (without serious luck) for you to withdraw the bonus amount and are designed to allow you to simply test the casino.
However, there are plenty of casino bonuses with no wagering requirements available online these days. If you take these, you’ll more than likely be required to make a deposit, but they increase your chances of winning by giving you free spins or free games with no strings attached.
They may only slightly increase your chances of winning, but hey, any increase in the chance of winning is always welcome.
The Negatives
You Can Become a Marketing Target
If the casino figures out that you are a bonus hunter or that you like a particular kind of bonus, they might decide to pitch you regularly.
This can be a good thing if you like taking these offers, but if you sign up at multiple casinos, take the bonus, and don’t play, you can expect your email inbox, and sometimes your cell phone, to be bombarded with offers. The more accounts you create, the more intense this will become.
Some unscrupulous casinos will sell your information on to other operators who will pitch you, too. This can become a serious annoyance, and so if you’re going to take bonuses with no intention of becoming a real money player, we suggest setting up an email address specifically for that purpose.
Most Bonuses Have Terms Which Favor the House
If a real money casino bonus has rollover or wagering terms, there’s a very little chance you’ll ever be able to withdraw it or anything you win while playing with it.
You have to remember that bonuses are a promotional and marketing tool. The casino doesn’t want to let you play with house money and walk away with the multimillion-dollar jackpot. They also don’t want you to take the free casino chips and walk away without playing. That wouldn’t be very good business, would it?
Rollover requirements are explained in greater detail on the casino bonuses page linked to above. Basically, they mean you have to bet the bonus cash a number of times before you can withdraw it. For example, if a bonus has 20x wagering requirements, then you need to bet the total amount 20 times before you can withdraw it or anything you win while using it.
Real Money Casino Apps
Mobile casinos have become a huge deal in the past several years. Real money casino apps and mobile casino sites can now boast that they serve the majority of players. This trend will undoubtedly continue for years to come, at least until something comes along to replace mobile devices (chips in the head, perhaps?).
We’ve written an entire page to help you decide which casino app is right for you. Check it by clicking the button below.
Online Casino Games for Real Money
New players are often bamboozled by the vast range of casino games on offer and how to play and win them.
We’ve created game-specific pages on each popular real money casino game to show you how to play, how to give yourself the best chance of winning, and what the rules of each game are.
Take the time to familiarize yourself with the games listed below. Click any of the buttons, and you’ll be transported to a wealth of information on that specific game.
We also cover a bit about each game in the “which casino game is right for you?” section below.
Real Money Online Pokies
Real Money Baccarat
Real Money Slots
Real Money Roulette
Real Money Blackjack
Real Money Craps
Real Money Video Poker
Real Money Sic Bo
Playing Free Casino Games to Win Real Money
Is it possible to win real money playing free casino games? The short answer is no.
A casino is a business, and usually, it’s a very profitable one. You can’t expect a casino to let you play real money games and assume all of that risk without getting anything in return.
It’s true that some bonuses will allow you to play real money casino games for free. However, these bonuses will have terms and conditions which favor the casino and make it almost impossible for you to withdraw all that money. See the page about bonuses for further details.
We’re telling you straight that if anyone tells you that you can win real money without any risk, they’re lying to you. They might be scam artists waiting to empty your wallet, or they may have merely misunderstood a bonus offer they read about online. There is no such thing as a free lunch. That’s an old saying for a reason, primarily because it’s always correct!
With that said, it is possible to play free casino games to win things like virtual points and virtual money. These can be enjoyed at social casinos, and sometimes the points can be traded in for prizes. Just don’t expect to cash out real money jackpots, or you’ll be disappointed.
Which Casino Game Is Right for You?
There are lots of great online casino games to choose from. They may be digital variants, but they’re not that different from what you would find at a real Vegas casino, or a casino anywhere else, for that matter.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular casino games you might be interested in playing. We’ll look at your chances of winning them, how fun they are, and some other things you might want to be aware of.
Hopefully, by the end of this section, you’ll have a better idea of which game you would like to play.
Please note that the “house edge” figures listed below can vary depending on how you play the game, the game variant, and the casino itself.
Baccarat
This is a fun card game with a simple objective – bet on either the player or the banker to get closest to nine, or bet on a tie between the player and banker. If you place a bet on the banker hand to get closest to nine and the banker does so, you win your bet for that hand.
It’s fast-paced, fun, and you just bet on the outcome, rather than actively participating.
- If you bet on the player, the house edge is 1.24%
- If you bet on the banker, the baccarat house edge is 1.06%
- If you bet on a tie, the house edge is 14.36%
Don’t bet on a tie! Also remember that if you bet on banker and win, the house can take a 5% commission.
Blackjack
This might be the most popular card game in the world. It’s a game with some degree of skill involved, and there are professional blackjack players out there. Entire movies and books have been made about this game.
The objective of blackjack is to get a hand totaling 21, or as close to it as possible without exceeding it. You play against the dealer, and whoever has 21 (or the highest hand not exceeding 21 in cases where neither has 21) after all the cards have been dealt wins.
Going by Vegas rules, the house edge is a tiny 0.28%. This will change if you play another variant of blackjack such as Atlantic City rules or Suit ‘Em Up.
The tiny house edge is what makes it possible for some people to make a living playing blackjack.
Keno
This is a fun lotto game, but it’s known for having the worst odds in the house. The objective is to pick between one and ten numbers from a pool of 80, and then wait for the draw.
The house edge in keno can be between 25% and 29%, depending on the variant and the casino itself. This game is okay for switching off and having a little fun, but it’s highly unlikely you’re going to win money playing keno, at least in the long run.
Roulette
This is one of the most fun casino games, period. The objective is to predict where a ball will land on a spinning wheel when it stops.
You can pick a color or a number between 1 and 36 (or the zero) if you want to make basic roulette bets. It’s also possible to select clusters of numbers, rows, or entire columns as you gain confidence and learn to understand the game.
- If you’re playing American Roulette (Double Zero), the house edge is 5.26%
- If you’re playing European Roulette (Single Zero), the house edge is 2.7%
You have a decent chance of winning roulette, but you are guaranteed to have a lot of fun whether you win or lose.
Video Poker
This is a machine-based game based on 5-hand poker. There are many different variants with different pay tables and slightly different rules, but the aim is always to make as valuable a hand as possible according to poker hand ranks. No matter the variant, a Royal Flush will always pay the most.
Covering some popular versions of video poker, you can expect the house edge to be:
- 0.46% when playing Jacks or Better with an optimal strategy.
- 0.71% when playing Deuces Wild with a perfect strategy. In this case, you as the player have the advantage.
- 0.64% when playing Joker Poker with perfect strategy. Once again, you have the advantage here.
If you are patient and want to make money playing casino games, video poker is your best bet. You’ll need to develop skill, though, and learn video poker strategy first.
Don’t expect to have the advantage when you’re new to video poker and don’t know what you’re doing. Even in these cases, though, the house edge is significantly lower than in most other casino games.
Video Slots
These are probably the most-played casino games online. There are tens of thousands of video slots ranging from simple 3-reel games with no features to 5-reel new slots with bonus rounds, free spins, and progressive jackpots.
They’re fun, highly entertaining, and if you’re lucky, you can win a fortune playing slots.
The house edge depends on the game in question. It can range from 2% to 15% – that’s no small difference! Knowing this, it pays to do your research on which slots have the best RTP.
A Quick Summary Before Moving On
Which casino game is best for you ultimately depends on your goals as an individual player.
If you want to real money playing casino games, then pick the games with the best odds and lowest house edge.
If you just want to have a little fun and relax, then any of the above games will do.
Choosing the Right Real Money Casino
If you already know what games you want to play, then it’s time to look at picking an online casino. If you’re new to playing casino games, there’s a lot more to this than you might initially think. As you’ll see, most of the top real money casinos have some things in common.
Consider the following factors before registering at any casino site.
Top Online Real Money Casinos
1 – Reviews
Are there reliable, trustworthy casino reviews on the site? If so, what do the experts say?
It pays to pay attention to these reviews. If a casino expert says a site sucks, there’s a great chance you’ll want to avoid it.
If you were looking for a new car, you would probably talk to someone who knows a thing or two about cars before making a decision, or at least read a few reviews on various models, wouldn’t you? The same should go for choosing an online casino. There’s more to it than you might think, and reading a review can be a great way to get all the information in one place.
Be suspicious of reviews which are overly positive, though. Sometimes there’s an agenda at play. If a review site gives a real money online casino a glowing review, check out some of the other reviews, too.
If they’re all overly positive, that could be a warning sign. If the reviewers throw some terrible casinos under the bus, you’re probably dealing with an honest casino review site.
2 – Legality
Is this casino operating legally with a valid gaming license?
If so, what jurisdiction is the license from? Believe us when we tell you that not all casino licenses are equal. UK, Malta, Alderney, Gibraltar, Curacao, and Puerto Rico licenses are all respected and are good indicators that a real money casino can be trusted. Others, we don’t have that much faith in.
Also, make sure the casino isn’t accepting players from your country even if it’s illegal to do so. If they’re willing to break the law, what makes you think they’re going to be honest with you?
3 – Safety
A valid license is one way to make sure you’re dealing with the safest real money casinos.
There’s more to it than that, though. We advise checking that the website is operating on a secure, encrypted connection. You can do so by looking at the web address. If you see HTTPS:// in front of the domain, you’re dealing with a secure casino. If it’s just HTTP:// (no “S”), then the connection might not be protected.
Also look for published game payouts verified by third parties. This is a hugely positive sign, and it means that it’s highly likely this is a safe casino site. If the games are verified by eCOGRA, you’re in safe hands.
4 – Preferences
It would be a shame to go through the registration process only to find out the casino doesn’t offer the types of games you want to play or doesn’t offer very many of them.
Make sure the exact games you want to play are offered, make sure the casino accepts the types of bet you want to make regarding size, and check which betting services are provided. For example, some casinos also offer Texas Hold’em poker tournaments or sports betting as additional services, whereas others don’t.
We would also suggest taking some time to familiarize yourself with the site. If you like how it “feels,” that’s a great sign. A user-friendly website likely means the operator actually cares about its players and has invested time in figuring out what makes you happy. That’s likely to show across the casino as a whole.
5 – Bonuses
First, you’ll need to figure out if the online casino offers real money bonuses at all. Most do, but some don’t.
After that, you’ll need to look into exactly what types of bonuses are offered and their terms and conditions.
Don’t just look at the welcome offers, which are always emphasized to attract new players. Look at the ongoing weekly and monthly offers, too. These will give you an insight into what kind of casino you’re dealing with.
Also look at the terms and conditions of any bonus offers. Pay attention to minimum deposits and wagering/rollover requirements. If they’re excessive (40x or more), think twice about taking the offer.
If you like playing slots on weekends, it makes sense to find a casino which offers free spins on weekends, doesn’t it?
6 – Service
Everybody likes to feel like they matter, casino players included. It’s essential that a casino has top-notch customer service if you’re going to enjoy your experience playing there.
Check the number of customer service options available. Email and live chat are a necessity, but if a real money casino also offers telephone support, that’s an excellent sign.
Don’t be afraid to test the customer service if you wish. Ask a question or two. You’ll soon see how fast the responses are and how helpful (or unhelpful) the customer service agents are.
You know that old saying that goes “When someone shows you who they are, believe them”? That applies here. If an agent is slow to respond, avoids answering questions directly, or acts in an unhelpful manner, move on.
7 – Banking
You wouldn’t believe how many people register at online casinos for real money without considering the most important thing of all – withdrawing your money!
Most casinos will make it as easy as pie for you to deposit, but only the best real money online casinos make it as easy for you to withdraw.
Look for a roughly equal number of deposit and withdrawal methods, low (or no) fees, and fast withdrawals.
The last thing you want is to be sitting around waiting for weeks to get your money, or worse, never getting it at all!
Feeling Overwhelmed? Don’t Worry!
If all of this makes your head spin and you wonder how on earth you’re going to go about finding all of this information out, don’t worry; we have plenty of top casino reviews where you can find the information all in one place.
We don’t want you to think that all real money casino sites are scams out to get you. There are lots of world-class online casinos worth playing at. It’s just that you have to wade through a fair deal of not-so-great ones to find them.
Our job is to make that as easy as possible for you. If you see a casino on this site that you like the look of, there will be a full, in-depth review attached.
Other Real Money Sites to Consider
While playing at real money casinos is arguably the most fun way to gamble, there are other ways to have fun gambling and hopefully make a little money in the process.
Betting on sports, playing poker, playing bingo or lotto games, and even betting on financial markets are all possible thanks to the global connectivity the web facilitates.
Why not check out some of the other options? We have sections dedicated to each form of gambling. If you want to know more, click any of the buttons below.
Real Money Online Casinos FAQ
Q. Will I need casino bonus codes to claim the bonuses offered by online casinos?
A. In most cases, you won’t need a casino bonus code, but where one is required, the casino will make it abundantly clear before you register.
Sometimes casinos run temporary promotions which do require bonus codes. In these cases, the codes are often emailed directly to you or are listed in the terms and conditions of the offer. If in doubt, ask the customer service agents.
Q. Do real people win the slots jackpots, or are they fixed?
A. Real people most definitely win slots jackpots from time to time. Big slots software companies like NetEnt, Microgaming, and IGT are independently audited, and random number generators control the games. There is no possible way that these games could be fixed.
It’s unlikely that you’ll become a millionaire playing slots, but you never know! Many more people win hundreds or thousands, and you never hear about them. This is a far more likely outcome.
Q. Is it illegal to gamble online as an American player?
A. This is somewhat of a grey area. The relevant regulations (UIGEA – 2006) make it illegal for financial institutions to facilitate real money gambling online, or for casinos to accept deposits from US-based players.
That does not make it illegal for you to gamble online. There are still many casinos which do accept deposits from US players.
Don’t worry; nobody wearing a S.W.A.T. vest with a machine gun is going to come through your door and shoot your dog before arresting you just because you played a little blackjack online.
Q. Are there any real money casinos which accept Bitcoin?
A. There are indeed. In fact, the number of casinos accepting Bitcoin is growing by the day. You could say Bitcoin is trending in the online casino world. It’s becoming a hugely popular way to make deposits and withdrawals quickly and safely.
If you’re looking for a Bitcoin casino, we have reviews on several. Feel free to check out our real money Bitcoin gambling sites page.
Q. What’s the number-one sign that a casino is a scam site?
A. Having no valid gaming license is a big warning sign. Having had a permit in the past, but having had it stripped for some reason is even worse.
We don’t recommend casinos to you which don’t have valid and legal gaming licenses. Without them, it’s the Wild Wild West, and casino operators can do whatever they want without fear of repercussions.
Real money online gambling has spread like wildfire all over the globe. People in almost every country use online gambling either as a hobby to pass the time or as an outlet to wager real money on casino games and sporting events.
If you’re going to be gambling with your actual money, you’ll want to make sure you’re doing so in the right places. The internet can be a scary place to move your money, so you’ll need assurances that you’ll be treated ethically and fairly.
It’s a good thing you’ve come to the right place! The gambling sites that we recommend have been vetted by our team of experts, meaning we can give you the following promises:
- You can expect smooth deposits and timely payouts from our trusted sites
- We will only list sites with top-class reputations and a history of excellent customer service
- All of the following are guaranteed to be real money gambling sites!
Here is our list of the best real money gambling sites on the web today:
Our Top Recommended Real Money Gambling Sites
Rank | Site | Play | Bonus |
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100% up to €250
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200% up to €500
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100% up to €400
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100% up to €300
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100% up to €400
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An Introduction to Real Money Gambling Sites
When you make the decision to start gambling online with real money, both the risks and the rewards are increased. It’s more important to be more discerning regarding the websites with which you choose to do business.
If you play for free on a scam site, all you have to lose are meaningless credits, but should you make the same mistake on a real money gambling site, the punishment may be much more severe.
Note:On a positive note, once you’ve found a trusted real money gambling site that behaves ethically, you’re set to wager on sports or casino games in the convenience of your own home or anywhere you carry your mobile device!
Then you’ll be amongst the millions of global gamblers who bet billions of real dollars annually on online real money gambling sites.
It’s an enormous industry, and thus, there is a multitude of options out there competing for your business. Competition is always great for the customer!
Real Money Gambling vs. Free Play
If you’ve started exploring the world of online gambling, you’ve no doubt noticed that for certain types of gaming, you have two options. You can either play for free, or you can gamble for real money.
Now, the apparent difference between these two choices is whether you’re risking your actual funds or not, but there’s a bit more to it than meets the eye.
Many online casinos will offer free plays so that you may try out their games before depositing real money into your account.
Warning:But be warned that these free plays aren’t always indicative of the actual gambling experience for all users. In fact, they often give the customer much better odds than they’ll receive when wagering real money.
The reason this happens is to draw more customers in. That’s why you see so many sign-up bonuses that offer free play credits without requiring an account deposit. Once they’ve got you thinking jackpots are easy to hit and you want to win real money, the odds come back to normal, and your luck decreases once the real dollars are at stake.
This is why it’s vital always to gamble responsibly. There are no sure things, so getting caught up in the hype that an introductory hot streak might create is a mistake. No matter how lucky you appear to be at first, keep in mind that things won’t be so simple once you’re gambling your actual money.
Important:To ensure that you stay financially safe when gambling online, you’ll need to build a responsible bankroll and have a disciplined staking plan. As long as you adhere to these two systems, you can take part in real money gambling without disturbing your day-to-day life.
Before depositing any money online, be sure to read our articles about finances and gambling:
Real Money Gambling Is a Massive Business
Real money online gambling is an enormous, multi-billion-dollar-per-year industry. As we continue to live more and more of our lives online and inter-connectivity around the globe increases, so does access to online betting sites.
Furthermore, with the industry continuing to grow at a rate of approximately $3 billion annually, which it has been doing steadily since 2010, real money gambling over the internet will only become more accessible and more common.
Immediately following this paragraph is a chart highlighting the growth of the online gambling industry. It shows how much real money is gambled per year and how the trend appears to be continuing upward.
You may want to do further research regarding the global popularity of the online gambling industry. Lots of data has been collected on how much real money is gambled annually, and you may find some compelling statistics at statista.com.
Avoiding Scams and Rogue Sites
Once you’ve decided to gamble with your real money online, finding a safe, reliable, trustworthy website is of the utmost importance. With the massive sums of money being wagered online, it’s to be expected that many scammers and unethical operations come out of the woodwork to steal a piece of the pie.
Merely googling “Real Money Gambling Sites” will turn up a litany of options, but you’ll have no way of knowing which are legitimate and which are dangerous.
The primary purpose of this website is to ensure your satisfaction by doing the research for you and only supplying our readers with the best online gambling sites that accept real money. So as long as you stick to our list of recommendations, you have nothing at all to worry about.
Regardless, beyond just taking our word, for it you should know what red flags to look for when choosing a gambling site for yourself. There are specific attributes that most unsafe rogue casinos share, like delayed or unresponsive withdrawal requests, unfair odds, and non-existent customer service departments.
To better acquaint yourself with what these factors are and how you can avoid them, read our article on spotting a rogue casino:
Any of the sites that we recommend to our readers have already been vetted and researched by our experts. Additionally, we’ve written dedicated reviews for many of them. This way, if you’d like to do a bit more reading after seeing our trusted sites, you can look a bit deeper and see why we recommend the websites that we do and how we’ve graded them all.
Here are our many reviews for gambling sites that accept real money:
Casinos
Depending on what kind of gambling you’re planning on partaking in, we’ve got recommendations to fit your preferences. If you love wagering on casino games, then our list of the safest and highest-quality online casinos is perfect for you!
The term “casino games” includes a wide range of wagering activities. The modern online casinos accept real money bets for all types of table games, slots, and poker. If you enjoy table games like blackjack, roulette, or baccarat, they have both live dealer and videogame-like options from which to choose.
As the name suggests, “live dealer” games employ an actual real-life dealer to run the game through a webcam, which gives the games an authentic casino appeal.
Note:Best Real Money Casinos Online
However, if you prefer to simply play a video game recreation of the table games, that’s an available option as well.
Our favorite online casinos also provide more slot machine variations than a brick-and-mortar casino could ever hope to compete with. Any combination of lines, rows, jackpot types, and theme can be found; so, whatever you enjoy will be provided on our real money gambling sites.
The following link leads to our page dedicated to all things involving real money online casinos. There, you can find strategy guides and reviews to individual games, the best casinos for each jurisdiction, and a list of the best real money casinos on the internet:
Sports Betting
In addition to the multitude of online casinos that accept real money for wagers, there are also numerous online sportsbooks. Once again, these online options are commonly much better than their land-based competitors.
Not only do they offer a much more comprehensive range of events to bet on, but they also offer live betting, a larger volume of wager types, and better odds. The following link will bring you to our dedicated real money sports gambling page:
Sports gambling is an opportunity for the knowledgeable bettors to maximize their ability to win real money. With enough research and an understanding of betting with positive value in mind, you can actually treat sports betting similarly to day trading stocks on Wall Street.
Our website is full of tips and strategies for various games which you can utilize to help you improve your skills as a sports bettor.
If you’d like to do some additional research on our recommended sports betting sites, feel free to read our in-depth reviews. Many of the following locations also offer casino gaming or slots, but they tend to specialize in real money sports betting. Find some of our expert reviews below:
Gambling Apps
As smartphones and tablets continue to increase in both computing power and popularity, the way the general population is interacting with the internet is evolving. Not that long ago, the most common way to reach the World Wide Web was through a desktop computer or laptop.
Note:These days, we have an equal amount of computing power in our pocket, so a higher percentage of the total web surfing done each year is through mobile devices.
In response, many of the most successful online gambling organizations have begun developing apps for mobile phones and tablets. There are apps built explicitly for table games, bingo, slot machines, and sports gambling. Anything you can do online is now available through an app on your mobile device, and this includes gambling with real money.
Here is a guide detailing the wide world of mobile gaming and the many real money apps that are out there:
Other Real Money Gambling Options
Beyond online casinos and sportsbooks, there are other variations of real money gambling sites available to potential gamblers. Some organizations choose to specialize in a specific game such as poker, bingo, or even scratch-off tickets. If there’s a desire to gamble real money on something, there’s a website out there looking to fill that void.
Poker
Online poker played a massive role in building the popularity of online gambling. The poker craze of the early 2000s saw the industry explode on the internet. The game experienced some setbacks as legislation was passed in some areas to limit access, but these days, you can find online poker games for real money if you look for them. For example, here is our real money online poker webpage:
On that page, you can expect to find guides to a variety of poker games, including their rules and winning strategies. We’ll also share the best real money poker sites for each location since different jurisdictions treat online poker differently. Lastly, we’ll point you in the direction of the best real money tournaments and arm you with some winning tactics to improve your chances!
Before signing up for any of our recommended poker sites, maybe you’d like to dig a little deeper. Luckily, our experts have reviewed many of the best real money poker sites. Check out some of our individual poker reviews below:
Scratch Cards
Scratch cards are no longer exclusive to gas stations! That’s right; you can spend real money on scratch cards online these days. That means no more annoying scratching and making a mess with that waxy removable surface everywhere. Now you can just pick your spots to play on the ticket and figure out if you’ve won or lost right away.
If you’re interested in finding the safest real money gambling sites that offer scratch cards, click on the following link. We’ll share with you the best scratch card sites, which cards have the best odds, and reviews for our favorite scratch cards:
Bingo
Real Money Gambling Sites
In addition to poker and scratch cards, there are even websites offering bingo games for real money! Once again, this is an ideal way to streamline a game that can otherwise take too much effort and attention. If you’d like to play several cards, you no longer have to panic when each number is called, trying to land your dabber on the right square of each card before they call another number.
Playing bingo online is considerably more straightforward. Merely purchase your bingo cards and watch them fill up as the numbers fall. For more information, recommendations, and reviews regarding real money bingo games, follow the link below:
Banking Options for Real Money Gambling
We’ve been talking about gambling with real money through this entire guide. You may be wondering what your options are in regards to moving your finances so that you may partake. It’s actually quite simple, and the majority of legitimate online gambling sites give you several options with which to deposit and withdrawal funds.
Something worth considering is that the different methods require varying amounts of time to process. Plus, some sites specialize in specific banking types which might result in faster processing speeds for their specialty. Additionally, depending on where you live, you may have some methods unavailable to you, so you’ll need to use banking types that are legal in your jurisdiction.
Credit and Debit Cards
One of the most common forms of spending money online is the use of credit or debit cards. Most people exclusively use their plastic for financial transactions these days, so applying that to online gambling is no different. The best real money gambling sites that accept debit and credit cards can be found at the following link:
However, some regions won’t have this option. Some countries, such as the United States, have passed laws making it illegal for banking institutions to process financial transactions between customers and known gambling websites. It’s not unlawful for the individual to gamble; they just won’t be able to use their banking cards. Thankfully, there are plenty of other options.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the largest e-Wallet companies in the world. These third-party accounts allow customers to move and receive money without involving their bank. E-Wallets like PayPal are a popular banking option due to the speed of the transactions and the safety they provide since they don’t require the use of private banking information. The best real money gambling sites that accept PayPal can be found here:
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is quickly becoming one of the most widely-utilized methods of banking on the internet. The famed cryptocurrency allows gamblers to move their money anonymously without worrying about a government or banking institution intervening. Here are the safest and best real money gambling sites that accept Bitcoin:
Furthermore, many of the fastest deposit and withdrawal speeds are offered through Bitcoin. If you find a website that specializes in Bitcoin, you’ll notice that many of your transactions will be completed instantaneously.
Other Payment Options
Beyond the three major banking options, gambling sites will offer additional financing methods to meet your needs. The following list includes some of the other banking options you may come across and their average processing speed:
Cash/Gift Cards – Instant to 1-2 days
eCheck – eChecks require you to spend more time upfront supplying the gambling site with your banking information and routing numbers. Once complete, these transactions can be instant
E-Wallets – Besides PayPal, there are various e-Wallet services online. Most countries have an e-Wallet that’s heavily used in their region. These typically take 2-3 days to process
Paper Check – This is an old-school method of payment, but it is an option on many real money websites. These transactions can take 1 – 3 weeks, depending on where you’re mailing the check and whether it’s a deposit or withdrawal
Gambling Bonuses
One of the ways online gambling sites compete for your patronage is by offering bonuses and rewards programs. These can vary widely in value, and you’ll notice that the easiest gifts to receive tend to come with the most strings attached. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to be found; there’s a reason we consider bonus programs when ranking our recommendations!
Sign-Up Bonuses
The most basic entry-level bonuses you will find online are offered solely for signing up. These only require your email address, some necessary information, and a password. Sign-up bonuses are almost always given in free play credits, which you will not be allowed to withdraw. These are merely given so that new users may test out the games and see if they like them.
Deposit Bonuses
Deposit bonuses are another common entry-level bonus. They’re better than sign-up gifts because they are given in real money, but they come with so many requirements and stipulations that they are often not worth accepting. Whether you should take the bonus comes down to its rollover amount. A rollover requirement is how many wagers you must make with your bankroll before you’re allowed to withdraw.
For ExampleLet’s say you’re depositing $500 into your account, which the casino is offering to match 100%. The rollover requirement that they’ve set is 25x. This means that for the additional $500 you received, you’ll need to place $12,500 in bets before you’re allowed to take out this money. The odds are against you ever withdrawing that money.
It will take a jackpot or several lucky streaks to meet the requirements before losing it all.
Loyalty Rewards Programs
Loyalty rewards programs are where you will find the value. Each real money gambling site tracks how you gamble. They consider the size of your wagers as well as the frequency to determine your value to their operation. They then assign points to each activity or use systems to place their customers in tiers that will determine their rewards.
For the average online gambler using real money, loyalty rewards need to accumulate over time, at which point they can be exchanged for merchandise, free bets, entry into various contests, or a percentage of cash back on losses.
High rollers get the best rewards since the gambling sites want to incentivize them to stick around. They big spenders will get much larger percentages of cash back on losses, chances to win trips around the world, and occasionally even gifts of vehicles or other extravagant perks. The more you gamble and spend, the more you can expect in return.
Real Money Gambling FAQ
Why should I play online?
Gambling online is significantly more convenient than going to a brick-and-mortar casino or sportsbook. Furthermore, the online operations can offer better odds due to having less overhead and can provide a much more extensive variety of games and wager types.
Why should I gamble real money?
If you aren’t gambling with real money, you’re just killing time with video games. You have to risk your own money to win any money in return. It depends on what you’re looking for, but if you have dreams of hitting the jackpot, you’re going to need to play with real money.
What’s the difference between free play and real money gambling?
Free play gambling allows you to test out the games without risking any of your actual funds. This is a great way to test various games and learn the rules, but there’s no way to gain anything. Plus, the odds on free play games are typically adjusted to allow you to win much more often in hopes that you’ll deposit money expecting the same.
Real money wagering lets you actually gamble. You risk your actual finances with the possibility of winning actual sums of money in return.
Are there many banking options available for moving real money?
Yes, most online gambling sites allow you to deposit funds using several different methods. The most common are credit/debit card, e-Wallet, and Bitcoin, although you will frequently find additional options. Examine the payout and deposit times of each method on each site before choosing which to use.
What types of gambling are available to real money bettors?
Real Money Online Gambling Sites
These days, there are real money gambling options for nearly any activity. You can find casino games, slots, sports betting, race betting, scratch cards, poker, and even bingo. If it can be wagered on, someone out there is setting the odds.
Is real money gambling legal where I live?
The answer to this question depends on where you live. Many jurisdictions have set laws against opening gambling operations but don’t expressly forbid their citizens from gambling. For more information about the legalities of online gambling where you live, check out the following page: