Best online casino for most U.S. players: Bovada

If you're in CT, DE, NJ, PA, or WV, online casinos are legal in your state, and you should play at a casino licensed there.

If you're in any other U.S. state, your best bet is Bovada, not because they're good, but because everything else is even worse.  I'm reminded of the Simpsons episode where the RV salesman is telling Homer, "Simpson, you're never gonna own a finer RV.  And I don't mean that in a good way, I mean this is IT for you!"

THE GOOD ABOUT BOVADA

  1. Play the practice games without having to register an account.  Other casinos force you to register so they can market to you.  Bovada is the only U.S.-wide casino I know of that lets you play right away with no registration.  (They throw up a registration box, but you can cancel it and continue to the game.)  For example, here's the free-play blackjack.  And the games play right in your browser, so you don't have to download any special software.
  2. Consistent payouts.  Online gambling is mostly unregulated and if a casino refuses to pay your winnings you have little recourse.  But Bovada has always had a good reputation for paying out properly.

THE BAD ABOUT BOVADA

  1. Not licensed.  Because online gambling in most states isn't explicitly legal, no legitimate authority will license a U.S.-wide casino.  That means if you have a dispute, you have no recourse.
  2. Customer service is pretty pathetic.
  3. Phantom bets in live dealer games.  While I was watching (not playing) a live roulette game to record spin data for an article, Bovada claimed that I made two losing bets ($45 and $15) that I didn't actually make.  I complained about this, but they insisted I made those bets.  So, you probably want to steer clear of the live dealer games.

Visit Bovada


Gambling problem?

  1. Call the 800-522-4700 hotline or get online help
  2. See these horror stories.
  3. Know that Parkinson's drugs encourage gambling.
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Gambling problem?

  1. Call the 800-522-4700 hotline or get online help
  2. See these horror stories.
  3. Know that Parkinson's drugs encourage gambling.

About Michael Bluejay'Welcome! I'm Michael Bluejay, and I'm here to share what I know about Las Vegas and gambling.  With this site, you'll have the insider's edge.  See my mission and what's different about this site.

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Top 10 Las Vegas Tips

  1. Visit mid-week. Hotel rooms often cost three to four times as much on the weekends as during the week!  Plus, with weekend crowds you'll wait in line for everything.  Mid-week visitors save tons of money and have a much better time.
  2. Get a player's card. Go to the Player's Club desk at any casino you visit and sign up for a free player's card, even if you don't plan to gamble there.  Then the casino will mail you offers for discounted or even free rooms on your next visit.  You can also sign up for the MGM/Mirage card online, which will work at 10 Vegas Strip casinos.
  3. Set loss limits.  Make a gambling budget for each day and if you lose it, then stop playing.  See 12 ways to be a smart gambler.
  4. Don't play slot machines. They suck your money away hand over fist.  Compare $500 lost over 10 hours at 75¢/spin compared to just $40 lost at blackjack or craps @ $5 a hand.  See my crash course on table games to have a much better chance of winning.
  5. Tip the dealers $6+/hr., and the cocktail waitresses $1 every drink or two. (more...)
  6. Ask for comps. When you play either slots or table games the casino will reward you with buffets, show tickets, or room discounts.  Ask at the player's club booth (slot players) or at the tables (table players) for how to claim your goodies. (more on comps)
  7. Use the buses. Various buses go straight from the airport to the Strip and downtown.  And the double-decker Deuce bus runs up and down the strip 24/7, every 15-20 minutes.  See my page about the buses.
  8. Don't try to get taxis on the strip. Taxis can't stop directly on the strip; that's why they're passing you by. Go to the taxi area of the hotel to get one. Up to 4 people ride for the same price as 1; if there's just 2 of you, don't be afraid to yell out, "Anyone want to split a cab to [some casino]?" It doesn't just save money, it's eco-friendly.
  9. Walk.  You'll discover stuff.  When the Strip is crowded, sometimes it's even faster than taxis or buses.  Plus, it helps work off the calories from the buffets.
  10. Get Half-Price Show Tickets. You can get deeply-discounted tickets for most Vegas shows at one of the several Tix4Vegas booths on the Strip and downtown. See all my tips for getting free and cheap tix.


Easy Vegas in the News

Famous Tweets

Academic references

  • Our article on the Gambler's Fallacy is part of the reading for a class at Middle Tennessee State University. (Dec. 2021)

Articles we've been quoted in

The Easy Vegas editor also wrote the cover story for Casino Player magazine in October 2005 and Wikipedia references our article on slot machines in its own article on the subject.

Web Interviews

Radio Interviews

  • WCAP 980, Eagle Radio 1100, Sicilian Corner, interview about slot machines. (Mar 18, 2016)
  • Gambling with an Edge, hosted by Bob Dancer & Richard Munchkin (July 28, 2015)
  • WOGL, 98.1fm, Philadelphia PA, Morning Show, about the new Sugar House Casino in Philly (Sep. 23, 2010)
  • KSRO, 1350am, Sonoma County, CA, Marci Smothers Show, about casino gambling (Aug. 5, 2005), MP3

Practice gambling with play money

Before you throw down your hard-earned cash in a casino, PRACTICE FIRST!  Learn the games with play money where it doesn't cost you anything if you lose.  Seriously.

You can play Bovada's games (below) right away without registering for an account.  Most every other online casino makes you give up your email address just to play the fake-money games — ugh.  That's the main reason Bovada is the only online casino that gets advertising space on my site.  (When you see the registration box, you can cancel it and proceed to the game without registering.)

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