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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- Customer service is pretty pathetic.
- 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
