Online casino players from the US contribute to more than 50% of the revenue generated by the online casinos worldwide. But today, ironically, the number of US casino sites, those accepting US players, has reduced drastically. The main reason for this is the UIGEA or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, which aims at regulating the monetary transactions for online gambling. Because of this, a number of online casinos have moved their operations from the US and some have altogether stopped accepting US players. Thankfully, there still are a good number of online casinos today that accept US players without any qualms.

What to Consider When Choosing US Casino Sites

If you are from the United States, and want to enjoy safe online gambling, there are certain factors you should consider before choosing an online casino.

Credibility of the Casino

After the UIGEA and the Black Friday of poker, several popular online casinos have stopped accepting players from the US. Today, there are many online casinos, some old and some new, that accept casino players from the US. But then, not all may be as reliable and safe for playing real money online casino games. Even though the casino seems to be good, and offers attractive bonuses and promotional incentives, be sure to check its credibility before you choose it and make any deposit. To ensure the credibility of US casino sites, you should;

• Check if the online casino is licensed and regulated by a reputed authority or a government
• Check if the casino uses popular gaming software's and see if it has its RNGs tested and certified for fairness, by independent testing authorities like eCogra, TST, Gaming Associates etc.
• Check if the online casino uses SSL encryption and firewall to protect customer data and to ensure confidentiality
• Go through the terms and conditions of the casino with respect to US players

Verify Deposit Methods

The number of deposit and withdrawal options offered by US casinos has changed after the UIGEA was implemented. As UIGEA had certain restrictions for the monetary transactions in online gambling, several financial institutions have stopped allowing their US customers to use their internet services for online gambling. So even if a casino accepts players from the US, it may not be any good if it does not have US-friendly deposit and withdrawal options.

Although depositing and withdrawing from an online casino is difficult for US players, it is not impossible. Credit cards of Visa, MasterCard, Diner's Club and Amex are accepted by majority of US casinos. Ewallets like eWalletXpress, UseMyWallet and QuickTender also allow US players to deposit and withdraw money from their online casino accounts. In addition to these, most US casino websites also accept eChecks, Bank Wire Transfers, and money transfer services like Western Union and Moneygram.

Neteller does not allow casino transactions for US players. But Moneybookers allows them only for its members who registered pre-UIGEA. Before you choose a US online casino, be sure to go through the terms and conditions of the site with regards to banking, especially withdrawal of your winnings.

Game Choice

When it comes to playing at a real money online casino, the choice of games you have influence how much money you can win. If the site only offers slot games, which are purely based on chance, your chances of losing are more than your chances of winning. Also, if the games offered by the casino do not interest you, you could get bored of them soon and lose interest in playing them seriously.

If you want the best online gaming experience, look for reputed US casino sites that offer a good variety of table games, card games, slot machine games and specialty games. Some of the popular casino games you should look for include blackjack, roulette, craps, bingo, and video poker.

Incentives

Last but not least, you should try to make the most of your online casino gaming with the help of bonuses. The different bonuses offered by US online casinos include deposit bonuses, no deposit bonuses, loyalty bonuses and special bonuses. Look for casinos with the best bonuses and promotional offers you can benefit from. If possible, look for a casino offering a no deposit bonus, which you can use to play without risking your own money.

Also, remember that that these bonuses come with a set of wagering requirements, which you should check thoroughly before choosing a particular casino. In any case, incentives should be one of the factors, and not the only one, you should consider for choosing an online casino that accepts US players.