How do the Best US Online Casinos Compare to the Rest of the World?
Online gambling is growing steadily on a global basis. Many avid gamblers are resorting to playing their favorite casino games online from the comfort of their homes instead of heading to land-based establishments. Online gambling is also making the industry more accessible to all, with players not limited by location or time. Indeed, it is predicted that the global iGaming market will be worth a staggering $92.9 billion by 2023 and continue to increase in subsequent years.
When talking about major players in the global industry, the United States is up there. The country has long been known for its gambling, mainly thanks to the iconic Las Vegas casinos turning the US into a gambling hotspot. Many states have also legalized online gaming. All of the best online casinos in the United States listed and compared here offer incredible services to players, making the US one of the global leaders.
The European market is the other major industry player. With a longer-standing history of iGaming and more relaxed legislation, it has been the trendsetter in the sector. Canada is another top contender. However, thanks to the sheer size of the US market and rapidly changing iGaming legislation, there is a fight to be at the top. Here we look at this battle for market dominance and how the best US online casinos compare to operators in Europe, Canada, and the rest of the world.
US Online Casinos are Immerging Contenders
The primary difference between US online casinos and sites operating from the rest of the world lies in legislation. Aside from Las Vegas, the United States is relatively new to the world of gambling when compared to what has been happening in Europe. Until 2011, the Federal Wire Act prohibited any online gambling sites to operate from US soil. However, the Department of Justice’s reinterpretation of the Wire Act opened the door for online gambling. This passed the hands back to each state to decide on their own gambling laws as they best see fit.
Still, the legalization of online casinos has been slow. Nevada launched online poker in 2013, while New Jersey and Delaware launched both online casinos and poker sites that year. Only Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Michigan have subsequently changed their legislation to join them. Many others have legalized online sports betting, but online casinos seem to be a much slower burner. This means the industry is moving at a slower pace and legal online casinos are still inaccessible for the majority of US residents. Still, the sites licensed and regulated in the US are some of the most reputable and trusted online casinos worldwide.
European More Lenient with Online Casinos
Comparatively, the more liberal European market is generally more accepting of online gambling and so there tend to be more options available when choosing an online casino. However, this liberal outlook does depend on the country in question. Some EU countries have banned online gambling including online casinos entirely. They have even gone to lengths of blocking certain IP addresses to prevent players from using offshore sites that run from elsewhere in Europe.
With that being said, many countries including the UK, Malta, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Denmark all have their own regulatory bodies and licensing procedures in place. Predominantly, it is the UK that continues to serve the European market and secure dominance over the US. Other contenders include France, Italy, Spain, and more recently Germany. Additionally, laws over minimum legal gambling age differ. In most of Europe, anyone under the age of 18 can participate in online casino betting, whereas players need to be at least 21 to access the best US online casinos.
Canada Fighting for the Top Spot
Canada cannot be forgotten about when discussing the online casino market. In fact, Canada is exceeding the United State’s online casino performance at present. This is primarily down to site availability. Just as with Europe, there are far greater options and more online casino providers in Canada when compared to the USA. These sites all offer a range of exciting games, bonuses, and promotions for players.
However, the laws and legislation in place in Canada are far more complex than in the US and Europe. There are no clear laws for online gambling and it falls into somewhat of a grey area; the law does not prohibit the practice but it does require the operator to be licensed by a provincial government to be considered legal. As a result, many of the best online casino sites for Canadians are located offshore.
Canada needs to amend its legislation to create more clear-cut guidelines if it wants to make it to the top. Indeed, if the current success of the best US online casinos is anything to go by, this new and immerging market could be set to take over.
