Legal / Legit / Licensed BJ Casinos

The challenge to finding a blackjack casino is finding a legit casino. A casino that is licensed, runs fair games and pays their players – preferably within a reasonable time frame.

Believe it or not, there are few legit online casinos. That’s despite there being 100s of online casinos in business. We can tell you from experience that the majority are junk, though. They either have a crappy selection of games, poor payouts, aren’t licensed or they stiff their players.

Those are clearly the types of casinos to avoid.

So which casinos should you sign up to? Well, how about the casinos we recommend below. We’ve handpicked these casinos because they’re safe, licensed and fair. We’re sure you’ll have a good time at any one you choose.

Everyone that wants to play online should learn how to tell the difference between a legit and shady casino. Below you’ll find some questions and answers that will help you do just that.

How Can You Tell If a Casino is Licensed?

Every online casino I’ve come across has listed who they’re licensed with on their casino’s website or their company website. You’ll find it at the bottom (in the footer) or in their About Us section.

Whether they list their license or not, I recommend that you double check it. This information is listed on each gambling jurisdiction’s website. For a list of gambling jurisdictions and links to their websites, we recommend that you visit GamblingSites.com. [Source: http://www.gamblingsites.com/online-gambling-jurisdictions/]

How Do You  Know If a Casino is Legit and How Do I Find Them?

There are a number of things you can do, or places you can check out, to find out whether the casino you want to sign up to is legit or not.

• Reviews – Reading reviews like the ones on our site will tell you right away whether or not the casino is any good. In fact, many websites (like ours) don’t even waste time listing the bad casinos.
• Forums – There are forums dedicated to educating players on what the best and worst casinos are. Casino Meister is one example. [Source: http://www.casinomeister.com/]
• eCogra  – eCogra is an accredited testing agency. They let websites that pass their certification to place a stamp of approval on their website.
• Casino Software Providers – Check to see who provides the software for the casino. Software providers screen the casinos before they work with them.
• License Provider – Check out who the license provider is. Like software providers, licensors screen applicants before granting gambling licenses.
• Blacklists – Casino forums and sites (like ours) list casinos they recommend avoiding. These are called blacklists.
• Do They Pay Players? – If a casino doesn’t pay their players, or has problems with consistency, that should be a sign to you to avoid them.

Keep in mind that no matter the amount of research that you do, it’s still possible to sign up to a sketchy site. Either they’re real good at hiding it, or something goes wrong down the line and they handle it poorly. But the due diligence you do now should reduce your risk significantly.

Are There Legal Casinos for American Players?

Yes and no.

There are casinos that are licensed and above board as a business, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that American players are ok to play there. It’s illegal in some states, despite if the casino lets you sign up or not.

That said, there are states that are legalizing online gambling and introducing intrastate gambling. That means players in that state (and that state only) can play online. 888 Casino will likely be the first online casino to operate legally in the US.

Does Legal, Legit and Licensed Mean I’m Protected?

In the USA, at intrastate casinos and poker rooms – yeah, definitely. There’s no way you’re going to be ripped off at one of those casinos without being able to seek repercussion.

However, on an international level we’re not sure. We’re not lawyers. That said, I haven’t heard of any player that has gone after a casino for being cheated/stiffed. My guess is that for most players, the cost would be too high to justify the efforts. Beyond that, you would need to talk to a lawyer about going after casinos licensed/doing business in different jurisdictions.

What are the Risks to Playing at Unlicensed Casinos?

The biggest risk is having your deposit and winnings taken (stolen). I would also be afraid of the casino having my credit card or other banking information. You won’t have any recourse either, like you might at other casinos that are licensed. At least licensed casinos can have their license taken away.

Think about this for a second – part of the fun of playing casinos games is being able to win big and take home one of those fat checks you see on TV. When you sign up to an unlicensed casino, you might as well not plan on winning any money. It’s like lighting your money on fire. You’re better off playing for free at a licensed casino.

What is the Legal Age to Play Blackjack Online?

It depends on the state, country and casino. But it will either be 18 or 21.

Can I Get Into Legal Trouble for Playing Blackjack Online?

That depends on the state and/or country you live in. In the states that make it clear that online gambling is illegal, then technically, yes, you can get into legal trouble. Punishments range from misdemeanors to felonies, and fines to prison time.

That said, I’ve not heard of anyone being charged with an online gambling related crime. So the chances of you being caught, charged and prosecuted are (probably) slim.

Does the UIGEA Make It Illegal for Me to Gamble Online?

No. This is commonly misunderstood amongst players.

The UIGEA only makes it illegal for banks to process payments to and from online casinos. In other words, if you try to make a payment using your Visa, your bank is supposed to stop it. They’re not supposed to cash your checks either.

But the UIGEA says nothing about your ability (or legal right) to play blackjack online.