Bitcoin Gambling Guide Covering Laws, Legalities And Reviewing Trusted Gambling Sites Accepting BTC
It’s hard to remember a time when online Bitcoin gambling wasn’t the industry standard. For over a decade, players have been able to legally gamble over the Internet using Bitcoin to fund their real-money online casino, sportsbook, and poker activities. While USD is still accepted by these sites through various banking avenues (credit, debit, check, wire, etc.), Bitcoin gambling – and with it, crypto gambling – has proved to be a major revolution.
Legal Bitcoin betting sites offer several benefits. When you bet Bitcoin online, you get 100% guaranteed deposits (no UIGEA interference), quantum-hacking-resistant blockchain security, increased anonymity and online privacy, boosted online gambling bonuses, and access to same-day payouts when you win. Old-fashioned investor types might be interested in how to bet against Bitcoin, but online gambling types are much better served learning how to bet with Bitcoin in 2022.
Is It Legal To Gamble With Bitcoin Online In The United States?
Yes! There are no US gambling laws that make online gambling with legitimate, reputable offshore betting sites a crime. Domestic gaming regulations apply only to domestic gambling providers and not individual players. The sites we recommend here operate in full compliance with all US betting laws because they’re each based outside of US borders.
Similarly, there are no laws against using Bitcoin for lawful purposes, including legal online transactions. While Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) have yet to be federally regulated in the US, that doesn’t mean it’s illegal to use them. As long as you report your Bitcoin transactions and online gambling winnings on your taxes, Uncle Sam will be happy with his “cut.”
We go into much more detail in our USA online gambling guide.
Note: The state of Washington has nominal laws barring all online gambling. While these WA gambling laws don’t appear to be enforced, it’s recommended that you abide by all local gaming mandates. Remember, Bitcoin gambling is not anonymous and is not a way to get around the laws and regulations in your area.
Online Bitcoin Casinos
When gambling with Bitcoin, legal online casinos are the main attraction. With hundreds of online slots, table games, live-dealer casino games, bingo, keno, raffles, lotteries, and more, the best online casinos rival the top venues on the Vegas Strip. The difference is that you don’t have to be in Vegas to enjoy the games!
All told, the best Bitcoin casino sites offer 200-300 different Bitcoin gambling games, all developed by top brands such as Realtime Gaming, Rival Powered, Dragon, Nucleus, and more. The titles offered are all regularly audited and compliance certified, ensuring that players always get fair shake, real-world win rates, and brick-and-mortar style payouts.
And since all these sites are browser-based mobile Bitcoin casinos, too, you can play from anywhere, anytime, on any device.
Top 3 Online Casinos Accepting Bitcoin (BTC) In 2024
Bovada Casino
100% up to $3,000
Slots.lv
500% up to $5,000
Cafe Casino
350% up to $2,500
Online Bitcoin Sports Betting
In the US, online sports betting is the fastest-growing legal domestic betting market. And after online slot machines, online sportsbooks get the most action at any top Bitcoin betting site. Bitcoin sports betting comes with all the increased BTC benefits you expect, including access to the best online sports betting bonuses and same-day payouts.
Of course, these venues aren’t just best-in-class because they’re Bitcoin sportsbooks. In addition, these online bookmakers offer thousands of daily betting lines on dozens of different US and global sports, plus live in-game odds, online prop builder tools, and even international racebooks for horse betting fans.
And of course, the best Bitcoin sportsbooks are 100% mobile accessible, so you can bet from the couch to the barstool to the tailgate to the box seat and everywhere in between.
Top Online Sportsbooks Accepting Bitcoin (BTC) In 2024
Bovada Sportsbook
50% Max $1,000
MyBookie
50% Max $1,000
BetOnline
100% Up To $1,000
Online Bitcoin Poker Sites
Poker is the oldest online gambling game in the business. Bitcoin is the newest way to fund online gambling. Put them together, and they complement each other like all the one-eyed jacks and one-armed bandits at the best Bitcoin gambling sites. Aces and Eights, they ain’t!
Bitcoin poker deposits are quick and guaranteed, so you’ll never miss tonight’s big Zone Poker circuit, and BTC deposits come with high limits perfect for buying in to the biggest online poker tournaments. Plus, BTC appreciates about as fast as you can haul in your chips after winning that Sit-N-Go lightning round.
As with BTC casino and BTC sportsbook options, BTC poker is mobile-accessible with no downloads or updates required, so you can take the digital felts with your wherever you go.
Top Online Poker Rooms Accepting Bitcoin (BTC) In 2024
Bovada Poker
100% Max $500
Everything You Need To Know About Gambling With Bitcoin
How To Bet With Bitcoin Online
Before you can deposit funds into any top Bitcoin casino, sportsbook, or poker room, you’ll actually need to buy Bitcoin. (If you don’t know how to do that, we’ve outlined the process further down the page.)
However, if you already hold Bitcoin – and if you’re looking for BTC gambling online, it’s likely that you do – using Bitcoin to bet online is like using BTC for anything else: Simply transfer some BTC coins to your online gambling site of choice, wait for the transaction to clear (30-60 minutes), and bet real money on whatever you want.
Then, after you’ve won big, you can claim your winnings in BTC or any other cryptocurrency betting option supported by your site.
Making Bitcoin Gambling Deposits
For first-time crypto users and online betting beginners, here’s what the BTC depositing process looks like at all the major Bitcoin gambling sites we recommend:
- Follow any link on this page to a legal Bitcoin online gambling casino, sportsbook, or poker room.
- Click or tap the “Sign Up” or “Join Now” button.
- Enter in all required personal information (name, address, phone number, etc.). All this info is secure and never shared or sold, and no legit online gambling site will ever ask you for sensitive data like your SSN, mother’s maiden name, etc.
- Choose Bitcoin/BTC from your site cashier’s cryptocurrency deposit options.
- Copy down your site’s BITCOIN SENDING ADDRESS and choose an optional boosted Bitcoin casino/sportsbook/poker bonus (recommended).
- Open your Bitcoin exchange account or private Bitcoin wallet and choose the “Send” option.
- Paste the above BTC address into the recipient field, along with the Bitcoin amount you wish to send to your betting site.
- Submit your online Bitcoin gambling deposit.
Requesting Bitcoin Gambling Payouts
If you’ve deposited in Bitcoin, chances are you’ll want to be paid out in Bitcoin. Luckily, that’s no sweat, as all the best online gambling venues support BTC withdrawals in addition to BTC deposits:
- Navigate to your online gambling site’s cashier page.
- Select the Bitcoin/BTC option from the gambling withdrawals menu.
- Open your BTC exchange account or private BTC wallet and select the “Receive” option.
- Copy down your unique BITCOIN RECEIVING ADDRESS.
- Back at your betting site’s cashier page, paste the above Bitcoin address into the recipient field, along with the amount of BTC you’d like to pull out.
- Submit your BTC betting payout request.
Note: You are not limited to Bitcoin payouts at legit online casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms. Regardless of the methods used to make any associated deposits, your withdrawals can be claimed in Bitcoin, altcoins, or any other payout options supported by your betting site.
Bitcoin Online Gambling Bonuses
If you want more gold for your hold – or, perhaps, more godl for your hodl? – Bitcoin gambling bonuses are the best way to get it. At the best legal gambling sites, Bitcoin – and every lesser cryptocurrency (remember, Bitcoin is king!) – gives you 2-3X more online casino free spins, online sportsbook free plays, and online poker free cash than standard deposit options like credit/debit cards, bank wires, and the like.
Because there’s no middleman involved in processing BTC gambling deposits or payouts, it’s in your betting site’s best interest that you use the stuff. And because these sites entice players to use BTC by offering much better bonuses with the same low playthrough/rollover requirements, it’s in your best interest to use the stuff, too!
Speaking of interest, have you seen Bitcoin’s ROI? That alone should convince you to ditch all this “fiat” nonsense.
Bitcoin Gambling Speeds And Fees
Bitcoin is the granddaddy of all crypto, which means it’s also the granddaddy of all crypto gambling. However, it’s not necessarily the best gambling crypto out there. Whether or not Bitcoin betting is the best option for your needs depends on why you’re using it.
If you’re after investment potential, Bitcoin price predictions always outperform other top crypto coins. However, if you want to pay lower fees and keep more of what you win – and if you want your online crypto gambling transactions to go through ASAP – Bitcoin has some real competition.
Generally, BTC gambling deposits are verified and available in your betting balance within 30-60 minutes, though this can take longer if Bitcoin network traffic is very heavy. BTC gambling withdrawals take the same amount of time once approved, but if the site cashier has to manually approve your BTC payout request, you’ll get your Bitcoins in 2-3 hours or so.
As far as fees, Bitcoin is one of the more expensive crypto coins. As the first-ever cryptocurrency, the network wasn’t designed with scalability in mind. BTC is a Proof-of-Work crypto, and its computing needs are intensive. As such, Bitcoin carries higher blockchain fees than most other coins (with the exception of Ethereum).
It wouldn’t be unusual to see 5-10% of your winnings eaten up as BTC fees should you choose Bitcoin for payouts.
Bitcoin Basics
Bitcoin is the very first cryptocurrency and the originator of the blockchain concept used by all subsequent cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin (stock symbol BTC) went live on January 3, 2009, and BTC coins were worth fractions of a penny back then. Now, they’re worth tens of thousands of dollars each!
While other new and exciting crypto coins have built upon Bitcoin and offer compelling new use cases, faster transfer times, and cheaper fees (making them arguably better suited to legal online gambling), BTC will always be the number-one crypto coin in the world.
You should consider Bitcoin to be the “gold standard” for crypto and crypto betting, as it’s the only alternative currency that all legit online casinos, online sportsbooks, and online poker rooms support for deposits and withdrawals as a matter of course.
You can get Bitcoin anywhere! Due to its mainstream popularity and name recognition, every cryptocurrency exchange supports Bitcoin and full BTC trading.
That means you’ll get USD-BTC, CAD-BTC, EUR-BTC, GBP-BTC, AUD-BTC, and other fiat-to-Bitcoin options at just about every exchange. You’ll also get BTC-ETH, BTC-ADA, BTC-SOL, and thousands of other crypto trading options.
The Most Reputable Bitcoin exchanges for 2022 are:
If you’re looking to buy BTC for the first time at a reputable exchange, you’ll have to create an account and verify your ID to become an exchange member. These sites are heavily regulated, so your private information is secure and your money is FDIC insured.
However, part of this regulatory oversight means that new crypto buyers/traders will have to wait up to 10 days before their funds will be “unlocked” for off-platform trading to external addresses (such as those used by legitimate online gambling sites).
If you’re reading this online Bitcoin gambling guide, your main goal is probably to bet with Bitcoin at legal casinos, sportsbooks, and poker sites. But if you’re going to gamble online with Bitcoin, you should take a moment to learn the best ways to store your Bitcoin.
Now, whatever BTC amount you’ve got in your gambling account balance will stay in that balance until you withdraw it, and there’s no reason to pull it out preemptively for “security” purposes. But whenever you own Bitcoin (and crypto in general), you should make sure any BTC you’re not actively gambling with is safe and secure.
To store BTC properly, we do not recommend keeping it on the exchange(s) where you bought it unless you plan to actively day trade. Instead, you should move all your idle Bitcoin holdings to a private online Bitcoin software wallet or an offline Bitcoin hardware wallet.
Note: Bitcoin paper wallets are not recommended for online gambling or any other reason except for long-term secure cold storage.
Best Bitcoin Software Wallets For Legal Online Gambling
Online BTC software wallets are our first choice for storing BTC if you’re an active gambler. These use desktop software applications, browser extensions, and/or mobile app solutions to safely and securely store your Bitcoin, and these accounts are recoverable with a dedicated passphrase.
Because software Bitcoin wallets (aka “Bitcoin hot wallets”) are online, moving BTC into and out of your wallet – say, to and from a legal online betting site – is quick and easy.
These are our favorite online Bitcoin wallets to use with legal gambling sites:
*Please only download Bitcoin online wallets/Bitcoin software wallets from their official developer pages. Never use third-party links or mirrors.
Best Bitcoin Hardware Wallets For Legal Online Gambling
USB-based Bitcoin hardware wallets are a great option if you want to retain a measure of convenience while adding a substantial layer of extra security to your BTC storage approach.
Hardware BTC wallets are encrypted USB-based devices that store your Bitcoins offline. This is considered the very best way to store Bitcoin, but because it takes longer to send and receive BTC from such platforms, we like them better for long-term storage and not quite as much for regular online Bitcoin gambling.
*Please only buy Bitcoin hardware wallets from their official manufacturer stores. Never buy BTC hardware wallets from third party retailers, secondhand stores, or private classified ads.
Bitcoin Gambling Pros And Cons
Bitcoin is the most accepted cryptocurrency gambling option online, and every single legit online casino, sportsbook, and poker room supports BTC banking as a matter of course.
That said, Bitcoin isn’t the perfect betting crypto because there’s actually no such thing! Depending on what you want out of your chosen cryptocurrency gambling method, Bitcoin may or may not be your best option.
As we see it, here are the Bitcoin strengths and Bitcoin weaknesses when it comes to legal online gambling:
The Good VS The Bad
Bitcoin Gambling FAQ's
Yes!
In the United States (and many other countries), it’s perfectly legal to use Bitcoin to fund your online gambling activities at international betting sites.
Remember, US gambling laws apply only to domestic venues, so offshore betting sites – such as those featured here – are safe and lawful to use provided you’re old enough to sign up (18+ or 21+ depending on your specific site’s terms and conditions).
Every reputable offshore betting site accepts Bitcoin deposits and supports Bitcoin payouts.
It depends.
Pretty much every online gambling site accepts Bitcoin, but that alone doesn’t automatically mean that the site in question is a legitimate operation.
There are literally hundreds – if not thousands – of online BTC casinos, sportsbooks, and poker rooms out there on the Internet, and most of them are untested operations or out-and-out scams.
To avoid these and guarantee a legit gaming experience, it’s important to join only the most trusted legal online gambling sites that accept Bitcoin.
All the BTC betting sites featured in our Bitcoin gambling guide fit that bill.
It depends.
Again, most online gambling sites are online BTC gambling sites, but the majority of these are unsafe to use.
To ensure that your online BTC betting hobby remains safe and secure (and profitable!), it’s important to stick with the sites we recommend in our BTC betting guide.
Yes and no.
Domestic state-based casinos do not accept cryptocurrency payment options and are usually limited to cash, checks, credit cards, and debit cards. Some US casino venues won’t even take credit deposits due to state-mandated “responsible gaming” laws.
That said, online casinos operating outside US borders all support Bitcoin crypto for deposits and withdrawals.
BTC is, without a doubt, the most commonly accepted gambling crypto on the market. If an international online casino doesn’t accept BTC, you know they aren’t legit.
Yes and no.
As with domestic casinos, brick-and-mortar sportsbooks in the United States do not accept Bitcoin – or any other cryptocurrency – for deposits. You can’t be paid out in Bitcoin/crypto, either.
However, if your sportsbook is hosted online and operates outside of USA borders (i.e. the legit online sports betting sites featured here), you can fund your account with Bitcoin, get enhanced Bitcoin betting bonuses, and claim your payouts in BTC when you win.
Yes and no.
The situation for Bitcoin poker is the same as for BTC casino gambling and BTC sports betting.
That is, if you’re playing with an operator based in the United States – whether online or in person – you will not be able to buy in using Bitcoin (or any other crypto coin).
On the other (poker) hand, if you’re playing online poker with an established and reputable offshore poker site, Bitcoin is readily accepted and allows you to pull up a seat at cash tables, Sit-N-Gos, and the biggest online poker tournaments.
Any online casino that accepts Bitcoin.
As of 2022, a Bitcoin casino is simply any casino that accepts Bitcoin for deposits and supports Bitcoin for payouts.
There are currently no domestic USA BTC casino options available online or in person, but all the top legal gambling websites operating internationally support the Bitcoin blockchain platform for both deposits and withdrawals.
For more detailed information, this page explains all the ins and outs about how to use Bitcoin for online gambling.
Any online sports betting site that accepts Bitcoin.
A BTC sportsbook is simply any online or in-person casino that lets bettors make BTC deposits and claim BTC payouts.
As of 2022, Bitcoin sports betting is limited to the legal offshore sports betting market, as no USA-based operator currently supports BTC deposits or BTC payouts.
To learn more about how to use Bitcoin for sports betting, the guide on this page is a great place to start.
Any online poker site that accepts Bitcoin.
When people talk about Bitcoin poker rooms, they’re talking about any poker gambling venue that accepts the Bitcoin cryptocurrency for deposits and supports Bitcoin for payouts.
As of 2022, there are no domestic (i.e. state-based) BTC poker rooms in the United States.
However, if you play online poker with the offshore poker sites featured here, you can use Bitcoin to fund your legal gambling account and claim Bitcoin poker payouts, too.
To learn how to use Bitcoin for online poker, check out the sections above.
Not necessarily.
Bitcoin is a great cryptocurrency to use for gambling in general, primarily because BTC itself is such a “safe bet.”
While Bitcoin prices go up and down like all crypto prices, BTC itself tends to be less volatile.
Plus, the entire market usually goes as Bitcoin goes. If Bitcoin rises, the values of other top coins tend to go up, and if Bitcoin falls, the values of other top coins tend to go down.
In most cases, the BTC price fluctuations are less significant than other crypto price fluctuations. This means that bettors who gamble with Bitcoin are generally taking a smaller gamble regarding the value of their coin.
That said, BTC transaction costs are higher than just about any other betting crypto (with the exception of Ethereum fees), and BTC transaction times are also among the longest.
Many other popular crypto coins cost just fractions of pennies on the dollar to use while transacting in about 3-5 minutes rather than Bitcoin’s 30-60 minutes.
