The 5 Best Legal Online Blackjack Sites

The most popular table game without a doubt, blackjack dominates online casinos across the US. Casinos are big fans of the game because blackjack brings in more money than any other table game. That means huge player losses, despite blackjack having the best odds of all table games hand.

One of the few games of skill in the casino, the house only has a 0.05% edge when a player applies basic strategy. Professional blackjack players beat the game by counting cards. They raise their bets when more high cards are left in the deck, and bet the minimum or leave the table when more low cards are left.

Playing blackjack at the right online casino can significantly influence your results. The five best legal casinos for online blackjack stand out when it comes to payout ratio, game selection, favorable player rules and more. 

A hand of blackjack begins when a player makes his wager and is dealt two cards, face up except in single and double-deck. The dealer deals himself one card facing down and another card facing up. The player decides whether to hit or stand based on his cards and the dealer’s up card.  He can hit and receive another card as many times as he likes without exceeding 21. When he’s satisfied with his hand, a player can decline additional cards and stand. 

If taking one more card puts him at an advantage, a player should place a new bet next to his original and double down. A player with two cards of equal value can also make a new bet to split the hand. In this case, the dealer separates the cards into two new hands, then deals each a second card. Finally, when available, surrender allows players to forfeit their worst hands in exchange for half their bets back.

Basic Strategy

Basic strategy charts teach players the right moves to make based on their hands and the dealer’s up card. The only way to gain the advantage over the house is to count cards, but consulting basic strategy charts drives the house edge down to 0.05%. Without basic strategy, the house has a 1.5% to 2% edge. Basic strategy charts are available online and in casino gift shops.

Does Card Counting Work Online?

We’ve already established that you can’t count cards on virtual blackjack games. However, given the right conditions, card counting is possible if you’re playing a live dealer game dealt from a shoe. Before you pull the trigger, count the number of decks the dealer cuts off before shuffling. If it’s 1.5 or less, that’s considered good deck penetration. That’s hard to find online where it’s not unusual for dealers to shuffle halfway through a 6-deck shoe, keeping counters away.

1. BetMGM Casino

Available states: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Michigan, and West Virginia

One of the most well-recognized names in the online casino space, BetMGM offers more than 1,000 games, 23 of them blackjack. Sports fans will appreciate exclusive themed games such as New York Jets Blackjack, NHL Blackjack and 76 Blackjack. With 71 table games, it would be helpful to have additional links on the menu bar separating them by type.

Pros

• Large selection of exclusive games: Our #1 online casino features 15 exclusive blackjack games including several branded with the BetMGM logo.
• Blackjack pays 3:2 on the majority of BetMGM’s blackjack games.
• Fun, fast-paced games like Speed Blackjack and First Person Lightning Blackjack by Evolution Gaming.
• No Deposit Bonus: BetMGM will give you a $25 casino bonus when you sign up for a new account. When you register, the bonus is automatically added to your account and available for immediate use.

Cons

• Not enough short-stacked games: BetMGM Casino offers one double-deck game in Michigan only and zero single-deck games.

There’s more variance playing online than live because the games move faster than in a casino. You can win more money in less time playing multiple hands, but you can’t expect to be up in the long run without counting cards. Almost all online casinos offer some form of multi-hand blackjack.

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2. Borgata Casino

Available States: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and West Virginia

Borgata Casino offers more than a dozen types of virtual blackjack and a Live Dealer Lobby where you can try different blackjack variants. There’s always an open seat at the table when you play Live Dealer Infinite Blackjack with a 99.47% return-to-player (RTP). Rules are generally favorable to the player, such as the dealer must stand on all 17s.

Pros

• Blackjack pays 3:2: A winning blackjack hand pays $3 for every $2 wagered.
• No Deposit Bonus: New players get $20 Bonus Dollars just for signing up.
• Evolution Gaming’s Live Blackjack tables are second to none.  
• Blackjack X-change: You’ll enjoy it because, in this game, the player can win even if he doesn’t beat the dealer. We like it for its high 99.68% RTP. Players can buy and sell their cards, but we don’t recommend it because the trade RTP is only 97.5%.

Cons

• Pass on side bets: Perfect Pair and 21 + 3 have relatively good odds for side bets, but not good enough to be worth playing. The casino has a 4.09% edge on Perfect Pair and a 4.14% edge on 21 + 3.

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3. Golden Nugget Casino

Available states: Michigan, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania

Golden Nugget is now live in New Jersey! Golden Nugget Online Casino offers 16 live dealer blackjack tables, including a High Limit table with a $10,000 max bet. The casino also offers more than a dozen virtual blackjack games like Classic Blackjack by NetEnt with a 99.59% RTP. A search filter lets players conveniently display blackjack games separately from other types of games. Additional search parameters include name, manufacturer, rating, recommendation and max payout.  

Pros

• First US casino to feature Live Dealer blackjack: Dealers made their debut in 2017, live from the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City.
• Live Dealer Blackjack 24/7: Many of the live dealer tables at Golden Nugget Online Casino never close.
• Blackjack pays 3:2: Tables paying 6:5 are more common in land-based casinos than online and should be avoided.
• Demo play: Players can practice hitting, splitting and doubling down for free in demo mode on Golden Nugget Casino.

Cons

• No single or double-deck games: This puts players at a disadvantage because the house edge is reduced when you play with fewer decks.  

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4. Party Casino

Available states: New Jersey

Party Casino is licensed to serve the New Jersey market because of its partnership with Borgata Hotel and Casino. Five live games may not be enough for more experienced players, but Party’s 13 virtual blackjack games will satisfy most. Blackjack Millionaire Pro for instance has a healthy 99.55 % RTP. However, the  Millionaire pro side bet with a 93.08 % RTP is not worth wagering on. 

Pros

• Blackjack pays 3:2: A winning blackjack hand pays $3 for every $2 wagered.
• Exclusive table games: Party Casino features 11 exclusive blackjack games, including several with sports-related themes.
• Player may double after split: Party Casino allows a player who split his hand to double down after taking an additional card.
• Dealer stands on all 17s: In brick-and-mortar casinos, you have to play in the high-limit room to get this advantage. On Party Casino, dealer stands on 17 for all players. 

Cons

• Multi-hand blackjack: It’s too easy to lose your bankroll when you play up to five hands at a time.

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5. betPARX Casino

Available states: New Jersey, Pennsylvania

betPARX may be one of the smaller online casinos, but it devotes a considerable amount of its resources to blackjack. The online casino offers 214 games including 20 live dealer blackjack tables and five virtual games. Roulette and poker can be viewed separately from other games, but blackjack can’t. Instead, it’s mixed in with games including baccarat and video poker.   

Pros

• The majority of tables pay 3:2: Before you take a seat, look for a sign on the table stating “Blackjack pays 3:2.”
• Blackjack Surrender: Played with six decks, this Playtech classic offers a high 99.65% RTP.
• New games: The online casino is featuring four new games including betPARX Steelers American Blackjack.
• betPARX Shop: Players have the chance to win prizes for gambling on the betPARX App.

Cons

• Virtual blackjack games use continuous shuffle machines (CMSs), shuffling the deck between every hand. This makes it impossible to count cards. Players can only count when the cards are dealt out of a shoe.

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