Best Real Online Gambling Sites

Criteria for the Best Online Casinos We Consider Bonus Offers. Bonuses offered by the house are often the main bait players gravitate to – and many online casinos use it with generosity. Real online casino sites offer welcome bonuses and deposit bonuses, as well as promotional bonuses to increase their competitiveness. Discover the Best Online Casinos easy and simple. Explore our recommended top list with real money casino sites in USA - Updated weekly with new sites. Best Real Money Casinos by Location. If you’re unsure if the above accept players from your country, don’t worry; we still have lots of top-rated online casinos for real money which we can recommend to you. There are also some we definitely won’t recommend, and we want you to be aware of those, too. A real money casino is an online casino site that allows you to play with actual money. This allows you to win cash, which you can withdraw whenever you like! Playing for real money is straight-forward, as top-rated online casinos offer quality banking methods and plenty of games for you to choose from.

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2. Best Online Gambling Sites Reddit

These days there is little need to take risks when it comes to enjoying real money online casinos. Legal options are available to enjoy slots, table games and live dealer casino games in the US and around the world.

This guide to real money online casinos shows you how to stay safe while choosing a casino, depositing plus receiving payments and staying within the law of your country.

Best Online Casinos with Real Casino Games

Here is what you will find below:

• How to Find a Safe Online Casino: Rules of thumb to avoid problems
• What makes a Great Casino? What to look for before you deposit
• State Regulated Casinos: Where to play in NJ, NV, PA, WV, DW
• Sweepstakes Casinos: How sweepstakes casinos work in the US
• Deposit and Withdraw: How to keep your information safe and secure

Finding a Safe Gambling Site

There are a lot of trusted casino brands which have been looking after players brilliantly for years. For brand new players, the problem is that these look the same as new casinos with unknown ownership and no track record at all.

Fortunately, there are some easy rules of thumb for finding a safe, trusted real money casino.

First, choose a regulated and licensed casino. Some casinos are regulated at the State level (currently New Jersey and Delaware), while many countries also have licensing bodies. For international casinos, look for a reputable licensing jurisdiction such as Gibraltar, Malta, Alderney or the Isle of Man.

Licensing bodies ensure compliance – and give you an avenue to resolve any dispute with a casino. While some jurisdictions are more thorough than others in their oversight, the lack of a license should always mean you stay away!

Second, you should make sure your casino has been audited for game fairness. Casino games are controlled using RNG (random number generator) software. This controls the spin of slots and deal of cards. Reputable 3^rd party auditors test this software, to ensure that you are getting a fair deal.

Look for certification from eCogra, Technical Systems Testing or iGaming Labs (there are others too) before you play.

Finally, make sure your casino does not have any past payment issues (or are owned by anyone with payment issues in the past). It takes time to build up a trusted track record of fast casino withdrawals. Safe and trusted brands protect their reputations!

What Makes a Great Real Money Online Casino?

Once you have narrowed your search to reputable, regulated gambling sites – the next question becomes; which one is best?

Here are some of the ways you can tell a great online casino from a merely good one:

• Slot Selection: Some casinos have slots from one or two software houses, while others curate the best games from the biggest and best sources. If you are a slots fan, having the choice of the best online games and best versions of classic live slots, jackpot games and TV / Movie themed titles is an important factor.
• Table Games / Live Dealer Options: All casinos will offer you a few blackjack and roulette variations (along with other table games). The best real money casinos go a lot further. Find a casino that offers you live-dealer games, mobile friendly table games and plenty of unique and innovative game variants.
• Bonuses and Promotions: Every casino offers a welcome bonus. What makes the best ones stand out is the fairness of their bonus terms (lower play-through requirements), number of player promotions, extras like free spins and generous loyalty schemes. Make sure you compare these before you sign up.
• Payment Options: Great casinos have a wide range of payment options for both deposits and withdrawals. Look for a casino with a track record of fast cash outs. More on these below.

There are other factors, mobile friendly software, great customer service and the ability to look after high-rollers / VIPs can also be important.

Real Money Casinos USA: State Regulated

In 2012, Delaware became the first State to license online casinos (they opened the next year). This was followed in by New Jersey. Nevada license online poker rooms, though not online casinos. Several more states, including Pennsylvaniaand Massachusetts are at various stages of their own legislation.

These online ventures are partnerships between brick and mortar casinos, and some of the biggest software houses from around the world.

For players there are many advantages. These include not only protection (you have a State body to resolve any disputes), but better payment options including credit cards, PayPal and more. At State regulated casinos like Golden Nugget, BetFair and Virgin, you can enjoy slots and know that you’re playing at a safe and fair online casino in the US.

Sweepstakes Casinos for US Players

Outside of the regulated states, there are social casinos which offer slots. These include Luckyland Slots and Chumba. They are social games, played for gold chips via apps and in your browser.

Sweepstakes gaming laws are different. You can buy ‘Sweepscash’ for real money, and then exchange this for prizes (cash) at any time. You will find a wide selection of slots games at these sites, including many unique titles not found at other casinos.

You can buy Sweepscash with your credit card. Payment back to your bank is made via an Electronic Funds Transfer (local bank transfer). These casinos are available in most States which do not have regulated casinos, with the exception of Washington State.

While strictly speaking within the law, these casinos operate in a grey area which relies on how Sweepstakes gaming is interpreted.

Regulated Casinos in Other Parts of the World

Outside of the US, casinos are licensed by two types of jurisdiction. There are many licensing bodies which give global gaming licenses. The oversight and controls vary a lot between them. Examples of licensing bodies considered reputable include Malta, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Alderney.

The other form of casino licensing is at the country level. Bodies like the UK Gambling Commission (and equivalents in France, Italy and elsewhere) are among the best for player protection.

There are big differences in gambling oversight around the world. Here are 3 examples:

#1 UK Real Money Casinos

The UK Gambling commission requires verification of game fairness, provision of self-exclusion, dispute resolution processes and segregation of funds before awarding licenses. They also control advertising. This makes the UK one of the safest places to play real money casino games. Many of the biggest and best-known global gambling brands are located in the UK.

#2 Canada Real Money Casinos

This country has liberal gambling laws for individual players, with no restrictions on enjoying online casinos in Canada at all. What is not legal is to operate an online casino site from Canada. Many of the biggest and best global brands offer casino games to Canadians.

#3 Indian Real Money Casinos

Many big brand casinos have now started to welcome Indian players. The legal situation here is less clear than in many countries. While running a ‘gambling house’ is not legal, nothing in the statutes prevents individual players from playing at Indian gambling sites. Power over casinos has been given to individual states.

How to Deposit & Banking Works Online

Once you find a safe casino, with the right licenses for your location and a great selection of slots and games – the next step is depositing money. There are a lot of options available for this. Which you choose will partly depend on your location (which methods are offered where), and partly on how much you want to separate casino gaming from your everyday banking.

This list covers the main categories of casino payment options – with the individual brands in the description:

• Credit / Debit Cards: Depending on your location you will find Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, Diner’s Club, Maestro and Visa Electron welcomed at online casinos. Using these is exactly the same as making any online purchase.
• Prepaid Credit Cards: You will find these available from convenience stores around the world. You simply load up your card with cash, then use it like any other credit card.
• Electronic Wallets: This category includes PayPal, Neteller and Skrill. These 3^rd party systems provide a secure gateway between your bank and the casino. There are small charges for sending (Skrill) or receiving money with these.
• Cryptocurrency:Bitcoin, Ethereum, LiteCoin and other cryptocurrencies are popular outside of the United States. Where accepted this is a secure and cheap way of moving your money around.
• PayNearMe: You can deposit at some real-money New Jersey casinos via 7-11 stores, you take a barcode given to you by the casino cashier, and hand over the cash you wish to deposit.
• Bank Transfers: Old-fashioned bank wires are still a viable method of making a casino deposit. The fees make these best suited to larger transfers. Where banks do not allow direct transfers (Canada for example), 3^rd party gateway systems such as Interac can be used.

Getting the Most from Online Gambling Sites

So far, this page has covered the legal aspects of real money online gambling, plus payments. Finding a reputable casino and funding your account is only the start. Once you are set up, you’ll need some tips on how to get the most entertainment for your money!

I have divided these tips into 4 categories: Finding the best games, getting the best odds, managing your bankroll and taking advantage of bonuses.

#1 – Finding the Best Games

Your first task is to find which games you enjoy best. For many players, the slot selection is top of the list. There are 1000’s of online slots available, many with amazing graphics and entertaining bonus games.

I recommend you try out a selection of games – and note which slot software (the companies that produce the games and license them to casinos) you enjoy the best. You’ll find slots with life-changing jackpots, TV and movie themed options and entertaining bonus games. You will often be able to try out these games in demo-mode. Once you find your favorites, you can play them for real money.

Table games can be enjoyed for real money in two ways. Traditionally, blackjack, roulette and other table games were played using casino software. There are some entertaining variants, including brand new games and traditional games with jackpot side bets. These days, live dealer casinos have become the go-to for real money table games. Here you will play games dealt live from a remote studio. These games add a new social level to online casino gaming.

There are plenty more real money gaming options. These include video poker, keno, bingo and novelty games like scratch-cards.

#2 – Getting the Best Odds

You can make your bankroll (and enjoyment) last a lot longer at online casinos by avoiding bets with a big edge in favor of the house. This number is expressed as a percentage – and shows the long-term ‘cost’ of playing each game.

Here is a selection of good and bad bets:

• Casino Games with Low House Edge: Baccarat, blackjack, craps (pass line / don’t pass), French roulette, video poker.
• Casino Game with a High House Edge: Caribbean stud, side-bets on blackjack games, ‘tie’ bet in baccarat, US roulette, many keno games.

You can find out more in our detailed article on the best casino payouts.

#3 – Managing Your Bankroll

If you bet too big for your gambling bankroll, then the natural volatility of real money casino games will cut short your enjoyment far too often. On the other hand, betting too small is not exciting at all for many players!

Bankroll management is all about finding the best betting level for your money. A happy medium gives you the potential to win big, without risking going bust too quickly.

For table games, your bets should be between 1/20^th and 1/50^th of your total bankroll. If you are a slots fan, I’d recommend betting 1/200^th as a maximum. If you have a $100 bankroll, then an average spin of 50c should keep you in the game long enough to enjoy bonus rounds and have a shot at some bigger wins.

Of course, some players can reload their account easily, while others have limited funds. You can choose whether to be more flexible or conservative with your bankroll management based on your individual situation.

#4 – Take Advantage of Real Money Casino Bonuses

The casinos are competing for your business. You’ll find a lot of bonus offers available, many of them don’t even need a real money deposit.

Taking advantage of these offers is a great way to keep the casino house edge to a minimum. I recommend you look beyond the headline (welcome) bonuses. Ongoing rewards like loyalty schemes and regular promotions will have a bigger effect on your bankroll over the long-term.

Bonuses take many forms. Free spins and a matched welcome bonus make for a good starting point. Make sure that you check the terms and conditions of any bonus you accept. Casinos have widely different ‘play-through’ criteria, and some may even exclude your favorite games from the bonus clearing requirements.

Skip the Headaches and Play at a Legitimate Site

You’re looking for a legitimate U.S. gambling site, but can’t decide which site to trust with your hard-earned money?

Good news! We’ve been in the online gambling industry for over a decade (several decades, really, if you add all of our experience together), and we’ve spent countless hours to bring you a list of the most legitimate sites.

Here’s what all of these sites have in common:

• 10+ years in the business with strong reputations.
• Attractive promotions for first-time customers.
• Quick money withdrawals (relative to the U.S. market).

Why Bovada Is #1 in the U.S.

#1: Fastest Check Cashouts

Bovada gets 10 times as much traffic as its second best US competitor and still delivers check payouts faster than any of them. Bovada processes check withdrawals in 7 days; many of its competitors take weeks, some more than a month to do the same. (There are other fast options, like the #3-ranked BetOnline, which delivers checks in 14 days.)

#2: Service

An equally important aspect of Bovada’s operations is its customer service. If there ever was an indication of how much a company respects its customers, it’s the level of customer service the company provides. I haven’t found any US-friendly site doing this aspect of the business better (although 5Dimes is a worthy runner-up).

#3: All-In-One

Finally, all parts of Bovada’s business (sportsbook, casino, poker, racebook) are popular. Bovada is best-known for sports betting and casino games, however, even its online poker room has around four times as many players online as the second biggest US poker site. You can access all of their games with one player account.

… But You Should Know This

Bovada is recreational-friendly, perhaps more-so than any other US site. You’ll find few golden opportunities in their sportsbook (read more about their use of dual lines), they have a relatively high overall house edge (especially after recently increasing house edge in video poker games) and their online poker room only has “anonymous” tables.

Although not everyone agrees with me, the recreational-friendly part is an advantage for skilled poker players. Since Bovada appeals to recreational gamblers, you’ll be like a shark among regular fish.

Bovada charges a 4.9% fee for credit card deposits (a lot considering how most sites charge nothing). The impact of the deposit fee is slightly compensated by their welcome bonuses, which are better than average.

All online gamblers look for entertaining games, attractive promotions and aesthetically pleasing software. To have a safe experience, however, you want a site to:

1. Serve its customers with safety and respect,
2. Operate with a reasonable house edge, and
3. Handle money transactions promptly.

Yes, the third point is included in the first point but it’s also such an essential part of the customer experience that it must be mentioned separately. Many online gambling websites operate without an adequate level of service so these points are worth considering. It’s rare to find a combination of all three points.

Bovada fulfills all of the above criteria better than other sites but 5Dimes does well, too. In fact, I’m confident in ranking those two as the best USA gambling websites specifically because they deliver so well in the areas related to safety and trustworthiness. A site without proper customer service and safety measures is not one you should deposit money to, regardless of its promotions and whatnot.

What Are Some Alternative Options?

For Sports Bettors

5Dimes.eu is the best betting site in the US for the following reasons: they’re professional-friendly and offer reduced juice betting lines (in other words, less house edge). Before betting on any game, I recommend taking a look at the odds 5Dimes is offering. They’ve been a reliable sportsbook for over 10+ years — you’ll find few complaints about 5Dimes online, and the ones you find have been resolved quickly.

For poker and casino games, I would go with Bovada. But for sports bettors, it makes the most sense to have an account at 5Dimes.

Another Solid Option

BetOnline.ag is my third suggestion. It’s not significantly better than the others in any area but they’re simply a solid option. Prompt cashout processing, decent poker traffic, good sports betting options and entertaining casino games. Additionally, I’ve had good experiences with their customer service.

For sports bettors, BetOnline is worth signing-up at simply to be able to compare betting lines among a few sites. For poker players, BetOnline may offer some good games every now and then (keep in mind: you can bet on sports and play casino and poker games with the same account, so plenty of gamblers will stumble on the poker games eventually). For casino gamblers, BetOnline has a basic but reliable offering.

BetOnline charges a 6% fee for credit card deposits.

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Is It Legal to Play?

The definition of ”gambling” and the laws surrounding vary depending on which state you live in.

In Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, some forms of online gambling have been legalized and regulated (only state-licensed sites are allowed to operate legally). In other states, it’s likely (although not widely agreed upon) that playing – and certainly operating – online gambling games for real money is illegal.

On a federal level, sports betting is the only form of prohibited gambling via the Wire Act of 1961. For several years, the Department of Justice (DOJ) maintained that the Wire Act applies to all forms of online gambling, but in December 2011, they corrected that stance by stating that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting – a result of a 13-page memorandum from the Office of Legal Counsel to the Criminal Division of the DOJ (source).

State laws, however, often indirectly prohibit gambling. Or to put it another way: it would be difficult to claim any forms of online gambling legal with absolute certainty in most states (lotteries and such aside). Most state laws indirectly prohibit gambling simply by making all forms of gambling unlawful that have not been made lawful.

Purely based on history, it’s unlikely you’ll get into legal trouble; then again, if something is illegal, you can get into trouble, and someone probably will. Gambling online may be illegal where you live. Contact a local gaming lawyer to get a better idea of your local laws.

Legal Troubles

Industry-changing events have taken place in the online gambling world – mainly concerning online poker – such as the UIGEA and Party Poker’s exit from the US market, or PokerStars’ exit from the US market in 2011.

Those crimes were committed by online poker operators, though, not players. Still, the mere fact that online poker companies were targeted was enough to cast a shadow over the legality of US online poker, and furthermore, players grew more and more worried about one of these sites getting shut down along with the money on their player accounts.

In fact, there is a legitimate reason to worry about dishonest US gambling sites taking your money. Some sites have indeed taken off with the money – a recent example is Lock Poker, which currently may owe its customers over $15 million. I created LegitGamblingSites.com mainly to give more exposure to the sites with strong track records of honest business practices.

The lawmakers, in that regard, have a point about not allowing unlicensed sites to provide online gambling games to US citizens. While that may not be the reason, it’s likely one of them. (If I had to guess, I’d say they’re more concerned about losing out on tax dollars and protecting the interests of brick & mortar casino owners such as Sheldon Adelson, although through the RAWA – Restore America’s Wire Act legislation – he tries to do that by himself.)

How to Move Money Around

Ever since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) became a law, US citizens have had a more difficult time finding a suitable deposit method.

There are only a few left, actually.

The most common deposit method for US citizens is still credit card deposits, out of which VISA is the most widely accepted brand, followed by Mastercard, with American Express being a distant third. Cards must be eligible for both international and online transfers.

The alternative method is to use a money transfer service such as Western Union. Western Union is mostly a deposit-only method. (Bovada is an exception since they only allow you to withdraw money via a check.)

Why to use a money transfer service instead of a credit card?

• A card deposit fails to go through. This happens every now and then, and the only way to know if your card will be accepted is to try. According to various forum reports, Vanilla VISA is declined at most sites while Netspend VISA has been successful.

  Surprisingly, players have had problems with card deposits even at state-licensed sites due to banks like Bank of America outright declining all gambling transactions. Things will likely get better with the new MCC codes for VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Distant which will help casinos to identify gambling transactions more accurately. It’s unclear how much of a help this will be since banks still have the right to decline transfers marked with the new MCC codes, and due to not wanting to violate the UIGEA (according to which they’re prohibited from knowingly processing unlawful gambling transactions), banks may decide it isn’t worth it and keep cancelling transactions even if they were for state-licensed sites.

  This is expected to change once bigger states – perhaps even the biggest of them all, California – join internet gambling, since declining the transactions will then affect such a large percentage of any bank’s customer base.

• You want a faster cashout. While money transfer services cost more (many sites, like Bovada, allow one free check cashout a month), the money is usually delivered to be picked up at a local Western Union location in five days or less.
• You don’t want a check cashout. You need to go to a cashier to cash a check. Most people would rather avoid doing this, especially since banks aren’t allowed to knowingly process online gambling related transactions (unless in Delaware, Nevada or New Jersey, but people have had problems in those states as well).

In general, you’ll have higher transaction costs with money transfer services than with a combination of credit cards and checks. BetOnline and Bovada are the only major USA sites charging for credit card deposits and most allow one free check cashout per month – some, like True Poker, allow a free check withdrawal every seven days.

How to use a credit card/check combination?

1. Enter your credit card details online after which you have the money on your player account instantly.
2. When done playing, order a check cashout, which will take from a week to over a month depending on which site you’re dealing with.
3. Go to your local bank to cash the check.

How to use a money transfer service (like Western Union)?

1. Go to their website or a live Western Union location and send money to the gambling site. (You’ll need to contact the gambling site first to get their transfer details.)
2. When done playing, initiate the withdrawal from your player account.
3. Go to a live location to collect the money.

State-Licensed Sites

As mentioned, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey have legalized and regulated some forms of real-money online gambling. Delaware started with online poker but has since expanded into casino games as well; Nevada offers online poker games only; New Jersey offers online poker and casino games.

As you can see, not a single one of these states offer online sports betting. In New Jersey – clearly the biggest market of the three – there’s a clause according to which sports betting may be considered to be added in the future.

Requirements

You must be physically located within a state’s boundaries to play at the licensed sites. If you’re currently located in California but live in Nevada, you’re unable to play until you return to Nevada; if you’re currently located in Nevada but live in California, you can play as long as you stay within Nevada’s state boundaries.

Licensed sites have to make sure nobody outside of the state can participate in the games. Geolocation – identifying exactly where a person is located – has been difficult, and there are still people who are unable to play even though they’re located within those states. This is one of the reasons licensed online gambling sites have done financially worse than expected.

Only existing brick & mortar casino owners within those states can apply for licenses, although they can apply together with an existing online gambling site in a software-licensing agreement, like Caesar’s Interactive and 888.com have done. If a poker site kept operating in the US after the UIGEA of 2006, it will be subjected to a ”bad actor” clause in Nevada and be prohibited from operating in the state for now.

Performance

Each state has had a rocky start, although New Jersey is doing OK. In March 2014, they did $11.87 million in revenue, which grew into $13.16 million in March 2015. A growth rate of 14.57% year-over-year is better than nothing, but still a far cry from the $1 billion within the first 7 months of operating Governor Christie expected (New Jersey gambling sites were launched in November 2013). In other words, his expectations were a little over $140 million a month on average, or about ten times the current revenue.

According to PokerScout.com, Nevada’s online poker revenue is going downhill. Year-over-year decrease in revenue of around 44% (from February 2014 to February 2015) is, no matter how you look at it, a disappointing result. Problems with card deposits and geolocation – both of which exist in other states as well – and player liquidity have undoubtedly contributed to the significant decrease. Players have to deal with fewer problems when playing at offshore sites, and as long as that continues, it will be difficult for state-licensed sites to gain major traction.

In Delaware, the state keeps all yearly revenue up to $3.75 million. Since total revenue for 2014 was around $2.1 million, gambling operators have made nothing. The main reason for such a low amount of revenue is Delaware’s population of 0.94 million (in comparison, New Jersey has a population of 8.9 million). Liquidity is important for online poker since you need lots of players to run games at various stakes, in several forms and throughout the day. Delaware is trying to improve its poker liquidity by combining player pools with Nevada but so far there hasn’t been a significant improvement to its online gaming revenue.

If all of the three states were to combine their player pools, it would create a poker economy of around 12 million people, which could add significant liquidity to the games and thus bring in more revenue to each of the states.

Offshore Sites

Gambling sites accepting US customers from outside of the three states are all ”offshore” sites, meaning they operate from outside of the US and have no license to operate within the US. They have obtained a license in some other jurisdictions – such as Antiqua & Barbuda or Panama – but many of those jurisdictions have less-than-stellar reputations.

The disadvantage of gambling at offshore sites is the lack of safety. For an outsider, it’s impossible to know how strict testing measures these sites go through to prove their legitimacy, and hypothetically, if one of them were to disappear from the internet tomorrow along with your money, what could you do about it?

Lock Poker, as already mentioned, is an ongoing example. They’ve now lost their license in Curacao (weirdly, they were able to keep the license easily over a year after refusing to process customer cashouts) and there’s nothing anyone can do to make sure Lock Poker’s customers have their money returned. All we can do is spread the word to the people who are considering signing-up and depositing money to their site.

The best thing you can do is consider the reputation of the site rather than the jurisdiction since all jurisdictions have had dishonest sites. The longer a site has been fully operational, and the fewer complaints it has generated, the better. Essentially, Bovada has been in the online gambling business since 2000 when Bodog.com was founded (the US-friendly operations of Bodog were re-branded as Bovada in 2011), and as mentioned, they’ve achieved an excellent reputation with a high level of customer service.

But there are advantages to playing at an offshore site, too, and you can legitimately argue that the advantages override the disadvantages. Offshore sites place fewer restrictions on customers, need less personal information and have to compete with lots of other sites (within US states, competition is limited) which forces them to be at their best in order to succeed. There are no geolocation issues either.

Safety and legality aside – although obviously, both are big considerations – offshore sites are the better option in almost every area. Since only three states have legalized some forms of real-money online gambling in the US, they’re the only places for internet gambling for around 96.4% of US population.

What’s Next?

US online gambling is in a transitional phase: after a long wait of legalization, three states have done it, mostly with lackluster success. Suggesting geolocation and deposit issues are resolved, revenue streams may grow. With online poker, though, most likely at least one of the bigger states has to legalize it and combine player pools with the others to create a meaningful poker economy.

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A federal legalization would create much-needed competition and player pools, which in turn creates a bigger incentive for operators to participate and, in many ways, a better environment for gamblers. If internet gambling was to be legalized nationwide, every operator and their grandmother would want a license. As of now, it’s more beneficial for most operators to stay outside of the US.