As you probably already know, Bitcoin - often abbreviated as BTC - is the world's most famous cryptocurrency.
It was the first of its kind to function without any central bank. Instead, the network works as a peer-to-peer system and transactions happen between users, without the meddling of a third party.
This, of course, ensures full anonymity and a high level of personal freedom, as well as guaranteeing low costs. However, safety is not jeopardized. All transactions are verified by the network using cryptography and saved in a publicly distributed database, the blockchain. This blockchain gets, on average, a new block every ten minutes.
The concept was first talked about in 1998 and first implemented in 2009, by an unknown person under the iconic pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.
Then, it exploded. Its value increased exponentially almost from the start and a few online and physical businesses started to accept it as a currency. Soon, the first Bitcoin casinos were born.
At first, Bitcoin casinos were a bit of a novelty, and they were certainly seen as niche. Nowdays, however, they have become more established, with more and more players betting on Bitcoin and altcoins as their currency of choice for gambling.
POSITIVE SIGNS OF GROWTH
Crypto-friendly game aggregator SoftSwiss disclosed they saw a threefold increase in traffic at crypto casinos in 2020!
Best Bitcoin Gambling Sites
You've decided you want to try your luck at a Bitcoin casino or gambling site, but you don't know how to get started. Luckily, we're here to help.
There are a lot of factors to take into account when choosing which casinos are worthy of your money, especially if you're playing with cryptocurrencies.
- Do they offer provably fair games?
- Are they available in your language?
- Are they a trustworthy casino?
- What bonuses do they offer so you can get more value for your money?
- Can you play anonymously?
Finding all this information can be a bit overwhelming.
That's why we're here.
We regularly assess the most popular Bitcoin casinos and rate them according to several different factors, such as their game selection, bonuses, payment options, safety, and how helpful is their customer support.
The following are our selection for the top four best Bitcoin gambling sites.
About BitStarz
Unlike some run-of-the-mill gambling sites out there, BitStarz offers a complete playing experience. Arguably one of the best Bitcoin casinos overall, it includes a vast selection of games from all the top providers, and it's full of mouth-watering promotions. It asks you to "Dream big, win bigger," and it lives up to this ambitious slogan with accolades such as the Best Online Casino Award (2018) and the Player's Choice Award (2019). However, any casino with a large player base is not without its detractors, which is why we took a closer look at this popular brand.
Overview
Websitebitstarz.com
Established 2014
License Curaçao
Bonus 5 BTC + 180 Free Spins
Wagering Requirement 40x
No Deposit Bonus 20 Free Spins
Live Chat Yes
About mBit
Backed by a mother company that owns 35 casinos, mBit has all the tools needed to offer you the best Bitcoin casino experience. Its thousands of available games will thrill you while you race to win daily prizes. There are so many different promotions and rewards, it's hard to keep up! And we have to shout out to its VIP program, which is one of the most engaging we've seen. However, a few influential studios are missing, and you can't play with fiat currencies.
Overview
Websitembitcasino.com
Established 2014
License Curaçao
Bonus 5 BTC + 300 Free spins
Wagering Requirement 35x
No Deposit Bonus -
Live Chat Yes
About Stake Casino
Stake is unlike any other Bitcoin casino. It's got a fresh look, modern games (including a few exclusives), a top-notch VIP program, and no welcome bonus. That's right: you won't find a welcome pack at Stake, but you won't miss it. With provably fair games across the board, a fully disclosed house edge, and a wide array of rewarding promotions, you'll know exactly what's in store for you from the get-go. All in all, Stake is a casino where transparency is paramount.
Overview
Websitestake.com
Established 2017
License Curaçao
Bonus -
Wagering Requirement -
No Deposit Bonus -
Live Chat Yes
About True Flip
True Flip is absolutely an original casino. Besides its very own cryptocurrency, it offers unique games developed in-house. On top of this collection of exclusive features, this casino has got over 1600 games from some of the world's biggest brands, which you can play with a large selection of fiat money and cryptos. True Flip is an impressive brand, although it could be improved with the addition of provably fair games and a VIP program.
Overview
Websitetrueflip.io
Established 2017
License Curaçao
Bonus 1 BTC + 150 Free Spins
Wagering Requirement 35x
No Deposit Bonus -
Live Chat Yes
BitStarz
Arguably the best Bitcoin casino there is, BitStarz gets a perfect score for almost all components.
It has a great game selection, with a large number of slots, jackpots, and table games, a live casino, and much more. You can easily find games by all your favorite providers and even discover new ones.
The welcome bonus is also very generous and accompanied by other nice rewards. Combine this with a website that's easy to navigate and the safety of including provably fair games, and you get one of the best Bitcoin gambling experiences.
mBit
Another casino to try out when playing with Bitcoin is mBit. This casino is backed by a company that owns 35 casinos and offers over 3,000 games.
You also get a reasonable number of bonuses to enjoy the games even more.
There's no reason to complain about payments either, as you can choose from a number of cryptocurrencies besides, obviously, Bitcoin.
Stake Casino
If you're looking for a casino that applies the principles of blockchain technology to online gambling, then Stake should be right up your alley.
Its low house edge (fully disclosed on all games) more than compensates for its lack of a welcome offer.
Combined with a wide range of provably fair games and a fully-active player chat, Stake creates a sense of transparency that is hard to beat.
True Flip
True Flip could not be left out of the list as it is created for blockchain enthusiasts. You might notice this in the design, which is different from other casinos but still very intuitive.
Something special about this casino is that it also develops its own games. They go by the developer name TrueLab and are defintely worth a try.
Unfortunately, there are no provably fair games. In turn, this casino has been active for a couple of years already while still maintaining a pristine reputation among its players. That is a clear sign that this casino is trustworthy.
Bitcoin Casino Bonuses
In most casinos that accept Bitcoins, you are entitled to bonuses the same way as if you were playing with other currencies.
Not all blockchain casinos, however, offer Bitcoin bonuses. Usually, it's quite obvious if they do, since the bonus amount will be displayed in BTC.
Let's look at a real-life example: FortuneJack's welcome bonus of up to 6 BTC
- 1st Deposit Bonus: 110% up to 1.5 BTC + 250 Free spins
- 2nd Deposit Bonus: 100% up to 1.5 BTC
- 3rd Deposit Bonus: 100% up to 1.5 BTC
- 4th Deposit Bonus: 100% up to 1.5 BTC
If you're used to large numbers on welcome offers, the full amount of 6 BTC might seem quite low. However, 1 Bitcoin is worth thousands of dollars.
In fact, some casinos which offer both cryptocurrencies and regular money as payment methods often pack more value into the Bitcoin version of the bonus.
This means that you get more out of your deposit if you choose to receive your bonus in BTC.
Bitcoin Free Spins And More
If you're wondering about free spins, you don't need to worry. Most Bitcoin casinos offer free spins on a regular basis and as part of their welcome offers.
When it comes to other casino bonuses and promotions, everything is business as usual when you use Bitcoin.
Benefits Of Bitcoin
The first benefit that comes to mind when talking about Bitcoin is its name.
Even if you're not a blockchain specialist, you're bound to know what "a Bitcoin" is if you keep posted to digital news. After all, it is the best-known cryptocurrency in the world.
It's so mainstream, world-renowned payment providers such as Paypal now accept it as a currency.
Name recognition matters: you will be more likely to find businesses that accept it as a form of currency than alt-coins or even many other popular cryptos.
In fact, there are many advantages to Bitcoin:
- Dominant cryptocurrency
- Widely recognized
- No exchange rates
- Fast payment processing
- Lower house edges
- No banking charges
- Very secure
- Privacy
One of the most tauted benefits of Bitcoin, is the freedom it can offer you. Regardless of place, time, or language, you have full liberty when paying Bitcoin.
Furthermore, you don't have to worry about expensive exchange rates: a Bitcoin has the same value in every country, always.
Payment is fast and hassle-free. Since there is no central authority that controls your money, banks or other entities can't charge you any fees.
Another benefit that comes with the lack of bank interference is that Bitcoin is far more private than other traditional forms of money. There's simply no middle-man with access to your data.
Meanwhile, thanks to cryptographic security, no one can manipulate transactions.
Advantages For Casino Players
Accepting cryptocurrencies and processing payments with Bitcoin and other cryptos is much cheaper and more convenient for a casino than other alternatives.
This gives them a chance to offer games with better winning margins, as they are able to lower their edge and still keep their business strong.
Since the currency isn't controlled by a bank or other financial authority, transactions are also much smoother and withdrawals tend to be much faster.
Are Bitcoin Casinos Worth It?
Casino Games You Can Play With Bitcoin
Nowadays, more and more casinos are jumping on the chance to offer Bitcoin as a payment method. So much so that some casinos now only offer Bitcoin or other cryptos as a payment method, ignoring fiat currencies altogether!
While we generally prefer casinos that give you as many options as possible, this is good news. Why? Because it gives game developers an incentive to cater to the growing Bitcoin market.
Let's see what kind of games you can most commonly find at crypto casinos:
- Bitcoin Slots: Right now, all big providers like NetEnt, Quickspin, Microgaming, and others are available in many Bitcoin casinos.
- Bitcoin Poker: Bitcoin poker sites are not yet as common as Bitcoin casinos, although there are a few online casinos that allow you to play simpler versions of the game.
- Bitcoin Blackjack: Blackjack is a game you don't have to worry about when playing with Bitcoin. Since it's one of the oldest and most popular casino games of all time, all respectable casinos offer at least a few versions of it - even live blackjack!
- Bitcoin Roulette: The same goes for Roulette. Like blackjack, this game is immensely popular among players, and a casino without it would be unfathomable. Almost all Bitcoin casinos offer at least one version of this glamorous game.
That's not all. Many blockchain casinos and gambling Dapps also have several provably fair games, including the ones we mentioned before, as well as the following:
- Keno
- Dice
- Sic-Bo
- Plinko
- Lottery
- Baccarat
- Crash
Bitcoin Casino Dapps
Surprisingly there aren't that many casino Dapps to play with Bitcoin. This phenomenon is more popular among other cryptocurrencies like Tron. However, that doesn't mean it'll remain like this.
Right now, there is one Dapp that stands out from the rest: Earnbet.
Earnbet
Earnbet is a provably fair Dapp licensed by the government of Curaçao, which you can play using Bitcoins.
Since all games are recorded and it's possible to trace back the game code, you can easily prove the fairness of every single game round.
This "guaranteed fairness" is possible because decentralized applications like this one run entirely on the blockchain.
You won't be able to play your favorite slots in this casino (yet) but there are 6 different games you can choose from, including usual classics such as dice, blackjack, baccarat and roulette.
One of Earnbet's biggest advantages, however, is that you can win part of the house's profits.
Every bet you place earns you BET tokens. The house profit will then be distributed to token holders on a daily basis.
Deposit And Withdrawal
Bitocin casino payments are not much different from other payment transactions available online.
It's as convenient as using a credit card, with the added benefit of instant processing when the payment is released by the casino or made by you.
Before the payment is finished, it needs to go through its validation process within its blockchain. In most cases, this is completed within 1 hour. If the network is under heavy load, it may take up to 4 hours.
However, as the casino still needs to approve the payment, you can be subject to a verification process, especially on your first withdrawal.
You won't need to go through this with a casino Dapp, as most of them don't have a license. We never recommend unlicensed casinos or Dapps, but if you do play at one, make sure the games are provably fair.
BITCOIN PAYMENTS
A key benefit of using Bitcoin in casinos is how fast you can deposit and withdraw funds!
Are Bitcoin Casinos Legal?
Although we already answered the question 'are crypto casinos legal?' in more depth on a previous article, let's have a look the legality of Bitcoin casinos in particular.
TLDR: They are, if the casino holds a valid license and it's legal in your jurisdiction. But let's dig a bit deeper into that.
When Bitcoin first became known to the big public, many raised concerns over its legality.
After all, such a decentralized and anonymous currency could (and did) attract wrongdoers. So it's normal to wonder if Bitcoing gambling sites themselves are legal, legitimate and safe.
At first, many unlicensed and illegal casinos popped up all over the internet. They accepted payments and then vanished into thin air, which was possible because, without a license, they were virtually untraceable.
This gave Bitcoin casinos somewhat of a bad reputation, but it also convinced legitimate businesses that, if they wanted to be taken seriously, they had to get regulated.
Players also learned to only trust casinos with a reputable license. In general, these are the best two licenses for Bitcoin casinos:
These licenses assure a casino is trustworthy and verify the validity of game rounds and transactions. It is, therefore, safe and legal to play at such a casino in most cases.
Just remember that your local legislation might say otherwise. Some countries have banned online gambling altogether, with or without Bitcoin and other cryptos. Others have state or city-level regulations that might make gambling legal or illegal.
Casinos often exclude players from countries with harsher gambling laws from registering or even accessing their website. In the end, however, it is up to you to know your local laws and if it's legal or not for you to play at a Bitcoin casino.
Although usually less regulated, gambling Dapps can also be a safe choice, as long as their games are 100% provably fair.