For American gamblers, there’s now one fewer option for legitimate 18 and up online casinos.
Last month, 5Dimes – one of the better-know “second tier” online bookmakers and casino sites – finally shuttered its US-facing operations. For nearly 25 years, 5Dimes – based in San Jose, Costa Rica – has been providing USA players with a legal venue for online 18+ gambling, but that time has come to an end.
In a recent settlement with the US Department of Justice, 5Dimes owner Laura Varela has paid the government $47 million and closed its offshore services to US gamblers.
That said, 5Dimes isn’t going away. Instead, this is a precursor to a move that would position the 5Dimes as a domestic US betting operator.
However, that means that US players will have to be 21 to gamble with 5Dimes, and they’ll have to physically be inside the states where 5Dimes is active.
Right now, that is limited – and even then, only potentially – to the New Jersey gambling market, where the operation is trying to register as a domestic betting vendor.
If you’re a (now former) 5Dimes member – and especially if you’re between the ages of 18 and 20 and live in a state where the company isn’t likely to offer online sports betting and casino gaming (i.e. most or all of them) – you’re going to have to find a new place to play.
Fortunately, there are several great options available to you, and frankly, they’re all better than 5Dimes.
Sites like Bovada Casino, Slots LV, Ignition Casino, Café Casino, and a host of other top-rated offshore 18 and up gambling sites are experiencing record growth, and they’re not leaving the international online gambling space anytime soon.
Further, these reputable sites have not been targeted by the US government for any alleged wrongdoing, which means they’re safe for all US players to join and patronize with their hard-earned money.
In other words, the best online gambling destinations aren’t going anywhere, and you don’t have to wait for them to become domestic operators in order to use their services.
Remember, despite the existence of various US gambling laws, none of these targets individual gamblers who play online with overseas providers. In all but two US states (Connecticut and Washington), it is legal to enjoy real-money casino games, sports betting, poker, and horse racing with legitimate offshore operators.
In general, though 5Dimes was a fairly big player in the online betting market (and still has a reported million or more international players, for whom the site is still operational), their move into the United States proper does not signify a wider industry trend.
And that’s a very good thing, as there are virtually no US states that have sought to legalize online casino gambling despite the massive push by most of them to legalize sports betting (which is a comparatively tiny market in the gambling pantheon).
When PASPA was overturned in 2018, there was some debate as to whether or not the most notable offshore betting sites for 18 and up players would close up shop or transition to the domestic gambling business, alienating most of their customers and leaving US patrons with nowhere to enjoy their favorite games.
Fortunately, that line of thinking was premature and predicated on an incomplete understanding of the larger online gaming industry.
As long as states lack online casinos and/or online sports betting options, these sites will always exist as legal, reputable, and trusted venues where you can gamble on whatever you want, wherever you are.
That’s not changing for the foreseeable future (if ever), and given the pace at which domestic online gambling has been adopted – or, more aptly, not been adopted – there’s no time like the present to sign up with any of the best web-based casinos, online sportsbooks, tournament poker rooms, and international racebooks on the Internet.
5Dimes may have bailed on its players, but sites like Bovada and other big names aren’t going to do that.
When you sign up with any of these trusted gambling brands, the only thing you have to worry about losing is losing your bets!