Everyone has a childhood dream. Some kids want to be astronauts, others dream of becoming the star player of a major league franchise. Me? I always just wanted to beat the dealer in Vegas.
So when I got the chance to visit Sin City after all those years, I wasn’t there for the pool parties or overpriced buffets — I was on a mission to find the best blackjack casinos and apps.
I also visited Arizona to get a taste of the blackjack scene outside of Nevada, where I did some sightseeing alongside visiting the casinos and signing up for online gambling apps.
For the rest of the article, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on each casino I played at, what I learned, and what advice I’d give to anyone thinking of playing blackjack, whether you’re playing online or face-to-face with a real dealer.
Online Blackjack Casinos
- Ignition: Top choice overall ($3,000 welcome bonus)
- Super Slots: 50+ live dealer games
- Lucky Creek: Biggest bonuses
- BetOnline: Best for tournament games
- Bovada: Ideal for mobile gaming
Where I Played Blackjack
I’m sure I’m like everyone else who’s seen movies set in casinos in that, whenever I think of playing blackjack at a casino, I automatically think of Vegas — the glamour, the famous strip, the lights, everything.
But when planning my trip, I wanted to check out another state where gambling is legal, too. In this case, it happened to be Arizona. I figured I could enjoy some sunshine, some scenic views, as well as do the usual ‘cultural’ stuff like see the museums and galleries.
Naturally, the main reason for my trip was to visit the casinos. I stopped off at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, a luxury 5-star hotel with an onsite casino, as well as Wild Horse Pass Resort in Phoenix, another gorgeous hotel with a casino onsite.
During my downtime, I cooled off with a few beers and a couple of steaks and spent some time signing up for a few online blackjack sites. These included Ignition and Super Slots, which both got me started with some decent welcome bonuses.
Ready to find out how I did? Let’s get into the reviews.
Online Blackjack Sites I Tested
Blackjack online casinos are — as you might have guessed — a digital alternative to land-based blackjack casinos.
They’ve usually got more games, bigger bonuses, and you can play computerised blackjack games or live dealer blackjack.
I listened to the advice of a few people I met during my travels, who told me which online casinos for blackjack I should join. Here are a couple that I tested:
Ignition
“Everyone knows Ignition as a high-traffic poker site – but trust me, it’s just as good when it comes to blackjack online real money.”
These were the words of a bartender I got chatting to in Vegas. It was a sentiment shared by many other people I talked to.
I created an account and claimed the $3,000 welcome bonus by depositing $20, which is split 50/50 between poker games and “all other casino games,” including blackjack.
Ignition impressed me on so many fronts. Not only does it have a fine selection of blackjack games, which include 21 Burn Blackjack and American Blackjack, but the underpinning software guarantees smooth gameplay.
Bet limits are designed to suit most types of players, and you can play live dealer blackjack, Perfect Pairs, Double Deck Blackjack, Single Deck Blackjack, and countless others.
If I needed assistance, I could shoot the live chat agents a message 24/7, and they promptly replied to me within less than 2 minutes.
I loved the fact that crypto is supported here, while same-day payouts are also available for traditional payment methods.
Topping things off is the rewards system known as Ignition Miles. Each time I wagered on blackjack, I racked up loyalty points, which I could later trade for cash.
Super Slots
When I was asking the locals about their favourite blackjack online casinos, I never in a million years imagined they’d be able to recommend an online casino with real-life human dealers.
Indeed, I set them a challenge: Recommend me the best live dealer blackjack casino.
Super Slots was a name that kept coming up. And after signing up and grabbing the welcome bonus, I soon saw why.
The ace in the pack isn’t Super Slots’ selection of 50+ live dealer blackjack games, nor is it the blackjack tournaments.
Instead, it’s the quality of the streams, the high limit tables ($50,000+ in some cases), and the professionalism of the dealers.
My only criticism is that some of the tables had very limited seats, and some had no room for me at all. This shouldn’t be too much of a problem for anyone because there is always a table free somewhere.
I could only see it being a problem if you prefer to play against a particular dealer.
Other than that, you can play ‘real’ online blackjack games here, too, as well as claim regular offers, including a 200% up to $200 referral bonus.
Lucky Creek
Sometimes, you can pick up a couple of bonuses at a land-based casino — but it’s incredibly rare. The best way to be rewarded is via loyalty programs, but again, these are rare.
So when I was told that Lucky Creek is an online blackjack casino ‘stacked’ with bonuses, I was excited to see what was in store for me.
Well, for starters, I could choose my own welcome bonus. I had the choice of a 200% up to $7,500 matched bonus or a 600% up to $1,000 crypto matched bonus. Since I was playing with Bitcoin, I chose the latter.
New players are also entitled to 30 free spins, which I used on the Big Game slot to see if I could raise extra blackjack funds.
And since I signed up near Mother’s Day, I got the chance to win 250 gifts for my mom. I could also enter a leaderboard contest by playing blackjack, with the prize pool set at $20,000.
Other promos include the chance to win a Lexus or a Chevrolet — and you can bet I gave this one my best shot.
When it comes to blackjack games, you can play the likes of Vegas Strip Blackjack here, as well as Atlantic City Blackjack, which has a 99.55% RTP.
Live dealer games are also available, including Blackjack VIP, which is perfect for high rollers.
Speaking of high rollers, Lucky Creek is easily one of the classiest blackjack sites I’ve played at. From the moment I logged in, I felt like I’d stepped into one of the best online casinos in Texas — the design gives off major Lone Star vibes with its Wild West charm and polished layout.
The tech is reliable, deposit and withdrawal limits are flexible, and live chat is 24/7.
BetOnline
When I was told that I could compete against other players at an online blackjack casino, I was intrigued.
And when I signed up to BetOnline (which was especially popular in Arizona), I quickly met the $50 minimum deposit requirement to trigger the 100 free spins, before I checked out the ‘Tournaments’ section.
After a bit of scrolling, I found a couple of ongoing blackjack tournaments, including a $1,500 time-based tourney that was due to start in the next few hours. It would be me versus the field – and I loved the sound of that.
The competition lasts a whole week, you earn points by playing (and winning) blackjack games, with the $1,500 prize pool divided between the top 50 players.
I also entered a couple of free roll tournaments and had a lot of fun watching as I went up and down the leaderboard.
All in all, I could play over 40 different blackjack games here, with titles including the exclusive Premium Single Hand Blackjack, BetOnline’s very own Deluxe Blackjack, as well as Super 7 Blackjack, which I believe is one of the most popular multi-hand variants.
BetOnline has been around for over 25 years, and I can see how it’s kept up with the times with its slick interface, crypto payments, and phone support.
I’d like to have seen a few more regular offers that aren’t simply free spins, but if there’s one benefit to free spins, it’s that you can use them to raise more blackjack funds.
Bovada
I hadn’t heard of a lot of these blackjack casinos before I started playing online blackjack, but I had heard of Bovada. I knew it was an online casino, as well as a sportsbook — one of the top Florida betting sites, actually.
So when a couple of blackjack players mentioned it to me, I added it to my list of casinos to check out straight away.
I tested all blackjack sites on my mobile and my desktop computer, and found that Bovada offers the best mobile blackjack online experience.
I could create an account in minutes via my mobile browser, and easily and quickly play blackjack games at the touch of a few buttons.
The interface is intuitive and responsively designed, with all the blackjack games loading extra-fast. Even with my sausage fingers, I came across zero issues and no glitches.
I picked out a few personal favourite blackjack variants, including 22 Blackjack, while Dragon Blackjack caught my eye as something a little different. It comes with a guaranteed multiplier and is a great way to stretch your dollars so that you stay in the game longer.
I was surprised not to find phone support here, but I have no complaints with Bovada’s 24/7 live chat, which is super speedy. You can add funds to your account via your mobile device, while MatchPay lets you link your PayPal account.
For convenience, Bovada is unrivalled as a mobile online casino. While I love playing real money blackjack at land-based casinos, being able to whip my phone out and play online whenever I wanted to was a real attraction.
Land-Based Blackjack Casinos I Visited
For my trip, I visited two states: Nevada and Arizona. Obviously, I was always going to visit Vegas and see the famous Strip. After all, it’s synonymous with gambling.
But I didn’t want to be traveling in the skies too long, so I figured I’d also check out nearby Phoenix, which, according to my research, is home to some pretty fine casinos.
Let’s see how I got on:
First Casino I Tried: Encore at Wynn Las Vegas
According to the famous Vegas song, money is the root of all evil. But when I arrived at Encore on Las Vegas Boulevard, I saw nothing but paradise.
Set against a backdrop of impossibly blue sky, this is a 5-star hotel and casino that has everything a person could want before a night of gambling: Luxury suites, your own personal trainer, and steak. Lots of steak.
Feeling giddy and hoping to win enough money playing blackjack so I could hit the onsite nightclub afterwards without a care in the world, I parked my hired car onsite and checked in at just around 4 pm.
Around 7 pm, I arrived in the casino, thinking about the people who had been here in the past. Sinatra. Elvis. All of them, including my dad, who came to Vegas in the nineties.
What It’s Got
If you’ve ever wondered whether the glamour you see in movies shot in Vegas is real or not, trust me when I say this: It’s real.
After dining at one of Wynn’s classy restaurants and filling up on steak and wine, I headed over to the casino feeling like James Bond (if he played blackjack).
The way I figure it, if you’re staying in a luxury hotel like this, you can’t not feel like a movie star.
It’s the sort of confidence I needed as I headed into the casino.
But let me clear one thing up straight away: The Encore resort isn’t the Wynn (which is adjacent to it). Its casino isn’t quite as big, but it’s still just as popular and has all my favourite blackjack games.
I like to spend a bit of time walking around a casino before I start playing, in order to get a sense of what I’m dealing with, while soaking up some vibes. There are plenty of tables here, and the minimum bet typically starts at $15 for the single-deck tables. I didn’t find a $5 table here.
There are multi-deck tables to go alongside the single-deck tables, and I soon noticed that the clientele was very upmarket. If you don’t dress your best here, you probably won’t be admitted.
The casino is defined by ceilings that reach higher than the Sistine Chapel, while the marble floors reminded me of St Peter’s Basilica. Opulence is everywhere, with lashings of gold here and there.
The Encore basically has all the trappings of a luxury casino, and you soon start to realise that you’re in the company of some very rich gamblers. Fortunately, the high-limit lounges are closeted away in a separate section, which meant people like me could stick to some down-to-earth 3:2 blackjack in the ‘regular’ room too.
How I Did
Speaking of 3:2 blackjack, there were some tables in the ‘main’ casino, which surprised me at first, since this game is often the reserve of the high-limit domains.
After changing $500, I started out with a few games of Blackjack Switch, which is my personal favourite. I was stoked to see it here. This game is slightly different from classic blackjack, and you receive two hands instead of one.
Also, this is a 1:1 payout game.
I was dealt a terrible hand to start out with, so I switched the second cards of both my hands. This isn’t unusual for me, but it failed the first time round this particular night, and I went bust.
I shrugged the setback off and went again, this time with two newcomers at the table, both of whom I noticed were placing $200 bets. All of a sudden, I was flush with confidence and adrenaline. After an hour’s worth of play, I made $500 in profit.
After milling about the place for a short while, taking a breather and watching a few craps games, I tried my luck at Free Bet Blackjack.
I love this game because you get to double down on 11 (or 9 or 10) without placing another bet. And when I was immediately dealt an 11 hand, I recalled what Vince Vaughn said to his buddy Jon Favreau in Swingers: Baby, you always double down.
“Double down,” I said to the dealer with no hesitation.
I won.
My luck didn’t hold out too much longer after that, and I ended the night $75 down.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for some cheap gimmicks and thrills in Vegas, Encore isn’t for you. Neither is it for you if you want to hit the slots.
Instead, this luxury hotel and casino is made for table games like blackjack and baccarat. Yes, there are slots, but for me, slots aren’t the right vibe.
What is the right vibe is walking around beneath the glistening chandeliers with a cocktail in your hand, knowing you’re about to take the dealer’s jacket.
Or he takes yours.
What’s more, Encore is brilliantly old school and still doesn’t accept cards. I love that. But if you aren’t aware of this rule (as I wasn’t!), you can use one of the ATM machines inside the casino.
Next Land-Based Casino I Tried: Wild Horse Pass Resort
After spending an extra day in Las Vegas to wind down and see some live music, I packed my bags and headed south to Phoenix, Arizona.
As expected, the weather was even hotter here, and I felt the sun beating down on my back as I grabbed a cab and made for Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass.
After all, this place is located in the exotic Valley of the Sun. I should have expected I’d be walking around in one hundred and ten degrees of heat.
The cabbie was telling me all about his luck recently and how he won $1,100 playing in a poker game the night before. “I’m taking the wife to Hawaii!” he cried.
Wild Horse Pass was the second and final stop on my destination, and I was excited to stay in a 4-diamond luxury resort that comes with valet parking, a sportsbook, and, of course, a casino.
What It’s Got
I could wax lyrical about the hotel itself, which has luxury dining and an epic view of the enormous desert and the low mountains in the distance. As I stood at my hotel window, gazing out at the burning red expanse, I had The Eagles ringing in my ears. Take it easy …
But let’s get straight to the casino, where I headed at around 7 pm after eating some amazing pasta.
As soon as I arrived, I saw a shuttle that was unloading a bus-load of excited gamblers. As it turns out, they’d all come from a nearby hotel and were ready for an evening of gambling.
Once inside the casino, I waltzed past the noisy and colourful electronic slot games (I was led to believe Wild Horse Pass still had some old school slot machines, but apparently not!) and found the table games.
There’s a decent variety of blackjack tables here, certainly enough to suit my tastes. The room itself is huge, though it felt smaller than it probably is due to the sheer number of people who were there when I was.
Air conditioning means you don’t feel stuffy, and I noticed that most of the gamblers were couples — either husbands and wives or boyfriends and girlfriends. There were very few lone wolves like me.
The overall dress was smart-casual — basically, you don’t need to feel the pressure to wear your absolute best clothes here (as I did at Encore in Vegas).
The dealers, themselves, meanwhile, were super friendly and chatty and put me at ease when, for some reason, I felt some initial nerves during my first game. Maybe it was because I knew I had $1,000 worth of chips on me and didn’t really want to lose them all.
How I Did
If I’m honest, I probably prefer single-deck blackjack games, which is why I was happy to play Spanish 21 first.
I felt comfortable at the $5 minimum bet table and immediately staked $25 to get me started. I employed my usual tactic of splitting pairs of cards (including aces) and soon found myself on a hot streak, winning 3 games on the spin.
Things were getting so good that a woman next to me started to ask me for tips. No dice.
A little earlier, before I started playing, I noticed there was a Spanish 21 with Progressives game, so I tried that next. I hovered first of all to get a feel for the game, since I’d never played it this way before.
As I was doing so, a guy announced over the loudspeaker that someone had just won $5,000. Apparently, this is a thing they do. And so, almost everyone in the casino took a bit of time out to offer their congratulations in the form of smiles and applause.
Me? I went back to business. When I finally took the plunge and took the optional progressive bet, I found that my hot streak was continuing. I was suddenly $445 in profit for the evening.
I played a few more hands before trying my luck at a $25 minimum bet double-deck blackjack table.
All in all, I finished the evening with an extra $200 in my pocket plus a free drink.
Final Thoughts
One of the best things about casinos like Wild Horse Pass is that you don’t actually have to stay at the expensive hotel (as I did). Instead, if you’re visiting the town, you can find a cheaper hotel elsewhere and use the shuttle that ferries people back and forth.
Ultimately, I have nothing but praise for Wild Horse Pass. The staff were brilliant, the room itself was extremely comfortable, and the dealers took the time to explain things to me if they could see I hadn’t gotten to grips just yet with a particular game.
The setting, meanwhile, is tough to beat, at least if you love sunshine and heat. The Sonoran Desert provides an elegant, almost mythical backdrop, reminding you of the Old West, when gunslingers would stake everything they had on games of poker in riverboats.
Me? I would come again, though next time I’d probably find some time to explore some of the other casinos located nearby. But for a combination of service, gambling, and dining, Wild Horse Pass gets the thumbs up from me.
What I Learned Playing Blackjack Online (and Offline)
In this section, I’m not gonna share any explicit blackjack tips with you. What I am gonna share are a few practical tips related to the overall experience whenever you’re playing blackjack, either at a real casino or an online blackjack casino.
Basically, I’m sharing the things I wish I knew before I started playing blackjack for real money on my trip. Whether you’re gambling online in New York or playing this classic at the best casinos in Florida, here’s what you need to know:
You Don’t Need to Stay at the Hotel
I’ll be honest – I felt like a king when I stayed at the Encore in Vegas and the Wild Horse Pass Resort in Phoenix.
However, both joints were expensive, and it wasn’t necessary to stay there if I wanted to play at the onsite casino.
You can stay somewhere cheaper elsewhere, or you can head over from your own home. Everyone is welcome.
Ask the Dealer for Help
If you’re new to playing blackjack for real money, it’s easy to feel a little overwhelmed. But take it from me: If you rock up at a table and you’re clearly struggling to understand the rules, don’t be afraid to ask your dealer for help. It’s what they’re there for!
It’s better to do this than to play blackjack without understanding what’s going on. Trust me, this is a one-way ticket to going bust. Fast.
Have Cash Ready
I quickly learned that many of the best blackjack casinos on the strip still don’t accept card payments. I know, this sounds a little wild.
But to ensure you’re not caught cold, take some cash with you so that you can quickly turn it into chips.
Set a Bankroll
If you think even the best blackjack casinos are going to check up on you to make sure you’re not staking your wife’s savings, think again.
Look, casinos are literally designed to keep you playing their games. If you don’t know when to stop and end up gambling more than you planned, it’s not their problem.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, I strongly advise you to set a bankroll/budget before you play any blackjack game. It should be an amount you’re comfortable with losing, and it should never be more than you can afford.
Grab the Welcome Bonuses
If you’re playing real money online blackjack instead, the best blackjack casinos online offer welcome bonuses to new customers.
I’ve already mentioned the welcome offers I claimed at the top online blackjack casinos I played at, which each gave me a blackjack online bonus that I was able to use on blackjack games.
A welcome offer usually takes the form of a matched deposit promo. This means you just need to meet the minimum first deposit requirement, which the casino site will then match by X percent.
For example, if you deposit $20 to claim a 100% matched bonus, your account will be credited with an additional $20 worth of bonus funds.
Final Takeaway: Real Money Online Blackjack Casinos Are Worth Exploring!
When you play blackjack in the States, you don’t have to play it online. You can play blackjack online, but you can also do what I did and visit states where playing real money blackjack is totally legal.
I visited Las Vegas and Arizona, but you can also visit other states and play blackjack there.
Personally? I’m completely in love with the Vegas experience. I felt like a movie character in Encore, and the same could be said of my experience in Arizona, where the dealers made me feel welcome.
If I could do it all again, I’d probably add another state to my list next time, and maybe I’d also read up on the different rules for different blackjack variants (there are so many of them!). This would help me develop stronger blackjack strategies.
In the meantime, I’m perfectly happy playing all the most popular blackjack games online, taking advantage of the convenience and the superstar bonuses at top-rated casino sites like Ignition.
‘Till next time.
Best Blackjack Casinos – FAQs
What is an online blackjack bonus? What’s the dress code at land-based casinos? And can you actually win money playing blackjack?
These are questions that keep coming back to me when I read the forums. So before I go, I thought I’d spend a little time doing a quick Q&A:
Is There a Dress Code for Playing Blackjack at Casinos?
A lot of the time, yes, there is a dress code. Usually, you can get away with wearing smart-casual clothing, but there will be some higher-end casinos that require you to dress formally.
My advice is that you check the dress code before you turn up.
When’s the Best Time to Play Blackjack at a Casino?
This depends entirely on your personal preferences. In Vegas, the casinos are always busy, so if you’re looking to avoid the crowds, you’d probably have to visit in the morning.
On the flip side, weekends are (as expected) always mega busy. Even up to midnight and beyond, you can expect a Vegas casino to be packed with gamblers.
What Should I Pack When Visiting a Casino?
If you do what I did and stay in a hotel, you’ll need to take the usual: clothes, money, toiletries, etc.
If you’re visiting a casino just for the day, there’s no need to take anything other than the essentials in your wallet/purse/handbag.
The main thing is to either treat it like a normal vacation, in which case you’d pack the items you’d pack for a vacation, or to treat it as a day out. You don’t need to pack anything special.
Can I Actually Win Money Playing Real Money Online Blackjack?
A lot of people seem to be under the impression that online blackjack is just a bit of fun compared to live dealer blackjack tables.
But it’s not. It’s equally as serious — and yes, you can win money playing real money online blackjack. Just make sure to stick to safe online casino sites like those I tried out.
All you have to do is join a legit blackjack casino online that accepts your currency, make a deposit, and place your bets. Once the bet is confirmed, you’ll be playing for the chance to win real money.
What Is a Blackjack Casino Bonus?
A blackjack online bonus is a promotional offer that’s available at all the best blackjack online real money casinos. It’s usually a matched deposit bonus, but it may also come in the form of cashback.
Essentially, it’s any offer that can be used on blackjack games (free spins, for example, are not blackjack bonuses). To claim it, you usually need to make a minimum deposit, and sometimes you’ll be asked to enter a bonus code.
Gambling is risky. 21+ only. Please call 1-800-GAMBLER or seek help at gamblersanonymous.org if you have a gambling problem.
