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Blackjack casinos May 2024: Play real-money online Blackjack
Our list of the best online blackjack real-money casinos includes a top 10 based on our expert knowledge and in-depth research
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Blackjack is one of the most popular online casino games, offering players a slim house edge and the chance of big returns – but which are the best real-money online blackjack sites for May 2024?
- Mr Vegas
- All British Casino
- BetMGM
- Betway Casino
- talkSPORT BET
- Casumo
- Grosvenor Casino
- Ladbrokes
- Bally Casino
- Sky Vegas
Best online blackjack real-money casino sites and apps
1. Betway Casino
Betway is one of the UK’s leading casino destinations for blackjack play, complete with its very own live casino packed with blackjack variations and other games.
New players can get a £50 bonus when depositing from £10 at Betway Casino. The bonus works as a deposit match on the size of the first deposit. The bonus can be used to play a range of casino favourites, including blackjack and other table games, though wagering and contribution restrictions do apply.
2. Grosvenor Casino
The online home of the Grosvenor Casino, a chain with no need for introduction, prides itself on its live casino games. With high-quality HD streams and action available round the clock, across blackjack and other casino favourites, it’s easily one of our recommendations for the best online blackjack real-money casino sites.
New players can get a bonus of £30 when they deposit £20, for use in the live casino at Grosvenor. Wagering requirements apply of course, but this is one of a few bonuses out there that is specifically geared towards live casino play – perfect for playing real-money blackjack.
3. BetMGM
Another offline casino turning its attention to the online world, BetMGM is the online home of the MGM Grand Casino in Las Vegas. Where better to turn to for real-money blackjack play than a world-famous casino, home to multiple variations of blackjack and live blackjack?
New players can get up to £200 cash, plus 100 free spins, after they sign up and deposit funds. Wagering requirements vary, but the bonus actually extends across the first two deposits, so there’s the chance to build up your bonus pot across the first and second deposit to your account. With great games inside, particularly on the live casino front, it’s highly recommended for fans of real-money blackjack.
4. Mr Vegas
A newer entrant to the market, Mr Vegas is making waves, largely for its impressive live casino offering, which is specifically included within the parameters of its welcome bonus. New players at Mr Vegas can get a 100 per cent deposit match on the first deposit to their casino account, worth up to £200.
While wagering contributions and other terms and conditions apply, this is a neat sign-up offer for players who want to try out Mr Vegas’s line-up of blackjack, live blackjack and other classic table games.
5. SlotBoss
Included for its specific live casino bonus, SlotBoss is a site traditionally thought of for slots play. But with a live casino section that can rival some more established names in the online casino world, there is a lot more here than just slots if you’re looking for a great place to play real-money blackjack online.
New players can sign up for a 100 per cent match on their first deposit up to £50, as well as receiving £6 in chips for the live casino from the point of first deposit. With a three-day expiry on the chips, you will need to be quick, but with a good selection of blackjack on offer in the live casino, that’s unlikely to be too much of an issue for most players.
How to play blackjack online for real money
Blackjack is one of the most widely played casino games in the world, thanks in no small part to its slim house edge – the in-built advantage the house has over the player. When played correctly, it’s possible to get the house edge down to 2 per cent – as good a chance as you’re going to get playing for real money.
Playing blackjack online for real money first requires a solid understanding of the rules and the basic blackjack strategy you need to deploy to play the odds in your favour. With some guided practice, strategic thinking and the drive to improve your game, it’s entirely possible to become skilled at blackjack, with the potential to win real money from playing.
Here you can find our perfect blackjack strategy chart
The fundamentals of playing blackjack online for real money are straightforward. First, you need to find an online blackjack casino, ideally with a generous welcome bonus you can use to your advantage as you learn the ropes.
Then, you need to deposit to your account, so you have the funds to get started playing for real money. Once you have set up the technical side, you will need to choose a variation of blackjack from the options available to you. The line-up changes from casino to casino, but typically you will be choosing from blackjack variations such as European blackjack, multihand blackjack or even live blackjack if your casino has a live casino offering.
Here are the five most popular versions of blackjack
When you’ve found your game of choice, it’s time to get involved and start playing. You can often find blackjack demo games, which is definitely recommended for those completely new to blackjack, or for those working out their strategy. When you’re ready to play for real money, simply choose how much you want to bet on your first hand and let the game commence.
Find the best websites to play blackjack online
How we rated the best blackjack sites for real money
Finding the best blackjack sites for real money is much harder in reality than it sounds. While plenty of online casinos offer real-money blackjack, finding a good place to play with the right bonuses, the right selection of games and the right level of service for a positive experience takes a little more research.
We’ve recommended the best blackjack sites for real-money play, comparing across key criteria to sort the best from the rest. But how do we rate blackjack sites and what factors contribute to our recommended blackjack casinos list?
Selection of blackjack games: It’s not a blackjack casino without a selection of different blackjack games, including common popular variations. We look at casinos specifically for their blackjack offering, ensuring a wide range of different games available before recommending.
The best places to play European blackjack online in the UK
Live-dealer blackjack: Live-dealer blackjack is increasingly popular, with players preferring to take part in real (as opposed to virtual) blackjack games. Live-dealer games are led by a human dealer in real-time, with players connected by live stream to watch the action unfold. We always look for the availability of live-dealer blackjack before recommending a blackjack casino.
Welcome bonuses and promotions: Welcome bonuses are a big part of choosing an online casino, rewarding you for signing up and depositing to your account. Similarly, rewards on an ongoing basis can pay you something back for your loyalty, usually in the form of casino bonuses, free spins or loyalty points. We analyse the bonuses and promotions on offer when reaching our recommendations.
Check out the best casino sites and casino welcome offers
Trust and reputation: Trust is critical in choosing an online blackjack casino. We only recommend casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission but we go further, looking at each one’s reputation and the experiences of other players, to make sure they’re legit. While every casino will pick up negative reviews from time to time, we dig deeper to ensure the casinos we recommend are trustworthy places to play.
Customer support and banking: So often overlooked, the customer support and banking side of the equation is fundamentally important to an enjoyable, successful casino experience. We look at the customer support methods, availability and response times, as well as investigating the deposit and withdrawal methods on offer before giving the green light to recommend.
Best live-dealer blackjack casinos
Live blackjack offers an unrivalled real-money blackjack experience online – the closest to the real thing you’re going to get when you’re playing blackjack for real money from home.
The best live-dealer blackjack casinos have a range of blackjack tables on offer, complete with high quality live streams and stable connections, for a hassle-free experience. We recommend the following casinos for players looking for a destination for their live-dealer blackjack online.
The best mobile apps for blackjack
While most online casinos are now fully optimised for in-browser play, there are still a number of apps available for players on iOS and Android devices. These apps are free to download and install on your phone and offer a seamless, native experience on your device. Load up the app and you’ll be ready to go.
While not every online casino even offers apps nowadays, the following are our recommendations for real-money blackjack players looking to find a stable, reliable app for playing blackjack on their mobile or tablet device.
Here is our full guide to the best mobile apps for Blackjack
Advantages and disadvantages of online blackjack
Online blackjack benefits
Play online at any time: Online blackjack is available around the clock, so you can play whenever is convenient for you. Rather than waiting to physically get to a casino to play blackjack, online blackjack is there whenever you want it – one of the major advantages of playing casino games online rather than in real life.
Live-dealer blackjack: Live-dealer blackjack gives you the closest experience to the real thing you can get from playing online, offering the optimum combination of convenience and realism. With human dealers, physical cards and a real casino table, it’s as good as playing blackjack in the flesh. The only difference is the convenience and flexibility that comes from playing remotely.
Play different blackjack variations: Online casinos often carry a range of different blackjack games, spanning commonly played variations including European blackjack, multihand blackjack and speed blackjack. Find your favourite by trying out different variations at the click of a button to discover new and engaging blackjack variations.
Slim house edge: When played optimally, blackjack has one of the slimmest house edge percentages you will find in any casino game. Reduce the house edge to around 2 per cent with basic strategy, which brings the chances of a losing hand to a little over 49 per cent.
Online blackjack drawbacks
Lacking atmosphere of real blackjack: Even with live blackjack, there’s still an element of atmosphere missing when compared to playing blackjack at a bricks-and-mortar casino. The atmosphere is a big part of the casino experience that’s sadly lacking whenever you choose to play blackjack, or any other casino game online.
House edge relies on skill: Blackjack is a game of skill, so is more suited to those with experience and expertise. Beginners are liable to lose money at blackjack as a result of making bad decisions. The ultra-slim house edge is only available to players who make smart calls, which requires knowledge, practice and good decision making throughout.
Wagering contribution on bonuses: Many welcome bonuses will exclude blackjack play or will have contribution requirements that make wagering multiples higher than it would be on other casino games or slots. You should always check the terms and conditions of any bonus offer before signing up but it’s worth being mindful that blackjack is specifically excluded in the terms of some bonus offers.
Advanced blackjack strategies, rules and tips
Once you have moved beyond the initial stages of learning basic blackjack strategy, there are some more advanced strategies and techniques you can work on to improve your performance.
There’s always something new to learn in blackjack. Even with years of experience under your belt, there are tips, rules and new strategies you can deploy to help you leverage an advantage in certain situations, on your way to winning more hands.
Advanced blackjack strategies
Double down on hard 11s: When you have a hand with a hard 11 (i.e. 11 without an Ace), you should always double down on the hand. This will statistically yield more wins, unless you’re playing a multi-deck game in which the dealer is obliged to stand on a soft 17.
Here you can find our full guide to double down in blackjack
Split 8s and As: Pairs of 8s and aces should always be split, no matter what the dealer’s upcard. Even if the dealer is showing a 9-A, splitting gives you two chances of winning against that hand, while reducing the chances of going over 21 on a single hand. Over the long-run, this type of strategy will help you win more money than you would playing on with your 16.
Don’t split 5s and 10s: Conversely, don’t split pairs of 5s and 10s. You’re better drawing another card on a pair of 5s than splitting into two hands starting at 5, while a pair of 10s is less likely to be bettered by splitting than your natural hand. Always stick to your guns with 5s and 10s and avoid the split to play the odds effectively in your favour.
Avoid insurance bets: While the insurance bet might be tempting, the odds of the dealer landing blackjack are actually worse than the 2:1 offered in payout. This is what’s known as a ‘sucker bet’, even when you’re sitting with a high value hand and the dealer is showing an Ace.
This is all you need to know about insurance bets in blackjack
Advanced blackjack rules
Aside from the basic blackjack rules, there are a few advanced rules which allow for alternative bets, depending on the natural hand you’re dealt. Double down, split and insurance bets all allow you to change your betting strategy as the hand progresses, depending on the cards being dealt.
Double down: Double your stake on your two-card hand, but you will only receive one more card to reach 21.
Split: Split any pair into two hands by doubling your bet. A second card will be dealt on each hand, so you’re effectively playing two hands in the round rather than one.
Insurance: When the dealer draws an Ace, you can bet up to half your stake again as insurance. This pays out at 2:1 if the dealer lands blackjack.
A number of side bets are also commonly available, depending on the variation of blackjack you’re playing. Perfect pairs allows you to bet on mixed pairs (5/1), coloured pairs (10/1) and a perfect pair (a same-suit pair at 30/1).
Advanced blackjack tips
Surrender hard 16 vs 9, 10 or A: This is playing the statistics in your favour. A hard 16 is one of the worst hands you can get in blackjack, with the odds stacked against you winning the hand over the long run. Surrendering these as a rule when the dealer is showing a 9, 10 or Ace means you will lose less money over time.
Surrender hard 15 vs 10: The same applies to hard 15s when your dealer is showing a 10. You will lose on this hand more than you will win – so while you might get lucky today, it’s a certainty over time that you will lose more money than not by playing through these hands. Surrender and cut your losses to play the optimum strategy.
Hit Hard 12 vs 2 or 3: Don’t be afraid of busting on a hard 12 when the dealer is showing a 2 or 3. This is another instance where the mathematics favour the bold. You will lose long term over these hands, but you will lose less if you hit in these situations. This is a damage reduction strategy when the hand is already against you, while the natural tendency is to stand, the numbers are more favourable to those that push on and hit with a hard 12.
Stand on 9s vs 7: If you have a pair of 9s and the dealer has a 7, you’re better not to split the hand, and instead push on with your 18. The dealer has a disproportionately high chance of drawing a 10, given that there are many more 10 cards in the deck than cards of any other value. This means you’re in a strong position to win this hand with your pair of 9s as it stands, versus splitting into two hands which could fail to reach 18.
Blackjack cheat sheet: How much cards are worth
Cards are generally worth their points value - a 2 = 2, 7 = 7 etc. Face cards are valued at 10 and the Ace can be either 1 or 11 to suit the hand. The hand you are dealt and the dealer’s upcard provides the information you need to make your betting decisions – depending on the card the dealer is showing, your hand will be more or less valuable at different levels.
Basic strategy won’t win you every hand – sometimes you’ll still bust 21 or lose out to the dealer. But on a statistical basis, these are the best decisions to make in different circumstances so you win more over the long-term.
Here is our full Blackjack cheat sheet
Chances of a dealer bust
Types of blackjack games
American blackjack
One of the most popular types of blackjack, American blackjack has better odds versus its European counterpart. The dealer hits on soft 17s in American blackjack. The dealer is dealt two cards at the same time as the player. In American blackjack, you can choose to double on any two cards, and Insurance is available when the dealer’s upcard is an Ace.
European blackjack
In European blackjack, the dealer is dealt only one card before the players have bet on their hands. While this might seem like a negligible difference, it has an adverse impact on the probabilities as far as players are concerned. The dealer stands on soft 17s and doubles are only available on hands worth 9, 10 or 11.
Blackjack perfect pairs
Perfect pairs is a blackjack variant with a side bet, which pays out on pairs of cards being dealt in the player’s hand. Mixed pairs (mixed suit) pays out at 5/1, while coloured pairs (same colour suit) pay out at 10/1. The highest payout is for a perfect pair, the same card of the same suit, which rewards at 30/1.
Here is our full guide to Blackjack perfect pairs
Vegas Strip Blackjack
These are the rules commonly played in blackjack games on the Las Vegas Strip, hence the name. This variation is played with four decks, and allows you to split Aces on one occasion only. Dealer stands at soft 17s and players are allowed to double down on any hand they are dealt. Double down is possible on split hands and up to four splits are allowed per game.
Here you can find our full rundown on Strip blackjack
Speed blackjack
Played with eight decks and up to seven players, speed blackjack is a popular online variant of blackjack, played at live-dealer casinos. The only key difference with other forms of blackjack is that players are dealt cards as soon as they have made their decision, rather than playing in turns. This allows for faster gameplay, so you can play through more hands. Not for the faint of heart, this is a fast-paced blackjack game that saves on the waiting time usually expected when you’re playing live blackjack.
About the author: David Fraser
David Fraser is an online blackjack enthusiast and casino reviewer, with over 15 years’ experience working in the gambling industry. The author of hundreds of casino reviews, tips and blackjack strategy guides, he has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to playing and winning at online blackjack.
Real-money online blackjack FAQ
Can you play blackjack online for real money?
You can play blackjack online real-money games at most online casinos, as well as free blackjack in demo games. Simply sign up at your chosen online casino, make an initial deposit to your account and choose your preferred blackjack game to start playing blackjack for real money online or on your mobile.
What blackjack games pay real money?
All blackjack games at online casinos pay real money, whether you’re playing with bonus funds or your own cash. Once you’ve set up an account at your preferred blackjack casino, you can browse through the variations of blackjack available, including the likes of live blackjack, multihand blackjack and European blackjack to play for real-money wins.
What are the basics of playing online blackjack?
The basics of online blackjack are pretty straightforward – you want a hand as close to 21 as you can get, without going over. Where a player’s hand beats the dealer’s hand, bets are paid out at a rate of 3 to 2 in most cases. With the help of blackjack basic strategy, you can improve your long-term odds by reducing the house edge to its slimmest possible proportions.
Are real-money online blackjack sites rigged?
Provided you’re playing at a UK-licensed online casino, you can be sure that blackjack games are not rigged. The Gambling Commission regulated casinos under licence in the UK, which ensures a fair, honest game, whether you’re playing a live casino game or a software game at your chosen online casino. We only recommend casinos that are licensed and regulated in the UK.
What are the odds of winning blackjack online?
The odds in blackjack are determined by a number of factors, most significantly how you play your hands. If you play according to basic strategy, you play the mathematically optimum hands in every game. At best, your odds of winning a hand are at 42.22 per cent, with the dealer win coming in at 49.1 per cent likelihood. The remaining 8.48 per cent is the odds of a tied hand.
Which real-money online blackjack casino has the best bonus?
BetMGM offers up to £200 in cash, plus 100 free spins for new players signing up for an account. With a good selection of blackjack on offer, including within their live casino, it’s up there as one of the best blackjack casino bonuses available for new players.