Legal baccarat sites are available in a handful of states that have legalized online gambling. In every state where it’s legal to play baccarat online, players must be 21 or older to participate.

Nearly every online casino offers real-money baccarat online in multiple forms, including digital and live dealer versions. Some online baccarat casinos offer variations with unique payout rules, but the traditional form remains the most popular thanks to its low house advantage (a 5% commission on winning banker bets).

Read on for BettingUSA’s complete online baccarat guide. This page ranks real-money baccarat apps, lists where it’s legal to play online, explains the rules of the game, and answers frequently asked questions.

Online Baccarat Sites

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Where to Play Online Baccarat Legally

There are seven states with legal online casinos, but only five offer real-money baccarat. See the following links for BettingUSA’s recommended casino sites to play baccarat online:

• Connecticut Online Casinos
• Michigan Online Casinos
• New Jersey Online Casinos
• Pennsylvania Online Casinos
• West Virginia Online Casinos

The casinos in each of the above states offer digital and live dealer baccarat variations.

Rhode Island and Delaware also have legal online gambling, but licensed casinos in both states do not offer baccarat.

Players should also be aware that most casino bonuses are not compatible with baccarat and other low-house-advantage games. Often, casino bonuses exclude wagers placed on baccarat from counting toward their wagering requirements.

However, players can find baccarat-friendly casino bonuses on occasion. A quick read-through of any welcome offer’s terms and conditions will reveal if the bonus has wagering requirements and whether baccarat wagers are excluded.

FanDuel Baccarat

There are four baccarat versions to play at the FanDuel online casino. There is traditional baccarat, First Person Baccarat, Dragon Tiger Baccarat and live dealer. The live dealer baccarat version has a $5 minimum bet. The others start at $1.

BetMGM Baccarat

There are two types of baccarat available in the BetMGM casino app. There is video baccarat with a $1 minimum bet and $5 live dealer baccarat.

BetRivers Baccarat

BetRivers Casino offers two baccarat games. There is a standard online baccarat game that starts at a $0.60 minimum bet. The live dealer version has a $5 minimum bet.

DraftKings Baccarat

There are six types of baccarat available at the DraftKings online casino. Live dealer baccarat has a $5 minimum bet. There are four different $1 online baccarat games at DraftKings, including First Person Dragon Tiger. There is also $25 DraftKings High Limit Squeeze Baccarat. 

Online Baccarat vs. In-Person

Baccarat is a game that is played substantially different live than online. Many lower limit live baccarat tables are no commission. In this game, a three-card seven for the banker pushes, and in other versions, a winning banker bet on 6 only pays half the amount of the wager. No commission baccarat is not a standard online casino game.

There is no replacing the thrill of big table baccarat. In this game, a player handles the cards, and they can be squeezed and even destroyed as the cards are only used once before being replaced. Big table baccarat is typically a high limit game. Duplicating this at an online casino is impossible.

When making a bet at a live baccarat table, the player starts with buying chips. This can either be done with cash or a marker. The dealer handles this transaction in between hands. Chips are placed in the banker, player or tie circle in front of the player. At an online casino, a player makes an electronic deposit. Bets are made by touching or clicking on the denomination of the chip on the screen before placing the banker, player or tie bets. 

A live baccarat table can be slow. It takes time for players to buy into the game, make bets, and collect winnings. The dealer needs time to give the player and banker cards and paying winners. None of these slowdowns are a problem at an online video baccarat game. The cards are dealt as soon as you make your bet and click the deal button. While a live dealer game at an online casino takes a few seconds to get the bets and cards out, there are no delays in getting paid or buying into the table. 

It is simple to take a break when playing online baccarat. You can easily pause the action at a heads up video version. At live dealer games at an online casino, you simply sit out a few hands while you eat or take care of other needs. You can easily return to the game when you get back to your mobile device or computer by making a bet on the next hand. At a live game, your seat must be saved. The dealer must cover or otherwise keep your chips secure while you are away. 

Live dealer baccarat at online casinos somewhat resembles a stadium mini baccarat game. There can be players across multiple states using the same live dealer screen. All are playing the same hands. 

Lower limit baccarat players will usually receive better comps at online casinos than at live ones. This is especially true if baccarat is played with an online casino bonus. Players may also receive reload bonus offers, free play and cashback based on the level of their action. 

The minimum bet at an online casino is much lower than it is at a live casino. Online casinos typically have a $1 minimum bet for the traditional version of the game. You are highly unlikely to find that limit on a video baccarat machine in a casino. Many of those start at $5. It is usually at least $2 or $3. 

You can play live dealer baccarat for $5 at legal online casinos. Live baccarat tables are rarely that low. Las Vegas and Atlantic City live baccarat tables usually start at $25. Some casinos require a $50 or $100 bet at baccarat. 

Live Dealer Baccarat

Live dealer baccarat is dealt by online casinos in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. In this game, there is a dealer with real cards. Eight decks are used. 

Players that may be in multiple states all bet on the same hand. The options are generally banker, player and tie. 

Bets are made by touching the screen on your device or clicking on it with your mouse. First, choose the denomination of chips that you would like to bet. Next, click the circle where you would like to bet those chips. 

The dealer then gives two cards to the player and banker. If a third card is needed, that is also dealt. The hand ends and winning bets are paid while losing ones are removed from the screen. Winning bets are left up for the next hand and must be canceled by the player if they would like to leave the game.

Read more about live dealer casino apps.

How to Play Baccarat Online

The first step when playing online baccarat for real money is making a deposit. This can be done using a credit card, debit card, electronic check, bank wire, and electronic wallets like PayPal and the Play+ debit card. Some states allow cash deposits at partner casinos or through PayNearMe, a bill pay service.

Once your account is funded, it is time to play online baccarat. Choose your favorite version. Most online casinos offer a video version and a live dealer one. The video version will usually start at $1. The minimum bet at live dealer baccarat is typically $5. Most online baccarat games, both video and live dealer, use eight decks. 

When you open the online baccarat table, click the denomination of chips that you want to use. Touch the circle where you would like to make a bet, either player or banker. You may also bet the tie. At a video baccarat game, click the deal button to start the hand. At a live dealer one, cards will come out when the timer counts down.

The player and banker each receive two cards. There is only one player hand, regardless of the number of people that bet it. 

The dealer counts the player’s two cards to determine if a third will be given to the player. If a natural winner of 8 or 9 is dealt, the hand is over. If there is no natural, the drawing rules are as follows: 

• If the player hand has 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, a third card is dealt to it.
• If the player has a 6 or 7, the hand stands.
• If the player has 8 or 9, it is a natural. The hand ends immediately.

Once the player hand is complete, the banker hand will draw, assuming the player or banker did not get dealt a natural. If the player stands, the banker draws on 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. If the player hand draws, the banker draws based on these rules: 

• The banker always draws a card on 0, 1 or 2.
• The banker draws on 3 unless the player draws an 8.
• The banker draws on 4 unless the player draws a 0, 1, 8 or 9.
• The banker draws on 5 if the player draws a 5, 6, 7 or 8.
• The banker draws on 6 if the player draws a 6 or 7.
• The banker always stands on a 7.
• A banker 8 or 9 ends the hand immediately. 

The winner of a hand of baccarat has the closest point total to 9. If the banker has the winning hand, a 5% commission is taken from the win in most games. There is no commission if the player wins. If there is a tie, the banker and player bets push. The tie is a prop bet that pays 8/1. 

Baccarat Card Values

All number cards from 2 to 9 are worth face value. Aces are valued at one point. Tens and face cards are worth zero points.

The highest point value in baccarat is 9. If the cards add up to higher than 9, the first digit is removed. For example, two 8s would equal 6, not 16. A 9 and a 6 equals 5 in baccarat, not 15.

Types of Online Baccarat Bets

There are usually only three types of baccarat bets available at an online casino. Those are the banker, player and tie.

• Banker: When the banker hand is higher than the player hand, bettors receive even money minus a 5% commission.
• Player: When the player hand is higher than the banker hand, bettors receive even money.
• Tie: If the banker and player have the same point value, the tie bet is paid 8/1 or 9/1, depending on the casino. 

Some online baccarat games offer side bets. These will vary by game.

Online Baccarat House Edge

The house edge for the banker bet is 1.06%. When betting the player hand, it is 1.24%. The tie has a house edge of 14.36% at 8/1 and 6.38% at 9/1. As tempting as the large payout on a tie is, the house advantage on the bet is far too high when compared to the banker and player bets. It should be avoided.

Online Baccarat Strategy

Baccarat is a game of pure luck. There is no real strategy behind it, as much as some seem to think otherwise. Counting cards at baccarat will not help your chances of winning. 

The best baccarat strategy is to bet the banker. If you do not like that wager, then bet the player. Avoid the side bets like the tie as the house advantage is too high.

Can Online Baccarat Be Beaten?

There is no skill involved in online baccarat. The only possible way of beating it is with an online casino bonus. Absent a Baccarat bonus or some other promotion that returns more than the house edge, it is impossible to beat online baccarat. 

There is no such thing as a professional baccarat player. Some may experience positive variance for long periods of time, but no player is a favorite when making bets at a baccarat table, online or live. Anybody who claims that they have a system for beating baccarat should not be taken seriously. 

Online Baccarat FAQ