You can absolutely make real money when playing at the best apps for online casino gaming. However, you need to be in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or West Virginia. There are social casino gaming sites in other states, but they only allow you to play for fun, with some occasional sweepstakes play.
You just have to stick to legal, regulated online casino sites such as BetMGM, Caesars Palace Online Casino, FanDuel, Betway, bet365 and BetRivers. They offer great casino game ranges and they will pay out quickly and without any issues if you win.