Online Gambling In The UK
betvisa888.com empowers British gamblers with information about the latest and greatest of legal online gambling in the United Kingdom. Unbiased, we review the best UK casinos, bookies, and slot games.
12 Best UK Gambling Sites
Our unbiased ranking of the top online UK gambling sites based on reputation and special bonuses as well as betting options, games, and events available, and finally, overall customer experience and satisfaction.
Bet365 sets itself as a recognizable UK sportsbook brand with its rich selection of sports markets. One of the unique aspects of this site is its eSports market for famous tournaments such as ESL and The International.
Another exciting aspect of Bet365 is their Live-in-Game feature, which lets you make wagers during the middle of a match. During a live game, a live scoreboard is displayed along with the current points and information crucial to the match. You can make advantageous wagers with the site's data and the live betting mechanic. Also, same-game parlays let you add multiple legs from a match or game.
You can also find a serviceable casino section at Bet365 that can satisfy your appetite for slots and table games. Games within the casino section come from Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, and Ash Gaming. Bet365 has several exclusive games, such as Spin Reely, Maximum Vegas, and Book of Claddagh.
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- Full Sportsbook Market
- Robust Casino
- Live Betting
- Early Payout
- Esports Market
- Same Game Parlay
Easily a staple among UK punters, William Hill is a sportsbook powerhouse that also offers various gambling games. This site has a rich selection of sportsbook markets that covers local and international matches. William Hill also has an attractive sportsbook feature called Cash In My Bet, allowing you to take out your winnings if the match is set to end the way you predicted.
Live streaming of major sporting games is available at William Hill, which is a feature called WHTV. This live streaming service lets you catch any sports games you made a wager on such as the English Premier League or NBA matches.
With its partnership with the, William Hill has a robust online cardroom. You can take part in cash games, S&G tournaments, or MTT games. Other kinds of gambling activities available are bingo rooms. You can find 90-ball, 75-ball, 50-ball, and 35-ball bingo games that have different game rules. Both their poker and bingo sections have varying buy-ins and payouts, making them accessible to any William Hill patron.
- WHTV Live Streaming
- Early Cash Out
- Poker Section
- Bingo Section
- Live Dealer Tables
- Robust Sportsbook
888 Casino is one of the longest-running online gambling sites that was once called Casino-on-Net based in Gibraltar. Their multi-award-winning site won the Casino Operator of the Year from the 2019 Gaming Intelligence Awards and 2021 EGR Operator Awards.
When you go through 888 Casino's selection, you can see why they took home several awards. Slots and table games from prominent software providers such as Playtech, NetEnt, Red Tiger, and Play'n Go are available here. There are also an abundant number of progressive and fixed jackpot slots here.
Another major factor of this casino is the 888 Casino branded games. Such as live dealer blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. Other live games include game show money wheel, poker, and slot.
Backing the robust casino section are the 888 Sport and 888 Poker pages. The rich selection of sportsbook markets and poker games in this UK gambling site can satisfy nearly any patron's preference.
- Market Rich Sportsbook Section
- Feature Rich Poker Section
- Exclusive Casino Games
- 888 VIP Club
- PayPal Support
- Live Dealer Games
Established in 1997 as Starluck Casino, Party Casino is a long-running iGaming company available in the UK. While they are based in the Isle of Man, they are licensed to operate in various jurisdictions including the UK.
Party Casino has a rich selection of slots and table games from big-name software providers including Pragmatic Play, Blueprint, Red Tiger, Play'n Go, NetEnt, and Yggdrasil. With Microgaming, Party Casino is a Mega Moolah casino that grants you a chance to walk out with more than £10 million through their vast selection of progressive slots. ;
For English Premier or Serie A punters, Party Casino has a strong sports betting section that covers local and international matches. Various features in this UK sportsbook site can boost your betting experience such as Price Boost markets where the payouts are increased. Horse race betting is also available that features the UK and overseas tracks such as Lingfield, Chantilly, Belterra Park, and Will Rogers Downs.
One of Party Casino's stand-out features is their . As the Spaceman rockets to space, your goal is to stop him just before he crashes. The higher the Spaceman climbs, the higher your payout will be.
- Slot Tournaments
- Exclusive Spaceman Game
- Live Casino
- Sports Betting Market
- Horse Race Betting
- Live Sports Betting
- Rich Casino Game Selection
Betway is a recognizable UK gambling site when it comes to sports betting. From the Premier League to La Liga, you can find matches for popular football leagues here. There are also WTP and ATP tennis matches, MLB games, and Formula 1 races in the sports betting section. Esports matches from major tournaments such as MSI, PGL, and ESL are also available on this site. Engaging sportsbook features also make BetWay attractive to any punters such as live betting and Betway Boost markets.
Casino players are in for a treat at BetWay where more than 650 slots are available. There are slots based on popular pop-culture media such as Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, WWE, Phantom of the Opera, and Deadmau 5. You can also find ones with unique gameplay mechanics such as , a Wonderways slot that can have up to 10,077,696 ways to win.
A rich library of live dealer tables is another major attraction of BetWay. Tables from BetGames.tv, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, Evolution Gaming, Sarati, and Authentic Gaming are here. These live casino games range from blackjack, and baccarat, to roulette.
- Esports Betting Markets
- Exclusive Mobile App
- Rich Sportsbook Markets
- Same Game Parlays
- Live Casino Tables
- Penny Slots
When it comes to UK poker cardrooms, PokerStars frequently comes to mind among numerous card players or non-poker players. This popular cardroom site made a name for itself with its solid poker software that makes it easy for anyone to play Texas Hold'em Omaha, stud, five-card draw, and other variations. There are also unique tables available such as Zoom Fast-Fold Poker that instantly transfer you to a new table when you fold your hand.
To give patrons more ways to enjoy their stay, PokerStars has an enriched casino section full of progressive online slots, live casinos, and exclusive games. Special contests and tournaments are also often held here where playing specific games grants you points to increase your rank on a leaderboard.
Are you looking for the best lines among UK sportsbook operators? You can find them on which covers the top football and other sports matches from around the globe. OTB is also available here from UK and Ireland tracks such as Chepstow and Newcastle.
- World-Class Poker Software
- Exclusive Poker Mobile App
- Exclusive Casino Games
- Rich Progressive Slot Library
- Comprehensive Sports Betting Market
- Horse Race Betting
Selection is a major factor of Mansion Casino which have games from more than 10 software providers. These developers include Blueprint, Eyecon, Microgaming, NetEnt, Play'n Go, Playtech, Pragmatic Play, Realistic, Redtiger, SG, Skywind, and iSoftBet. As you can tell by that list, there are more than 400 slots with different themes and gameplay features here. There are the likes of Big Top Bonanza Megaways that lets you increase the reels and grant you 200,704 ways to win.
This UK gambling site is home to a large selection of live dealer tables such as live blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and poker. Special live dealer tables are also available such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Live Roulette and Deal or No Deal The Big Draw.
If you want to win big, there are a large number of progressive jackpot slots in the Mansion Casino. There are linked Wow Pot slots that have connected progressive jackpots including Book of Atem, Poseidon Ancient Fortunes, and Sherlock & Moriarty.
- Mobile Casino App
- More than 400 Slots
- Diverse Live Casino Library
- 24/7 Live Chat
- Up to £200 Welcome Bonus
- PayPal Support
True to its name, Unibet offers nearly all kinds of gambling activities under one roof. While this type of UK gambling site will offer the bare minimum for each of its sections, Unibet goes beyond other sites. In its casino section are slots from the likes of Microgaming and NetEnt. This makes Unibet a complete Mega Moolah casino with various iterations of Microgaming's popular progressive slots such as Mega Moolah Absolootly Mad and Jungle Mega Moolah.
Unibet sports include major league matches such as those from the NBA, Scottish Premiership, MLB, NFL, and World Championship hockey. Over at the racing section, there are betting markets for horse and greyhound races held in UK and Ireland tracks.
Live 75-ball and 90-ball bingo are held at the bingo section. Unibet even has regular bingo tournaments with varying prize pools that range from cash to free spins. Poker tournaments and cash games are held at the Unibet Poker section. Each game has varying buy-ins and payouts as well as free-roll tournaments that let you compete without paying anything.
- Poker Cardroom
- Complete Sports Betting Section
- Full Race Book Section
- Live Casino
- Bingo Rooms
- Live Sports Betting
Coral is a renowned sports betting chain in the UK since 1926 and has extended its reach to the online iGaming market. As shown in their sportsbook section, Coral continues their branded services by offering sports markets for local and international matches. There are markets for the English Premier, Europe's EuroLeague, and England National Rugby League. You can also find unusual markets at Coral for political events, movies, music, and poker tournaments.
Apart from its betting section, Coral is a one-stop-shop for all kinds of gambling activities. Coral Casino is full of games from renowned software providers including , Bally Technologies, NetEnt, SG, and IGT. There are even live dealer tables from Evolution Gaming and Realistic Gaming as well as Coral exclusive tables.
You can find four types of variations in Coral's Bingo section including 30-ball, 75-ball, 80-ball, and 90-ball games. Coral also has a downloadable poker software that lets you compete with other players in tournaments, sit & go, and cash game rooms. Both of these offers have a rich community of engaging players.
- Complete Sportsbook Market
- Horse Racing Section
- Solid Bingo Section
- Complete Poker Cardroom
- PayPal Support
- Diverse Live Casino Library
Betfair started as a betting exchange operator with markets for various events before moving to offer sports betting and other gambling activities. Sticking to its roots, Betfair offers its traditional exchange markets alongside its sportsbook market. These markets can satisfy those who prefer "back & lay" bets or "money line, spreads, and totals" wagers.
Betfair Casino has a satisfying range of slots and table games from Playtech, Blueprint, Red Tiger, Pragmatic Play, Play'n Go, and Inspired. This UK gambling site also has an exclusive Red Tiger Daily Jackpot that rewards lucky players with a sizable cash payout.
Betfair Poker is also a solid poker platform that is available through their website or with downloadable software. There are tournaments, sit & go, and cash games with varying buy-ins as well as free-roll poker games. Betfair Bingo is another feature-rich section that has 75-ball and 90-ball bingo games. You can also find instant-play bingo games, which are single-player variations of bingo.
- Top Betting Market Operator
- Up to ₤100 Free Bets
- Complete Race Book
- Prize Pinball
- Virtual Sportsbook
- Comprehensive Poker Section
Paddy Power is the combined bookmaking brand from three Irish bookies. With the listing of Paddy Power PLC on the London Stock Exchange, the company expanded its reach to the UK jurisdiction. Sports punters will find all kinds of sports markets available among Paddy Power Sportsbook where you can find wagers for local and foreign games. You can also find horse and greyhound racing markets from numerous tracks on this site. If you feel like betting on a tennis or football match right away, Paddy Power has virtual sports betting that gives you markets on computer-generated games.
Apart from sports and horse race betting, Paddy Power has comprehensive lottery, casino, bingo, and poker sections. There are even Irish-branded Paddy Power live tables such as Blackjack Premium w/ Sidebets and Paddy Power Live Roulette.
For those who love skill games, is a DFS contest section that lets you draft your dream team and have them compete with other players. These contests come in daily and weekly formats, allowing you to participate without committing to a season-long session.
- Attractive Sportsbook Features
- In-Play Sports Betting
- Irish and UK Lottery Draws
- Daily Fantasy Sports
- Bingo Rooms
- Virtual Sports and Race Book
21.co.uk is a casino-centric UK online gambling site that offers a massive library of games from several renowned software providers. You can find slots from IGT, NetEnt, WMS, Red Tiger, NextGen Gaming, iSoftBet, Wazdan, Reel Play, and Big Time Gaming. With a large number of slots available you can find ones based on popular TV shows and movies such as The Goonies, Bill & Ted Excellent Adventure, and A Christmas Carol.
A rich selection of live dealer games is also available at 21.co.uk with the likes of Evolution Gaming, Pragmatic Play, and Authentic Gaming powering the platform. You have the usual casino staples such as live roulette, live blackjack, and live baccarat. There are also a variety of games based on game shows such as Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, and Deal or No Deal.
21.co.uk also has a solid sport and horse race betting platform. You can find markets for popular football, tennis, cricket, and rugby matches here such as the Europa League, Champions League, and BNXT League. Esports markets are also available for major tournaments including ESL One and PGL Major.
- In-Play Betting
- Horse Book
- Diverse Live Casino
- Sling Games
- Rich Casino Library
- PayPal Support
Gambling In The UK
The United Kingdom has a long history of retail gambling with incredibly strong land-based brands such as William Hill, Coral, Ladbrokes, and Paddy Power. It was only logical that Britain would lead the way with online gambling too.
In fact, many UK operators have been teaming up with US gambling sites to help bootstrap American operators now that many states are opening up to online betting. But what exactly can you bet on, in the UK? And how rich are the iGaming and sports betting industries in Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
UK Online Casinos
UK online casino games are single-player titles that British gamblers can enjoy at any time. The most common ones are digital versions of blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette. Other games include video poker, an instant-play version of a five-card draw. Each of these games comes with interesting variants or side-bets to make them interesting such as 21+3 blackjack and deuces wild video poker.
Online slots are another staple among UK casino sites. These games come with different themes and gameplay mechanics. You have ones based on popular media such as at the Mansion Casino that feature clips from the Adam West show.
What all digital casino games have in common is how they generate results through a complex RNG algorithm. While most licensed casinos are expected to offer fair gameplay, the outcome of your bet will still come from the hardware. This is where live dealer games come in. UK live casinos let you bet on the results made by actual cards, dice, and roulette wheels, giving you peace of mind in knowing the outcome is authentically random.
UK Online Sports Betting
Those who are betting on the Champions League finals, NFL Super Bowl, or the Australian Open Semis will be looking for online UK bookies. UK online sportsbooks offer straight, spread, totals, and prop bets for various matches. Reputable bookies cover a wide range of sports including football, rugby, tennis, basketball, American football, and much more. There are UK online bookmakers that also offer markets for other competitive matches such as Formula 1, NASCAR, and eSports.
Every UK online bookmakers' wagers have sports decimal odds associated with them, indicating their chance of coming true as well as the payout. Odds that are 1.5 or less indicate a favorable bet that will likely happen while wagers with 2.0 or more have a low chance of winning. You can also see the payout of the odds among online sports betting sites with the decimal format. If you bet $20 for a 2.25 wager on the Premier League games, you will get a profit of $25.
UK Horse Racing
Horse racing betting is a national pastime where punters predict which participants will cross the finish line first. However, a horse book is much more complicated than just picking the winners. Every participant is assigned betting odds based on their performance with the favorites having a number close to 1.0 and underdogs that often have double-digit odds. Playing it safe on a horse race betting site by picking the favorite will grant you a small payout if they win while betting on other participants can give you a higher cash prize should they win. Major publications such as can give you the odds of various horse race betting operators, making it easy to find the best wagers for specific races.
Again, horse book is much more in-depth with its bets where you can make several kinds of wagers among major races such as the Grand National or Cheltenham Festival. You can take a low-risk wager with a "place" or "show" bet that gives a decent payout if your backed horse finishes second or third. There are also high-risk wagers such as double and treble bets where you can predict more than one outcome and get a high payout when all of them come true. These wagers can be found on various horse race betting sites. With so many wagers available, there are various horse racing tips and strategies to help you pick profitable bets.
UK Greyhound Racing
Greyhound race betting is still a major pastime in the UK, Scotland, and Ireland. Your goal is to predict which of the participating dogs will come in first. What makes this type of betting interesting are the various odds associated with each greyhound. UK greyhound racing betting sites price each participant based on their condition and track record. Those with the best possible odds are likely to win and will grant you a small payout if you back them. You also have underperforming participants that are riskier to bet on but will get you a major cash payout.
Trusted bookies tend to host races from nearly every UK greyhound race track as well as ones from Ireland such as , Romford, Newcastle BAGS, and Limerick. On the other hand, the best ones will also include international greyhound tracks including Cambridge, Mandurah, Sandown Park, and Addington. Punters can easily enjoy greyhound race betting 24 hours a day when a bookie offers both UK and foreign tracks on their platform.
UK Online Poker
Poker is never about getting the best hand to win a game. Instead, poker is a game about getting your opponents to give you their chips by making them think you have a strong or weak hand. This simple and deep mechanic is what makes online poker rooms full of aspiring , Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth.
Every downloadable poker software, instant-play poker room, and mobile poker app has cash games and tournament games. During cash games, players can participate and leave anytime after satisfying the minimum buy-in. Tournament games require a table to be full of participants before the first round starts. Only the players with everyone's chips or those who left the table late qualify for the table's prize pool.
Most of the best online poker sites in the UK offer a wide range of buy-ins for any type of poker player. In addition, the majority of poker operators tend to offer free-roll games that let you participate without covering the buy-ins.
UK Online Bingo
You can take away the fancy slots, casino games, sports betting markets, or horse races from the UK and no one will bat an eye. Try taking away all bingo games and you will see a massive uproar in the region since bingo is a popular game in the UK.
British bingo sites usually have two common iterations of the game. You have 90-ball bingo, which is the most popular one among UK players, and 75-ball bingo. There are also other variations of online bingo games such as 30-ball and 80-ball. Another popular version of the game is , a combination of bingo and slots.
To make this game interesting, UK bingo sites add a variety of features to their rooms. Chat windows are one of the most common features that let you interact with other participants.
UK Online Lottery
Nothing says small-stakes with bigger rewards than the lotto. Several UK gambling sites allow you to buy tickets for the National Lottery draws. These draws include Pick-3, Daily Million Jackpot, Thunderball Jackpot, Irish Lotto Jackpot, and the Health Millions. You can also find the popular draw on all of these sites with a minimum payout of at least ₤5 million. While the official site accepts e-wallets and credit cards, other operators allow you to buy tickets using other payment options such as cryptocurrencies.
UK lottery sites tend to have instant-play games such as online scratch cards. Like other scratch games, you win a cash prize for revealing matching symbols on a winning card. These online scratch card games come in different flavors and jackpots such as Kitty Puzzle, Scratch 777, and Hercules Magnus. Other instant-play games on the include Cash Bolt Millionaire, Monopoly Gold, and Treasure Bingo.
UK Esports Betting
UK eSports betting is a growing industry with competitive games drawing the attention of global punters. Professional players compete in popular games such as CS:GO, StarCraft 2, Dota 2, Overwatch, and Valorant. eSports became a widely preferred alternative to traditional sports among many punters because of the unique objectives of each game and the means pro players achieve them. In addition, there is a growing fan base among these professional teams including , Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, and Team Vitality.
Every UK eSportsbook offers the usual sportsbook markets for these games including win/draw straight, totals, and handicap bets. There are also props or future bets that are unique for specific games such as a wager on whether the total kills score will be evens or odds.
Another interesting market that came out of eSports is wager in-game cosmetic items or skins. Numerous CS:GO skin betting sites such as allow bettors to stake their in-game items that are held within steam accounts. Skins are a highly valued market where the .
How To Pick The Best UK Gambling Site
In order to choose the best gambling sites in the UK, you need to consider the following important factors that are indicative of the credibility and quality of the casino.
UKGC License
A license is the most important factor to consider when choosing a UK online gambling site. An online casino, sportsbook, bingo room, or poker room requires a license from the (UKGC). Only a casino holding a UK gambling license is able to conduct the games in a legal and safe way. As you are going to invest or spend considerable money in the casino and also, be communicating certain vital information, the first thing that you need to check is this license.
All licensed gambling sites have a UKGC seal on their page, which you can often find at the bottom of their site. Clicking on the UKGC seal at the bottom of the page can tell you if the license is legit. The seal will send to the UKGC database that holds all relevant information about the operator's license.
Clean Reputation
A clean reputation of a casino means that it should have minimal customer complaints against it. Reputation is determined by a lot of significant factors. First, the casino should have a robust customer service support team to come to the rescue of the players, should there be a problem. Second, operators should have a wide selection of games, sports betting market, or other forms of gambling activities so as to provide players with ample options to choose from.
User-friendliness is another significant feature of a reputed online casino. Whether it is mobile compatibility or in terms of the payment modes and options allowed, the casino should be providing an easy and rewarding gambling experience to the players to earn a substantial reputation in the market.
Bonuses & Promotions
Promotions are a significant factor since nearly every operator offers them in the form of in-house credits, free bets, and free buy-ins. Bonuses are in trend as online casinos compete with each other for market shares. Some casinos offer match bonuses for first-time players, which implies that they will offer a cash match for any deposit that the first-time players make. Other bonuses are offered in the form of discounts and free bets and free spins.
Welcome casino bonuses are particularly interesting since this promotion gives the most free casino money to new players. These are good boosts to let you start playing your favorite casino games as quickly as possible. You can find gambling sites that offer a free cash bonus upon signing up, which you can use for online slots and table games.
What you must be careful about is that all the casino bonuses come with their catch. It is important to study the terms and conditions thoroughly and understand the small print. For instance, the wagering requirements require you to wager your bonus a number of times before you can cash them out. You can check casino reviews on the bonus policies for most bonuses and promotions to know if they are worth getting.
Safety & Security
Safety and security are the key features of online casinos. When players are depositing and betting on their preferred games, it is important that they have peace of mind that their personal and financial information is well-protected and confidential. Reputed online casinos ensure heightened security by means of third-party security audits. Plus, there are SSL and HTTPS that provide extra protection to the players. An SSL certificate indicates an encryption layer that makes it impossible for hackers to see your personal data.
Good online casinos will typically ask for basic personal information for the purpose of verifying your identity and ensuring that you have the legal age to gamble. Documents such as a photo ID might be asked for. Your information is required for their KYC procedure, which is an anti-money laundering measure. You must remember to play on SSL-certified sites so that each of this information is duly protected.
Wide Game Selection
An operator's range of games in their online casino is a major deciding factor in choosing the ideal gambling platform. There are a few gambling sites that serve more as specialty platforms offering a particular type of game such as slots. On the other hand, there are sites that offer different betting activities such as a combination of casino, sportsbook, and bingo rooms. As a punter, you might be more proficient in a particular game but would obviously love to try a variety of games.
With a casino offering a wide game selection, you can play anything from live dealer blackjack, slots, and scratch cards to live in-play betting, bet builders, and so on. You can also find different types of betting and playing techniques. For instance, there will be an option of an accumulator, which is basically a type of bet consisting of multiple selections rolled together into a single wager. Using this, the player can gain higher accumulative odds.
Deposits & Withdrawals
Another crucial factor to consider while choosing an online casino is how fast and easily you can deposit and withdraw your money. When it comes to depositing your money to bet with, there should be multiple payment options available. As you make the first deposit, there will be a document verification process for KYC and this is usually fast, safe and secure with a licensed UK operator. If you have a preferred deposit payment option in mind, it is ideal that you make sure the option is available before signing up to play.
A licensed UK casino site will usually offer all the popular payment options such as debit cards and PayPal. Some will even allow you to pay in Bitcoin if you would like to. The options for withdrawing the money should be equally varied so that it takes less time for the winnings to ultimately reach your bank account.
Player Experience
A satisfying player's experience with a particular online casino depends on a lot of factors. Many of these have to do with how navigatable and easy to use the mobile interface is. Check if you are able to go where you want to go or move from one game to another in a hassle-free and fast way.
Activities like withdrawing the winning amount, making a deposit to start playing a game right away, or checking the balance should be conducted in a smooth manner. The better the player experience, the more popular is an online casino.
Custom Support
The good thing about playing in online casinos is that it is pretty much straightforward and players are able to deposit, bet on their preferred games and withdraw their winnings without any trouble. However, there is no guarantee that you will never get stuck at any point. That is why; choosing an online gambling site that has solid customer care service support to back you up is very necessary.
Good customer service support is available 24*7. There is email support, live chat, and many other options that you can immediately avail yourself of in unforeseen critical situations such as when a game crashes while playing or there is something wrong with the balance. The live chat option is very helpful in such situations as you can talk to an expert advisor while still being on the site and without coming off the game.
Software Suppliers
An online gambling site's library of games and available betting activities depends on the software providers on their platform. Checking on which software providers are powering the platform lets you know if a casino is worth signing up for. These software providers include , Betsoft, Playtech, and IGT.
There are specific slot suppliers, live dealer software, and tech stack provider out there. To get thorough information about the software, you can check the reviews and especially, the website of the online gambling site.
Mobile Compatibility
A smartphone makes life easy and therefore, it is not an unjustified demand to be able to play your favorite casino game on your mobile. For this, the mobile compatibility feature of your chosen gambling site is of importance. If you are playing on your laptop or desktop computer, the switch for transitioning between devices must be seamless. But if you are playing on a mobile device, you need to sign up with an online mobile casino only. Some casinos generally allow all mobile users to play directly through a mobile browser while others might require you to download an app.
Finding out whether the casino app is compatible with your device could take you some time. You can go through expert reviews to easily figure out which mobile devices each popular casino app is compatible with.
Real Money Gambling in the UK
While there are numerous casino, poker, bingo, and sports betting sites, a certain number of them are social games. Social gambling uses a gaming platform to host slots, table games, and other gambling activities. Currencies in all of these platforms are in-game credits that cannot be exchanged for real money but can be purchased by players.
On the other hand, real money gambling in the UK involves sites that let you stake actual currencies for cash payouts. There is a wide range of chance games that lets you spend cash for one attempt including online slots, video poker, blackjack, baccarat, online scratch games, and keno. You also have popular sports betting, horse race betting, greyhounds race betting, and eSports betting where you stake your money on various predictions. Finally, there are real cash poker and bingo rooms with buy-in entrances. Cash prizes for these rooms come from all participant's buy-ins minus the operator's rake.
Because real money online casinos, online bookmakers, bingo rooms, poker rooms, and other gambling sites involve actual cash, operators are required to have KYC or anti-money laundering measures in place. Part of these measures is the requirement for patrons to provide government-issued IDs or other documents to verify their identity. These measures are intended to prevent criminals from using real money gambling sites in the UK as their means to laundry money.
Payment Methods for UK Gambling Sites
| Payment Method | Deposit Time | Withdrawal Time |
|---|---|---|
| Debit Cards | Instant | 1 to 5 business days |
| E-Wallets | Instant | 1 to 24 hours |
| Bank Transfers | Instant | 1 to 5 business days |
| Pay By Phone | Instant | |
| Cryptocurrencies | Instant | 1 to 12 hours |
Debit Cards
Since 2020, the British government . UK players and punters can still use debit cards to buy online casino credits, poker room buy-ins, and sports wagers. Debit cards are versatile payment options that also let you buy groceries, gas, and pub tabs.
Deposits made with these payment options are completed instantly. Withdrawals to debit cards are reasonably short, which can last from one to five business days.
Those who are experienced problem gambling issues can contact their debit card companies to initiate a on their account. Gambling blocks prevent any transactions to UK online casinos, sportsbooks, or poker sites. This restriction becomes active within 24 hours from the time you contacted your bank's support line to initiate the block.
E-Wallets
Electronic wallets (e-wallets) act as a bridge between your credit cards, debit card, or bank account to any UK online gambling sites. Online casinos that pay real money usually have services such as PayPal, Skrill, and Neteller available on their platform since these are common payment methods. Because of the e-wallets method of payment, you can hide your banking info when transacting with UK iGaming sites.
In terms of transaction speed, e-wallets can complete all transactions within an hour or day. This includes all withdrawal transactions. In exchange for the fast transaction, speed is a hefty fee. Expect the likes of to take out a large chunk of your winnings when you cash out.
E-wallets are also renowned for their security and customer protection. Should you happen to be a victim of a rogue casino or get tricked by an online scam, the fraud protection measures of an e-wallet company will bring back your money.
Bank Transfers
Bank transfers are usually the last option for many players and punters if they cannot use their credit cards or do not have an e-wallet account. This is also the only option available for VIPs or those who are sending a massive amount to their account.
As the name suggests, this service directly takes and sends money from and to your bank account. Because of this, you can enjoy most of your winnings since transaction fees are incredibly low. Unfortunately, bank transfers tend to be notorious for their incredibly long waiting period. Withdrawals can take up to a full week, leaving you waiting for your winnings to appear on your balance book for days.
Pay By Phone
Players or punters who own a phone have the option of topping up their online casino accounts via a pay-by-phone service. This payment option acts like a credit card where the deposit is billed to your carrier. Deposits made through PayForIt or Boku will appear on your next phone bill.
This payment option is another way to use your credit card or bank account when making deposits since you are not using your card or account number. However, pay-by-phone payments are limited to deposits only since there is no method for you to take home your winnings with the service.
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that utilize , resulting in a fast and transparent transaction. Numerous UK online casinos, sportsbooks, bingo rooms, and horse race betting sites have been accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other altcoins on its platform to draw in a new crowd.
Crypto deposits and withdrawals to UK online casinos are incredibly fast that they can take less than an hour to complete. Depending on the cryptocurrency you are using, the gas fee or transaction fee costs less than a pound.
It is important to note that all cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible and no one can cancel them. Unlucky players who sent a payment to a rogue casino will not be able to get back their money from them since there is no way to track the operator through the transaction.
UK Online Gambling: FAQ
Here are some of the common questions about gambling in the UK answered in brief.
Is gambling legal in the United Kingdom?
Yes, gambling has been legalized in the United Kingdom by the regulatory act of 1960. Further, the Gambling Act 2005 loosened some of the regulations and made it illegal to permit any person under the age of 18 to enter any licensed gambling premises.
What type of online gambling is legal in the UK?
A wide variety of online casino games such as bingo, poker, sports betting, and online lottery are permitted and legal. All online casino, poker, sportsbook, bingo, and racebook needs to be tested by the UKGC for their fairness and security.
How large is the UK gambling industry's market size?
The market size of the is worth $12.5 bn. As per statistics, it has grown by 19.9% from 2021. When factoring in the market size of the industry from 2017 to 2022, there is only a 4.2% average decline per year.
Can UK residents gamble on online poker sites?
UK residents are allowed to gamble on any online poker site in the UK. They just need to be above 18 years of age and be able to provide documents that verify their age and identity. Online poker is completely legal in the UK.
What can you not legally bet on in the UK?
Off-course betting in person is illegal in the UK as per the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1960. Betting syndicates can also be considered illegal under a specific scenario such as alcohol vendors passing betting slips within their premises.
Are gambling winnings taxable in the UK?
All gambling winnings are not currently taxed in the UK. Instead, the online betting sites and the casinos are required to pay taxes on their profits while the remote gaming operators pay a 15% duty.
Do online gambling sites need licenses to operate in the UK?
Online gambling sites need a license from the UKGC to operate in the UK. Licenses are applicable for providing facilities related to remote gambling online and having a gaming platform. Licensed operators are required to offer a fair and same gambling environment for their patrons.
Are crypto gambling sites allowed in the UK?
Crypto gambling is legal and permitted in the UK. Residents of the United Kingdom can use Bitcoin and other publicly listed crypto coins on licensed gambling websites. The online casinos support cryptocurrencies such as ETH, BTC, DOGE, BCH, and LTC along with many others.
How can I self-exclude from all gambling sites?
You can exclude or block yourself from the gambling sites by calling the casino's customer service line and having an agent suspend your account. Another way is to call , a self-exclusion service that will prevent you from transacting with online gambling sites.
Where can I seek help for my gambling addiction?
Certain organizations that help people addicted to gambling are GamCare, begambleware.org, and of course, the NHS. These organizations provide free counseling, information, and support to individuals suffering from problem gambling.
What are the largest gambling companies in the United Kingdom?
Several large gambling companies in the UK include Flutter Entertainment (Betfair, Paddy Power), William Hill, Kindred Group (Unibet, 32Red), Bet365, and 888 Holdings among a few others.