Best UK Online Casinos

Online Casinos in the UK

The UK gambling market is one of the best-organised gambling jurisdictions in Europe in terms of gambling liberties and safety. The Gambling Act of 2005 established the UK Gambling Commission which has been put in place to regulate all commercial gambling in the country.

The UKGC is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and operates like a non-departmental public body. Its functions include publishing guidance, licensing, compliance and enforcing gambling laws, as well as conducting research. During years of its operation, the UKGC has proven itself to be most effective at providing British gamblers with a safe betting environment.

Is Gambling Regulated in the UK?

Yes. Gambling activities are regulated in the United Kingdom by the UKGC. All gambling licensing and regulation falls under the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom Gambling Commission which is the authority created in 2005 to oversee all gambling-related activity and issue licenses to casino and sportsbook operators catering to the UK audience.

How can I be safe and my data secure at an online casino?

Online casinos available in the UK are all well-regulated and licensed. Apart from this, they feature software which is based on RNG technology – the random number generator makes sure every outcome of every game is arbitrary and unpredictable. The websites are also encrypted to protect player information and sensitive data exchanged on the platform.

What are the main goals of the Gambling Act of 2005?

The three main objectives of this regulation law are preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder or being used to support crime, then ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way, and protecting children and vulnerable individuals from being exploited by gambling or harmed in any way.

Are UK casino games’ outcomes random and fair?

At a legitimate online casino site operating in the UK market, you will see that the casino is properly audited and tested for fairness by independent testing labs. These websites will display the certificates on the homepage.

How do I know if I am eligible to play at a UK online casino?

To be eligible to become a member of an online casino in the UK you must be over the age of legal consent. In this case, you must be over 18 years of age. To join a casino, you also need a valid payment method in your name.

What are penny slots?

The term refers to an older time when slots costed pennies or nickels to play. There are still penny slots today, and even though they appear cheap they contain more paying lines than their precursors so in the end you end up wagering more money on a single spin.

Are online slots as good as land-based slots?

Absolutely. In fact, online you’ll have more variety to choose from. You can play most, if not all the same fruit machines as you would at your preferred land-based casino establishment. And, you don’t have to deal with crowds, cigarette smoke, pay attention to the working hours or have to wait your turn to play your favourite slot.

How can I win a progressive jackpot at a UK online casino?

For a chance to win a progressive jackpot online, you need to sign up to a casino website that has progressive jackpot slot machines. After registering an account, you must deposit money to it and load a progressive jackpot slot in order to place real money bets on it. The rest is up to luck.

What is the best way to make a UK casino deposit?

Many different deposit solutions are available but the easiest way probably is to choose from one of the online payment systems. The range goes from e-wallets, bank transfers and prepaid card to cryptocurrencies and mobile payments. Pay by Phone or Boku is particularly convenient for casino UK players and one of the most appreciated mobile deposit methods around. Of course, you can also use PayPal, Neteller, Skrill or Paysafecard.

What kind of casino games should I expect to find online?

Gamblers in the UK should expect to find an expanded range of games online to what they would encounter in a brick and mortar casino. There ought to be more game variants and bet limits on offer. Of course, the full list of games will vary from casino to casino, but you will be able to enjoy table games, fruit machines, roulette, bingo, video poker machines and scratch tickets, among other options.

Best UK Online Casinos

As far as games go, most UK casino players enjoy playing at Microgaming casinos and Playtech casinos the most. The funny thing is, that their games are not direct imports from Las Vegas, but a lot of them are based on the games you would play in UK high street casinos instead. They all have amazing games.

One big advantage of UK online casinos is that the payout is much better than the casinos, or high street bookmaker machines. You often get payout rates of over 96% and we have made sure that the UK casinos listed above have the best odds.

There is no point playing machines with low odds (like 70%), so we made sure that all of these casinos have 94%+ rates, with most games being over 97% payout. Better than the high street and much better than Vegas. The better the odds, the more chance you have of winning and the more fun you will have.

If you like UK pub slot machines, then take a look at Microgaming casinos. If you would like to find the best UK casino at the moment (this can change from time to time, depending on which casino is adding the newest and best games, then take a look at our real money slot machines page.

We have played at all of these casinos listed above and found them all to be excellent, with reliable 24/7 customer service. One of the things I like about these casino is that they all make it very easy to cash out winnings. Nothing frustrates me more than having to jump through hoops to get money out and so it's great to know which casinos pay out the best.

Another point that is important - all of these UK Fruit Machines casinos are government-regulated and so are safe places to play.

We get asked which casino is the best to play at, but this will depend on which games you like the most as well as what type of bonus offers you like (if you like to taje a bonus, that is). I would say that it is definitely worth taking a look at all of the casinos listed, to get an idea of all of the different games available.

Each casino has a different selection, ranging from penny slots, to pub fruities and bandits, right through to Vegas casino slots

Land-based vs Online Gambling in the UK

Before we declare the final verdict, we need to remind casino enthusiasts that both online and offline casinos come with their sets of advantages and drawbacks.

Playing online means you have greater convenience, you don’t have to interact with anyone or mind the working hours, you can play a huge variety of games and do it whenever you want, wherever you want. You can also benefit from bonus offers and promotions. On the other hand, playing online means you will find it easier to lose money and the element of socialising is not really there.

When you’re visiting a physical casino venue, you can meet people, have more time to think about your wagers, help the local economy and experience gambling in its most genuine form. For all that, you will have access to limited games, waste a portion of your valuable time and be in a situation where you will show your weaknesses to fellow gamblers.

All that being said, the current climate in the UK demonstrates online casino sites reigning supreme over land-based casinos. For the longest time, brick and mortar casinos were sophisticated establishments in the UK; certain high-class London casinos are maintaining its relevance still. Others are, in a way, suffering. They seem to have become less fashionable much like retail shops have been feeling the impact of online shopping sites.

UK Gambling Laws

Foreign operators must obtain a valid UKGC license if they wish to advertise their gambling platforms in the UK. This has been established by the Gambling Act of 2005. Specific jurisdictions are on the UKGC whitelist and are considered up to par with the standards of the commission, namely countries within the European Economic Area (EEA), Alderney, Antigua and Barbuda, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Tasmania. They have met the regulator’s criteria through a rigorous vetting process.

To gamble legally in the United Kingdom, you need to be at least 18 years old. Players do not pay tax on winnings, unless they are considered professionals. Operators, however, must pay 15% tax on all profits from UK services. The Gambling Act of 2005 outlines a long list of offences and one of them is for example the offence of providing gambling facilities without licence/permit. The penalty for this particular offence is 51 weeks imprisonment and/or £5,000 fine.

UK Casino Games Online

Contemporary UK casinos are geared towards slots - that is correct, but by no means do these websites ignore the interest players have in other casino games, such as card games or roulette. After all, table games were the first to enter the gambling halls before slots were even a notion.

A well-supplied online casino open to UK bettors will offer a diverse range of blackjack, poker, roulette and add interesting categories such as baccarat, craps and Sic Bo. Furthermore, the lobby ought to be expanded with a collection of live-streamed games with real dealers –live casino games. According to stats, the second most popular online casino game in the UK is roulette, followed by blackjack, and then craps and casino poker.

Blackjack accounted for 31% of the online table games in action in 2018 and its popularity increases every year. What makes blackjack so appealing, even now? Well, blackjack, or 21, is a casino game that offers high payouts, has elements of skill and a large number of variations. Plenty of different versions of RNG roulette are also available to online bettors. The experience is even more enriched with the possibility of applying creative betting strategies.

For players who wish to be even more immersed into the gameplay and put more focus on their skills, there are various casino poker versions on offer, for instance Let Em’ Ride, 3 Card Poker, and Pai Gow Poker. With baccarat, the outcomes rely more on luck, but the side bets which have been introduced in the virtual version of the game allow the players to benefit from an otherwise simple and straightforward card game.

Ultimately, UK online casino goers can enjoy dozens of interesting video poker games as well. Titles such as Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, Deuces Wild and provide them with a unique experience of playing a virtual poker machine that shares some similarities with online slots, yet retains the skill element and the importance of decision making.

Online Slots in the UK

The slot machine was invented in the 19th-century USA. It was manufactured by Charles Fey and it was called the Liberty Bell; it featured 3 reels with symbols that would line up to create winning combinations. The design of the original one-armed bandit was soon copied by others which led to the existence of fruit machines in most pubs, seashore arcades and gambling halls in the UK and their great popularity during the 80s and 90s. These were, of course, based on the electro-mechanical slot machine called Money Honey, created by Bally in 1964.

The first online slots remained true to their land-based designs. They had three reels and the same recognisable symbols, including liberty bells, cherries, BARs and plums. Because of the fruits, the slots acquired the name fruit machines or fruities in the UK and are still fondly called like that throughout the country. As technology advanced, the graphics improved and allowed new styles and themes to get incorporated into fruit machines.

The game format expanded from 3 reels to 5 (and more) and now features all sorts of wacky designs and unexpected themes, boasting bonus rounds and gameplay modifiers that elevate the experience and bring larger payouts. Fruit machines present the biggest variety out of all gambling games available in online casinos and UK casino sites stock them more than anything else. Online slots are provided by both established companies such as Microgaming, Playtech, Scientific Games and IGT as well as NetEnt, Quickspin, Yggdrasil, Big Time Gaming, Thunderkick and Play’n GO.

Classic Slots

Usually, under the term “classic slots” online casino reviewers would list all those traditional fruit machines with 3 reels and only one paying line. They typically feature the original slot symbols, from BARs and lucky sevens to bells, cherries, grapes and lemons. These types of online slot games do not cover a specific theme. They are simply fruit machines. When activated, they put the reels in motion and play a fanfare sound when the same symbol line up down the middle.

By today’s standards, classic slots may be outdated, but they aren’t abandoned. They are still popular among online gamblers who are into that retro feel and like to feel the nostalgia while they play. It is also not uncommon to find classic slots with 5 reels and extra features, but there are usually kept at a minimum to preserve the traditional straightforward charm of the machine.

Video Slots

Video slots constitute the majority of the entire slot universe online. These feature advanced graphics, 5 reels (sometimes more), multiple paying lines or special ways-to-win systems, can contain characters as symbols and cover a variety of different themes. Video slot machines online can have one or more bonus rounds and also include multipliers and special symbols to modify the gameplay and improve the player’s chance to win.

Although video slots look marvellous in 2D, many software providers have incorporated 3D elements into their products to make them more visually appealing, more live videogames. Every high-rated UK online casino will offer its players hundreds of video slots to choose from.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

Slot machines with progressive jackpots can be either traditional or modern, but they require a pooled prize which gets won randomly. Sometimes you will load a penny slot and obtain a chance to win over a million pounds because a small portion of your every bet will contribute to the prize pot.

Depending on the specific game, the progressive jackpot may be awarded in special bonus rounds that need to be unlocked by landing a special pattern of symbols or they can happen on any random spin of the reels, but most of the time you will need to set the stakes to the maximum bet value and enable all the paying lines. There are individual slots that pay prizes of £1 million+ almost every two weeks.