UK Casino FAQ
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.
What’s the legal gambling age in the UK?
You must be 18 years old to gamble at both online and land-based casinos and sportsbooks in the UK. The only exception to this is buying lottery tickets and scratchies, for which you must be at least 16 years old.
Online Casinos in the UK
The arrival of the internet opened up a whole new dimension for the gambling industry – online casinos, sports betting sites and online bingo rooms. There is a large number of web-based casinos in the UK today, most of which are optimised for mobile use, as well. Plenty of them are based in the UK and operated locally, offering games the Brits are already familiar with. UK online casinos have the option to offer betting services, bingo, lottery games, casino games and other types of gambling software to a population of over 67, 5 million adults looking to enjoy remote gambling.
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.
Here’s what the numbers show:
• Between 2011 and 2019 the worth of the online gambling industry in the United Kingdom rose from £10bn to £14bn.
• Between April 2018 and March 2019, the total gross land-based gambling yield declined 10% to £1.1bn. In 2020, it is expected the figures to fall below £1bn.
The future of regular land-based casino establishments in the United Kingdom may appear bleak, but we can never know for sure what will happen. As years pass, online casinos may become the norm, but in the UK the tradition is strong and it is possible that it keeps casinos alive for a while longer.
UK Gambling Laws
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.
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.