Best Online Casinos UK

The UK online casino landscape has changed a lot in the last few years - but there are still hundreds of great UK online casinos to choose from, with new sites launching regularly to meet growing player demand. But with so much choice, how do you find the top online casino sites for you to play at?

Our expert review team has carefully assessed and rated the best UK online casinos based on a strict criteria. We only recommend fully licensed casinos regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and our ratings take into account important factors like game variety, casino bonuses, banking, mobile experience, security and more.

On this page, we’re going to show you more about how we review online casinos in the UK - and we’ll also show you what to look for when choosing a new site to play at. Let’s kick things off with a look at the top casino games at UK-focused online casinos.

Top Casino Games At Online Casinos In The UK

The best UK online casinos today offer an exciting range of real money casino games. As you browse top casino sites, you'll find a huge selection of slots, table games, live dealer games and other titles, all of which can be played from the comfort of your home!

Without a doubt, slots are the most popular casino game played online. All of the best online casino sites offer hundreds, if not thousands of different video slots to players - and you’ll find these titles from game developers like NetEnt, Microgaming and Playtech. You’ll find everything from classic 3-reel games to licensed slots based on popular movies, TV shows and musicians - and most slots today boast exciting bonuses and features including free spins, re-spins, or "Pick me Bonuses.”

Progressive jackpot slots are a popular game, too. These interlinked network slots take a small portion of your stake and commit it towards a pooled jackpot. These progressive jackpots continue to grow until a lucky player hits the required combo to win it all! Some popular progressive jackpot games include Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune and Age of the Gods.

If you’re a fan of casino table games, you’ll also find a huge variety to choose from. You'll find multiple versions of blackjack, roulette and baccarat with different betting limits to accommodate all bankrolls. Poker enthusiasts can get their fix with video poker machines, and there are also several poker-inspired casino games like Three-Card Poker and Caribbean Stud Poker.

Live Online Casinos UK

Most top online casinos also run full live dealer casinos, and these allow you to enjoy your favourite casino games in a live environment. You get to watch the games in full HD - looking at real, professional dealers hosting the games.

Live dealer casinos have become increasingly popular in recent years, and it’s not hard to see why. These games use high-definition video streams to deliver immersive real-time gaming with human dealers hosting the action.

Leading live dealer developers like Evolution and Pragmatic Play LIVE operate dedicated studio complexes. Multiple cameras broadcast live HD footage of professional croupiers managing games like roulette, blackjack and baccarat, and you can then view the action on your desktop or mobile phone while interacting with the dealer and other players via live chat.

Before each round, you simply place your bets as normal - as though you were playing a normal virtual casino table game. Once the betting round closes, the dealer proceeds to deal/host the game, with the game rules identical to those you’d find in traditional land-based casinos.

In recent years, we’ve also started to see a number of more unique variants on offer too, like Evolution's Lightning Roulette and Pragmatic's Mega Wheel. These games offer something different - along with some pretty explosive win potential!

Online Casino Bonuses

When registering at online casinos in the UK you’ll usually find attractive welcome bonuses, free sign up bonuses and promotions available. These are designed to reward you for joining and trying out a new site - and while there are multiple formats they can come in, the most common is matched deposit bonuses.

A matched deposit bonus may look something like "100% up to £100". This provides a 100% match on your deposit up to £100. So, depositing £50 would earn you an extra £50 in bonus funds.

This effectively doubles your bankroll so you can play more games - and, thanks to United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) regulations, online casinos in the UK aren’t able to combine your bonuses and features with your cash balance anymore, so you can withdraw your winnings at any time!

How We Review & Rate UK Online Casinos

When you browse our website, you’ll notice that our team of online gambling experts have written many online casino reviews - all designed to give you an impartial, in-depth look at how a casino works and what you can expect when playing there for yourself.

If you're wondering how our team of online gambling experts reviews online casinos, we've got you covered. Our approach is straightforward and informative. We delve into aspects like game variety, bonuses, security, and user experience, ensuring you get all the essential details. No complex jargon, just a clear, user-friendly breakdown to help you make informed choices in the world of online gambling.

Below, we're going to show you some of the key things we look at when reviewing online casinos, ensuring you have all the information you need at your fingertips. Our aim is to provide you with a comprehensive overview that helps you make informed decisions about where to enjoy your online gambling experiences at a safe and reputable site.

Licensing and Reputation

When it comes to licensing, you should be aware that any UK casino must hold a valid licence from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC). This ensures that the casino operates within strict regulatory guidelines, ensuring fair play and player protection. Always check for the UKGC licence as a sign of a reputable and trustworthy online casino, guaranteeing a safe and enjoyable gambling experience.

We never recommend a casino if it lacks proper licensing and regulation - and it’s important to remember that if a casino is operating in the UK with a valid online gambling licence, they’re doing so illegally - which is why you should always make sure the online casino you choose is officially licensed and regulated by the UKGC before playing.

Game Selection

Once you find an online casino you like the look of, it’s important to spend some time making sure the games you actually want to play are available. After all, there’s no point joining an online casino if you can’t play the slots, live dealer games, or casino table games you want!

All of the best UK online casinos offer a wide variety of games: slots, table games like blackjack and roulette, video poker, and even live dealer games. Generally speaking, you want to see hundreds - if not thousands of options here.

However, it’s not just the number of games you should look at; you’ll also want to take into account the game developers on offer. Look for big-name brands like NetEnt, Playtech, Play'n Go, Pragmatic Play, Quickspin and Yggdrasil Gaming as this will ensure there’s a fantastic range of exciting games to enjoy.

Payment Methods and Withdrawal Speeds

When it comes to making deposits and withdrawals, you'll want to choose a casino that offers payment methods you’re actually going to use. When we write our reviews, we always pay close attention to the payment methods available at online casinos. We also look at the speed at which withdrawals are processed.

All top UK online casinos will offer a range of payment options, including credit cards, EWallets like PayPal and Skrill, and bank transfers. Equally important is the withdrawal speed. It’s only natural that you want to be able to access your winnings quickly - and that’s why our reviews also look at how quickly cashouts are processed.

Bonuses and Promotions

While bonuses and promotions have changed quite a bit in recent years for UK players (due to numerous new rules from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)), we still pay a lot of attention to them when we’re reviewing new UK casino sites. For example, we always make sure there’s generous welcome bonuses, free spins promotions, cashback deals and loyalty programs on offer - but we go a step further, too.

We look well beyond what these bonuses claim to offer - digging deep into the terms and conditions, and making sure the wagering requirements are fair, there aren’t any unfair payout terms, and to ensure everything else is above-board and fair.

Rest assured, we don’t recommend online casinos here on our website that have shady terms and conditions, unrealistic wagering requirements, or exclude too many games from contributing towards the wagering requirement. This ensures that any bonuses we recommend are going to give you exactly what you’re looking for; added value, without ridiculous terms and unfair clauses.

Desktop Usability and Mobile Casino

Another important criteria we look at when reviewing online casinos is the overall user experience and how usable a casino is, both on desktop and mobile. For desktop sites, for example, we look at the layout and structure - is the site easy to navigate and find what you need quickly? Is the design intuitive or does it feel cluttered and confusing?

We also assess functionality like how easy it is to search for your favourite games, what filters are available, and how easy it is to make deposits and withdrawals. In our opinion, things should always work smoothly, and casinos should respond quickly.

When it comes to mobile casinos, we begin by checking for a dedicated app or a responsive mobile site optimised for smaller screens. The layout needs to be clean and minimalist, with large buttons and text size to make it as easy as possible for you to navigate around and play your favourite casino games from your mobile device.

We always make sure that mobile casinos auto-resize and adapt on both portrait and landscape orientations, and, rest assured, we put both desktop and mobile casinos through pretty rigorous testing processes to ensure they’re suitable to recommend here on our site!

How To Choose The Right Online Casino For You

While we’ve just given you a thorough breakdown at how we review online casinos, choosing the right site for you still largely comes down to your personal preferences and priorities. Here are some key things to think about:

Favourite Games: Make sure the casino offers the specific games you enjoy playing, whether it’s particular slots, poker variants, baccarat, etc. Having new titles frequently added is a bonus too.

Bonuses: Shop around for the most attractive welcome bonus and ongoing promos that match your style of play. Avoid unrealistic wagering requirements and check to make sure the bonus funds allow you to play the games you want to!

Payment Methods: Pick a casino with your preferred banking options that facilitate quick, easy deposits and withdrawals. In the UK, you have the added benefit of being able to use quite strongly regulated payment processors like PayPal.

Licensing: Only play at sites licensed by the UKGC; if any online casino operating in the UK doesn’t hold a valid UKGC licence, they’re operating illegally - and you don’t know how they’re going to treat you.

Brands You Like: If you enjoy playing games from a certain developer like NetEnt or Blueprint Gaming, choose a casino with a good selection of their titles.

Mobile Experience: If you think you’ll play “on the go” a lot, choose a casino with a dedicated mobile casino app, or one with a slick mobile optimised website.

Customer Support: Check reviews to make sure that players can get help and support when needed. While it’s unlikely for things to go wrong, it’s always better to be prepared, especially when it comes to your money!

Everyone will have slightly different preferences in this department - but what matters most is that you choose a casino with variables that suit YOU. It can take a bit of time - and effort - to find the right casino for you, but it can be done, and it’s not a decision you’ll want to rush.

How To Get Started At Online Casino Sites

If you’re ready to begin gambling online, you may be wondering how to go about actually starting? Thankfully, it’s pretty straightforward - and below, we’re going to walk you through the steps involved! Of course, the first thing you need to do is find an online casino you like - and double check with yourself that you’re in a financial position to gamble. Then:

Sign-Up: Head to the online casino you’ve picked and find the "Sign Up" or "Join Now" button, usually found at the top of the homepage. You'll need to give some personal information when joining, like your full name, address, date of birth, and email address or phone number.

Verify Account: In the UK, players must now verify their identity before gambling; thankfully, most casinos have automated verification software that verifies you against Electoral Roll data, but if they don’t, you may need to upload copies of your ID and Proof of Address.

Deposit Funds: Head over to the cashier and select which payment method you’d like to use. Most UK-focused casinos let you use a wide variety of payment options like cards and EWallets - but be aware that UK sites are no longer allowed to accept credit cards.

Claim Bonus: If the casino offers a welcome bonus, now's the time to claim it. Make sure you understand the wagering requirements; don’t be afraid to contact the customer support team if you have any questions.

Choose a Game: Navigate to the game library and select the game you’d like to play. You can usually search for games by name, type, developer, or filter the options available.

Now that you're all set up, it's time to have some fun. Remember, always gamble responsibly, and don’t rush into choosing a casino!

Best Paying Casinos Online

When it comes to finding the best-paying online casinos, there’s a lot to think about! After all, while online gambling should always be about entertainment - you do want to maximise your chances of having a winning session, and that is why it’s important to consider a few factors to help you find the best paying casinos online.

Firstly, take into account the RTP. Return to Player (RTP) percentages dictate the amount of money that a game is set to payout over its shelf life; for example, a slot machine with an RTP of 95% would be expected to pay back £95 of every £100 wagered to players - with the casino making a profit of £5. Now, many game developers today offer their games with different RTP settings - and some casinos choose lower percentages for their games, so it’s always worth checking to ensure the games you’re playing are the high-RTP versions.

Secondly, you should look into the casino's payout speed. This refers to how quickly a casino processes your withdrawal requests. While it may not directly affect the odds of winning, a casino that processes withdrawals quickly shows that it values customer satisfaction and integrity. You don't want to be left waiting around for your cash after a big win!

Thirdly, don't forget about bonuses and promotions. While it's easy to get lured in by flashy welcome bonuses, you should also consider ongoing promotions and loyalty programs. These can offer cashback, reload bonuses, and other perks that effectively increase your expected returns in the long run - so this is particularly important for players looking for a new long-term casino.

Online Casino UK Licensing and Legislation

In the United Kingdom, the world of offline and online gambling is strictly regulated to ensure a safe and fair environment for players. The government-appointed body responsible for overseeing all of this is the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) - an independent regulator that was formed as a result of the 2005 Gambling Act.

The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) oversees all forms of gambling in the UK, and, most importantly, it’s responsible for issuing - and rescinding, where necessary - online gambling licences.

Any online casino operating in the UK must abide by pretty stringent regulations. For example, player funds must be ring-fenced at all times - meaning your deposited money is held in separate accounts to the casino’s in case of insolvency. Things like game certification, independent audits and responsible gambling are also closely looked at by the UKGC, too.

How To Gamble Responsibly at UK Online Casinos

Gambling should always be seen as a form of entertainment, not a way to make money. The thrill of action-packed games and having the potential to win money are what make it fun, but it's crucial to gamble responsibly to ensure it remains enjoyable. Thankfully, all UK-licensed casinos must offer a wide variety of responsible gambling tools to help you stay in control of your gambling - and, in our opinion, one of the most effective of these is the deposit limit function.

A deposit limit allows you to set a cap on the amount of money that you can deposit on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. Once you reach this pre-set cap you will not be able to deposit any more money until the time period you set has passed.

For those who feel their gambling is getting out of control, self-exclusion is another avenue to consider. Self-exclusion completely blocks access to your online gambling accounts for a minimum of six months - and all UK-licensed casinos, by law, must be part of GAMSTOP, a centralised database, so you can now enter into self-exclusion agreements at all UK casinos at once.