The guide to UK online casinos that follow has been made by comparing various features and factors.
Range of Games
Let’s face it, the main reason people gamble is for fun, excitement, and the chance to possibly win some money. That’s why we compare the range of games on offer at each online casino and how fun they are to play.
We also take into account any unique features offered by the online casino, loyalty schemes, or innovative technology, for example.
At the end of the day, we wouldn’t want to play at a casino that’s boring or dull, so we don’t expect you to either!
Safety, Security & Licences
One of the most important things to consider is safety and security when playing on online casino sites. Fortunately, here in the UK, there are tough licensing laws in place that make it easy to find gambling sites that are regulated properly.
We recommend that you only play at online casinos that are fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
The UKGC license means that the casino is fully legitimate, handles customer funds responsibly, has fair games, and promotes responsible gambling. All of these factors are important to ensure that you have a good time and you’re also protected by a good level of security.
Any online casino that wants to operate legally in the UK and take payments from UK players, needs to apply for and obtain a UKGC license. The UKGC logo will be displayed on the website of online casinos that hold this license.
The casinos on our list of top online UK casinos are all UKGC licensed.
Fair Play
In this guide, we compare casinos to make sure that they are providing fair play to their customers.
The principle of fair play covers:
- the randomness of the casino games
- player’s deposits and funds are protected
- fairness of bonus release systems
- compliance with regulations, laws, and licensing rules.
All UK licensed casinos must use effective random number generators (RNGs) and offer an acceptable Return to Player (RTP) rate, as set out by the UKGC. They must be tested and approved by independent third-party testing companies, such as eCOGRA, to qualify for a UKGC license
The UK government sets out guidance for gambling bonuses and promotions which should be followed by the online casino.
Payout Percentages
The Return to Player (RTP) rate or payout percentage is a percentage value of the money that will be returned to players for each wager that they make. For instance, let’s say the RTP is 97%, which means you would get back £0.97 for every £1.00 that is wagered.
However, this doesn’t mean you’re always guaranteed to get that amount back each time you play. The RTP is calculated over a large sample of events, often in excess of 1 million plays. For example, you may bet £1.00 on each spin of a slot machine, but lose £100 with no return, or win £200. But if you had enough money to play 1 million spins, you would get back approximately £970,000 if the RTP is 97%.
The RTP is a good measure of the fairness of online casino games and you should always look for the games and casinos that offer the highest overall RTP percentage. In this guide, we take RTP into consideration when comparing online casinos to find the best one.
Welcome Bonuses
Most online casinos that are licensed to operate in the UK offer some kind of welcome bonus.
For instance, one casino may offer to 100% match your initial deposit, up to a certain amount, which means that if you deposit £100 you’ll get an extra £100 after you’ve placed a certain amount of bets. Some offer 200%, which means you’ll get an extra £200 if you deposit £100.
Other casinos offer things like free bets or free spins, up to a certain value. This means that if you win from these free bets or spins, you get to keep the winnings, and if you lose, you don’t lose a penny.
The type of bonus depends on the site and some are more generous than others. We compare the generosity of the welcome bonus, as well as how easy it is to clear the wagering criteria (how much money needs to be bet to release the bonus).
Banking Options (Deposits & Withdrawals)
We take into account the variety of banking options that online casinos offer for both deposits and withdrawals, as well as any fees, length of time taken, and limits on amounts.
In general, the more options an online casino provides and the speedier they process transactions, the higher we rate them in this category.
In the UK, in April 2020, the government banned the use of credit cards to fund online gambling accounts, to protect customers from irresponsible gambling.
Acceptable deposit and withdrawal methods in the UK may include - Visa debit, Bank Transfer, Trustly, PayPal, Paysafecard, Skrill, Neteller, etc.
E-wallets such as Skrill or Neteller and open banking providers such as Trustly often offer the fastest deposits and withdrawals - usually instant deposits and withdrawals within 24 hours.
Customer Support
We only recommend UK online casinos that offer excellent customer support and service.
Excellent customer support means:
- Providing multiple contact methods, including live chat, phone, social media, and email.
- Available 24/7.
- Dealing with requests and queries quickly, politely, and smoothly.
Mobile casino
We realise that most people want to be able to play casino games on a mobile device such as a tablet or smartphone. That’s why we include mobile-friendliness in our ranking of UK online casinos.
Some sites offer mobile casino apps that can be installed on Android or Apple iOS devices - the most convenient option. Others provide mobile responsive browser access to online casino games.