Best online casino sites uk

Pros:

Cons:

• No iOS or Android app
• No ongoing promotions
• No rewards programme

Pros:

Cons:

• No live chat while logged out
• No casino rewards programme
• No mobile app for iOS or Android

Pros:

Cons:

• No iOS or Android app
• Limited ongoing promotions
• No rewards programme for UK players

Pros:

Cons:

• Limited UK banking options
• Fees on certain payment methods
• Limited ongoing promotions

Pros:

Cons:

• No matched welcome bonus
• Limited banking options
• No online bingo games

Pros:

Cons:

• Limited banking options
• No mobile casino app
• No bingo games

Pros:

Cons:

• Few banking methods
• No ongoing promotions
• No native mobile app

Pros:

Cons:

• No matched welcome bonus
• No live chat when logged out
• Limited UK banking options

Pros:

Cons:

• No reward programme
• No native app
• No live chat

Pros:

Cons:

• Lack of ongoing promotions
• No native iOS or Android app
• Limited banking options

This one is often overlooked by UK online casino players. However, we feel that it’s vital for deciding what type of experience you’re after. It largely boils down to whether you want to go with a new online casino or one of the established brands. There are pros and cons for both.

Newer casino sites in the UK tend to innovate quicker than those from larger companies. The latest sites are often at the forefront of new ideas. For example, gamification and levelling up your avatar as you progress through the casino games really add something fresh to the experience. On the flip side, customer support can be barebones compared to a larger online casino.

Another plus point for going with an established online casino is that you’re more likely to have access to thousands of titles including live dealer casino games – and possibly sports betting action on the side. Also, knowing that thousands of UK players already know and trust the site can help in your decision. All of the feedback on gambling sites and forums will be there for all to see. Whereas a newer site can go under the radar for a certain period of time.

We briefly mentioned casino game variety above. But it really helps to know what you’re after before signing up at a UK online casino. For example, you might decide that you really want a decent selection of modern video slots. These are by far the most popular category at any given casino site, of course. But whether or not you’ll have access to everything by the likes of NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, etc, is another matter. On top of that, it’s worth checking ahead of time if there are some progressive jackpots and classic fruit machines available, too.

Aside from slot games, there’s a whole world of different casino titles out there. If you think of a traditional casino, your mind will naturally go to roulette, blackjack and baccarat. But are there plenty of options there for when you need a break from slots and table games? What about live dealer casino games? This category is growing in popularity every year and competition is fierce among the various brands. Still, we always look for live dealer games from Evolution Gaming because then you get wacky TV-style game show titles to play, too.

Then, you may find that you want a jack-of-all-trades online casino. In this way, you’ll be able to switch things up with a few rounds of bingo, or hands of poker, or be able to place a sports bet on the big Champions League game. Essentially, then, we’re saying that it helps to decide whether you want a dedicated slots casino or something with plenty of alternative options.

As soon as you load up one of the best UK casino sites, you’ll know whether you’re intrigued or reticent to explore further. Your gut feeling is not to be dismissed either. Sure, you can grow to like the look and feel of most sites in the UK but you cannot spend weeks and months at a site that does not "spark joy", as Marie Kondo would say. But this is only the surface level of casino site design. It needs to look inviting. But it also has to function well on a daily basis.

Whenever we're reviewing an online casino in the UK, we pay close attention to the overall layout and navigation features. Nothing should be confusing. You should be able to access your online casino account settings easily. Depositing and withdrawing should be simple. And being able to filter the table games and jackpot slots, for example, should be straightforward. Most importantly, all the main areas of the site or app should be within reach of the home screen.

These quality-of-life features will make your time at top UK casino sites a pleasure. After all, we play casino games to relax or unwind from a tough day. There shouldn’t be any roadblocks tainting that experience. Therefore, be sure to check out a site’s layout, design and functionality before signing up for deposit bonuses or a free spins bonus, for example. It's worth taking a no deposit casino bonus first while you decide. Speaking of which…

We’ll go into more detail about claiming a real money bonus offer below. However, for now, we wanted to focus on the online casino promotions that will sustain you beyond those first few heady weeks – i.e., when you’ll be playing your welcome bonus and free spins. What you need to ensure is that you at least have the option of promotions running all throughout the year. These can be seasonal ones around Christmas or Halloween but also regular weekly bonuses.

For example, if you know that there’s a reload deposit bonus available every Thursday, you can plan your deposits ahead of a weekend session. Or if you know there will be some free spins credited for the latest slot games every Monday, then you know it’ll be worth signing in on that day. Or if you’re more of a high roller that doesn’t care too much for free spins or whatever it might be, you might want a decent loyalty bonus or cashback deal instead. The former gives you something to play for and the latter will help mitigate any losses.

Another thing to keep an eye on is the wagering requirements. If an online casino wants you to wager 45 times your bonus amount each time, it will soon become a slog. But if you go for an online casino site that has more reasonable wagering requirements of, say, 30 times, you’ll be much happier. The same thing applies to any free spins winnings credited as bonus funds, too, of course. This is why we always spend time explaining the wagering in plain English.

Regardless of whether you have one of the many payment methods at hand, it’s worth playing at a UK casino site that offers many different ones just in case. After all, it's worth noting that some of the best online casinos in the UK restrict withdrawals to the same method used to make a deposit in the first place. Also, if you’re using a debit card (remember that credit cards cannot be used at UK online casinos), you might want to use an eWallet like PayPal or Skrill to keep your card details extra safe. Alternatively, Apple Pay and Google Pay do a great job, too.

The majority of online gambling sites in the UK will offer a long list of payment methods. Therefore, you’ll be sure to see plenty of debit card casinos, for example. Or you can use bank transfers to claim a deposit bonus and get started. However, the latter is quite slow depending on the UK bank you are using – more on this below. This is another instance where an eWallet can help speed things up – though there may be some fees to consider. Nevertheless, eWallets and other electronic money services like PayPal, Trustly, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafecard and others are a neat solution.

Finally, crypto casinos are not able to get a UKGC license. But if you’re considering making cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals at Bitcoin casinos, you’ll have to consider playing somewhere based outside of the United Kingdom. In any case, there are lots of payment methods, so be sure to consider this before signing up. And finally, pay attention to the withdrawal limits for certain payment methods, as well as any restrictions that may be in place when claiming a casino welcome bonus. The same goes for free spins too, of course.

When it comes to withdrawing your winnings (fingers crossed!), speed is of the essence. For example, are you willing to wait up to five business days for a bank transfer to come through? Sure, bank transfers are one of the safest methods for moving money around online. But the waiting times are often not worth it for many UK players. On the flip side, debit card deposits and withdrawals are near-instant. But, then, it isn't exactly the safest way of doing things.

All top online casinos should have a payments page detailing minimum deposit amounts, maximum withdrawal limits over a certain period, withdrawal times, any fees and so on. So, naturally, when we’re reviewing UK online casino sites, we pay close attention to these details. And it’s always worth shopping around to find the best online casino sites for your needs. If the withdrawal times seem quite long, for example, try to find an alternative casino website.

Note that processing times will apply everywhere. UK Gambling Commission casinos need to check a certain percentage of transactions to be compliant. This is to clamp down on money laundering, fraud and other financial crimes. So, you might need to be patient if your withdrawal gets caught in the net. However, many modern online casinos still manage to do all these checks within a couple of hours. Nevertheless, a fast withdrawal UK casino can be well worth it over a slower alternative in the long run.

Another vital area is customer support. That’s because having a knowledgeable team ready to answer any and all questions is worth its weight in gold. For example, what if your bonus spins haven’t been credited, one of the online slots is misbehaving or you’re struggling to initiate a withdrawal? Well, the customer support team will be able to access your account directly, then suggest a solution or else manually make any changes required. So, having an excellent online casino site support system at your beck and call is critical to a good experience.

Here at GamblingAuthority, we are big fans of live chat. Normally, you will be answered within 30 seconds, you can send screenshots easily and you can upload any requested documents too – great for completing your KYC checks, for example. Therefore, we always look for a live chat option when reviewing an online casino in the UK – we’ll also send some test queries over to assess the response times, the level of knowledge and overall friendliness.

Additionally, it’s always good to have a direct email address for those inquiries that aren’t urgent. You might want to consider whether or not a British casino has a UK phone number if you prefer to speak with a customer support agent directly. And regardless of the methods of communication in place, we would argue that anything less than round-the-clock support is not good enough. Therefore, we always give bonus points for hour customer support.

All of the best online casinos based in the United Kingdom need a license from the UKGC. And that’s a good thing. Among other things, the UK Gambling Commission ensures that the best online casinos UK have enough money in the reserve to pay jackpot slots winners, that advertising standards are being upheld and even steps in when a player and a casino cannot come to an agreement about a dispute. In short, then, the UKGC is always firmly on your side.

Because of all this, we always recommend playing at a UK Gambling Commission casino. This is simply because you are better protected than with lesser licensing authorities. Having said that, the Malta Gaming Authority, as well as UK-centric licenses from the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority and the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission, are taking notes from the UK Gambling Commission. All such licenses should give UK players peace of mind.

Additionally, as far as casino games are concerned, there are third-party regulators that ensure fairness across the board. The most relevant such body for an online casino site in the UK is eCOGRA. This independent authority is based in London and carries out a variety of announced and unannounced visits to test all the casino games. In this way, you can be sure that, when playing casino games online, the payouts are correct and the stated RTP is true.

Last but not least, there are some safety and security considerations to bear in mind. We always highlight these things in each of our online casino reviews. But it’s worth mentioning them here too. For example, there should be a robust data protection policy in place. You should be able to refuse unnecessary cookies being placed on your computer. And where any T&Cs apply, they should be easily accessible. But that's just the first layer of security.

We highly recommend never playing at a casino site that doesn’t have SSL or TLS encryption running on every page. Essentially this just means checking that they are using HTTPS instead of the dated and completely non-secure HTTP protocol. Most modern browsers will do these checks on your behalf and warn you if a casino site is not secure. You can also look for a padlock symbol next to the web address. Encryption helps protect you against man-in-the-middle attacks, which go after your personal and financial data.

We check all of the above on your behalf whenever reviewing a new online casino. Still, these things are worth double-checking to ensure you get the best possible casino experience. With all of that covered, we can now look at extra features and how to get started at top UK casinos.