Best online casinos UK
Thanks to the strict regulation in the UK, online casinos need to build a safe and fair gaming environment. The best casinos go the extra mile to create an outstanding experience with great usability, a huge game selection and a wide range of banking methods. Have a look below and discover the best online casinos in the UK!
Play in top quality casino sites
On this curated list, you'll find the top 10 UK casino sites. Use the quick filters to fine-tune your search and find the top casino site in any category.
What are the top online casinos like?
To get on our list, a casino needs to offer a solid overall experience. Here's what we're looking for when comparing the best casino sites in the UK:
- Safety and reliability
- Appealing bonuses
- Lots of casino games
- Great usability on mobile & desktop
- Wide variety of secure banking methods
- Multi-channel customer support
- Top ratings from Bojoko community
What can you expect from a UK casino?
Safe online casino experience
The British casino licence guarantees acceptable standards of technical quality and fair play. All UK casino sites are 100% legal and licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.
Trusted online casinos are serious about your safety. Here are some of the most important benchmarks of safe online casinos:
- Reputable casino licence
- Data encryption protocol
- Game outcome fairness and random number generators (RNGs)
- Accreditation by independent testing agencies
- Safe and secure banking methods
- Responsible gaming
- Positive user reviews from the Bojoko community
We asked Peter Bassill, the founder of Hedgehog Security, how safe it is to play in a UK casino. According to him, there's no such thing as an unhackable online casino. However, casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission are secure:
Big bonuses with fair terms
Most casino websites aim to stand out by offering a little extra to their customers. Almost every online casino in the UK welcomes new players with bonuses, including:
Quality games from top suppliers
English casino sites feature a solid repertoire of games from the top game providers in the industry. Keep your eyes peeled for these household names:
- NetEnt
- Evolution Gaming
- Playtech
- Microgaming
- Yggdrasil
- Quickspin
- Play'n GO
The top UK casinos offer a broad selection of different game types. They often feature games with betting limits suitable for different budgets. These range from penny slots to highroller live tables and high limit slots.
Easy to use mobile casinos and real money casino apps
A vast majority of UK players are now using their mobile phones and tablets to access online casinos. Understandably, all new online casinos invest heavily in mobile usability. Now you can access your favourite games anytime, anywhere.
You don't have to download a separate software to play casino games on your mobile. In UK-licensed mobile casino sites, every game can be played directly on your phone's browser.
Some mobile casinos also feature their own real money casino app as an alternative way to access the games. Downloading the app isn't mandatory, but it can create a smoother overall experience.
Return to our list of the best UK-licensed online casinos and apply the Mobile casino apps quick filter. You'll see top-rated mobile casino sites offering a separate app for iOS and Android.
Real money banking for deposits & withdrawals
More payment methods in an internet casino means more flexibility for you. The best online casino sites feature many different banking methods, such as:
- Credit/debit cards
- Online bank transfers
- E-wallets
- Mobile phone bill deposits
Besides offering many ways to transfer money, the best internet casinos also cut the transfer fees to the absolute minimum. For example, there are plenty of no-fee PayPal casinos available for UK players.
Multi-channel customer support
All UK-based casino sites offer some form of customer support. Depending on the site in question, casinos tackle their customers' issues via email, phone, live chat, and social media.
Responsive, knowledgeable and easily available support staff have become ways for quality casinos to differentiate themselves from their competitors. The best ones offer help around the clock and process payments even on weekend.
We talked to Peter Sjöberg, Head of Customer Services at Videoslots, about the role of the casino customer support team.
The key aspects of the support experience have remained the same even though the gambling industry has undergone major technological and regulatory changes over the last decade.
According to Sjöberg, there's no difference in the customers and their needs across different support channels.
"The support teams always aim to offer exceptional service. To help them achieve this, Sjöberg has a very simple tip for the players: "Verify yourself as an account holder and provide a detailed description of your query or issue."
Top rated UK based online casinos
On Bojoko, all casino operators that sign up create the listings themselves. The online casinos are then reviewed by players just like you. Read our casino reviews to get insights on:
- Bonuses
- Usability
- Game selection
- Customer service
- Mobile experience
Casino regulation improves your safety
The United Kingdom is a heavily regulated casino market. Tough licensing conditions paired with advertising and consumer protection guidelines help create a fair, transparent and safe gambling environment.
The UK Gambling Commission is the gambling regulator in Britain. When updating the online casino regulation, the UKGC collaborates closely with all parties involved. These include:
- Players
- Licence holders
- Industry groups
- Safe gambling organisations
- Other government bodies
UK Gambling Commission timeline for online casino regulation
Here are the major milestones in UK online casino regulation:
7 September 2007
UK Gambling Commission formed as part of the Gambling Act 2005
1 October 2011
National Lottery Commission becomes part of the Gambling Commission
1 October 2014
Offshore online casino operators that want to continue to accept UK players must obtain a licence from the Gambling Commission
31 March 2015
UK-licensed online casino operators can only offer games from UK-licensed game developers
29 June 2017
Gambling Commission requires online casinos to provide players with a standard set of tools for monitoring their wagering activity
31 October 2018
Gambling Commission sets out new standards for how online casinos have to deal with customer complaints
7 May 2019
Online casino operators are required to complete KYC checks before allowing players to gamble
Many licences, better compliance
Although all casino sites operating in the UK need to get a licence from the UK Gambling Commission, many are dual-licensed. This means they operate under the UKGC licence in the UK market; in other jurisdictions under some other licence.
The gambling regulation differs vastly even within European countries. Sweden and Denmark have created national licensing systems similar to the UK, which means casinos operating in those countries need to have an SE and DK licence, respectively. Malta and Estonia in turn have tailored their licences for the international market, especially the EU. Regulators also work together to build a better gaming environment.
In our interview with the Malta Gaming Authority, the CEO Heathcliff Farrugia explained Malta's recently updated gaming legislation and MGA's approach to safe gambling:
"An important aspect of the new law is the introduction of what we call "a duty of care for operators", whereby operators are obliged to monitor players who are showing patterns of problematic gambling behavior and to intervene when appropriate."
MGA has also asked Dr Mark Griffiths, a chartered Psychologist and Distinguished Professor of Behavioural Addiction at the Nottingham Trent University, to give the regulator feedback and suggest more ways to improve player protection. MGA is now working on implementing his ideas.
When we interviewed Carl Brincat, the Chief Legal Counsel at MGA, he brought up the need for regulators to be ready to tweak their approach in the fast evolving gambling industry:
By itself, the UK licence guarantees a safe gambling experience and operator accountability. However, having to keep up to date with several regulatory systems at the same time means dual-licensed casinos are experts in player safety and compliance. When you use our casino lists, you can build a custom filter to only show you casinos with multiple licences.
Trust the established high-quality casinos
The same high-quality casinos often top the charts from year to year. These popular online casinos have managed to build a large player base and a trusted brand.
Here are 5 top quality casino sites with a robust reputation for a solid player experience:
Each of the casinos listed above has their own unique recipe for success, but here are some common hall-marks:
- Long-established
- Award-winning
- Publicly traded
- Multi-licensed
- Pioneers of responsible gaming
- Trusted by millions of players in the UK and abroad
Casino companies that have been in the business for over a decade have had the time to fine-tune their product. Some of them have operated since early 2000s, i.e. the early years of the online gambling boom.
Over the years, these casinos have been recognised in many industry galas, such as International Gaming Awards, EGR Operator Awards and iGaming Idol. Recently, the trophies have often gone to newer brands. The notable exception is Mr Green grabbing the 2019 IGA Award for the Live Casino of the Year.
Most of the brands above are owned by big, publicly traded companies. Although being listed in a stock exchange doesn't automatically make companies care more about their players and employees, they have an extra incentive to maintain a good public image.
For example, Kindred Group, the parent company of Unibet and 32Red, has gained plenty of positive publicity by winning several Great Place To Work awards.
Multiple gaming licenses make the listed above adept in compliance. Many have also introduced their own innovative responsible gaming solutions to protect their players:
- Mr Green's Green Gaming tool monitors playing patterns and alerts you when it spots signs of problem gambling.
- Videoslots helps its players stay within the bonus rules by applying betting limits that can't be exceeded when playing with bonus.
- Rizk allows you to lock your withdrawal so you don't cancel it and gamble it away while waiting for it to be cleared.
- Unibet lets you block different gambling products so you don't end up playing the games you find too hard to resist.
Online casinos with the best payouts
According to the UK Gambling Commission, the theoretical payout percentage or RTP (Return To Player) of the game must always be visible to the player in a UK licensed casino. In addition, the RTP of any individual casino game stays the same from one UK casino to the next. For example, the RTP of online slot games is usually around 96%.
This isn't necessarily the case in casinos not licensed by the UKGC, MGA or other reputable regulators. Game suppliers operate in several different markets and offer the casinos different RTP options for the same game. Depending on the jurisdiction, the operators can set the payout percentage even below 90%.
Besides the RTP of an individual game, some casino sites do publish their overall payout rate. The best paying online casinos in the UK seem to have some really lucky players. The casino payout percentages can reach up to 97%, which far exceeds the payout rate of an average slot machine.
Here are our highest payout online casinos:
- Hyper Casino - 97.0%
- Tonybet - 97.0%
- Videoslots - 95.7%
- MrQ - 95.6%
- Deluxino Casino - 95.5%
- Atlantic Spins - 93.5%
Responsible real money gambling
In a UK real money casino you can deposit, play for, and win real money. However, gambling in an online casino should never be viewed as a way to make money. Instead, it is meant to be a thrilling form of entertainment to spice up your life.
Gambling is a hobby that can get out of hand and start to take up too much of your time and money. Here are some guidelines to help you keep a level head when playing in an online casino for real money:
- Gambling is for adults only. The minimum legal age for all online casinos in Britain is 18 years.
- Set yourself betting, loss and time limits
- Don't borrow money for gambling
- Take breaks and alternate gambling with other activities
- Don't gamble when stressed out, depressed, drunk, angry or otherwise preoccupied
- Seek help if you feel unable to control your gaming
Many casino sites in Britain feature responsible gaming tools that help you keep gambling from becoming a problem. Here are some examples:
- Reality checks - activate the hourly notifications to see how long you've been playing and how much you've won or lost.
- Deposit limits - limit your deposit amounts per day, week or month.
- Wagering limits - limit how much you can bet per game or on your entire account.
- Loss limit - limit how much you can lose. Generally this is calculated from the deposit amount, not the winnings.
- Session limit - limit the amount of time you can play.
- Cooling off period - take a break up to 6 months. Deposits are blocked but you can withdraw your real money balance.
- Self-exclusion - Deactivate your account and bar yourself from the casino for a set period of time. Your account won't be automatically re-activated.
We have gathered resources about problem gambling and ways to get help on our responsible gaming page.
FAQ
What is an online casino?
An online casino is an online version of the traditional brick-and-mortar casino.
Online casinos allow gamblers to play different casino games over the internet, with real money. The game selections often include:
- Online slots
- Traditional casino table games
- Live dealer games streamed from a studio
- Video poker
- Bingo
- Scratch cards
- Sportsbetting
Online casinos are available 24/7, and can be accessed with you computer, smartphone or tablet.
How do online casinos differ from land-based casinos?
The core essence of online casinos and land-based casinos is the same, there are some major differences between them.
Online casinos:
- Are more numerous
- Are updated more frequently
- Can be accessed anytime, anywhere, even on mobile
- Offer more banking methods
- Feature more games and game types
- Have a better return to player percentage, i.e. a smaller house edge
- Have a larger range of minimum and maximum bets
- Offer bonuses
- Don't have a dress code
Brick-and-mortar casinos:
- Invest in a more social experience
- Sometimes offer free drinks
- Have higher minimum and lower maximum bets
- Have a bigger house edge
- Feature a smaller selection games
- Offer classic table games and older slots
- Rarely offer bonuses
- Have a dress code
Why play in an online casino?
Online casinos are a great form of entertainment. They have many benefits compared to traditional land-based casinos. These include:
- Play anywhere, anytime
- A bigger selection of games
- More casinos to choose from
- Smaller house edge
- Online casino bonuses
For a complete comparison, see our answer to the question How do online casinos differ from land-based casinos?
Can I play real money casino games on mobile?
Yes. Practically all casinos run on mobile devices and you can play directly via your phone's browser. No download required.
Every new slot has a mobile version these days. This means you can access a vast number of games on your mobile phone or tablet. Most live dealer games are also optimised for mobile.
In addition, you can use your phone bill to make a deposit in an online casino.
Is it legal to play in online casinos in the UK?
It is perfectly legal for UK residents to play in an online casino, as long as:
- You are 18 or older
- The casino is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission
Underage gambling is strictly prohibited and players must be over 18 to open an account and participate in online casino games.
You can find more info in our guide to online gambling licenses.
Is it safe to play in online casinos?
Yes. As long as you're playing in UK-licensed casinos, online gambling is just as safe as popping to the local betting shop.
Casinos licensed by the UK Gambling Commission are carefully vetted. In order to maintain their licence, they need to follow a strict and constantly updated set of guidelines called licensing conditions.
On Bojoko, we only work with trusted casino companies and show you safe, reliable, UK-licensed online casinos. We have a zero-tolerance policy for rogue gambling sites. If we find casinos acting illegally, they are immediately removed from the site and blacklisted forever.
As a player, you can make your online casino experience safer by:
- Carefully reading the terms and conditions
- Only playing in casinos with a UK licence
- Following the principles of responsible gaming
Are online casinos rigged?
No. In licensed online casinos, games are programmed to give a random outcomes. They have a built-in winning percentage called return to player or RTP. In the most popular games such as online slots and table games, the return rate varies between 95-98%.
The fact that the games have a built-in house edge doesn't mean they're rigged.
Casino games use a random number generator (RNG) to determine the outcome of each round. These mechanisms are tested by independent laboratories and certified by accreditation agencies to make sure the games are fair. For casinos the certified games are a prerequisite for getting a gaming licence.
How do I know that an online casino is not a scam?
Trustworthy online casinos always have a valid licence in place and are not afraid to show it. The licence number plus the name and logo of the licensing authority are usually found on the footer of the page. In the UK, this authority is the UK Gambling Commission.
The online casino should have an authentic office address, visible accreditation, good gaming software, a responsive site, genuine contact channels, a variety of deposit and withdrawal methods and realistic bonuses and promotions.
On Bojoko, we only partner up with licensed online casinos, so you won't find any scams or rogue casinos here.
Can I play in casinos without a UK gambling licence?
Online casinos without a UK license are not allowed to offer their games in Britain. In order to accept players from the UK, they need to be licensed by the Gambling Commission.
As a UK player you have absolutely no reason to play anywhere else than in UK-licensed casinos. You are protected by some of the strictest gambling rules on the planet, which casinos in other jurisdictions don't need to follow.
If you're accessing Bojoko from the UK, all the online casinos listed on the site will have a valid UK gaming licence.
If you're outside the UK, you may have access to online casinos which don't have a UK gambling licence but hold a valid licence from another country, such as Malta, Gibraltar, Estonia, Isle of Man, and others.
For more info about the UK gaming licence, check out our chapter on UK gambling regulation and our guide to casino licences.
How to choose between different online casinos?
There are hundreds of online casinos available in the UK. Picking the right one can be difficult, especially for newcomers.
Your personal preferences play a big role in choosing a casino. Here are some of the most important things we pay attention to:
- A valid casino licence from the UK Gambling Commission
- Banking methods
- Game selection
- Bonuses
- Mobile usability
- User reviews
If you're completely new to online gambling, we recommend starting with:
Understanding how casinos work may be difficult at first. We have compiled a lot of essential information in the following guides:
Can I try online casino games with play money before depositing real money?
Most online casinos offer the opportunity to test the game with play money before moving on to real money gambling.
Since May 2019, all UK casinos require players to create an account and verify their identity before giving them access to the games, even in free-play mode.
Once you're comfortable with the game, you can move on making a real money deposit.
You can also take advantage of no deposit bonuses. They let you try the game on the house and offer a chance to win real money.
Can you win money in online casinos?
Absolutely – millions of players around the world have played and won real money repeatedly.
The majority of online casino games are based 100% on chance, meaning there's no element of skill involved. These include online slot machines, scratch cards and online roulette.
Other games require a varying level of skill. Skill-based games include poker, sports betting and blackjack.
Never play with money you can't afford to lose.
Are my online casino winnings tax free?
UK players don't need to pay any taxes for their winnings when they play in a UK online casino, licensed by the Gambling Commission.
The winnings are tax-free because the casino's licence covers all the tax payable. While online casinos have to pay their fair share of tax, you never should.
Casinos without a valid UK gambling licence may have hidden taxes on winnings.
Return to our list of the best UK-licensed online casinos to see the top sites with tax free winnings.
How to open a player account in an online casino?
Opening a player account is quick and easy:
- Choose your casino with our casino selection tool.
- Fill out the details requested in the registration form and create a username and password.
- Submit the casino documents for KYC and AML check.
- Verify your account. You'll get the verification link as an email or a text message (SMS).
Once you've verified your account, you can start playing.
What is the KYC check?
Casinos need to protect themselves and the players against fraud by rigorous KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures. They also perform AML (Anti-Money Laundering) checks if they spot suspicious banking patterns.
After 7th May 2019, all casinos operating in the UK need to verify the following details before giving players access to the games:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
In addition, casinos may need to know your source of wealth and make sure that you're not using banking methods registered to anyone else.
Having these checks at the beginning of your customer journey makes the withdrawals faster and much smoother.
Which documents do casinos request?
Here's a list of documents you may be required to submit:
- Proof of ID
- Proof of address
- Proof of payment method
Proof of ID verifies who you are. Casinos require you to show them a government-issued picture ID, such as a driver's licence, an ID card or a passport.
Proof of address verifies where you live. This needs to be an official letter with your name and current address. The proof of address can't be older than 3 months.
Casinos usually require utility bills, bank statements, credit card statements, insurance documents and other official letters. Gym membership bills and such are rejected.
Proof of payment method tells the casino you're not using someone else's banking details. The document required depends on the banking method.
Credit/debit card: take pictures of the front and the back of your card. Show all four corners of the card, the first 6 and the last 4 digits of your card number, plus your signature. You should cover the middle digits and CVC code on the back of your card.
E-wallets: take a screenshot showing your account details, including your name, email address and the account number.
Bank account: take a screenshot of your online bank statement with your name and account details. You can also scan/photograph the bank statement letter.
Here's why casinos ask this information.
What is the minimum amount I can deposit?
The minimum deposit amount varies between online casinos and different money transfer methods. Most casinos feature a minimum deposit of £10 to £20, but some let you deposit as little as £1.
We have listed all casinos with a small minimum deposit.
What deposit and withdrawal methods do casinos offer?
The most commonly available banking methods in online casinos are:
- Credit/debit cards (Visa and Mastercard)
- Wire transfers
- Direct banking (Trustly)
- E-wallets (PayPal, Skrill, Neteller)
- Pre-paid cards (Paysafecard)
- Pay by phone banking (Payforit and Boku)
The selection of banking methods varies greatly, and not every deposit method can be used for withdrawals. Read our casino reviews to see which deposit and withdrawal methods each casino supports.
How much are the banking fees usually?
Banking fees are dependent on the online casino and the money transfer method used. To give you some idea, they can range from no fees at all to 5% of the total sum being transferred.
Many casinos don't charge any fees at all; some have a flat fee for every transaction; others apply different sums and percentages for each banking method.
In order to avoid nasty surprises, you should always check the banking fees before making a deposit. You usually find this info on the casino's banking page or FAQ section. You may need to log in to see the exact fees for each banking method.
Although some banking methods may be free to use in the casino, they may not be eligible casino bonuses.
Can I deposit with one method and use another one for withdrawals?
Generally, no. Casinos need to be very strict about anti money laundering, and using a casino to move money between accounts is a red flag for them.
However, there are transfer methods that can only be used for deposits, namely:
- prepaid cards
- pay by phone bill
Some casinos are also fussy about withdrawals to Mastercard.
In these cases, you need to confirm another banking method for withdrawals by making a deposit and wagering it once. Then you can withdraw your winnings from your original deposit too.
You also need to register a banking method with a deposit and wagering when you want to withdraw winnings from a no deposit bonus.
How long do deposits and withdrawals usually take?
Deposits are almost always processed immediately, regardless of your money transfer method.
For withdrawals, the money transfer method will affect the processing time. The actual transfer can take from a few minutes to up to 5 business days.
In addition, some casinos impose a pending period before they even process your withdrawal request. This can also take days.
In our casino reviews, every online casino gives an estimated deposit and withdrawal time for different payment methods.
Article by:
Lauri Ronkainen
Article by:
Joonas Karhu