This section is all about online casinos – covering everything from what you can play and where you can find them. Plus a few hints and tips thrown in for good measure.
To kick things off, we’ve compiled a list of recommended casino sites which you can find below. Some of these are better known as bookmakers but they also offer casino games, whilst others are dedicated stand alone casino sites.
And, just like the bookies we list in our sports section, all of the following casinos are licensed and regulated in the UK. Remember you must be 18+ to gamble and other terms and eligibility criteria will apply.
Best Online Casinos - April 2024
BetVictor
Known first and foremost as a bookmaker, within the space of a few years BetVictor went from a respectable games list of around 500 up to a stonking 1500+. That gives you some idea of their level of commitment towards their casino product, which is improving all the time.
It's not just the games list that is impressive either, their website is a work of art. It's a classic example of beautiful simplicity, letting the game tiles shine and making the user experience feel easy and natural. This is just how gaming should be.
The content comes from 20+ different game providers, including the great and good like Microgaming, NetEnt, IGT, and others, plus smaller developers with impressive and exciting titles. Slots are everywhere but there are also loads of huge jackpots, Megaways games, instant wins, and live casino games. It's the full monty.
What really stands out though is the way BetVictor treat their players. Customer service is a cut above here, with multiple methods of contact available day and night, very fast hassle free withdrawals, and a few decent promotions thrown in there as well. This is an online casino that will treat you how you deserve to be treated.
Bet365
*Written from personal experience that could be subject to change and location. Customer eligibility is the decision of the bet365.
It's something of a 2 in 1 with bet365's online casino, because their casino is powered by Playtech meaning you get the full force of what the provider has to offer including all of their branded games and jackpots; but there is another section named Games which holds plenty of content from other providers too, so you really do get the best of both worlds.
It's great for interesting and rewarding offers that change regularly too, and bet365 also run head to head tournaments which add a competitive element to your gaming session.
These guys have every angle covered, with tons of slots, loads of jackpots, as well as table games and video poker a plenty, and that's not to mention the bingo and poker areas of the site. Quite frankly, bet365 don't put a foot wrong with their casino offering in my opinion, ensuring choice and value at all times.
Not only that, but it's a good looking online casino too, very stylish. It's a secondary concern for sure but you don't half feel good about playing there.
They have the balance just right here; it's an engaging casino with enough features to set it apart and make it exciting, but never strays into feeling gimmicky or cheap.
Betfred
Betfred might be best known as a high street bookie, but such is the quality of their online casino that it almost matches the reputation of their sportsbook offering these days.
Powered by Playtech, the Casino is accompanied by a Games area chocka block with titles from other developers and with plenty of bonuses to match - Betfred are 'the Bonus King' after all.
A well rounded online casino that feels busy but not overwhelming, it ticks pretty much every box by covering all areas of the market, and that means that players of all tastes can pick and choose from their product list to get a combination perfect for them.
It's a fantastic place for jackpot hunters in particular, with almost 100 of them available and many offering National Lottery size sums of money, but it's equally good for more laid back games like scratch cards and bingo.
Betfred actually held the record for the biggest progressive jackpot win in the UK for a while; over £5 million was won on Beach Life.
We can't promise the same will happen to you, but we can promise that you will be treated to a stellar game library at Betfred which is always changing and always finding new ways to reward customers.
Grosvenor
You probably know them as the high street casino chain with real estate in big towns and cities all over the UK, but that is only part of the story when it comes to Grosvenor.
Their online casino is brimming with only the best slots, jackpots and table games, with plenty of choice and variety while still keeping the bar high and not padding out the site with duds. This is a tricky balance to get right but Grosvenor have nailed it.
The live casino powered by both Authentic and Evolution provides a lot more live dealer action than you might be used to, even benefiting from live feeds from some of their high street casino games. That means you can play on a real life table from the comfort of your own home.
The sportsbook is a solid addition to what is on offer here bringing plenty to the table in terms of betting options while not dressing it up too much, but it is the poker at Grosvenor which is the jewel in the crown.
Such big fans of poker are Grosvenor that they run their own UK poker tour and an online National Poker League as well. There is big big money to play for here, but it is an equally friendly destination for those with tighter purse strings. Either way, if you find a better place to play poker online you will have done very well indeed.
All British Casino
There are plenty of good online casinos out there but if you want to raise the bar a little and go for a great casino aimed directly at the UK player instead then consider All British Casino. These guys have been running since 2013 and so are a seasoned brand in the online casino market. They are stable and focused, they know what their customers want and they know how to deliver it.
There are many good attributes here. Naturally games are important and All British have a selection of 1400 of them, with around 1100 slots and 45 jackpot games. It is not so much the numbers that is impressive but the diversity with games provided by big providers such as Netent and Microgaming as well as more niche studios such as Amatic, Just for the Win and Slingshot. In total you can play games from over 25 providers and as a nice touch you can search games by provider too.
In terms of looking after you as a customer All British tick all the boxes. They have valuable reward and cash back programs for players, 24/7 customer support, a range of banking options with £10 minimum deposit and £20 minimum withdrawal, fast processing times and generally fair terms all round.
All British also now have a sportsbook too, which doesn't get in the way but is useful for those players who like to place sports bets too without having to move to a different site.
32Red
32Red has been one of the best online casinos on the internet almost since the internet began. It has outlasted countless other brands over the years, setting the standard for other casinos to meet.
Well known for their affiliation with Microgaming, arguably the biggest and best game developer in the industry, 32Red are a must try casino for players who want access to the developer's full suit of games, although titles from other providers are available too.
They also have a long running, well regarded, and genuinely rewarding loyalty scheme which keeps players coming back time and time again. It's not just that though, the customer service is a cut above, award winning even, and the company have a real hands on approach here. The banking terms are also accessible and will suit high rollers just as much as penny players.
It's not all about slots and jackpot here, the live casino is powered by the best in the business, Evolution Gaming, they also have slingo games too, and if you are a fan of video poker then it will be a challenge to find anywhere better.
32Red have gone through a lot of changes recently, partly to do with their acquisition by Kindred Group in 2017, but they have done so in a way that only improves what they have to offer, proving that they are still prepared to evolve with the industry that they have been leading for all these years.
LeoVegas
Hitting the scene back in 2011, LeoVegas was arguably responsible for dragging the mobile casino industry into the 21st Century. Although mobile gaming was a possibility, it had always felt like a secondary concern until that point.
LeoVegas might have been the first company to really focus on mobile gamers and mobile casino, but it didn't take others long to catch on, so adaptability and embracing new tech has always been important for LeoVegas. As a result of this attitude, they have maintained a top spot for players who value the mobile gaming experience over all else.
This means masses of games (1,500+ and counting) from a good number of time served providers, a live casino, and a promotions package that LeoVegas can take 'pride' in. (Pride? A pride of lions? Leo the lion? Taxi!)
The site is obviously perfectly optimised for the smaller screen as well, so its not just the content but also the usability and functionality of the site that shines through, and they have plenty of industry awards to prove it.
Gala Casino
Gala pretty much epitomise British gaming and have gone from running the best known bingo halls in the 2000's to now being gaming all rounder with a massive online presence. Since those early days Gala first became a part of Coral and then later part of the larger Entain group following a string of mergers. The larger group has however benefitted Gala well and they have grown dramatically as a brand as a result but yet still keep that high street gaming vibe about them.
For casino players they have over 1000 games with all the big titles from all the big providers, a benefit of being in a big group that can negotiate games licenses. They also cover all the table games you would expect to see at a big casino and their live games are some of the best around.
If you like to play bingo too then there are few that can match Gala. The brand has it's own network, Electraworks, which Entain renamed when they bought Cozy Games. This means bingo games perfectly tailored to the site and not available with the usual white labels out there.
The other benefit of being in a big group is resources. This means plenty of banking options with low limits, 24/7 customer support and a constant flow of existing customer offers. Gala have customers that have been playing with them for literally decades, which tells you why it is on this page.
Unibet
Any casino that tops 1000 games and keeps on going has to be worth a look, and when that casino also happens to be run by one of the biggest online gambling companies in existence it is impossible to ignore.
Say hello to Unibet casino. These guys get practically everything right, from their game library which includes exclusive titles, huge jackpots, more slots than we know what to do with and also finds time for game types like video poker and slingo which many other operators ignore; to their favourable terms and excellent reputation for customer focus and support.
Everything knits together perfectly here. The site itself is a real achievement considering the sheer scale of what is available, and it helps the player on their journey without ever getting in the way. Whether you want to play table games, live casino, bingo, poker, etc., you can find it intuitively using Unibet's user focused interface.
The welcome offer might not be the most eye catching, but you would be a fool to let that be the deciding factor in whether or not to give them a shot, not least because the regular customer offers are numerous and rewarding, not to mention their various loyalty programs.
If you want to feel valued as a customer at the same time as having access to a vast library of top games from big developers, then Unibet has got you covered. This is a place you can play with peace of mind and without ever getting bored.
The Rialto Casino
All online casinos attempt to mirror the real world casino experience in one way or another, but Rialto comes closer than most.
This is because the site is linked to the real Rialto in London's Leicester Square. It's a venue owned by the famous Grosvenor brand, and the online version does its best to imitate it, with a huge number of RNG based table games and roulette variations, as well as not one but two different live casinos from two different providers, including tables streamed live from London.
This makes them stand apart from other online casinos, but there is no compromise in the slots department either. Video slot fans will find hundreds of titles old and new here, but their niche is to provide online versions of real world slot machines you can find in high street casinos.
That means developers like IGT and Novomatic feature heavily, but this is still a place where newer game studios can flourish, and the Rialto can even boast a few exclusives, not to mention around 200 jackpots.
The brand has more pedigree than pretty much all others too, with Grosvenor having established in 1970 and the Rialto itself once playing host to the well to do of London. But those days are long gone and those who suffer from reverse snobbery have nothing to worry about - everyone is welcome at the Rialto.
It does mean they have a reputation to uphold though, which they do with exemplary customer support and one of the fastest withdrawal processing times in the industry, not to mention better than expected protection for players funds.
Looking For Casino Bonuses?
Just like bookies, most online casinos offer bonuses to new players. These range in value from a handful of free spins to a cheeky tenner or even several hundred pounds. You can find a full list of these promotions on the pages below.
List of All Casino Sites
How Do Casinos Get Licences To Operate in the UK?
We’ve already had a look at bookies, but we should explore the way that online casinos work too because they’re a tad different, so it’s important to know how they are licensed and the ways in which your money is protected when you join them and have a flutter on their games.
In principle, an online casino can operate from anywhere in the world, so it’s not exactly practical to turn up on their doorstep if something goes wrong. That’s why it is imperative to check they have a UK Gambling license allowing them to legally offer their services to players in this country before you sing up.
In many ways there aren’t a huge amount of differences between the laws that apply to bookmakers and those that are in place for online casinos. They still have to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission and they need to abide by the rules set out by both the 2005 Gambling Act and the 2014 Gambling (Licensing & Advertising) Act. The criteria laid out before companies hoping to open an online casino for punters in the UK are stringent, and those applying for a licence have to provide huge amounts of information about themselves. They are assessed on:
- Identity and Ownership
- Finances
- Integrity
- Competence
- Criminality
They also have to pay an application fee. That info is then looked over by independent bodies in order to ensure transparency and fairness throughout the proceedings.
Provided the casino meets all of the criteria they are granted a license, but this is not the end of it; the UKGC is constantly monitoring all license holders to ensure that they not only stick to the terms of their license, but also that they are quick to act on any changes or additional requirements. Licenses can be revoked and fines can be dished out to anyone breaking the rules.
There are different types of gambling license depending on the type of company that is being set up, but and online casino would need a remote gambling license, and there is an annual fee to pay for all license holders.
White Labels
It is actually possible for more than one online casino to run on the same license. It’s a perfectly legitimate thing to do if you are a white label operating under a larger company.
You might have noticed that some online casinos have an oddly similar style or layout, and this is most likely because they are running on the same platform. The platform is the build of the website and the features included in it such as payment processing, customer support, integration, etc.
A white label company is an outside organisation that buys a platform provider’s website template and capabilities then slaps its’ own branding and theme over the top of it. It’s a bit like adding your own toppings to a cheese and tomato pizza – it’s not a literal comparison obviously, you need to go with the analogy.
Anyway, the license can come as part of the package. These platform providers need their own license and some of them run their own online casino brands too, but any outside companies operating as white labels are their responsibility, so they need to ensure their clients are playing by the rules or their own heads might be on the chopping block.
Operating as a white label is an attractive proposition for new casino brands because it is much cheaper than doing everything themselves from scratch, and much much quicker too.
Casino Groups
White labels segue quite nicely into the subject of casino groups.
A group of white label brands operating under the same license is not the same thing as a casino group, although we can understand why you might think that.
A casino group refers to an umbrella organisation that manages a number of different casino brands, the difference is that the casino group owns all of the brands it operates, whereas white labels are independent but have bought the services of a larger company.
This setup allows the larger organisation to be protected should one of their brands end up in trouble, and also allows them to pool resources to some extent. Another benefit is that all of the casinos in the group can operate under the same license in a region, because it is the company at the top of the chain that holds the license.
Some groups even have brands that are available in different regions. BML Group are a pretty simple example to look at:
| BML Group | UK Licensed Brands | Other Brands |
|---|---|---|
| Betsafe | Nordicbet Casino | |
| Betsson | Schnellwetten Casino | |
| Casino Euro | Star Casino | |
| Live Roulette | Loyal Casino |
So while BML Group owns all of these brands, they are run independently and targeted towards different markets – Schnellwetten Casino isn’t exactly UK marketing fodder, is it?
Some of the best known casino groups include:
- AG Communications Limited
- Betit Operations Limited
- Cassava Enterprises
- Daub Alderney Limited
- Dazzletag Entertainment Limited
- Genesis Global Limited
- Intouch Games Limited
- Jumpman Gaming
- Nektan Limited
- ProgressPlay Limited
Sometimes these groups launch all of their brands themselves – intouch games ltd are a perfect example of this – and other times the group is built by acquisition after acquisition, or sometimes it’s a mixture of the two.
How Do Online Casinos Make Money?
There’s a slight difference between the way that bookmakers make a profit and the way casinos do the same. Bookies normally balance the odds to ensure that there is a margin built in which gives them the greatest possibility of making money. Even so, they don’t have any control over what is going to happen, so even the bookie can lose occasionally.
This is not the case with casinos, mainly because of the fact that the games you’ll play in a casino, both physical and online, have fixed odds that guarantee them a margin.
The key to a casino’s ability to make money is the fact that they think long-term. If you flipped a coin one hundred times it might land on heads 59 times and tails 41. The next 100 times it might land on heads 48 times and tails 52, meaning that heads will still be ‘in the lead’. Keep flipping it, though, and eventually things will even themselves out to ensure that the coin has landed heads and tails an even number of times. That’s what casinos do, they know that over time the odds of a specific event happening will even out, so as long as they’ve got their edge built in to whatever it is that you’re betting on they’ll always come out on top.
Over a shorter period of time one player might win every single hand they play but another player will lose all of theirs, but if the lucky player continued indefinitely they would eventually lose their money too. That’s why they say ‘the house always wins’.
On a bet by bet basis casino games are better value for money than sports bets – some versions of roulette for example can have over a 98% payout. The difference is that we tend to place many more casino bets in one session than we do with sports, so over time the odds even out. There are occasions where the odds are in the favour of the player though, this can happen with games of skill and progressive jackpots.
Random Number Generators: Are They Fair?
Sometimes referred to as an RNG, Random Number Generators are the computer systems used by online game developers to ‘ensure’ that games are as fair as possible.
The only thing is, they’re not really random. That’s not because casinos are cheating – they’d be shut down in no time if they were – it’s just that nothing is truly random when it comes to mathematics. 2+2 will always equal 4, so there’s only a certain extent to which the randomness of RNGs can be guaranteed.
You might be wondering why this matters, after all you don’t play a game called RNG so it’s not your problem. Except if you’ve ever played a game online without a human dealer then an RNG will have been deciding the outcome of every spin you made. Whether you’re talking about online bingo, blackjack, or slot machines, Random Number Generators are used to ensure that the outcome is as random as it is possible to artificially be.
Policing this comes down to the external companies that test the software involved in RNGs, they run countless tests and demo spins/hands to make sure that the RNG is working as it’s supposed to. Licensed casinos have their software checked on a regular basis, so while there might be an edge built in favouring the casino, the result of each game will be as fair as it can be.
How Can Casinos Afford To Give Generous Bonuses?
Join an online casino for the first time and you’ll doubtless be offered what seems like a ludicrous welcome package.
“Deposit £100, Get £200 in Bonus Money!”, as an example.
How on earth do casinos manage it? Well, as mentioned before, the fact that they have a built in edge means that they make a pretty healthy profit every year almost guaranteed. Online casinos also have far fewer overheads than their land based cousins allowing them to direct more of their profits directly back to the customer.
Giving away ‘free’ money to entice players to place their wagers with that specific casino will work out in the casino’s favour in the long term. There’s also the fact that casinos normally apply well thought out terms and conditions to the welcome offers that mean only a small number of people end up walking away from an introductory bonus with cash in their pockets.
For example, there are turnover requirements, declaring that you have to bet your free money, say, thirty times before you can withdraw it. The more times you need to roll your money over the more likely it is that you’ll lose it. As we said before, casinos play the long game and are happy to take a short-term loss in order to generate a long-term gain.
Look out for:
- Wagering requirements
- Game weighting
- Time limits
- Maximum winning caps
- Game restrictions
These bonuses are still worth taking though. Eventually, by the law of averages you can probably convert some of these bonuses into real cash if you take advantage of enough of them. Only do this if you are going to play casino games online anyway though, don’t spend money you wouldn’t have otherwise spent just to get offers – this is a sure way to lose.
How Do Casinos Reward Loyal Customers?
Casinos have two major ways of rewarding punters that stay loyal to them. The first is by offering Loyalty Points which are dished out for playing games and general activity at the casino. If you deposit money into your account, for example, you’ll earn some Loyalty Points; you might get extra points for playing specific games, or for logging in every day of the week.
These points can be accumulated before being swapped for things such as free spins, cash bonuses, and even computers or tickets to gigs etc at some casinos. Lots of casinos also run VIP schemes that will see their most active customers rewarded with invitations to special events, personal account managers, enhanced comp points, etc. In short, if you bet big with a specific casino or even if you bet small but only bet with them, then they’ll find lots of ways to say thank you.
Most good loyalty programs give you at least 1% of your stakes back, and higher percentages the more you play. Again, only take advantage of these schemes if you are going to play casino games anyway, playing games just to get points is a false economy.
Gambling at Online Casinos Responsibly
It doesn’t matter who you are, there is always the chance that temptation will rear its head and encourage you to make one more bet than you should.
Perhaps you’ve just lost and you’re hoping to recover those losses. Maybe you’ve been told about a system that will ‘guarantee’ you a profit and you want to put it to the test. Whatever you are thinking, it’s important to ensure that you never gamble with money that you can’t afford to lose and you always do your best to gamble responsibly.
There are few organisations who can help:
| Organisation | Contact |
|---|---|
| GamCare | 0808 8020 133 |
| Gamblers Anonymous | 0330 094 0322 |
| GamStop | 0800 138 6518 |
| National Problem Gambling Clinic | 020 73817723 |
Casinos will do their bit to help too, and this is a condition of their licence, offering limits on how much you can deposit into your account and also allowing you to exclude yourself from the site if things are getting too much. If you feel like you need help then make sure you take it. There are many independent sources of advice available, Be Gamble Aware.
Complaints
If you believe that an online casino has done something wrong or you want to make a complaint then start by contacting the casino directly. By gaining a UK Gambling licence they have made a promise to settle any issues with customers as well as they can. If you feel they aren’t listening or that things have come to a deadlock then you might want to contact the UK Gambling Commission directly and you’re allowed to do that.
They don’t settle disputes themselves (although they will investigate the claims against the casino), so you might choose to turn to the Independent Betting Adjudication Service who will step in and look at your case and assess your claim.
If you feel that you’ve been sold something under false pretences or that an offer/advertisement is in some way illegal or immoral, then you can also speak to the Advertising Standards Agency.
Do You Need To Pay Tax On Casino Winnings?
If you are playing in the UK the short answer is ‘no’.
The tax laws of the United Kingdom as they currently stand mean that you do not need to pay tax on money you’re staking on, or profits you’ve won from, gambling.
Online casinos on the other hand will need to pay tax at the point of consumption.
Many casinos used to get around betting taxes by basing their headquarters in tax havens, however, a point of consumption tax is now payable by all companies on profits made in the UK if they want to operate in this market legally.
The fact that casinos are taxed directly on UK profits means that at some level the player is still paying for it, because the casino will simply pass the expense onto their customers via increased margins or smaller free bets etc. The most important thing to note is that if you win big on an online casino then the money you get paid out is yours to do with what you please, every penny of it.
That said, if you do have a large win it is worth declaring this to HMRC anyway. You won’t be penalises for this in any way but it means you can explain where the sudden chunk of money came from if you are questioned later down the line. It’s not a necessity but it could save you some hassle.
Why Trust Our Casino Reviews?
Much the same as with bookmakers, we don’t recommend a casino that we haven’t been using personally for some time. We have inspected all of the casinos on this site to make sure they’re reputable, and we can vouch for their quality too.
One of the key ways we do that is by only recommending online casinos that are licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. Every online casino listed on this site holds a valid license, otherwise it wouldn’t be here. If your money isn’t safe then we’re not going to be recommending a welcome offer, no matter how good it might sound.
Finally, our opinions are unbiased. The best way to find a good casino is by trying a few different types, and we try to list a varied range of casinos giving our honest opinion so that you can find the right one for you. Remember you don’t need to claim the full bonus to try a site out, most deposit match offers start with deposits as low as £10.