United Kingdom Online Casinos

Top 10 United Kingdom Online Casinos 2022 & Online Gambling Guide

Fred Stafford  Updated: June 18, 2022

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Almost all socially accepted forms of gambling in the United Kingdom (both online and offline gambling activities) are now legal and this market is one of the largest and most lucrative in the world, plus the UK has one of the best legislative frameworks for gambling in the world. There’s a national lottery, as well as land-based casinos and other similar gaming venues with slot machines, bingo halls, sports betting shops, race tracks (dogs and horses) and several other forms of gambling. There is also a thriving online gambling industry which is home to some of the best online casinos and other types of gambling websites in the world.

Gambling History in United Kingdom

Gambling has been regulated since as far back as the 1930’s when the first ever UK lottery arrived. There was continual growth in gambling activities in the UK over coming decades and then in the ’60s came the true beginnings of taxation and regulation of all of the legal forms of gambling that were mentioned above. There was also a sudden rise in betting shops, many of which are still in existence today and have grown into multi-billion dollar companies.

One of the next big changes occurred in 2005 with the introduction of the new Gambling Act. The 15% tax on Gross Gaming Revenue that was now levied on operators basically forced many of them to move their operations offshore in an attempt to avoid the steep taxes, but they continued targeting their business and offering their online gambling services towards the UK market. However, to stop this from happening, another new law came into effect in November 2014. This made it impossible for operators to carry on doing this. They could no longer operate unless they obtained a license from the government-controlled, UK Gambling Commission. Today, only the gambling companies that are based in the UK can be issued with licenses by the Gambling Commission.

United Kingdom Gambling & Online Gambling Laws

The United Kingdom is well known for its relatively relaxed approach towards gambling, but it’s also well-known for having developed the legal framework for which many countries can learn from. UK players must be at least 18 years old to gamble in the real money mode, and they can only do so at UK licensed online casinos. In other words, there’s no need to look towards online casinos that operate from offshore locations. Even if UK players did want to sign up to a foreign-controlled online casino that operates from outside of UK jurisdiction, they wouldn’t be able to because these websites are currently blocked by the UK government.

The Gambling Commission was initially formed under the terms of the Gambling Act of 2005, and it gained full power in 2007. This organization took over the vast majority of the day to day operations that were previously carried out by the Gaming Board for Great Britain. In addition to being responsible for land-based and online gambling regulation in the UK, the Commission also ended up regulating the National Lottery from the National Lottery Commission in 2013.

Online Casino Benefits to Players from United Kingdom

UK players are often unaware that they currently have access to some of the world’s best online casinos and other online gambling sites. The UK Gambling Commission imposes strict vetting procedures over its licensees, and it is recognized around the world as being the leading top-tier licensing authority. UK players also, therefore, have access to one of the most secure online gaming environments in the world, and these casinos are powered by the industry’s very best online casino software providers.

UK residents can play in their local currency of UK Pound Sterling, English is always the main supported language (although multiple other language options are also available) and the casinos are free to sign up to. Today’s state of the art gambling sites for UK players are controlled by some of the world’s most trusted operators, many of which have decades of experience from the online and offline gambling industries.

You can look forward to some of the biggest casino bonuses available online today with relatively low wagering requirements and you can play to win some of the biggest jackpots available online today at these casinos. There’s also 24-hour player support available for UK residents in the form of live chat, email and toll-free telephone and this professionally trained team is always quick to respond and resolve any issues. As a registered member of one of these casinos you also have the best possible legal backing on your side should certain issues ever arise when playing at any UK licensed online casinos.

FAQ Useful to Players from United Kingdom

Online Gambling Highlights in United Kingdom

• UK citizens can now gamble legally online at hundreds of the world’s very best online casinos
• You can play in the real money mode in your local currency of GBP, or you can generally practice on the games in the free play mode to begin with
• Free deposits and withdrawals at online casinos and NO taxes on any winnings
• Play to win some of the single biggest progressive jackpots available online today at any UK licensed online casino
• Hundreds of games from many of the world’s leading online casino software providers, plus you can look forward to new games almost each week
• UK online casinos are available on desktop and mobile, and the games can generally be launched either instantly in your web browser or from within a perfectly secure download client
• 24 hour, toll-free player support generally always available via live chat, telephone and email
• UK online casinos are controlled by some of the most trusted names from the online and offline gambling industries

Problem Gambling Help in United Kingdom

UK online casinos actively promote responsible gambling in a big way, and there are many ways to help deal with problem gambling. One of the most effective ways to prevent a gambling problem from even developing at a UK licensed online casino would be to take full advantage of the self-exclusion option, or at least try and set sensible daily, weekly or monthly deposit/spending limits.

If you are worried about yourself, a friend or family member developing a gambling problem then there are lots of trusted, non-profit organizations that you can always turn to for free advice, counselling and other forms of support. There are helplines that you can call and forums where you can share and learn from other experiences.

Some of the most notable places that we can recommend include GamCare, Gamble Aware and Gamblers Anonymous. There’s also Gambling Therapy, and several other similar entities that exist in the UK for problem gamblers such as the Responsible Gambling Trust, plus the Gambling Commission also has its own body.