UK Online Casinos

Americans still consider themselves the king of gambling culture, due in large part to the global popularity of Las Vegas as a destination point, but regarding the Online Casino landscape, it’s different. The United Kingdom has embraced gambling culture like no other country on Earth, and there is a great variety of UK Online Casinos.

Various gambling acts have been authorized by the UK’s government throughout the years, paving the way for England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to build dozens of casinos, sports betting shops, bingo parlors, and lotto dispensaries. In the UK, sports bettors don’t need to travel to one of a few cities in order to get in on the action, as sports book shops have been a street side staple since 1960. In 1968 the UK authorized the construction of land-based casinos, turning the entire nation into a veritable Sin City of sorts.

Studies have consistently shown that more than 60 percent of UK residents engage in one form of gambling or another during the year, ranking right up there with American, Australia, and China as the world’s per capita leaders.

With the advent of online casinos in 1996, the UK became an early adopter of the new technology, and rightfully so. Just two years earlier, a company based in the UK-controlled Isle of Man known as Microgaming developed the world’s first online casino software. Cryptologic, a company based in Dublin, Ireland, followed in 1995, spurring a competitive relationship between the two UK rivals which continues to this day.

While the online casino gambling industry in America has been crippled by the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, in the UK players enjoy practically unfettered access to their favorite UK online casinos. Many of the most traffic-heavy online casino platforms in the world have roots in the UK, including 888 Holdings, Bwin/Party, InterCasino, Ladbrokes, and William Hill.

This page was written to highlight the top performers and reputable actors currently serving the UK’s rapidly growing online casino marketplace. You’ll find a list of the most popular UK online casinos, including detailed information on each site’s software provider, licensing body, games menu, deposit bonus schedule, and banking options. After that, you can brush up on the most current laws in the UK pertaining to online gambling.

Top UK Casinos Online

Below you will find a list of reputable online casinos serving the UK market, sites which have developed a loyal base of players while building a strong reputation based on customer service and fair play:

888 Casino

888 Casino Highlights

• Owners: 888 Holdings Plc.
• Established: 1997
• Bonus: £/$/€1,500 Total
• Type: Online, Mobile, & Live
• Mobile: Apple, Android, & Windows

InterCasino

InterCasino Highlights

• Owners: WagerLogic Alderney
• Established: 1996
• Bonus: $900 Total
• Type: Online, Mobile, & Live
• Mobile: Apple, Android, & Windows

Ladbrokes

Ladbrokes Highlights

• Owners: Ladbrokes Plc. Casinos
• Established: 2000
• Bonus: £500+
• Type: Online, Mobile, & Live
• Mobile: Apple, Android, & Windows

Party Casino

Party Casino Highlights

• Owners: Bwin.Party Partners
• Established: 1997
• Bonus: $500
• Type: Online, Mobile, & Live
• Mobile: Apple, Android, & Windows

William Hill Casino

William Hill Casino Highlights

• Owners: WHG (International) Limited Casinos
• Established: 1998
• Bonus: £150+
• Type: Online, Mobile, & Live
• Mobile: Apple, Android, & Windows

The Legality of Online Casinos in the UK

As a nation with some of the most permissive gambling laws in the world, it’s no surprise that the online casino industry has flourished here. While many players in the USA, Australia, and Europe must grapple with the unclear legal status of their favorite pastime, UK residents can enjoy online casinos without fear of prosecution.

Under the Gambling Act of 2005, so-called remote gambling is defined under Section 4 as a legally permissible activity under UK law. The Gambling Act of 2005 includes detailed procedures for the licensing and regulation of remote betting operators like online casinos, in an effort to ensure industry integrity and protect players from bad actors.

To that end, the Gambling Act of 2005 also created the Gambling Commission of the UK, which directly oversees the operations of all online casinos reviewed above.

While UK online casino operators must comply fully with the Gambling Commission of the UK and the Gambling Act of 2005, individual players are completely free to enjoy online gambling at their leisure. The only stipulation players must keep in mind is that this legality is premised on players using licensed and regulated sites, so unless you see the appropriate licensing stamps at the bottom of an online casino’s homepage, its best to avoid that site and visit one of those listed on this page.