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The best online casinos in the UK offer the latest features, huge games selections, and amazing bonuses. But where can you find the best value for your pound?
We’ve tested everything from payment options to live dealer games. We’ve spun the slots and cashed out our wins, but most importantly, we’ve taken advantage of all the bonuses. That’s how we can give you the full lowdown on the best UK real money casinos.
Top Online Casinos
UK Casino Sites Reviewed
We want to find high-quality online casinos that go beyond the basics. We’ll explain how we do that later. Before we do, here are the three best online casinos in the UK right now based on hours of research and gameplay.
BetFred – Best Online Casino Overall
BetFred made its name with sports betting, but now offers an excellent online casino experience. Alongside robust and reliable software that works on all devices, BetFred has over 2,500 games, including its own exclusive content. Add generous bonuses and deposits from £5 to the mix, and this UK casino has something for everyone.
- The Perks: From free spins without wagering requirements and an acca bonus that compounds in value to loyalty rewards, Betfred has plenty of unique bonuses.
- Top Games: Over 2,500 casino classics, including jackpot slots and live games, are flanked by exclusives such as BetFred Roulette and BetFred Cosmic Cows.
- Cashier: In addition to safe deposits of £5 or more via debit card, eWallet, and bank transfer, BetFred keeps customer funds in secure accounts and processes withdrawals within four hours.
- Wild Card: BetFred has a real-time progressive jackpot tracker that makes it easier to find slot payouts worth over £1 million.
- The Catch: There are plenty of free spins bonuses and loyalty rewards, but not many reload offers that give you extra site credit.
Welcome Bonus | 200 Free Spins When You Wager £10 |
Promo Code | N/A |
Minimum Deposit | £10 |
Wagering Requirement | N/A (winnings paid in cash) |
Mr Mega – Best Online Casino for Games
Mega by name, mega by nature is how we’d describe this UK online casino. Bonuses are one of its fortes thanks to low wagering requirements, but games are its biggest strength. The reason Mr Mega is a gaming behemoth is the fact that it has more than 1,300 options. That’s double the industry average, and includes a huge live dealer area with table games and game shows.
- The Perks: Mr Mega is all about deposit bonuses with low wagering requirements (35x).
- Top Games: There’s literally something for everyone at Mr Mega, but the most impressive of its 1,300+ offerings are innovative live games with 1,000x payouts such as Marble Race and Lightning Storm.
- Cashier: Alongside traditional methods such as debit cards and bank transfer, Mr Mega offers fast digital wallet payments via Apple Pay, Skrill, and PayPal.
- Wild Card: Mr Mega adds Drops & Wins jackpots to Pragmatic Play slots, which means you can win random prizes at any time, regardless of the stakes you’re playing for.
- The Catch: The average processing time for withdrawals is 3-6 days, which is longer than the industry average and means you often have to wait over a week for your winnings.
Welcome Bonus | 100% Deposit Bonus Up To £100 + 100 Spins |
Promo Code | N/A |
Minimum Deposit | £10 |
Wagering Requirement | 35x |
Midnite – Best Online Casino for Bonuses
Midnite is our top pick for casino bonuses, but don’t sleep on its games and payments. In addition to casino classics such as slots and table games, Midnite also has a selection of solitaire games, bingo, and, for something different, sports betting. We love Midnite’s bonuses because they connect its two verticals. You can choose one of three welcome bonuses, the best of which gives you free sports bets and slot spins.
- The Perks: Bonuses are why we love Midnite Casino. Standard offers, including deposit bonuses and free spins, are flanked by unique rewards. The best rewards are available through Midnite’s various “Clubs” that cover casino gaming and sports betting.
- Top Games: There are plenty of highlights within Midnite’s gaming lobby. The top picks among its 1,650+ games are Vegas Solitaire and Green Machine Bingo.
- Cashier: You can make instant deposits and withdrawals from £5 via debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
- Wild Card: Midnite’s most impressive feature is its mobile app. Available for iOS and Android, the app is intelligent. That means it suggests games and bonuses based on your past activity.
- The Catch: Midnite takes responsible gambling very seriously, which is great, but we’ve read some user reviews that complain about constant session timer pop-ups.
Welcome Bonus | 100 Free Spins When You Wager £20 or £25 in Free Bets + 50 Spins |
Promo Code | BETGETCASINO |
Minimum Deposit | £20 |
Wagering Requirement | Qualifying wager |
How We Rate Online Casinos
Our team of experts has decades of online casino experience, and put all that knowledge into reviewing real money casinos.
Here are a few of the factors we consider when assessing the best casino sites.
Bonuses and Promotions
The best UK casino sites run regular promotions that reward new and existing users. There are big headline numbers on these, but the devil is in the details.
The devil, in this instance, is the playthrough, which is the amount of money you have to wager before bonuses are converted to cash you can withdraw.
The top casino sites UK players have access to keep their bonus playthrough targets as low as possible. Our tipping point is 35x. Anything around or below that mark is considered low.
Affordability and Diversity
Games are the foundation of every online casino, but cramming hundreds of them into a single platform doesn’t impress us. Sure, there’s value in giving players as many options as possible, but there needs to be some consideration of affordability.
The best online casinos ensure their games cover every major genre and price point. If you’re a newbie who wants to wager less than £1 on slots, you should be able to do that. If you’re a pro looking to bet £500 a hand on black, you should be able to do it.
The best UK casino sites make sure they have hundreds of great games that, importantly, are accessible to everyone.
Plenty of Payment Options
Real money casinos are only worth using if they’ve got secure payment options. Debit cards are the go-to for many players, but we like to see modern methods in the mix, including eWallets, mobile payments (Apple Pay/Google Pay) and instant bank transfers.
Customer Service
Customer service means more than having a customer support team available via email and live chat 24/7.
We consider everything from the company’s privacy policy and responsible gambling tools to the frequency of its software updates. We want online casino sites and apps to be safe, reliable and fair.
Something Extra
The final feature all top UK online casinos show is flair. Specifically, they all have a unique feature or two.
For example, some UK casinos have progressive jackpot trackers that allow you to find prizes topping £1 million within seconds.
Bonuses & Promotions at UK Casino Sites
UK casino sites can overwhelm you with bonus offers and time-limited promotions. But what are they really worth to you? And what do they mean?
These are the most common bonuses you’ll find at real money casinos.
Welcome Bonuses
These bonuses are designed to welcome new users. They’re the biggest one-time rewards you’ll receive, as they contain a mixture of site credit and free spins.
Pro Tip: Watch out for the minimum deposit requirement and any payment restrictions. For example, some UK online casinos may withhold some or all of your welcome bonus if you use Skrill for your first deposit.
Free Spins
These casino bonuses are the ultimate way to turn slot spins into risk-free wins. The premise is simple: you receive free spins in exchange for completing a task (such as depositing money or placing bets).
The spins can be linked to a specific slot machine, or they can be for multiple games. The point here is that you get to play without spending your own money.
Pro Tip: Some free spin bonuses pay winnings in site credit that has to be converted to cash by hitting a playthrough target. However, some offers pay bonus wins in cash that you can withdraw instantly.
Live Casino Bonuses
UK casino sites with plenty of live dealer games often enhance your experience with bonuses. The main ways they do this are by creating cashback promotions and tournaments.
The former returns a percentage of any losses accrued on selected live dealer games over a set period of time. The latter pits you against other live casino players in a race to see who can earn the most points and win a share of the prizepool.
Pro Tip: Look for cashback bonuses that pay rebates in cash rather than site credit. These bonuses are better because you can spend or withdraw rebates at will.
Loyalty Rewards
Some, but not all, online casinos offer points-based rewards. Points are awarded based on your betting activity. For example, you might earn 10 points for every £10 wagered on slots.
These points accrue over time and give you the ability to unlock special rewards. Some loyalty programs also give you the ability to convert points to bonus cash.
Pro Tip: Never wager more than you can afford to lose just so you can earn loyalty points. Stick to your limits and play slots to maximise your earning potential.
Games at the Best Online Casinos
The average land-based casino in the UK has around 10-30 table games and a couple of hundred slot machines. The best online casinos have many more. In fact, not only do UK casino sites have more games, but they also offer a more diverse selection.
Here are some of the most popular games you can play at the best casino sites:
Slots
What’s unique about online casino slots is that they boast a variety of features that you don’t find offline.
For example, Aztec Gold Megaways has a dynamic payline feature. That means the number of paylines changes each time you spin.
Similarly, the Cosmic Cows slot game has a cash collect bonus feature where coins stick in place before turning into prizes.
Blackjack
Blackjack is a casino favourite because the house edge (i.e., the casino’s advantage) is low. In fact, if you use basic blackjack strategy, it’s almost a 50/50 game.
Because of this, the top casino sites UK players have access to a variety of blackjack games, including Vegas and Atlantic City rules.
The most exciting blackjack games are those with side bets and novel features, such as Lightning cards that multiply wins by up to 25x.
Roulette
Roulette is another popular casino game that’s been transformed from a physical experience to a digital one. In the process of turning American, European, and French roulette into games you can play online, software developers have added unique features.
Casino sites in the UK now offer modern roulette tables with prize multipliers, progressive jackpots and even things as unique as two spinning wheels instead of one.
Table Games
Table games complete the line-up of casino classics and include poker, baccarat, and craps. If you want that Las Vegas experience in a digital setting, these are the games you should play.
Live Games
Live dealer games bridge the gap between land-based and online casinos in the UK. They do this by connecting you with gaming studios via live streams. RFID sensors ensure the things you see are tracked and stored in a digital database. The end result is that you get to play blackjack, roulette and game shows with real people from the comfort of your own home.
Non-Standard Casino Games
Games in this category have non-standard features. Also known as arcade-style, these games aren’t available in land-based casinos as they’re a product of the internet.
In fact, titles such as Aviator and Mines are the closest thing you’ll get to video games because they have gamification features such as missions and levels.
Best Paying Online Casino Games
Here are the top-paying games at our recommended UK online casinos:
Game | Category | Developer | RTP |
Cleopatra Megaways | Slots | IGT | 96% |
Big Bass Bonanza | Slots | Pragmatic Play | 95.67% |
Blackjack | Table Games | IGT | 99.60% |
Mega Fire Blaze Roulette | Live Games | Playtech | 99.55% |
Kick It | Crash Games | Playtech | 97% |
Banking at Casino Sites
Cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly popular because they allow you to make anonymous and secure payments from anywhere in the world. Right now, most online casino sites licensed by the UKGC don’t offer cryptocurrency payments.
But if you venture beyond the UK’s borders to international waters, many of the leading offshore casinos do offer crypto deposits and withdrawals. Until this method becomes more common among UKGC-licensed online casinos, you can make GBP payments using these methods:
Debit Cards: Visa and MasterCard are reliable, easy to use and supported by major financial institutions. The only drawback to debit cards compared to other methods is that withdrawals can take up to five days.
eWallets and Mobile Wallets: Digital wallets, including Skrill, Apple Pay and Neteller, are ideal for moving money around the internet quickly. The downside is that mobile wallets aren’t available at all online casinos right now, and Skrill/Neteller can sometimes exclude you from bonuses.
Bank Transfers: Instant bank transfer technology has made this a great option for fast deposits. However, on the way out, bank transfer withdrawals can take over a week to be completed.
Payout Speeds
Payment Method | Fees | Payout Time |
Cryptocurrency | Blockchain Fees | Instant |
Debit Cards | N/A | 3-5 Days |
eWallets | N/A | 1-3 Days |
Bank Transfer | N/A | 5-10 Days |
Are Online Casinos Safe?
Yes, the best online casinos are not only safe but fair and transparent. We can say that with confidence thanks to gambling regulations.
Casino sites licensed by reputable regulators, such as the UKGC and the Curaçao Gaming Authority, have passed stringent safety checks. Not only that, but they’ve demonstrated that their games are completely fair.
You can improve the safety of these casino sites by keeping your password secure and using two-factor authentication (2FA).
Expert Tips for Real Money Casinos
Casino gaming is fun but unpredictable. Here are a few tips to help you minimise your risk while maximising your potential returns.
- Playing high RTP (Return to Player) games will maximise the amount you can expect to win, in theory, over time. Games with RTP values of 95%+, such as video slots, blackjack and roulette, have the best payout potential.
- Claiming bonuses can help boost your bankroll, and keep you playing without risking your own money. If you comply with their wagering requirements you can walk away with lots of winnings even without staking your own funds.
- You can switch payment methods to claim different offers. You could claim a crypto reload deal one day, switch to a debit card and claim a different deal the next.
Responsible Gambling
Online casinos should be fun, which is why you should follow some responsible gambling tips to make sure it remains as entertainment.
The best UK online casinos offer tools like deposit limits and session timers to help you stay on top of things. You should also set a budget for your gambling, not chase any losses, and take regular breaks between sessions.
Online Casinos FAQs
The best online casino UK players can use right now is Betfred. In addition to offering a world-class sportsbook, this operator has a reliable online casino that boasts novel features, including a progressive jackpot tracker, loyalty rewards program and wager-free bonuses.
UK real-money casinos are safe if they’re licensed by a reputable organisation such as the Gambling Commission or the Curaçao Gaming Authority. These organisations enforce strict regulations that cover everything from security and game integrity to the way payments are processed.
All online casinos use random number generator (RNG) software. RNGs are complex algorithms that ensure the results of every game are random and fair, just as they would be in land-based casinos. All RNGs at licensed UK casino sites are tested and verified by independent third parties.
No, online casinos aren’t rigged if they’re licensed by a regulatory authority. Part of an online casino’s licensing conditions is that it must prove that its games are fair. They do this by allowing a third party, such as iTech Labs, to test each game’s random number generator (RNG).
You can win cash prizes at real-money online casinos in the UK. This is possible because casinos are licensed according to local or international gambling laws. In line with this, casino operators can process real-money deposits and, in turn, bets that have the potential to return cash prizes.
References
- How to use a VPN (NordVPN)
- The benefits of blockchain technology (IBM)
- What is RFID technology? (TechTarget)