The United Kingdom is head and shoulders above the rest of the world when it comes to online gambling laws. The UK Gambling Commission is the official licensee for online casino websites operating both within the UK and offshore in other countries. One of the most trusted jurisdictions in the world, learn more about the UKGC and the safest online casino sites licensed by them.
Top online casino sites regulated by the UK Gambling Commission
Top online casino websites licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission
We have reviewed and personally tested several leading online casinos licensed by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, and we base our recommendations off the quality of customer services, games catalogue, payouts, payment methods for depositing money and withdrawing winnings, and bonuses and promotions offered to players. Click any of the links in our UK casinos table above to sign up take advantage of exclusive registration bonuses on offer.
Note that region restrictions play a role in whether or some online casinos we recommend across this site are available to you. If you aren’t sure whether or not your country of residence is accepted at the online casino website in question, simply navigate to the casino tables at the top of each page across our site which will display all casino websites available in your region.
About the United Kingdom Gambling Commission
In the United Kingdom, online gambling is regulated under the UK Gambling Act of 2005, which aims to make it safer for UK residents to bet and gamble with real money on the World Wide Web. It was from this act the United Kingdom Gambling Commission was established, to regulate commercial gambling in Great Britain in partnership with licensing authorities.
The UK Commission aims to ensure in its regulation efforts that all gambling – whether the operation is based within the UK, based entirely online or based online but located offshore – is crime-free and safe for players to participate in. Their process involves performing an investigative background check on the applicant wanting a license, and ample testing to ensure there is proof of fair games and regular payouts. Only after this process will the Commission certify the site as safe and legally available for residents living in the UK.
The United Kingdom Gambling Commission does not just license and regulate online casinos, however. They also are responsible for all other forms of gambling in the country, such as arcades, bingo games, electronic gaming machines (slot machines) live brick and mortar casino venues, lotteries, sports betting and more. The National Lottery in the UK in particular is one of their primary focuses for regulation, in accordance with the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The UK Commission secures gambling tax revenue from the National Lottery to return to good causes. The UKGC also make great efforts to protect children and problem gamblers.
United Kingdom Gambling Commission whitelisted gaming jurisdictions
The UK Gambling Commission whitelist other advanced gaming jurisdictions if their standards are on par with theirs and are considered acceptable and trustworthy for UK residents to game at for real money. Alderney, Antigua, Barbuda, Gibraltar, Isle of Man and Tasmania are all officially UKGC whitelisted jurisdictions, so if you are a UK resident who wants to play at other online casinos licensed by these gaming jurisdictions, you have peace of mind knowing the UK Commission has vetted them as fair and responsible.
UKGC stance on free spins bonuses
The UK Gambling Commission and Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) have set new rules regarding how online casinos can advertise their bonuses and promotions pertaining to the giveaway of spins used on their real money online slots games. As of October 16, instead of ‘free spins’, all UK-licensed online casinos must call such promotions ‘extra spins’ to comply with the new code. This applies for UK players only – and you may see said promotions still advertising free spins in other countries around the world.
So far, UKGC-licensed online casinos such as Rizk.com have already made the full switch to using the ‘extra spins’ terminology, while other sites like BGO.com use ‘fair spins’ to indicate their spins bonuses and promotions come with no wagering requirements attached.
How to verify an online casino website’s UKGC license
Every online casino licensed and regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission displays said license on the bottom of their website’s homepage. If you wish to personally verify that it is a safe and trusted real money casino to play at, simply click the UKGC license and the official documentation will load. Details logged include the licensee name, principal address, licensed activities (is it licensed to offer bingo, casino, sports betting, etc), domain names and trading names.
Perhaps the most relevant information is sanctions – if the site in question has had any misdemeanours or shady activity in the past, it will be recorded here by the UKGC.
