Compare the best online gambling sites in the UK, and the latest sign up offers for 2023 below!
Online gambling has been a popular pastime in the UK for a long time, with people enjoying the chance to have a wager on the outcome of a sporting event or try their luck at a range of casino games.
The rise of the internet means that online gambling sites are now extremely common and there is a large range of options out there for anyone who is interested in trying out online betting.
Many sites combine a sportsbook and an online casino with further online gambling options such as poker and bingo, meaning there is a wealth of types of online betting to pick from.
It can all be a bit overwhelming, especially for those who are quite new to online gambling. It can feel complicated, with even the relatively small and simple process of how to sign up to online gambling sites and how to pass KYC checks enough to put some people off altogether.
Our guide to online gambling sites in the UK has everything that you need to know - so read on!
Online gambling in the UK underwent a major change as a result of the Gambling Act 2005, which helped to ensure that the country has some of the world's most relaxed regulations.
Part of the Gambling Act 2005 was the establishment of the Gambling Commission, an official body that was put in place in order to provide regulation of all commercial gambling in the UK. Laws have continued to be tweaked over the years. For example, in 2020 it was announced by the Gambling Commission that it would no longer be allowed to deposit using a credit card.
Online gambling sites are likely to offer a wide range of games - casino classics like roulette, baccarat, blackjack and poker - as well as a sportsbook and even live casino games as well.
In a bid to attract new players, large welcome bonuses are often up for grabs at the best online gambling sites in the UK. As there is so much competition in the industry these days, betting bonuses are getting more generous all the time, so users who want to try out a few different online gambling sites can claim a lot of deals and offers as they see what is out there. A good way to decide which of the best online gambling sites to join is to check out detailed reviews too.
For starters, doing this will ensure that people choose licensed online gambling sites - ones that have a licence to operate in the UK that has been awarded by the Gambling Commission. Without the right licence, it is impossible to recommend online gambling sites as being safe.
A few years ago, the government indicated there would be a review of online gambling laws in the UK, but everything appears to have gone quiet. With the coronavirus crisis leading to a rise in online gambling activity, though, changes to online gambling laws could eventually happen.
People who have never played at online gambling sites in the UK might not have any idea about what they actually need to do to join. Here is how to sign up to the best online gambling sites:
Part of the registration process at online gambling sites in the UK now involves passing KYC checks, with this standing for Know Your Customer. Here is what customers will have to do:
Nowadays, there are a lot of different types of online gambling sites in the UK, including these:
Sports betting has long been very popular in the UK, with football the top sport to bet on, followed by the likes of tennis, golf, horse racing and motorsport. At online sports betting sites, it is possible to bet pre-match or live in-play, with most of the best online sports betting sites now allowing people to lock in a profit by cashing out wagers too.
Live streaming is often available at the best gambling sites these days, which gives players the chance to tune into top sporting action from around the world - all through their betting accounts. Esports betting is now widely available at online gambling sites as well as virtual sports too.
While there is nothing quite like a night out with friends at the local casino, online casino gambling sites have been growing in popularity in recent years. Online casinos often boast huge jackpots in games like slots, with players attracted by the chance to win millions of pounds from a single spin of the reels.
There is also a wide range of no deposit casino bonuses available for players to try casino games for real money without needing to deposit.
Table games such as baccarat, blackjack and roulette are also widely available at online casino gambling sites in the UK. It is often the case that online betting sites will offer slots & other casino games too.
Playing poker via the internet has been popular for a long time, with a range of specialist online poker sites available for players in the UK to test out their skills. A lot of the best online gambling sites have an online poker room attached too.
Poker may be included in the live casino area of an online casino gambling site, so there are plenty of options. Various varieties of online poker are available these days, but Texas hold'em remains the norm.
For a lot of people, buying a lottery ticket is their first experience of gambling, even though they might not even consider it to be a type of bet. Nowadays, it is even possible to place online lottery bets, with the difference being users are putting on wagers on the outcome of the draw, rather than buying a ticket to the lottery itself. Various global lotteries are available at online lottery sites, which are often part of an online sportsbook or casino too.
Among the major trends in the world of online gambling sites over recent years has been a spike in the popularity of online bingo. Part of the reason for this was the global pandemic when bricks and mortar bingo halls had to close their doors. As a result, bingo lovers up and down the UK started to play their favourite game online instead.
One of the key benefits of online bingo sites is that tickets are marked automatically as the number comes up. This means it is possible to play with a lot of online bingo tickets at once, maximising winning chances. Online bingo tickets are sold for just a penny and a lot of the major online bingo sites even have free bingo games available too, while the jackpots on offer can be very eye-catching.
In recent times, live casino sites have become more popular with these offering what many views as the closest experience to a night out at a real brick and mortar casino. Live casino sites offer classics like roulette, blackjack and baccarat, along with a slate of newer titles, some of which are based on TV shows like Deal Or No Deal or even family favourite board games like Monopoly. Some of the other great games to look out for at live casino sites in the UK include the likes of Football Studio, Cash or Crash and Crazy Time.
There are a lot of key factors in play when we review online gambling sites, like the following:
First and foremost, we have to make sure that all of the best gambling sites that we recommend to our readers have the right licence to operate in the UK. Here, the body that takes responsibility for the regulation of the betting sector is the Gambling Commission. The best gambling sites, therefore, need to have a licence from the Gambling Commission to be legal.
Along with making sure online gambling sites are legal, we check out their safety and security standards as well. Nowadays, it is very common for state of the art SSL encryption technology to be in place at the UK's best gambling sites.
This helps to make sure the financial information of customers should not be in danger of falling into the wrong hands. Safety measures such as firewalls should also be used to protect customer data online too.
For a lot of people deciding which online gambling sites to join, the key factor is the welcome bonuses that are up for grabs. The good news is that welcome bonuses just keep on getting more generous. With even more competition in the world of online gambling, this is great news for users who want to get bonuses such as free bets. Deposit bonuses are also widely available and many of the UK's best gambling sites also have online casinos attached, which means free spins and reload bonuses may be offered on that side too.
The headline figure for welcome bonuses is not all that needs to be taken into account, though. Assessing the small print of the terms and conditions means we can look into details such as the wagering requirements of any betting bonuses, as well as any maximum win limit in play. Backing up a welcome bonus, the best gambling sites also make sure that their existing customers are not left out by the deals on offer too. Ideally, it will be possible to earn free bets on a regular basis, while there could also be a VIP scheme in place to reward loyalty as well.
Naturally, it does not matter if a site is fully licensed, has great welcome bonuses and has high safety and security standards if the user experience is desperately poor. The best gambling sites should be simple to navigate, making it fast and easy for users to get around the different areas, such as pre-match markets and live in-play betting.
Loading times need to be rapid - especially when people are trying to bet on live-action - and even things such as the size of the text and the font used come into play when assessing user experience.
Most online gambling sites these days have a wide range of betting options. For instance, it is quite rare for a UK-based site to simply be an online sportsbook. The best gambling sites often also have an online casino, which means that their customers have the chance to try their luck at a range of games like slots, baccarat and roulette, with live casino games based on Monopoly and Deal Or No Deal also often up for grabs.
Add in further online gambling options such as bingo, poker and virtual sports and sites have to make sure that they are covering a lot of bases to a high standard to appeal to users nowadays.
Broadly speaking, the banking and payment options that can be used at online gambling sites in the UK tend to be quite similar. It is no longer permitted for the best gambling sites to accept deposits via credit cards - a change to the law was brought in back in April 2020 - but debit cards from Visa, Maestro and MasterCard are still offered and these tend to be the most common ways to add funds into gambling accounts in the UK at the moment.
Many people like to use e-wallets to make payments as withdrawing winnings can be a lot faster, with options such as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller among the best e-wallets around. New payment options such as cryptocurrency - Bitcoin is the top option here but it may also be possible to pay with Litecoin and Ethereum as well - and pay by phone bill are becoming more widely available too, while bank transfers remain a tried and tested online gambling site method as well.
One of the most important things that we look at when it comes to payments is whether or not online gambling sites charge any fees when players make deposits or withdrawals via their cashier. Sometimes, fees can be charged for certain payment methods, meaning users might wish to avoid them.
Withdrawing winnings is also vital for users too, with certain online banking methods such as bank transfers known to be quite a lot slower than e-wallets for cashing out. It is also important to look into if anything stands out from the minimum and maximum deposit and the withdrawal limits that are in place as these can vary across online gambling sites as well.
Perhaps the biggest trend in the world of online gambling sites in recent times has been the rise in mobile betting. It is now the case that many sports fans in the UK prefer to use a mobile device like a tablet or a smartphone to place their wagers. This means they can do so while they are on the move away from home. In order to meet this demand, betting brands have been rolling out their own mobile betting apps, which can be downloaded directly onto devices.
On iOS, users can get mobile betting apps from the App Store, while people who prefer to use Android can head to the Play Store in order to grab the best Android betting apps. These mobile betting apps should be more than a port of a brand's mobile site. They need to be fast to load - many people betting on mobile are placing wagers on live-action - while offering functionality such as cash out and live streaming that people are used to getting on online gambling sites.
For live in-play betting on mobile apps, users will be looking for a raft of data and stats as well. When we review the mobile betting apps that are available from online gambling sites, we make sure we take time to check out reviews that have been posted by app users themselves too.
Last but by no means least in the list of areas we look at closely when we review online gambling sites is customer support. The best online gambling sites in the UK make sure they do not neglect this area, with 24/7 customer service ideally available to users. Live chat has become the most popular way to get in touch with the customer service department of online gambling sites and most top brands have this option around the clock.
Email and telephone support are also common options while a lot of the best gambling sites now also have social media accounts on sites such as Twitter where help is up for grabs. A lot of people will head to a gambling site's frequently asked questions section - FAQ for short - if they have an issue to see if they can get an answer without contacting customer support.
As part of an assessment of the customer service department at online gambling sites, it is also important to check out their complaints policy and how the area has been reviewed by its users.
Anyone who uses online gambling sites in the UK is sure to have seen the Gamstop logo. Gamstop is a free service for people who want to remain in control of their online gambling.
Available to anyone resident within the United Kingdom, those who sign up to Gamstop will be blocked from using gambling websites and apps run by companies licensed in GB. Gamstop is operated by a not-for-profit organisation called The National Online Self-Exclusion Scheme.
Gamstop is flexible, with users able to lock themselves from online gambling activities for a period of their choosing, which means it is a good option for those who want to take a break. At the moment, it is possible to use Gamstop for a period of six months, for a year or for five years.
While a lot of people find gambling to be a fun, harmless hobby for others it is more difficult to stay in control of their spending, which is where a service such as Gamstop can help a lot. In January 2020 it was announced by the Gambling Commission - the UK body responsible for the regulation of the online betting industry - that all online gambling operators must participate in the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme known as Gamstop - a major change in its policy.
Neil McArthur, who was the chief executive of the Gambling Commission at the time, said in a statement: "Although the vast majority of operators are already participating in Gamstop this will make the coverage comprehensive. We welcome the fact that Gamstop has got to this stage in their development and encourage them to continue to improve their offer, particularly in relation to preventing those who have self-excluded from being targeted by direct marketing."
Helen Whately, the culture minister, pointed out that the best online gambling sites, as well as any other businesses that have a connection to betting, must be socially responsible. She added: "By making it a regulatory requirement for all online gambling websites licensed in Great Britain to sign up to Gamstop. I am confident that people who have taken the significant step to opt-out of gambling will be well supported, alongside a wide range of other tools."
Self-exclusion schemes such as Gamstop can only be made as effective as possible in the event of online gambling sites participating, while gambling blocking software and payment card blocking can also be used by people who want to regain some control over online gambling.
It is important to not play on sites that are not signed up to Gamstop as these UK betting brands have indicated that they do not take responsible online gambling particularly seriously at all.
When players sign up at Gamstop, they are encouraged to provide as many details as possible, such as their date of birth, current address and postcode, email addresses and mobile numbers. The more information people provide when they join Gamstop, the more effective the service is.
Gamstop users cannot cancel their self-exclusion until their chosen minimum period has finished and the service will remain in place unless a user then opts to get in touch to cancel it.
Steven is an experienced iGaming content writer who has been working in the industry since 2018. He is passionate about sports betting and enjoys writing about all aspects of the industry, including bookmaker reviews, betting tips and strategies, and news and analysis. If you have any questions about online gambling in the UK, please don't hesitate to contact him.