There’s isn’t anything that comes close to the thrills and flexibility of gambling and gaming online at a casino. It’s what makes it so much fun and (yet) addictive. The chance to change your fortunes in minutes, take up a risk and invest that little bit extra on your favourite player, match of the season, or final spin of a Slot and have great fun whilst doing it. The British people have always loved a gamble, but the casino landscape has massively changed over the last 20 years; from an exclusive land-based practice to one that pretty much any adult can enjoy.
Know Your Facts: The UK Casino Industry
The change in how we play has delighted millions of players, but also added confusion, brought a wealth of possibilities from gaming and casino innovations, but also pitfalls to watch out for and leaves many wondering where to start. For some, inexperience is an issue. Others- there’s just too much choice and they don’t know where to begin when it comes to UK online casinos. At the end of the day, in some form or another, most players need a little helping hand to navigate the lively industry and this is where we come in. From knowing the best places to play and understanding the house edge, to knowing how to spot a rogue casino, understanding the rights bestowed on you as a customer, and being aware of the different online slots and other areas of a casino- we’ll cover everything you need to know about online casinos in the UK right here.
The UK Casino industry is huge and growing bigger by the year as the number of new online casinos flourish and more players integrate technology in their everyday life and gambling experience (believe it or not, there are still some technophobes out there). According to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC, 2018), the UK casino industry has a gross gambling yield of £14.5 billion in the UK! £2bn of this came from Slots alone, and the remote sector (online casinos) has a 39% share of the UK market. As you can see, we Brits are deadly serious about our gambling habits with more than half of us having tried gambling- this includes the National Lottery- it’s not like we’re constantly draping in and out of casinos, but we shouldn’t mince our words either, we are a country that loves online gaming.
Gambling has changed from an exclusive, face to face activity that required a lot of cash to hand and usually a suit or two, to one that is mostly run online and that everybody can participate in as they are not bound by location or the higher limit tables. Choice is the main attribute of an online casino. Now players can load up their favourite site, wearing slippers and sipping a brew! The internet has made things more equal, affordable to all, and let’s not forget, opened traditional casino games to a tone of technological innovations!
Many Casinos have capitalised on these trends, popping up left, right and centre to meet the demands of new players, meaning UK players now have a huge amount of choice about where and who they choose to play with. Just like picking your favourite supermarket, a new gym or an online shop to use, there are plenty of things that affect your choice, some of which are non-negotiable like licencing and data protection, others such as games software, bonuses, and casino theme will come down to personal preference.
What this Slotsbot’s Uk Online Casino Guide is about:
- The best UK online casinos.
- How to spot licenced vs rogue casinos.
- Understanding the house edge, RTP and how games are tested.
- How to use UK online casino reviews to your advantage.
- More about the UK gambling and casino industry.
- How UK online casinos operate.
- How to get the best UK casino bonuses.
Understanding The House Edge UK Casinos
The house edge represents the overall profit the casino makes over the players. For each game, it differs, for slots it usually is around 4-6%, table games much lower at 1-3%. Therefore, from every pound bet, the casino on average takes a 1-6% cut of the cash as profit- on average- returning the 99-94% to the player. It is an average, which does not represent every player’s experience. There are both winners and losers when it comes to online gambling, which is why you should only ever use money to play that you can afford to lose. While the internet is filled with stories of jackpot wins and constant updates of the winners of the day, it’s key to remember that these are a handful out of hundreds of people who are playing at the casino at any given time.
Best Online Casinos for UK Players
With hundreds of online casinos out there for UK players, one of the first and probably the most confusing question of them all is – where should I play? The best UK online casinos are a mix of many things, a careful concoction of just the right ingredients to create the perfect playing experience. Luckily for you guys, Slotsbot.com has got your back and our team of players and experts (by the way, if you want to find out more about who we are, check here) have already spent hours copiously scanning the net for new and old UK online casinos that impress. Reviewing and recommending only what we consider to be the best online casinos for UK players. It’s a thorough process that ensures we only recommend the most cutting-edge and compliant of casinos to you guys, those that take the extra steps to guarantee a great time for their players. With our recommendations, you’ll never deposit or play with a rogue casino again. Get ready for a genuinely better gaming experience when you pick one casino from the Slotsbot’s best online casino reviews.
Slotsbot UK Casino Reviews: How and Why We Review Casinos
At Slotsbot.com, we want you guys to get the best out of gaming online, which means knowing what you’re doing and only getting the most trusted reviews of casinos – knowing that they are worth your time and money. After all, playing online is meant to be about fun, thrills and excitement, not getting bogged down in the details so we do the hard work for you by creating casino reviews!
There are far too many choices you’ll need to make before picking your perfect UK online casino and casino reviews are key to streamlining this process. We scour the casino scene to find individual sites that excel and tell you exactly what to expect if you sign up and become a member, saving you hours of research and ensuring you play at a UK licensed online casino. At Slotsbot.com our casino review team has years of experience in the industry as both players and experts, meaning they have a keen eye in just what to look for in an awesome online casino!
What Makes an Online Casino one of the Best?
When it comes to reviewing UK online casinos, the Slotsbot team leaves no digital stone unturned. We check every creaky corner, unearth past sanctions of the UKGC, and ensure that our recommended casinos are not only fully safe, secure, and fair, but are also operating with the UK law. The core steps we take in reviewing any UK casino are:
- Casino Licencing and History
- Games Lobby and Software Choice.
- Bonuses and Promotions
- Payment Methods
- Customer Support Options and General Site Safety
Uk Casino Licensing
All UK online casinos must have UKGC licensing to operate and this should be displayed on site. If you cannot find the licensing logo of the UKGC or one of the whitelisted UK jurisdictions, then do not play at the casino. Any casino who meets the strict criteria of licensing by the UKGC is proud and wants to shout about it. They pay their taxes, use certified and tested software, protect players’ safety and funds, and are legally allowed to accept UK players- it’s really something to raise the roof about and the hallmark of honesty and fair gaming. Look for the logo, if you can’t find it, then do not play- it’s that simple!
The UKGC Whitelist
The Whitelist is a list of other licencing jurisdictions that the UKGC classes to be on par with or exceeding its own level of strict regulation. This means you can trust a casino with licencing from the following jurisdictions:
- EEA Countries
- Alderney
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Gibraltar
- Isle of Man
- And Tasmania.
Online Casino Games UK: The Casino Lobby
Games range is one of the most important parts of a casino for any player. Ideally, you want a robust collection, with hundreds of options, that will keep you busy for months and possibly years to come. Slots are a must, as well as an online Live Casino UK, jackpot games and classic tables. Considered as welcome extras and the sign of huge operation are a Sportsbook, and Virtual Sports.
UK Online Casino Software
It is better to play at a casino that stocks lots of software choices. This will give you the best chance to experiment with the work of many different game providers and take you on an incredible journey across hundreds of playing landscapes and game conceptions. Games software companies have to be independently licensed by the UKGC and all their games must use a tested random number generator, which ensures games are fair and totally random in outcome. Different casino software is actually a really exciting area to delve into as each studio has its own graphic style and attitude towards game innovation, bonus rounds and reel setup. This means there are thousands of totally individual styles of games out there, some of which you will favour over others. Find out more about casino software now.
Bonuses and Promotions: Get the Best in Casino Bonuses
To kick off your online casino experience in unbelievable style, you’ll want to bag yourself a cracking casino bonus. Usually offered in the form of a matched deposit deal or no deposit deal. Either way, you’ll basically end up with some free casino credits, and then some extra free spins just to get you warmed up. Each different UK online casino will come with its own specific offer and you’ll want to shop around for something that suits your budget and tickles your gaming fancy! Or just use the Slotsbot best casino reviews – we’ll give you a summary of the best bonuses available at each online casino UK.
UK Casino Online Payment Methods
Don’t forget that the aim of the game with any online casino is to win. Before you opt to make any casino your home, take a quick tour of the payment methods page and check if you can use your bank, E-Wallet or other systems, if any fees may apply or other restrictions.
Customer Support and general security
Sometimes things can go wrong online. It’s a risk we assume when we spend, play and shop online. When it comes to gambling it’s even more important to know that you are safe, protected and can get hold of some human help if something goes wrong with your casino account. It is a must for online casinos UK to use SSL site encryption, for payment methods to be secure and to offer reliable and good customer services. In the Slotsbot Casino Reviews, we’ll tell you exactly what level of security a casino employs and how you can get a hold of them in you’re facing any issues!
UK Online Casinos: Making the Final Choice
Picking a UK online casino doesn’t have to be hard work. Simply use the Slotsbot top recommended casinos or use the steps laid out in this article to find pick your own casino, but don’t forget, you should always check out a review to get the insider angle! If you have any remaining questions about UK online casinos, check out the FAQs below!
Online Casino UK FAQs:
What is the legal gambling age in the UK?
You must be 18 years old to gamble in the UK and all online casinos will ask you to submit age verification as part of their sign up process.
What is The UKGC?
The UKGC is a separate government body, set up in 2007 to protect, oversee, regulate and conduct research into the UK gambling industry. They issue licences to UK Casinos, investigate offences and restrict licensing or hand out sanctions to UK Casinos acting outside of the law or fouling their players. They are a very strong regulatory body and all gambling legislation in the UK starts with them, they are also not afraid to handout million-pound fines to casinos that do not follow their licence conditions to the letter- think of them as your gambling guardian angel! Find out more about UK gambling laws here.
How are casino games tested for fairness?
Game software companies create their games in-house and test them before they are released to ensure they are fair. They also use independent, third-party services to ensure that the results and games are 100% fair and have random outcomes. eCOGRA, iTech, and Technical Testing Systems are labs often favoured in the industry. It is this testing that allows you to know that the games you play are giving the rate of RTP that is advertised.
What is the house edge?
This is the advantage the casino has over the player, which is usually around 1-6% depending on what games you choose to play and where you play.
What does RTP Mean?
Return to Player is the percentage of bets returned to the player over a number of spins (usually quite large) and therefore is an indication of how much on average the game pays out or how well it will perform. If a Slot has an RTP of 96%, this means for every £1 bet the game returns £0.96 over a series of playing. However, it is an average and does not reflect individual player experience.
Can I play at more than one casino?
In short, the answer is yes and by doing so you can benefit from multiple joining deals from the different casinos. However, you may have to deposit to all the accounts and it can be difficult to keep track of the bonus requirements ext. If you’re just looking to test some awesome slots check out the Slotsbot’s online casino games lobby where you can find all the games review!
How can I submit a complaint against a casino?
Your first point of call is the casino themselves via one of their support options. Your complaint can be escalated further, but the UKGC will intervene with third-party arbitration only if the casino cannot reach a suitable conclusion.
Who should I contact if I am worried about my gambling behaviour?
For general advice or third-party support you can contact the following organisations:
BeGambleAware. National helpline: 0808 8020 133.
Gamblers Anonymous. National helpline number: 02073 843040.
GamCare. National helpline number: 0808 8020133.
If you wish to close your casino account, activate a time-out or account limits then contact the customer support system at your chosen casino. For more info check also SlotsBot page about Responsible Gambling.
