What Makes a Great Online Casino Site?

Online gambling has gone up in popularity over the past decade or so and with the current restrictions, it is often easier to gamble from the comforts of home rather than head to a land-based casino.

Don’t worry, though. We’ve done the leg work for you and below we’ve listed not only verified and legit online casinos, but those with the best customer reviews as well.

If you yourself are on the hunt for good online casinos in the UK, consider whether or not they meet these criteria.

  • Secure - Good online casinos should be licensed and regularly tested for fairness. Your UK online casino of choice should also be able to guarantee the safety of your personal and payment information.

  • Game Variety - There should be a variety of casino games to choose from, including online slots and live table games. There are also those that offer video poker.

  • Mobile Compatibility - Since you will be playing an online casino game on your phone or computer, you need to find gambling sites that are easy to access from your phone.

  • Payment Methods - You should also go for a casino that has a wide variety of payment options on hand. This includes credit cards, bank deposits, and online fund transfer partners like PayPal.

  • Bonuses - You may also check what bonuses are offered by your online casino of choice. Bonuses can come in the form of a signup cash bonus like a 100 welcome bonus, or a deposit bonus. They can also come as free spins.

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If you want to add more to that list, you may also want to make sure that you get online casino bonuses such as a £100 welcome bonus. You can also look for places that offer a first deposit bonus. And places that keep your bonus funds separate from the rest of your earnings.

You may also want to make sure that your online casino of choice has great customer support.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let us go look at some of the best online casino sites in the UK. And also, please don’t forget to always gamble responsibly!

How to Tell if an Online Casino Site is Safe?

When you sign up to online casino sites in the UK, you will be giving them your personal and financial information. As such, you have to make sure that you are dealing with reputable online casino sites and ones that value your security.

Below we’ve listed some things you want to check out.

UK Gambling Commission Regulation

All gambling sites in the UK and all gambling online is closely regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. Their task is to ensure fairness. Games are regularly checked to make sure that they are not rigged.

To make sure that your online casino of choice is safe and secure, ask if they are verified and licensed to operate online gambling sites in the UK by the UK Gambling Commission. Most gambling sites will display this affiliation prominently on their websites.

Do a Quick Check on Website Security

You can also click on the lock icon on the left-hand side of the address bar on your website to see if the connection is secure or not.

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Game Variety and Mobile Compatibility

Game variety and mobile compatibility are two more things you should consider when choosing an online casino.

A Wide Variety of Games

When choosing which UK casino sites to go for, be sure to choose one that has a wide variety of games and options. Your chosen online casino site should not only have live casino games but should also have a wide range of slot games to choose from. Table games are a bonus too.

Having a good variety of games is important so that you have choices available to you, so you don’t get bored of the same old games.

Mobile Compatibility

Another thing you have to consider is how compatible the online casino site is with your mobile phone. Playing on your computer or laptop is good but it is more convenient to have the option to be able to play on your phone.

Most of the bigger and more popular casinos in the UK have their own mobile apps or have at least made sure that their websites are mobile-friendly. This helps make sure that you can play on your phone without compromising on experience or ease of use.

Payment Methods

When choosing an online casino, you will also have to consider what their payment methods are and whether or not you can avail of them.

Most online casino sites these days accept the following payment methods:

  • Credit Card

  • Debit Card

  • Prepaid Card

  • Direct Bank Transfers

  • Third Party Payment Partners

If you have a credit card, debit card, or prepaid bank card, you can use these to deposit into your online casino account. The money deposited will be used to make real money bets.

Casinos in the UK also accept direct bank transfers as well as third party payment methods. The latter includes companies like PayPal.

Casino Bonuses

Another category that can be the difference between a good and great online casino is their bonuses.

Bonuses can vary from one online casino site to another. Some casinos have a direct cash bonus that they give customers just for signing up. Some will have a deposit bonus for the first deposit. Others implement 3rd deposit bonus funds. There are also casinos that offer Bonus Spins.

So, what exactly should you be looking for? A great online casino should have more than one, if not all, of these:

  • Welcome bonus

  • Deposit bonus

  • Bonus spins

  • Promotional bonus

Signup Bonus or the Welcome Bonus

There will be casino sites that will allow you to play with the signup bonus even without a direct deposit and just play with only bonus funds. This can come in the form of a £100 welcome bonus. You can easily start a winning streak with just your bonus funds.

Unused bonus funds may also have an expiration date attached to them. Some online casino sites also offer cash only bonus funds. The bonus amount will vary from one online casino to another.

Deposit Bonus

In addition to signup bonus funds, you can also get deposit bonus funds. This is when the online casino matches your deposit with a bonus. This can vary from one online casino to another too. Some will do 1st deposit bonus others give 3rd deposit bonus funds. A minimum deposit may also be required.

Most online casino sites will implement a max bonus, but this varies from one online casino site to another. Your deposit bonus may also be subjected to a max bet.

Deposit bonuses are also subject to rules on minimum deposit and maximum bonus.

Bonus Spins

Aside from money bonuses, online casinos can also offer Bonus Spins. Bonus spins can be anywhere from 50 bonus spins to upwards of 100 or more bonus spins. Bonus spins are free spins that you can take when playing on the slots.

Keep in mind that winnings you get from free spins may be subject to casino ruling and full T & Cs apply. You may also only use your bonus spins on selected games. You may not get to use them on jackpot games.

Ongoing Promotional Bonuses

These are bonuses that are offered to already enrolled customers. They are usually offered periodically or are offered if you meet a certain criteria when playing on gambling sites.

An example of this is if you are given free spins after you deposit a certain amount. Or you can also win free spins instead of money. In such cases, spins credited as bonus cannot be used like a real money credit. Instead, you get the free spins.

Winnings from these are treated the same way as spins purchased with real money.

Using Your Bonuses

Now that you know what bonuses you should be expecting from a great online casino, let us take a closer look into what bonuses are:

Bonus Funds vs. Cash Funds

What is the difference between your bonus fund are your cash fund? As the name suggests, you cash fund is from the money you have deposited into your casino account. And your bonus funds are the credits or spins that have been given to you by the online casino.

Can You Use Your Bonus Fund and Cash Funds Interchangeably?

Yes and No.

Yes, in the sense that you can play casino games with them as you normally would your cash funds. But also No, since most online casino sites impose restrictions on the use of bonus money.

There may also be caps on how much you can bet with your bonus funds. Some online casinos, for example, will have a 20 Max Bonus Bet rule or Max Bonus 5. For almost every online casino site in the UK, bonus funds are separate from your cash funds.

Many online casinos will apply restrictions to much you bet with your bonus funds. Since they are separate to cash funds, there may also be restrictions as to how much you can withdraw. For a number of casinos, the deposit bonus is not withdrawable, just playable.

Bonus Funds Usage Restrictions

Once you start using your bonus funds, you may find that they are subject to certain restrictions. For example, some casinos or online betting sites in the UK can put a limits like - Max Bonus Bet 5 credits for wagers or buy ins.

You may also run into restrictions like Max Free Spins winnings. This is when casinos limit the number of times you can win when using your bonus money.

Wagering

Bonus funds contribute towards your overall money. But some casinos in the uk do not allow direct withdrawal of bonus wins.

Many online casinos implement wagering requirements. Most bonus funds are subject to 35x wagering, though the wagering percentage can vary from one casino to another. Bonuses subject to 35x wagering is usually the standard, but there are also UK online casino sites that do not have a wagering requirement.

Bonus wins, bonus spins winnings, and bonus spins credited to your account may also be subject to 35x wagering.

Aside from wagering, some casinos also only allow max bonus conversion equal the winnings from real money credits. This means you have to win the same amount from real money wagers before you get to withdraw your bonus wins.

Tip

Use your bonus funds, don’t forget to use them. Remember that bonus funds expire within a certain number of days after they are credited to your account. Use them. If you get free spins, head to the online slots and make use of them.

Casino FAQ

  • How do I find the best UK casino sites?

    "The Best" depends on your own personal preference. Online casinos are created different from one another. There will be those that focus on slots, those that have 100 welcome bonus, or more. And those that give a deposit bonus. There are those have great mobile apps and are partnered with top-of-the-line game developers. There will also be online casinos that focus on live table games. And those that have loads of slot games. When it comes to choosing the best online casinos, do not be afraid to shop around. Try as many online casino games as you'd like until you have a good idea of what works for you.

  • What is a live casino?

    A live casino is an online casino that streams live tables games whether from a studio or a land casino. With a live online casino, players get to interact with dealers in real-time. Most UK online casino sites offer a live casino option. Essentially, when the term 'Live Casino' is mentioned, it usually refers to live dealer games.

  • What do they mean by Responsible Gaming?

    Responsible gaming is when casinos help their players stick to budgets and gamble responsibly. Not every online casino offers this, but for those that do, the policies can vary. Some may impose a spending limit on the player's cash funds. They may also have max cash spending. If you are looking to gamble responsibly, inquire if your online casino of choice has a responsible gambling feature. Most of the time, if you scroll to the bottom of a UK online casino site, you will see a list of affiliations with responsible gambling organizations such as GamStop and BeGambleAware. The presence of these affiliated groups can help players guarantee that they can gamble responsibly when they need to.