The legality of online gambling in the UK
Today, the UK sees more bettors betting online than offline, probably due to the rise of the best gambling sites UK and Europe has ever seen. But before technology was a vital part of our lives, offline gambling shops were thriving. There are over 8000 offline shops in the UK now.
The Gambling Act of 2005 saw the formation and development of the UK Gambling Commission, also called UKGC. The commission oversees gaming laws and regulates arcades and casinos in the UK. Their primary objective is to encourage fair practices while gambling and prevents it from being a source of crime. The Commission is extremely strict about the age of the bettor, which should legally be over 18. This helps the young population of the country not be vulnerable and exploited to the harms of gambling.
Apart from some other strict regulations, there is no tax levied on gambling wins. The UK Gambling Commission also has unique Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) providers that resolve disputes between online gambling sites and their customers. This feature was initially only available at offline shops and casinos.
Now that there is more widespread use of online sites, most features can be found online at the best gambling sites too. Facilities and features like these assure the customer of fair and legal betting practices that will keep them from being conned.
Features of the best online gambling sites UK
A bettor can bet online at their convenience through good online gambling sites. Online gambling has become more popular in the last two decades. This enables customers and enthusiasts to save time and money, and gamble from anywhere in the world.
The best online gambling sites UK should have the following features;
1. Vast betting options
There are various betting options available all over the world now. In the UK, this is even more because of the large gambling industry. With stiff competition, it is only intuitive for the bookmaker to make their betting options more competitive and better. So, the best online gambling sites UK will have more betting options - from
greyhound bookies
to even the more niche sports.
Choosing the best gambling sites, that are reputable and trustworthy, is a decision that should not be taken in a rush. There are usually welcome offers and promotions that every new punter gets on signing up. These help punters to use different betting strategies and earn more money.
A variety of betting activities like sports and politics and a wide range of different currencies and payment methods to choose from are some things that make not only good betting options online, but the best gambling sites UK has to offer. Online gambling reviews can give you a better picture of the available betting options on these websites online.
2. Reliable payment options
You should have different payment options when you are betting online at the best gambling sites. There must be different options available, like net banking, e-wallets, card payments, etc. Some people might find it easier to pay with a specific option than the other. Also, there should be options for paying in different currencies too.
The payout that you get after betting should be speedy and without hidden costs too. There are higher commissions levied on some sites, and you should be more careful about these. Some rogue websites have hidden costs which create huge differences in the amount you are due to receive and the amount you actually receive. The best online gambling sites UK can satisfy its customers only if this difference is relatively low.
Visit our
Revolut gambling sites
and
Skrill for sports betting
guides for info on less-traditional payment options.
3. Easy usability
As a punter, especially a beginner, it is of utmost importance for you to understand how online gambling sites work — generally the best gambling sites UK have super simple platforms. It is preferred that they are not cryptic or unclear about the process of betting. This includes interpreting the odds, reading them, being able to interact with other punters, and getting advice on your bets too. This will make your betting journey more enjoyable.
Well-established sites with a good reputation usually have an easy-to-understand user interface. This prevents the punter from spending too much time trying to understand the process of gambling online.
4. Secure licenses
This is an essential step in the betting journey, and is often overlooked. It is a must for sites operating in the United Kingdom to hold licenses issued by the UK Gambling Commission. This shows that betting here is legal, and there is a code of conduct that must be followed. The more important part in checking licenses is not merely ownership of the license, but also if it is authentic or not.
Authorities are strict about who they issue these licenses to. Some jurisdictions are more stringent, have better regulation, and are more preferred to the others. While it might be difficult, knowing about the owner of the site might also be helpful in establishing how reliable they are.
5. Transparency
Transparency is the core characteristic that the best gambling sites should have. This means openness about the transactions that are made and the betting process. Transparency ensures that a website can be trusted and is legitimate. The best online gambling sites UK should be straightforward about their terms and conditions. A punter would want to use a website that has good odds, for example.
Transparency allows punters to pick from the different bookmakers online, compare, and explore all of their options. Historically, the websites that have been more transparent have scored better. They ultimately attract more customers and have a better reputation in public.
How to choose an excellent online gambling site?
In order to have a good gambling experience online, you need to choose a good gambling site. With our help, you can easily find the best online gambling sites UK that suits you the best.
Today, it is more likely that you will gamble online instead of betting offline. This means you have to be sure of what you are doing and where you are betting online. Apart from the necessary features that the best online gambling sites UK must have, there are other aspects of the online gambling site that you should consider as per your own preferences.
Here are some ways you can find the best online gambling sites UK for you;
1. Do your research
The first step, as a beginner, will be to check online gambling reviews. This will give you a fair idea of the top existing websites. Regular users generally talk about their good and bad experiences online. Betting.co.uk provides comprehensive online gambling reviews of the various online operators in the market. So, this research can help you understand the different betting options, various sports, payout rates, etc.
It might be a good idea to compare different odds offered by different bookmakers online. Another important part here is the rate of payout, which might be close to 95%. This means that for every £1 that you win, you only get back 95p. The other 5p are usually the site’s vig, so you would want to look for sites that have a higher payout rate. The gambling sites list will give you a better idea of which sites work better than the others and why.
Every site has a different promotion or a welcome offer, which you can redeem if you make a deposit there. A popular promotion is when bookmakers offer bonus bets of a certain amount when you stake in a specific amount. So, for example, the bookmaker might offer to give you a bonus bet of £60 for £60 that you place as a wager. This means that you can actually bet £120 worth of stakes.
Some strategies, like matched bookmaking, can help you take advantage of these promotions. Matched betting strategy is when you use these bonus bets and bet on both possible outcomes of an event. So, in this case, you bet £60 on a team losing and the other £60 on the team winning. One of these outcomes is bound to happen, which wins you your initial investment with some profits too. Bookmakers have competitive offers to attract more customers, so a punter has various options for these promotions to choose from. Take a look at our individual bonus guides, such as our
BoyleSports welcome bonus
and
Guts welcome bonus
reviews to see which offers are best for you.
3. Sports coverage
If you are a beginner or only a sports enthusiast who wants to leverage your knowledge in sports, check a site’s sports coverage. Some smaller sites might be excellent to deal with but might not have games which you like.
Smaller sites tend to offer only sports that are more popular in a country. For example, horse racing and football are more common in the UK. For football fans, we bring you a comprehensive and interesting
football betting podcast. If you want to bet on a sport like hockey, which might not be very popular, you have to make sure that the site offers hockey betting too. Legit gambling sites usually have a large number of sports and political activities covered for you to follow and bet on.
Significant parts of the best gambling site
A good gambling site offers various kinds of bets. There are factors that every good operator must-have which we analyze in our online gambling reviews. These include;
1. Sports betting
Different countries have different sports they are known for. A country like India, for example, will get most bets on sports like cricket. But a country like the UK will probably have a massive part of the population bet on sports like horse racing and football.
Some sites can be particularly busy on days when significant leagues are going on. However, there are other sports enthusiasts who you can socialise with on these sites to get to know more about the industry and sport. It is always better to understand the sport before you place bets on it.
2. Slots
An online gambling site should have slots because it is a major attraction in any casino. However, they are relatively less popular than table games because you lose the real sense of sitting in front of a slot machine and waiting for the outcome of the spin. There is a wide variety of different slot machines, which are usually very safe to play on. While some are generally for safer bets, some might have huge payouts, earning you more money.
An interesting and valid question that users ask online is whether online slots remember individual players and adjust their outcomes based on this. This will make them unfair and rigged. However, a good gambling site will let you know that these are fair and don’t remember you playing through third-party audits. So, the sites don’t know your history of playing with slot machines online.
If you go through our top gambling sites UK, you will realise that although slots are not as lucrative for the websites to have online, they are still an important part.
3. Table games
Poker, roulette and blackjack are the most popular table games you will find when you go to a casino, but what if you could play these games at home and win some money? This can be done with online betting where you can play these table games online. You can deposit money on these sites and play these games at any point in the day from anywhere in the world.
These are highly strategic games that need a lot of practice and tactical playing. It is a great way to learn the tricks of the trade without the pressure-filled environment that is usually created in casinos. A good site should offer a variety of these games in a large number, attracting more users.
4. Live dealer games
This is the most exciting opportunity that a punter can tap into when playing online. In live dealer games, you need an excellent internet connection to avoid a lag in bets. There are other players on the table with a dealer, with the game unfolding in real-time. It is precisely how it would be in a casino, except that you are virtually present there.
There should be a little delay, so the bets are fair and transparent. Sometimes, these games are announced a few days in advance so that regular players can be present on time. Online gambling reviews can help you understand how these can be lucrative opportunities for you.
5. Live betting
Popularly known as in-play betting, this is one of the easiest ways to bet online. Live betting applies to sporting contests on which you bet while they are taking place. It allows you to be more involved in the activity as the events unfold. For example, for a football match, you can follow the game online and place bets according to the action.
It is a fast-moving environment and might be difficult for beginners to adjust to at first. But eventually, it becomes the most exciting bets for punters. Live streaming of the event is essential for live betting. This is a classic case of people preferring online betting over offline betting. More often than not, the pressure is created by bookmakers and other experts in offline shops while the events are unfolding.
Top gambling sites UK will have live streaming of a variety of games and political events as an essential feature.
6. Mobile betting
Mobile betting is gaining more and more popularity by the day. You can bet from anywhere in the world, without being physically present in a casino. Moreover, it allows you to go over your bets and moves and analyse them to learn more.
Various iOS and Android applications give you a great user advantage with widespread usage. While many gambling sites have developed dedicated mobile applications, other gambling sites have come up with mobile device optimised sites. These sites, when opened on a mobile device, intuitively adjust to the screen size.
The best gambling sites have easy to manoeuvre mobile websites/apps, where punters can enjoy all the main features of the desktop versions of the gambling site while on the go. Have a read of our
best horse racing app
and
cricket bet app
guides to get started.
Why trust Betting.co.uk?
Betting.co.uk can help you find the best gambling sites online UK 2024. Our team of experts and professionals from the gambling industry work together. They thrive on giving you the best gambling experience. An essential part of gambling is comparison sites where you can compare odds of different betting sites. This gives you the advantage of choosing the best odds you can find in the market. This also helps you understand other punters and what their strategies are after reading their reviews online.
Data analytics play an essential part in determining how well a specific betting site is doing. Thus, the experts at Betting.co.uk can help you find the best places through different analyses, comparisons of odds, and reading and interpreting reviews. A lot of the sites’ past performances are considered and broken down to understand their pros and cons. Our online gambling reviews can help you understand the perspectives of bettors who have been betting for a long time now.
In addition to choosing the right operator with our online gambling reviews, there are other ways to boost your enjoyment while online gambling. Whether you are new to gambling or experienced, you will know that betting involves a lot more than just luck. Reasoning skills, logical thinking and applying strategies can significantly help you in placing smarter bets.
Apart from online gambling reviews, Betting.co.uk also provides comprehensive betting tips, strategies and guides that have been compiled by our experts. Our guides are regularly updated and are easy to understand. Whether you want to improve your betting skills for a specific sport or game or just gain a more thorough understanding of betting overall, we have all the answers.
Conclusion
Engaging with the best online gambling sites UK will give you a more enjoyable experience of online betting. With different techniques and strategies, you can choose the best online gambling site and make yourself more money.
Some essential features of a good gambling website might be fundamental but overlooked. Adequate payment modes, various betting options, transparency and a comprehensive user interface are all must-haves. There should be a variety of betting activities like sports, casino games, slots, etc. This will make your gambling journey more diverse and exciting. Checking our online gambling reviews is a good way to go ahead with your betting adventure.
Looking to start an affiliate program? Be sure to visit our guides to the
best sports betting affiliate programs
and
best casino affiliate programs.
Best Online Gambling Sites UK FAQ
❓ What are the top gambling sites in the UK?
Online betting is big business and there are now quite literally hundreds of
bookmakers
on the market - each one apparently offering something new and exciting. However, ultimately looks can be deceiving and sometimes a flashy-looking website does not reflect the quality of the service offered. Fortunately, our in-depth comparison of the best gambling sites in the UK will give you the lowdown on what’s available, helping you choose the best provider for you.
✒️ Where can I find online gambling reviews for UK sites?
Searching through reviews and ratings aggregators is a fantastic way to find out what the best gambling sites in the UK are. However, not all gambling reviews for UK sites are going to give you a warts-and-all picture of each operator. Our reviews, on the other hand, take an unbiased look at each platform and give you the full picture on what they have to offer, as well as top
betting strategies. The best place to start is with our comparison of the top gambling sites in the UK.
🤔What are the best gambling sites in the UK?
Many of the top gambling sites in the world actually operate out of the UK, so punters are more or less spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing a new platform. Whilst finding the top gambling sites in the UK will largely come down to personal choice, there are plenty of online gambling reviews to help you make your decision. Our comparison of UK platforms, for example, offers an unbiased look at the most popular platforms and details their main advantages and disadvantages, as well as looking at the various features and
betting promotions
they offer.
🎁 Do UK betting sites offer sign-up bonuses?
The UK betting scene is pretty competitive, so it will come as little surprise that many top sites offer different betting bonuses and
casino promotions
to entice new users. All of the best gambling sites in the UK will offer some kind of bonus, but our review takes a look at exactly what each one has to offer and explains how you can claim any sign-up bonuses that are available.
1.
Bet now
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply.
2.
£25 Free Bet
+ 25 Free Spins
Bet now
New UK/IE customers only. Sign up and place your first sports bet at offs of Events (2.0) or greater and if it loses, get a free bet equivalent to 50% of your first bet stake (min £10), to a maximum value of £25 plus 25 free spins on Gold Horsey Winner. Full T&Cs apply. 18+ / BeGambleAware.org
3.
£20 Back-Up Bet as Free Bet
Bet now
Min deposit £10, Max stake £10, Min Odds 1/1 (2.0); Max free bet £10; New players only
4.
Bet £10 Get £30 Surprise Bet
Bet now
New customers & 18+ only. Min. deposit of £10. Qualifying real money bet of £10. Min odds greater than or equal to 1.5 required. E/W bets excluded. Offer awarded immediately but could be issued the next working day in exceptional circumstances such as technical fault. Additional T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.
5.
100% Profit Boost up to £100
Bet now
New reg only. Claim by placing a min deposit £10 via ‘My Offers’ page within 30 days. 7 days to stake max £10 in-play, min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max. extra winnings £100. Once claimed, 30-day expiry. Cashed out, System & EW bets do not qualify. Other Promotional Play Restrictions Apply. T&Cs apply.
