The UK is home to some of the biggest and most successful brands in online gaming. There are multiple reasons behind this: from the vast and well-regulated authority of the UKGC to the massive market interest and a longstanding tradition of betting games. Either way, Britain is seen by many as a sort of mecca for casinos and betting sites of all shapes and sizes.
The biggest UK online casinos are often the leading names of the global industry. They’re some of the best and brightest that online gaming can offer and have seen huge international success. Many massive companies that have since shifted their focus to other markets can trace their roots back to the UK. It just goes to show what strong regulations and an innovative spirit can do for an industry.
In this article, we’ll take a look at these huge UK online casinos and what makes them so successful. We’ll go through the pros and cons of big casinos in the UK, what they can offer, and how you should approach picking a casino to play on. Lastly, we’ll provide some suggestions for top big-brand casinos, bonuses, and exciting offers.
SHOW MORESHOW MORESHOW LESSWe’ll kick things off with an expertly curated list of the biggest UK casinos available today.
The list below features some of the most successful companies in the country. All of them are fully licensed by the UKGC and legal for UK residents.
One of the major advantages of opting for big-ticket casinos is that they are all highly reputable. When an operator has been around for decades and attracts thousands of customers daily, you can be sure that they’re playing the long game. That means no scams, no shady bonus schemes, and no rejected withdrawals. Just thousands of games and a professional customer support team dedicated to letting you enjoy them all.
If you’re looking for the best casinos in the UK, just pick one off the list and follow the provided link. That said, you shouldn’t just pick one at random. There’s more to choosing a casino than just its size.
That’s why all of the listed casinos come with detailed reviews in which we examine each of them from top to bottom. We recommend that you pay close attention to our reviews if you want to make an educated decision and find the perfect site for your needs.
There are many reasons why most new players gravitate to the biggest brands. Sure, a lot of that comes down to brand awareness and promotion. As we noted above, however, big UK casinos have certain perks and advantages that their smaller competitors would find difficult to match.
The next section of this page deals with these characteristics and advantages. We’ll go through our standards of what it takes for us to consider a casino “big.” These standards can also be used as a guide to big UK casinos, what makes them attractive to players, and why you should consider registering for one.
Some of you may be wondering how we created our list in the first place. Well, great news – we’ll now go through our standards one by one and examine them in detail.
Firstly, these standards will highlight the BestCasinos review process and how we picked out which casinos we consider the biggest. Secondly, they will point out why you may want to register for a big site instead of a smaller one.
So, in order to be considered a big brand, a casino has to feature:
We’ve listed these in no particular order. Each point is equally as important, though some players may have different priorities than others. Let’s go through each of them and see how they relate to the biggest UK casinos online.
This one is a bit obvious, but we’ll say it nonetheless. If you want your casino to be considered big, it has to be – big. Considering even small venues these days often boast thousands of games in their portfolio, we don’t say this lightly.
Massive casinos have a lot of partnership deals with prominent software providers. This means that their game lobbies are lined by thousands upon thousands of different games.
Of course, these games have to cover a variety of types, genres, and tastes. For instance, the best UK casinos include every type of game from slots and scratch cards to live casino game shows, roulette wheels, card game tables, and much more. Ideally, every little niche and preference is offered in one way or another.
Gambling companies that wish to operate in the United Kingdom have to be licensed by the UKGC. There’s no going around that fact, and it’s the bare minimum legal requirement.
UK players are lucky enough to have the strictest and (arguably) most respected licensing authority in the world. This fact comes with a few perks of its own, but the bottom line is that almost every major gaming brand on the planet is licensed by the Gambling Commission.
Furthermore, highly-respected brands are often licensed all over the globe. If an operator can adhere to all those rules and regulations and still boast huge customer numbers, you can rest assured that you’re dealing with a respectable casino.
A license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission means that a site has to implement measures to counter problem gambling. This includes being part of the GamStop service, for example. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
In order to maintain positive PR and a good reputation, most big casinos take it a step further. They include features such as self-imposed limits and self-exclusion. They invite third-party agencies to test and audit their games for fairness. They do their best to keep their nose clean of any scandals and other blows to their word-of-mouth.
Remember – the biggest UK gambling companies are considered industry leaders. Others often look up to them, so it matters how they decide to handle issues such as responsible gaming.
The biggest casinos are not identified just by their vast offers, but by how easy it is to get to them as well. What does this mean, exactly?
For starters, leading casinos often feature dedicated mobile apps and optimised mobile websites. Moreover, they take the time to provide an incentive for players to enjoy such platforms.
This is just one example, of course. Major casino brands aim for mass market appeal. They cast a wide net and try to cater to every type of player there is. Depending on your tastes and preferences, this can be either an advantage or a disadvantage. Either way, it’s a common trait found among leading UK casinos.
Reasonable withdrawal terms, short waiting times, and basic casino banking options are a must-have for any successful casino. If we’re talking about truly massive casinos, though, you’ll get a lot more.
A casino needs to include payment options for all major types of payment services. This often includes debit cards, e-wallets, vouchers, mobile payments, bank transfers, and increasingly cryptocurrencies.
However, a truly big casino takes things a step further. Some of them list dozens and dozens of options for payment methods.
Another advantage worth mentioning is that big UK casinos often allow much bigger payouts, withdrawals, and monthly limits. This makes them ideal for high-rollers and VIP players.
Although often overlooked, a company’s customer support policy is crucial for a positive experience. One advantage of the biggest online casinos in the UK is that they can afford to invest a lot more into their service department.
Some of the benefits of this include 24/7 support, fast responses, and service reps who go above and beyond to help you. A more “personal” approach to customer support is one of the perks of smaller casinos – efficiency is the strength of bigger ones.
Beyond that, big casinos also include contact options such as toll-free phone lines, live chat rooms, and we’ve even seen mail support. Never underestimate the importance of fast and helpful customer service.
So once you get to your industry-leading casino, what do you play? Industry-leading games, of course!
So which games are the most popular at big online casinos in the UK?
Well, that largely depends on the category we’re talking about. Online slots are generally the most-played type of casino game worldwide, and that includes the UK. However, live casino games have been steadily growing in number as well.
In terms of live dealer games, Brits tend to stick with the classics. This generally includes roulette, blackjack, and casino poker. However, it’s hard to deny the surge in popularity of speciality products such as game shows.
Truly big casinos tend to include all of the above, plus a large selection of more niche products. For example, their game rosters often include scratch cards, online bingo, progressive jackpots, virtual games, and a variety of other services.
Some of the most popular games in the biggest UK casinos include:
Remember to check our casino game reviews to find more exciting casino games, complete with detailed guides and suggestions for more.
Nothing attracts punters quite like a generous casino bonus. If you want huge welcome bonuses and regular special deals and offers, the biggest UK casinos are undoubtedly the ones to go for.
Why? Simply put, they can afford to throw cash around on big promotions. Long-standing brands know very well that a loyal long-term customer is worth a small initial loss. Furthermore, they’re in constant competition against other equally large corporations.
Moreover, due to increased UKGC regulation, UK casino bonuses have to be very careful about how they structure their bonuses. They can’t be misleading or too harsh when it comes to wagering requirements.
Moreover, big UK casinos often offer multiple types of bonuses. On top of a substantial welcome bonus, these bonuses often include:
To give you a taste of what that looks like, check out the table below to find the biggest UK casino bonuses and offers.
Top 3 Biggest Casino Bonuses in the UK | |||
Casino | Bonus | Code | Claim |
Spin Rio | 100% up to £1,111 + 300 Free Spins | None Needed | Claim Here |
Guts Casino | £300 Welcome Bonus + 100 Free Spins | GUTSB1 | Claim Here |
Casumo Casino | Up to £1200 Bonus + 200 Free Spins | None Needed | Claim Here |
Before we wrap up, we should cover another all-important aspect of the casino experience – the payment options.
A few types of payments stand out as the most popular in UK casinos. These are:
In our opinion, e-wallets are one of the best ways to handle casino payments. Most importantly, e-wallets allow for instant withdrawals and massive limits. Moreover, they’re easy to use and accepted by millions of vendors all over the world.
UK punters tend to agree. Many still simply use cards, but the long withdrawal times and restrictions on using credit cards for gambling have made e-wallets even more attractive.
Bank transfers, on the other hand, are slow and costly. Despite this, they’re available to everyone and maintain a steady slice of the market.
However, not all payment options are available in all casinos. This is where big casinos shine. Many leading brands boast dozens upon dozens of available payment methods, including small local services. From huge services like PayPal and Neteller to obscure methods from abroad, you can pick and choose your method to your heart’s content.
As such, it’s hard to identify a single method as the “best” across the board. However, the best ones have the same characteristics such as:
To give you an idea, here’s a short list of the most popular payment methods in UK casinos.
Top 3 Casino Banking at Uk Casinos | |||
Payment Name | Payment Type | Minimum Deposit/Withdrawal | Payout Time |
Visa | Card Payment | £5 | 3-5 Days |
PayPal | E-Wallet | £1 | 0-2 Days |
Boku | Mobile | £5 | 0-2 Days |
Note that the listed minimum transactions are from the payment service’s end. Most online casinos have their own policies and generally higher limits.
To reiterate, big casinos are big for a reason. Hopefully, our little guide gives you an idea of what that reason is.
The biggest casinos are indeed the best option for the majority of UK punters. You can think of the big brands as go-to options – cookie-cutter casinos that are made to fit almost everyone. They attract the most people because attracting the most people is what they’re designed to do.
This is achieved through massive game portfolios, huge bonuses, and a myriad of site features and functionality. Essentially, big corporations tend to build a strong core offer and focus on constant, consistent expansion.
On the other hand, many “niche” interests and features are left by the wayside. If you have highly specific interests or requirements or are looking for niche products and services, big UK casinos may not be for you.
Everyone else, however, can pick one of the biggest brands and rest assured that they’re making the right choice. As we already discussed, they also excel in safety due to their international licenses, regulations, and reputations. Think of it this way – you can be fairly positive that the massive corporation that has been in business for a century is, in fact, not a scam.
All jokes aside, the best casinos in the UK float to the top, so trusting the popular vote is not a bad idea.
The biggest land-based online casino is The Hippodrome in London. Online, Bet365 has the highest earnings among all UK gambling companies. It’s followed closely by sites such as LeoVegas, William Hill, and so on.
Everyone has different preferences, so the answer depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re new, we recommend sticking to the biggest and most popular brands. You can find some suggestions on the page above.
According to data collected from brick-and-mortar casino surveys, roulette is the most popular game. It’s followed by blackjack, then poker, then baccarat. However, things are different online, where slots are by far the most beloved casino games.
Technically, yes, there are casinos in the UK that are not part of the GamStop service. However, such casinos are also not licensed by the UKGC. While some accept UK players, they’re veering dangerously into legal grey areas, while some are downright illegal. All in all, we suggest staying away from any casino in the UK not on GamStop.