Legal Online Casinos For UK Players

The United Kingdom isn't exactly a huge place in today's modern age. Great Britain doesn't rule the majority of the world anymore, and the Queen and royal family are basically figureheads, while it's the PM and Parliament that make all the decisions. That being said, the UK is still one of the most historic places in the world, and while the USA would love to hold this particular title, the UK is actually one of the freest places in the world. This is evidenced strongly by the UK gambling laws and the accessibility of gambling websites for UK residents.

At Legal Casinos UK, we're simply here to clear up any confusion you may have. With the US and UK being such tight allies for so long, and very similar both culturally and politically, many people assume right away the UK is very strict about its gambling laws and that UK citizens have to look abroad for online gaming sites just like US citizens do. We're here to clear things up. We want to illustrate the various gambling laws of the UK, and then tell you how you can find a legitimate site with which to wager. If you live in the UK, consider yourself lucky. The entire world of Internet gambling is open for you. Just be careful not to walk into a bad site.

Our website is geared towards players who live in the United Kingdom. If you live in the United States, you can check out the following link which is an excellent resource and answers the many questions and concerns players have such as is online gambling legal in the US. While I personally live in the UK, I feel for US players who have a tough time learning about what is legal and what isn't. And that website link that I posted is where I turn to when I want to read about the latest developments in the US regarding gambling.

The Legality of Gambling in the UK

To put it as simply as possible, gambling is legal in the United Kingdom. But there are a few caveats. For instance, the UK is perhaps the most regulated gambling industry on the planet. This doesn't mean that any types of games are illegal per se; it just means that the UK is very strict about who they give a license to. Under the Gambling Act of 2005, the UK basically decided that the growing Internet gaming genre was unstoppable. The UK has actually had a very long history of regulating gambling, from bookies' shops and off-track betting sites to various bingo halls, gambling has always been closely controlled in the UK, and it's always been at least partially legal. Though seeing the writing on the wall, the government of the UK decided that they would get out in front of things and work to regulate the gambling.

Over in America, politicians were figuring out how to literally put people in prison for operating gambling sites within the nation. The 2006 UIGEA law was a serious blow to the industry on a worldwide level. But America's long-standing allies, the UK, took a different route. They constructed a new set of laws and a new set of protections for children and at-risk adults. So instead of outright banning gambling, which seems messy and unnecessary, the UK instead decided to regulate it. This means that gambling is legal in the United Kingdom, and a citizen of the UK can freely sign up with any type of online gaming establishment that's legally licensed and regulated.

The Gaming Commission and What They Do

Prior to the Gambling Act of 2005, the UK Gaming Commission did not exist. It was different regulatory bodies that watched over the nation's gambling. Though along with the act, the new Gaming Commission was constructed and put in place. In short, this commission regulates licenses of different sites and establishments that seek to set up shop in the UK. Many of the top online gaming sites are actually based out of the UK, so the Gaming Commission has its hands full in regulating the practices of these sites. And they have taken on more duties as well. As of 2013, the UK Gaming Commission also oversees the National Lottery and regulates this. For a government agency, they're surprisingly transparent and easy enough to deal with. If, for instance, you're located in the UK and want to open up a gaming site of some sort, you can simply visit the Gaming Commission's website and check out all the information you would need to know going forward. You can contact them directly and figure out how to proceed.

Much to the delight of gamblers in the UK, there's a line on the Gaming Commission's site that clears everything up: "[All] forms of gambling online [are] legal in Great Britain." That's most certainly good news for residents of the UK who are looking to join up with an online casino or sportsbook.

Casino Name	Bonus Offer	Rating	Software
Casino Cruise	100% Max €200		Microgaming

Types of Sites Available to UK Residents

Just because a nation has legal gambling available doesn't necessarily mean that they will offer every type of site. For instance, there are online casinos, sportsbooks, poker rooms, bingo rooms, lotto-based websites, racebooks, and more. Are any of these actually illegal in the UK? While some might be harder to open than others, due to the red tape associated with any government agency, the good news is that all types of gambling sites are open to UK citizens. At Legal Casinos UK, what we provide for you is a broad range of information pertaining to the quality of these legal sites. For instance, we make sure to attempt to set you up with sites that are licensed and operated out of your own backyard.

Unlike Americans who may have to jump over to Malta to find a good casino, people from the UK can simply play at a casino that's operated out of their own country. This greatly increases the trust factor, and you know that things like your language and your currency will be directly catered to. This is a big confidence booster when gambling. Adding to that confidence, we will actually break down what sites are offering as we present them to you, so that you can make the most informed decision possible when attempting to find a site with which to gamble. You don't have to follow our word, but we do suggest you take our reviews seriously. We put a lot of time and effort into uncovering the truth about online gaming sites, and we deliver this information to you in its honest, unadulterated form. It may be in your best interest to heed our suggestions about gaming sites.

How We Select Top Gambling Sites

Over time at Legal Casinos UK, you're going to find quite a few in-depth reviews of different gaming sites. We want you to know that we really take our time to look into these sites to figure out how they operate and if they're worth actually risking your money with. Just because a site is located in the UK doesn't mean that you should bet with them. They might have shoddy and outdated random number generators. They might have very strict bonus rules that don't allow you to ever keep your money. They might really limit your options for deposits and withdrawals, and much more. We attempt to find the best while tossing aside the rest. We have a formula for picking out quality sites, and we never skimp on our research.

The Reputation of a Site

One of the first areas we're going to check is with the reputation of the site. How do we go about finding out these details? We actually go directly to the gamblers who play at the site. For instance, if it's an online casino we're dealing with, we will check out what the actual members are saying about their games. If the casino is unfair, holds up peoples' money, has shoddy customer support, and other unsavory aspects, the people who play there will be very vocal about these misdealings on forums, blogs, etc. We suss out this sort of information and use it to decide whether or not a casino is legitimate. If a casino doesn't come across as very reputable, rest assured that our review of the casino will reflect that. We will never bury the truth from you, no matter which gaming site it is.

The Security of a Site

The next area we're going to check out is the security of the website in question. It might be a very popular site with tons of different betting options, but if they're not secure, then they're not worth playing with. If you put your hard-earned money into a site, only to have it hacked and all your money spent, this is something that can really reach out and ruin your life financially. Anyone with access to your online account will have a direct line to your banking, credit cards, e-wallet, etc. This can end in disaster. So while we're researching different sites, we're checking to see how strong the site's encryption software is, what sort of back-ups they have in place, what sort of certificates and awards they have, and other aspects of security. We're looking to be impressed, and if we're not you're going to be the first to know about it. We hold nothing back in critiquing a gaming site's security. This is a very important aspect of online gaming that cannot be overlooked.

The Licensing of a Site

We're also going to thoroughly check out a site's licensing information. As mentioned above, this is a UK-based website; and since gambling is legal in the UK, our number-one target is going to be gaming sites that are operated directly out of the UK. But even this isn't enough to impress us. Yes, the Gaming Commission does a great job with regulating sites and ensuring that sites don't just pop up to rip people off and run. But we also want a very transparent site that not only freely offers information about its licensing, but also information about its parent company, other sister sites, how long they've been in business, etc. Sites that are forthcoming with their information stand out as reputable. Sites that hide their information come across as shady and as if they're hiding that information for a reason. We want you to deal only with sites that are open and transparent about what they do and how they do it.

The Software of a Site

One of the last aspects of a site on which we really focus is the site's software. The software platform a gaming website uses makes a world of difference in the experience you're going to have while playing there. Software platforms that are top-shelf provide players with smooth, intense graphics, more table options, mobile apps, and a much broader range of games to play. Software packages that are bottom-shelf typically freeze and lag, have shoddy graphics, and don't offer a wide range of games at all. What we're looking for are the top-flight names in online gaming software platforms, such as Microgaming, RTG and PlayTech. And if there's a newcomer on the block whose software is great, we will give it an objective review after trying it out. The main thing is that we discover quality software used. If the software is subpar, you're going to hear about it in our reviews. It's part of our process.

Remember to Gamble Responsibly

We recommend good sites, break down how well gaming sites perform, and attempt to point you in the right direction. But that's not the only reason we're here. At Legal Casinos UK, we're also gamblers. Our entire staff is comprised of people who love gambling. We're a multicultural bunch with gambling acting as the glue that holds us together, our common bond. We respect gambling and also understand the dangers gambling may pose. So, we always want you to gamble responsibly. We're going to have tips-based articles on this site over time that really help you understand how to bet responsibly, how to leverage, and how to set yourself up in a position to win well without having to risk a bunch of money.

Chasing bets and gambling all willy-nilly on sites is a way to quickly go broke. We represent the fun side of gambling, the side that's responsible and lucrative in smaller, controlled doses. And we sincerely hope you heed our advice to bet using your head and not your ambition.