UK Gambling Commission - Overview and Role
Edited reviewed in-house509 wordsby the EasyPlay.Vegas desk
The UK Gambling Commission is responsible for issuing licenses to online casino operators to allow them to accept players from Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
21+ No operator we name holds a licence from a state regulator, and what you are allowed to play is settled by the state you sit in, not by us. This desk books no wagers, holds no balances and deals no cards — every button hands you over to the operator, and the terms you agree to there are the operator’s own. Conditions ride on every offer. Who pays this site, and for what.
Casino sites that have been running ten years or more
What put each of these rooms on this page, and what its welcome offer demands in exchange. A commission reaches us if you open an account; every figure is the operator’s own.
- 1
Running ten years or more
200% up to $500 on the first deposit
- Running since
- 2013
- Wagering
- 40x
- Minimum deposit
- $20
- The catch
- Our record names no licence for this operator at all.
- 2
Running ten years or more
250% up to $1,500 on the first deposit
- Running since
- 2016
- Wagering
- 40x on bonus plus deposit
- Minimum deposit
- $20
- Licence on record
- Curacao
- The catch
- Wagering is 40x — nothing on this list asks for more.
- 3
Running ten years or more
150% up to $750 on the first deposit with code MYB150
- Running since
- 2014
- Wagering
- 40x on bonus plus deposit
- Minimum deposit
- $45
- The catch
- We hold two independent records of this operator, which is thin for this list.
- 4
Running ten years or more
100% up to $1,000 on the first deposit with code CAWELCOME100
- Running since
- 2011
- Wagering
- 25x on bonus plus deposit
- Minimum deposit
- $20
- Licence on record
- Curacao
- The catch
- We have not tested a withdrawal at Bovada Casino ourselves.
- 5
Running ten years or more
100% up to $2,000 + 20 free spins on the first deposit
- Running since
- 2013
- Wagering
- 35x on bonus plus deposit
- Minimum deposit
- $20
- Free spins
- 20
- The catch
- No crypto payout is listed in our record — card and wire only.
- 6
Running ten years or more
200% up to $4,000 on the first deposit with code CAS200
- Running since
- 1994
- Wagering
- 35x
- Minimum deposit
- $50
- Licence on record
- Curacao, Comoros Gambling License Authority
- The catch
- The welcome needs a $50 deposit — nothing here asks for more up front.
- 7
Running ten years or more
125% up to $1,000 on the first deposit with code SIGNUP1000
- Running since
- 1996
- Wagering
- 30x on bonus plus deposit
- Minimum deposit
- $20
- Licence on record
- Curacao, Saint Kitts And Nevis
- The catch
- We hold one independent record of this operator, which is thin for this list.
- 8
Running ten years or more
100 free spins welcome offer
- Running since
- 2003
- Minimum deposit
- $25
- Licence on record
- Panama Gaming Control Board
- The catch
- We hold no independent record of this operator beyond its own pages.
- 9
Running ten years or more
Crypto welcome: 300% up to $3,000 split between casino and poker
- Running since
- 2016
- Wagering
- 25x
- Minimum deposit
- $20
- Licence on record
- Curacao
- The catch
- Casino only: there is no sportsbook on the same wallet.
- 10
Running ten years or more
100 free spins + 50% up to $250 in sports free bets
- Running since
- 2001
- Wagering
- 30x
- Minimum deposit
- $25
- Licence on record
- Panama Gaming Control Board
- The catch
- We have not tested a withdrawal at BetOnline Casino ourselves.
Every room above accepts deposits from the United States and keeps the account in US dollars. Not one holds a licence from a US state regulator; a licence our record does name is printed in that room’s card. A commission reaches us if you open an account, and every figure above is the operator’s own — read yours in their cashier before paying anything in, and our procedure says what this list is and is not.
With the UK Gambling Commission coming under the Ministerial Auspices of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
Since 2014, any online casino that wishes to accept players from the UK has to have a license from the UKGC.
All UKGC Licensees have had to assess themselves against three categories of protection for customer funds: basic, medium and high.
Licensed operators, both remote and non-remote, are required to clearly convey their Level of Protection Rating to customers as part of their terms and conditions.
Any and all online casinos which have a UKGC License offer a further level of protection and regulation for players and a real recourse should a problem with a casino occur.
Established as a result of the UK Gambling Act 2005, the UK Gambling Commission assumed full powers in 2007, taking over the role of the former Gaming Board for Great Britain.
Since October 2013, the UK Gambling Commission has also taken over the function of overseeing the UK National Lottery, replacing the National Lottery Commission.
The UKGC as it is often known as, has an important role to play in monitoring and regulating those casinos which accept UK players. However, players please be aware, there are many many operators out there on the internet, that readily take UK players, who have not been awarded or have applied for a UKGC license.
All the online casinos which are reviewed here on EasyPlay.Vegas which accept UK Residents as players, have an appropriate UKGC license, in addition to their offshore license where they operate from, if applicable.
Player Protection and the UKGC’s Role
So what protections if any are players afforded by the UK Gambling Commission when playing at those casinos which have a current and valid UKGC license?
Well the stated aim of the UKGC is as follows: “to keep crime out of gambling, to ensure that gambling is conducted fairly and openly, and to protect children and vulnerable people“
To this end, all operators who have a UKGC license also have to meet and adhere to laid down Responsible Gambling criteria set by the commission. One such notable change is the implementation of the ‘Take a Break’ facility, or TAB as it is sometimes known as.
TAB or Take a Break allows players to basically ‘self exclude’ themselves from an online casino for a limited amount of time. In most instances, this can be done automatically and straight away within the casino software – whether it is a download client or via a web browser no download casino.
Furthermore the UKGC continually monitors and oversees it’s licensees and can and do visit any operator with a license, to undertake financial and regulatory audits.
Finally, the UKGC also appoint Alternative Dispute Resolution Services for players to use and go to, should a dispute arise between them and a UKGC licensed online casino. One such service is the one provided by eCOGRA.
For UK players, playing at an online casino licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission is a big plus.