The best gambling sites in the UK

A rundown of the best gambling sites on the market according to different categories, including slots, roulette, sports betting and more

(The Independent)

From physical and online casinos to bookmakers and sports betting sites, the UK gambling market has evolved into an intricate, sophisticated product catering for total beginners to seasoned punters.

And with gambling continuing to increase in popularity, it is helpful to know the best and safest gambling sites to use.

To that end, we’ve reviewed the best gambling sites on the market below – breaking down our picks intio individual categories such as slots sites, roulette, blackjack, sports betting and more – using stringent criteria to evaluate each company’s gambling product.

Gambling site	Best for	Welcome offer
MrQ	Online roulette	Spend £20 and Get 75 No Wagering Bonus Spins
Jackpot Village	Slots	Get up to 200 Bonus Spins
Mr Play	Blackjack	100% Welcome Bonus up to £200 + 100 Extra Spins
Buzz Bingo	Bingo	Deposit £10, Get £40 in Bingo Bonuses + 200 Extra Spins
BetMGM	Gambling app	100 Bonus Spins when you play £10
Bet365	Football betting	Bet £10 get £30 in free bets
BoyleSports	Horse racing betting	Bet £10 on mobile get £20 free bet

How we review gambling sites 

Our reviews of established online gambling sites and new casinos are built upon solid guidelines, which are followed by our team of experts and are discussed in more detail below. All sites must meet our high standards to be considered on the lists.

Licensing – The most important thing to consider when choosing a gambling site is its licensing and regulation. Gambling sites must be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) to ensure they comply with UK regulations and laws. Never use an unlicensed gambling site.

Welcome bonus – It’s important that gambling sites provide good value to new customers with their welcome offers – this may be in the form of free spins, free bets and more. As well as offering value to the customer, they will ideally be as unrestrictive as possible, such as a lack of wagering requirements.

Markets/Games – In addition, once the customer is signed up, the best gambling sites should provide punters with plenty of choice. Sportsbook should offer a good selection of markets for each sport they cover, as well as unique betting tools like a bet builder. In terms of games, it helps to offer a good number of variants for slots, roulette, blackjack and more.

Promotions – Once customers have used their welcome bonus, the best gambling sites will do their utmost to ensure that existing customers receive regular promotions, casino bonuses and offers. These could include free spins, free bets, odds boost and specials.

Mobile –In the modern-day betting market, it is vital that gambling sites have a mobile and app offering that performs efficiently. Users must be able to access the company’s entire sportsbook, as well as games such as slots and roulette, whether using Apple, Android or desktop.

Payment methods – Gambling sites should offer a range of payment methods to make it simple for customers to make a deposit. In addition, the methods on offer must be secure, accessible and simple to use. Examples include debit cards, bank transfer, PayPal betting and e-wallets. Furthermore, quick withdrawals are equally important, with the fastest withdrawal casinos providing modern banking methods.

Security – As well as offering security in their payment methods, the best gambling sites will also offer various security measures to protect user data. As well as the latest encryption software, they will often use two-factor authentication.

Customer support – Top gambling sites set themselves apart by offering great customer service and support, including various ways to contact them. These can include live chats, email lines and even phone lines.

Responsible gambling – The best UK gambling sites will promote safer gambling, offering responsible gambling tools such as loss limits, deposit limits and time-outs. These will often be found on a dedicated tab on each site.

Best gambling sites

Below, we’ve broken down the best gambling sites on the market according to different categories.

Best gambling sites for online roulette

MrQ 

MrQ is one of the standout online gambling sites in the industry, and we’ve noted the quality of its roulette games. MrQ boasts a very impressive roulette product for both new and experienced players, with three classic roulette games, including its 20p game roulette, and options for live roulette on the live casino section of its site and app.

Users will also find an impressive array of promotions on MrQ, including a specific roulette bonus available to all players called Daily Roulette Drop.

Grosvenor Casino

Grosvenor Casino has a fantastic array of live casino games. For those who prefer gaming against the computer, there are up to 10 variations of roulette available 24/7, but Grosvenor takes its coverage of the live element to the next level, offering users the chance to immerse themselves in the action from tables at its venues across the UK.

You can stake 10p on live roulette, but there are options for high rollers too.

In addition, Grosvenor offers a compelling welcome bonus and promotions geared towards roulette for existing customers.

Best gambling sites for slots

Jackpot Village

Jackpot Village has over 2,000 slot games, giving users the choice between traditional slots, new slots, drop and win and Megaways games. All themes are covered, including a wide range of branded games such as The Goonies and Deal or No Deal.

Jackpot slots are available too, and Jackpot Village takes its jackpots seriously, offering customers the chance to scoop a grand prize worth millions of pounds. There are several other jackpot games with differing casino payouts too.

Jackpot Village distingushes itself further from other top gambling sites by offering plenty of promotions beyond the welcome offer, including offering daily rewards to players via a spin on their Bonus Wheel.

Mr Vegas 

Mr Vegas also has over 2,000 slot games to choose from. They have both classic and video slots, although their product tends to focus more on the latter. Branded slots are also available, including a Rick and Morty-themed game.

Mr Vegas also has Megaways games and jackpots on offer for those users hoping to land a mega cash prize from one spin.

Their site includes a solid welcome bonus for new customers and regular offers for existing users, such as special prizes and free spins via their Rainbow Fridays promo.

In addition, the site’s clean aesthetics make Mr Vegas a sleek gambling experience.

Best gambling sites for blackjack

Mr Play 

Mr Play is a trusted and reliable gambling site with an impressive blackjack product. Users can easily play a few hands of blackjack at any one of its numerous computer-generated blackjack games, but its live casino is even better.

Mr Play has over 60 blackjack rooms, offering different styles of blackjack. There’s something for all, from novices to experienced players, and caters to a range of budgets.

Several other best UK gambling sites provide a better welcome offer, which includes free spins on its slot games, but Mr Play redeems itself with offers for existing customers that include reload deposit bonuses and cashback deals.

Magic Red 

Magic Red is another impressive blackjack site, with ample rooms available on its live casino. It caters to all levels of blackjack players, from novices to card sharks, with the latter likely interested in playing one of Magc Red’s high-stakes VIP rooms. In total, Magic Red offers 73 blackjack rooms, so there’s never any shortage of options for users.

Magic Red has a solid welcome offer too, matching first deposits up to £100 and offering 20 free spins. Keep an eye on its promotions page for loyalty bonuses for existing customers, which can be unlocked by playing blackjack and more.

Best gambling sites for online bingo 

Buzz Bingo 

Buzz Bingo has a good range of bingo games available online, including 90, 80 and 75-ball bingo and several live rooms. Buzz Bingo is one of the more innovative bingo sites around, particularly in their live games where they offer double prize money should a player complete a full house on a double (77) and money back on the last game of the night.

Buzz is only six years old and as new gambling sites go, it has one of the best welcome bonuses on the market, giving users up to £40 in bonus bingo and 200 free spins on its slot games once customers have staked £10 online.

Mecca Bingo

Mecca Bingo is one of the most reputable names in the bingo industry. Users can play for big prizes fund on both the desktop site and app, all of which offer 90, 80, 75 and 50-ball bingo and special rooms.

Tickets are very affordable for players of all budgets, starting from as little as 1p on select games. Mecca Bingo truly delivers on its range of promotions, offering new customers £120 in bonus bingo after depositing and playing £10. Existing customers are not overlooked, receiving free bingo bonuses, entry into competitions and free tickets to special events.

Overall, Mecca Bingo is a great all-rounder with some of the biggest bonuses found at online gambling sites UK.

Best gambling apps 

BetMGM

BetMGM is one of the best new gambling sites in the UK and has hit the ground running thanks in part to having one of the best betting apps. Having honed their craft in the US market, BetMGM knows what it takes to put together a great gambling site and app.

BetMGM knows the value of mobile wagering, and have optimised the usability and functionality of the app accordingly. The app ranks well with both Apple and Android users, who are able to seamlessly transition from the sportsbook to online casino on the same gambling app.

Overall, as an all-in-one package, BetMGM’s gambling app is tough to beat.

LeoVegas

LeoVegas has a reputation as a premier site for mobile gambling, having won ‘Mobile Operator of the Year 2023’ at the EGR Operator Awards.

There are over 2,000 slots and table games available on its casino app, and it offers a perfect gaming experience for customers, with speed and reliability at the forefront of its service. The aesthetics are sleek, and navigation is simple across all platforms.

Best gambling site for football 

Bet365

Bet365 is the gold standard for football betting sites. It covers almost every major league across the world, offering an array of markets. However, where Bet365 truly differentiates itself is the value of its betting odds, which are often the best across the board.

Promotions include a bet £10 get £30 in free bets welcome offer for new customers, while existing users can expect regular bet boosts, profit boosts and acca bonuses along with access to free games such as Goals Giveaway. Bet365 delivers a perfect product for wagering on the world’s most popular sport.

Best gambling site for horse racing 

BoyleSports

BoyleSports has a well-earned reputation as one of the best horse racing betting sites in the UK thanks to its competitive odds and excellent selection of offers.

Everyday, Boyles will run money-back offers and extra place races, as well as guaranteeing customers get the best price on all UK and Irish races.

BoyleSports also offer a great selection of accumulator offers that can be used in conjunction with betting on horse racing and will come up with a series of special bets for racing each day.

Best gambling site bonuses 

The best gambling sites offer bonuses for both new and existing customers, so users should look out for the promotions that appeal to them.

Below are the more common bonuses users are likely to find on gambling sites:

Welcome bonus – Welcome offers give new customers a bonus after they make their initial deposit and place their first bet. The bonus may take the form of free spins, free bet tokens or other game-specific bonuses (for example bonus bingo).

Reload bonuses – A reload bonus is a form of bonus for regular site users. Put simply, it is a bonus given to players when they deposit money into their betting account – the company will then match a certain percentage of whatever you deposit, applying the extra to your account balance in the form of bonus funds.

Profit boosts – Profit boosts are common on sports betting sites, and are usually offered to existing customers. These are straightforward – the bookie will agree to boost the potential winnings on selected bets.

Free bets – Free bets are a common bonus for both new and existing customers, and are included in welcome bonuses and special offers from gambling sites. They may be unlocked through making deposits or staking a certain amount on a qualifying market.

Loyalty schemes – Top gambling sites will offer rewards for returning customers, often in the form of loyalty schemes. These are unlocked through regular wagers – an example could be a £5 free acca bet if you place £10 in acca bets over the course of a week.

Responsible gambling 

Gambling can be addictive and bettors are encouraged to think before they bet, never gamble more than they can afford to lose and never chase losses.

Use responsible gambling tools to help keep your gambling under control, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time outs.

Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are several charities and healthcare providers who offer support and information:

• NHS Help
• GambleAware
• GamCare
• Gamblers Anonymous

Best gambling sites review

Using the information in this article, bettors should now be ready to go out and choose the best new betting site or best new casino site, based on their personal preferences.

We’ve detailed the best options, according to our review team, breaking down the best gambling sites by category in an attempt to help punters narrow their field of choice.

The best gambling site ultimately comes down to personal preference, but rest assured, whichever one you choose, if you select one of our recommended gambling sites, they will be fully licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.

Gambling sites FAQs

Which UK gambling sites accept credit cards?

No UK bookmaker or casino will accept payment made by credit card following a change in regulations in April 2020 which outlawed the practice. Any gambling sites that do accept credit card payments are not regulated by the UKGC and are, therefore, not to be trusted.

Which gambling sites accept pay by mobile?

MrQ is the only one of our recommended gambling sites to currently offer the pay by mobile method of completing financial transactions, but more gambling sites are adopting the payment method.

Are gambling sites rigged?

All our recommended gambling sites are regulated by the UKGC and, therefore, must uphold the highest standards of fair play. Gambling comes with risks and if you gamble regularly, you will have losing runs, but that does not mean the gambling site you are using is rigged.

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