The Top 20 Online Casinos in the UK 2021

How We Rank the Top Online Casinos

In order to rank any online casino, we first undertake an extensive review of the site, covering all facets of the online gambling experience. Making it into the top 20 list means a casino excels in every area of our reviewing process – here are the key areas we look at: 

Licensing

Without a licence, online casinos won’t ever make it onto the TopRatedCasinos site, let alone the top 20 list. If a casino is offering its services to people in the UK, then it must hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), but it may also hold licences from other regulators too, strengthening its credibility. These regulatory bodies uphold standards of fair play, ensuring members are afforded a degree of protection when gambling online.

Games Selection

The highest-performing casinos all offer an exceptional range of games, covering slots, table games, live dealer experiences, and instant win games such as bingo and scratch cards. To be worthy of a position in the top 20, these sites must also offer a range within these gaming categories; in the slots collection, for example, this includes classic slots, video slots, Megaways titles, and progressive jackpots. The best casinos will also offer variety by developer, creating a rich games library. 

Payment Options

The top online casinos in the UK will all be making use of a long list of payment methods. From debit cards to pay by mobile services, a range of options gives customers more convenience at the cashier page, which is something we always like to see. More significantly, newer banking technologies are in a position to facilitate fast withdrawals. 

Mobile Casino

We’re all used to online casinos optimising their sites for the mobile screen, but making it onto the top 20 list requires the development of native apps for both Android and iOS device holders. Good mobile-optimisation is important, but the simple truth is that dedicated apps offer players a superior gambling experience, with better access to bonuses and promotions and faster loading times.  

Customer Support

Most of the time, online casino accounts run pretty smoothly, but occasionally there’s a need to interact with customer support. It’s vital that members have access to friendly, responsive and helpful customer agents, available through a range of different communication channels. The best sites in this area don’t even take a minute off, offering support 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Site Design

Good site design goes beyond simply looking the part. More important than aesthetics is how well laid out a site’s features are, and whether users find it easy to navigate the site and find the things they’re looking for quickly. This may not rank highly in your list of gambling priorities, but we believe well-designed sites have a huge influence on player enjoyment. 

Bonuses and T&Cs

The top 20 online casinos will need to offer their members a consistent string of excellent bonuses and promotions, as well as an outstanding welcome package. In this part of our review, we also recognise that attractive bonuses are only skin deep, and that the true value of any casino bonus can only be determined in conjunction with the associated terms and conditions. 

Games to Play at the Top Online Casinos

Here are the most popular verticals of online gambling at the 20 best online casinos. 

Slots

Although the concept of slots is simple, the scope for creativity is endless. Game developers pool most of their efforts into creating the next blockbuster slot, taking inspiration from history, mythology, and modern pop culture. As a result, the slots libraries of the UK’s best casinos are a colourful and hugely entertaining place to gamble. 

Table Games

Roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, sic bo – no matter your preference, they’ll all be available at the top casino sites. These games have been played for centuries, meaning that over time they’ve developed several variations on the rules. Find your favourite and face off against the casino. 

Live Casino

The advent of live casino games around the mid-2000s sparked a new era in online gambling. Today, all of the top 20 best online casinos will feature hundreds of live dealer tables stretched across a range of classic table games. These games beam the action live and direct from a real casino environment, creating an authentic experience from the comfort of your own home. 

Poker

Despite being hugely popular, poker games often aren’t given much oxygen at online casinos, so providing a good range of poker titles is a great way to set one site apart from the next. 

Sports Betting

Because the top 20 casino sites will all be of a certain size, many are able to offer both casino gambling and sportsbook betting. This means that members can seamlessly switch from a stint at the roulette wheel to an accumulator on the day’s Premier League fixtures.

Top Casino Bonuses

Below are three of the most common bonus types on offer at the best UK online casinos. Before making use of any casino bonuses, it’s important to read the T&Cs in full. These terms will include conditions such as wagering requirements, where punters are obliged to wager their bonus a certain number of times before being able to withdraw any bonus money.

Matched Deposits

Regularly used as part of a welcome bonus, matched deposits involve the casino matching a portion of the player’s deposit up to a limit. For example, you could receive a 100% up to £50 offer, which would land you an extra £50 from a £50 deposit. Wagering requirements for matched deposits can apply to either the bonus amount or the sum of both the deposit and bonus.

Free Spins

Armed with a free spins bonus, casino players can take to the slots and spin their way to bonus cash. These bonuses tend to depend on a minimum deposit, such as an offer of 20 free spins when depositing £10. Wagering requirements for these bonuses will be applied to any money won with the free spins. 

No Deposit Bonuses

No deposit bonuses, offered at the point of signing up to a site, can come as some non-cashable funds or free spins. Since no deposit bonuses aren’t dependent on any cash commitment from the player, they tend to be significantly smaller in value compared to matched deposits. Wagering requirements may also be applied at an inflated rate. 

Top Software Developers

The top 20 online casinos will host games from an eclectic mix of software providers, all of which can be marked by a unique developing style. Here are some names to look out for. 

NetEnt

Founded in 1996, NetEnt carved its niche in iGaming development by producing stunning video slots. This studio is responsible for some of the biggest games of the last decade, including Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst. 

Microgaming

Having made claims to both the world’s first online and mobile casino software, Microgaming’s credentials are right up there with the best in the business. Founded in 1994, its most popular titles include the Thunderstruck series, and the progressive jackpot slot, Mega Moolah.

Playtech

Much of Playtech’s game development is inspired by Hollywood blockbusters – in particular, it has a penchant for adapting stories from the Marvel and DC universes. These partnerships have seen Playtech create slots such as Justice League and Suicide Squad. 

Evolution Gaming

When Evolution Gaming developed the world’s first live dealer games, it could hardly have foreseen just how popular this innovation would become. Today, all of the best online casinos in the UK feature at least some Evolution titles, with its portfolio covering the full range of casino classics. 

Payment Options

Your preferred payment method will depend on your own banking and gambling habits, but there are now plenty of banking options for bettors at the cashier pages of the top 20 online casinos. We’ve broken some of these down below. 

Debit Cards

Debit card payments are accepted at more or less all UK casinos, and this ubiquity is perhaps its biggest perk. Although this is a familiar method for most, withdrawal speeds are slow compared to some of the alternatives. 

e-Wallets

One of the best things about depositing funds through an e-wallet is that transactions are authorised with just a username or password, making payments super quick. This extends to withdrawals too, which are among the fastest of all banking methods. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, and ecoPayz make up the most popular e-wallet options.

Trustly

There’s not much between Trustly and e-wallets, both of which offer similar perks, including fast withdrawals. Trustly casinos are slightly harder to come by, but other than this, Trustly represents an excellent all-round option. The service acts as an intermediary between your bank and the online casino, accelerating the process while keeping your details extremely secure.

Prepaid Cards

Paysafecard is the biggest operator in this space, and runs on a voucher-based system. Deposit limits are high, but there are very limited options to withdraw, even at the best online casinos. 

Pay by Phone Bill

Services like Boku and Siru link up with the biggest mobile network providers in the country to enable online gamblers to pay for their deposits by simply entering in their mobile number. The amount is then charged alongside your monthly phone bill, or immediately with your credit if you’re on a pay as you go tariff. This option is great for speedy deposits, but there are tight deposit limits and no options to withdraw with this method.

Gamble Responsibly

At its best, gambling is an entertaining pastime to be enjoyed through lots of mediums. At its worst, it’s a pernicious and highly dangerous addiction. To avoid the harms of problem gambling, it’s vital that you understand the warning signs and know what steps you can take to ensure you’re gambling responsibly. These include the following: 

• Only deposit what you can afford to lose;
• Make use of on-site limiters and self-exclusion tools;
• Only bet when of sound judgement, including avoiding gambling when angry, upset, or frustrated;
• Never chase your losses;
• Avoid placing wagers on games, markets, and sports you’re unfamiliar with; 
• Make use of free-to-play versions of games before committing to real money bets;
• Always ask for help when needed.

Warning signs of problem gambling can include the following:

• An increased preoccupation with gambling, including more time spent gambling, or talking and thinking more about gambling than usual;
• Borrowing money to fund betting accounts;
• Spending more time than desired gambling, and lying about the amount of time spent;
• A loss of focus and an inability to perform everyday tasks. 

If you think that you, or someone you know, might be struggling with problem gambling, here are some organisations that can provide professional help:

• GamCare
• GAMSTOP
• GambleAware
• UKGC
• NHS