Best UK Casino Games Online at a Glance
Everything on Online Games
Are you new to playing casino games online? Have you been wondering what all the fuss is about? Want to start playing but wouldn’t know where to begin? No problem, you have come to the right place. We know your time is precious, so we put together the most important topics concerning game providers, deposit bonus offers, customer support, user safety and much more. Here is what you can find in the following article:
- Top Sites to play at
- Best Casino Games for UK players
- Real-Money Online Games – safety details
- The History of Gambling – from ancient times to the internet
We have created this guide for beginners and professional players alike, to bring the best of two worlds – playing UK casino games for real money and playing for fun, in demo mode, so you that they can choose the best site to play at!
Top UK Sites to Play Games at
There are a lot of illustrious casino sites for British punters to play at, which has its advantages and disadvantages. The good side of having many casinos to choose is the variety of games, both desktop and mobile and also the richness and diversity of the welcome bonus offers. So, without further ado, these are the best sites to play casino games at:
Online Casino | Welcome Bonus | Highlights | Rating Score | Secure Link | T&C |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grandivy | £300 | Many Table Games Stable and Safe Platform Free Spins to Try Slots | Play Here! | Full T&Cs apply. 18+. New players only. One bonus offer per player. Minimum deposit £20. Max bonus bet is £5. Bonus spins on selected games only and must be used within 72 hours. Bonus funds must be used within 30 days otherwise any unused bonus shall be removed. Bonus funds are 100% match up to £300 on your 1st deposit. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 35x wagering the total bonus & cash. Only bonus funds contribute towards any wagering requirements. Terms apply. BeGambleAware.org | |
Mansion Casino | £500 | Varied Game Catalogue Numerous Jackpots Many Payment Methods | Play Here! | New Customers only. 5% cashback on days 1-7 after 1st dep, 10% on days 8-14. Max £1000 p/w. Min dep £20. 1st deposit bonus is 100% up to £200, 2nd deposit bonus is 50% up to £300. 40x wagering. Valid for 30 days. Casino only. Game weighting, payment restrictions and betting limits apply. |
If our top three suggestions here were not to your particular liking, I would advise you to check out our page dedicated to the best rated online casinos for our top-performing operators this year. You can also check out the top 20 casinos in the UK for an even wider selection.
What Are The Options Of Playing Games on the Internet?
The internet has opened a lot of doors in basically all domains and gambling is no different. While land-based casinos can offer only so much in terms of tables and games, the best gambling sites will blow your mind with new and extravagant variations of the best online games.
Free Games Another great advantage of playing online is the fact that you can try out most of the games for free, which you can never do in a real casino. This is a real treat for beginners, to be able to learn the rules of the games, without having to pay for it. Also, should you decide to try out some new roulette or blackjack strategy, try it in play-money mode first and if it works, only then hit the real-money tables.
Casino Games with Real Money Not only can you play for real money, but the range of the table limits is so much better than in brick and mortar casinos. The low limits are even lower, which makes it easier for beginners to feel the thrill of playing for real money, without having to reach too deep in their virtual pockets. As far as the highest bets are concerned, again players find themselves holding the advantage and the freedom over wagering limits, especially if playing at some of the UK high stakes online casino sites. If you’ve ever played in a land-based casino, you should know that there are special private areas and tables where they accept bets that are way over the casino floor’s limit. But when playing at the best online casino live games in the UK, the sky’s the limit. William Hill Casino, for example, has a live Roulette table maximum of £500,000.
Try them for Free I can’t stress enough the freedom that playing online and the recent developments in the gaming market bring us. While playing in real casinos requires an ID check and a long, tedious registration process, some online casinos will even give you the opportunity to try their titles not only for free, but also without even having to open an account. However, only play-money ones can be played this way, while real-money games require going through a quick and easy registration process.
You Can Also Play on your Mobile Ever since the first mobile app back in 2008, users all over the world now have the chance to play their favourite games on the go. Whether you have an iPhone, iPad or an Android device, you can play the games for free or for real money. There are two options available, depending on the operator and the mobile device that you own. Some online casinos offer downloadable apps, which you can find on their site or in your App Store – iTunes or Google Play. However, other devices like Blackberrys and Windows Phones also offer games at some of the top UK mobile casinos.
The Most Played Online Casino Games in the UK
If we were to discuss all the popular titles that can be played on the internet, we would spend more time talking about them, than actually playing them. So, let’s first take a look at the most popular games for UK players and some of the most rewarding variations that are available online only.
Popular Titles by RTPs – High Paying Game Categories
We all know that gambling online is mainly about the thrill of playing and winning, so taking a look of the RTPs (Return to Player) is the next logical thing to do. We have tested some of the most popular games among our readers and we have created a list of the highest paying online casino games:
Casino logo | Overall RTP | Highest Blackjack RTP | Highest Roulette RTP | Highest Slots RTP | Secure Link |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mansion Casino | 97.25% | 99.87% | 98.65% | 97.30% | Play Here! |
Grosvenor | 97.15% | 99.20% | 98.06% | 96.20% | Play Here! |
Playojo | 96.92% | 99.20% | 98.06% | 97.048% | Play Here! |
888 Casino | 96.60% | 99.55% | 97,30% | 97.00% | Play Here! |
After having revised the highest paying games you can play at the best payout casino sites for UK gamblers, it’s time to take a deeper look into each of the game categories and the most popular titles for British punters. Read more in the following paragraphs!
Slot Machine Titles
When it comes to online slots, most UK players prefer games they have played in land based casinos. Of course, Cleopatra is an all-time favourite and among the best slots online.
Cleopatra – The Cleopatra slot machine is one of the world’s most popular games, both in land-based and online casinos. With an excellent blend of the classic 5-reel slot action, 20 win lines, free spins, high payouts and bonus rounds, it’s a real contender for the best casino game. Other features include impressive graphics and the exotic voice of Cleopatra herself. Keep your eyes peeled for the Sphinx symbols, when they appear on 2 or more reels, you’ll earn a scatter bonus. Trigger the Cleopatra bonus and you’ll earn 15 free spins with all wins worth 3 times their normal value. Keep an eye out for Cleopatra too, not only will lines completed with the Wild Cleopatra double the award value, but reveal 5 and you’re in for the top reward. You’ll have plenty of fun with this Egyptian inspired IGT slot game. If you haven’t already, try it out at LeoVegas.
Monopoly – Featuring 5 reels, this action packed slot based on the Parker Brothers’ classic board game Monopoly is great fun to play! With up to 9 win lines and bets ranging from 2p a line up to a huge £50 per line this exciting online slot can be tailored to suit all pockets and bankrolls. Mr Monopoly becomes quite animated as you spin your way to some great wins, get 3 bonus symbols and the entertainment goes into overdrive as you get to play the special bonus board. Each dice spin sees you buying up property just like the original title, but instead of costing you money, you gain money! Landing on the free parking square will give you a big points boost and passing go advances the multiplier. It’s a great game and comes highly recommended!
Zuma – Zuma is a beautifully designed, classic video slot that will bring you hours of entertainment and fun! It has 5 reels filled with cartoon Aztec type characters and the simple gameplay makes this a winner with both new customers and the more experienced slot lovers. 20 win lines means it is never usually long between payouts and what we love about this game is every win can be gambled in a sub game. Just click the gamble button and you have the option to multiply your win up to a massive x 10! As you can play from as little as 1p per line, you don’t need to have a massive bank roll to experience this great title.
Blackjack Games
Blackjack Variation | Return To Player |
---|---|
Switch | 99.87% |
Pontoon | 99.64% |
Classic | 99.52% |
Double Exposure | 99.34% |
Superfun 21 | 98.84% |
21 Duel | 98.38% |
Perhaps at the top of the UK casino games, online blackjack has become even more famous since the rise of some of the most popular licensed online casinos. Although among most UK players the classic version is still favoured, casinos have seen a huge interest in some more extravagant variations of this game.
Classic BlackjackThe most familiar variation of 21, Classic Blackjack still rules the hearts of many UK players. Who knows whether the reason for that is the simplicity of the rules or just because users are used to playing it in land-based casinos.
What is interesting is that in spite of all the new variations that are available online, the simplest version still holds the crown. However, for those of you who fancy trying something different, we have chosen to share with you two interesting Blackjack casino game variations that have caught our attention.
Blackjack Switch
Have you ever wished that you could turn two disastrous hands into two promising ones while playing Blackjack? Well, if you have, I have good news for you: now you can, as long as you play Blackjack Switch. For that purpose, you have to play two hands with equal bets. The rules say that you may switch the second cards that you received on both hands. This means that if you have 15 on one hand and 16 on the other, you can turn the two hands into 20 and 11, which are more likely to win than the busting hands 15 and 16. This option dramatically improves your chances of winning, thus lowering the house edge. With an optimal RTP (Return to Player) or profit expectancy of 99.87%, the house edge is merely 0.13%. Considering the fact that the Classic Blackjack game variation has an RTP of 99.52%, it is safe to say that this is the lowest house edge out of the blackjack games. You can play Blackjack Switch now at 888 Casino.
Progressive Blackjack Another really popular variation, Progressive Blackjack brings something new and surely welcome to the table: the chance of winning all or part of a big progressive jackpot. All you need to do is place a special bet every hand – similar to side bets in other games. Any successive Aces dealt as your cards can bring you a piece of the pie, but only four identical ones will hit the jackpot.
Roulette Titles – Spin and Win
Roulette is not only thought to be the oldest casino game, but also the most popular after slot machine games. A proof of that are the best UK roulette online casinos. Although seen as one of the easiest games to play, roulette is actually much more complex and rewarding. Depending on the casino and the type of gameplay variation you pick, you can try several winning strategies and betting patterns.
The European Roulette By far the most popular Roulette game is the European or Classic Roulette. And no wonder, considering the fact that the odds of winning are much higher – the house edge for this game is 2.7%, while in American Roulette the house edge is 5.4%. Certainly, part of the reason for the double house edge is not only the presence of the double zero, but also the La Partage or En Prison rules. With Roulette games that have these rules, in cases where zero is the winning number, the player only loses half of the outside even-money bets. With En Prison, only half of the wagered amount is considered losing, so the player immediately gets half of their money back. En Prison rule states that the wager will be ‘imprisoned’ and left for the next spin, to have another chance of winning. If it does win the second time around, this would mean that the player doesn’t lose anything. Except for the lower house edge, you can also find numerous so-called winning strategies that could, under ideal circumstances, guarantee you profit over the long run. The most popular betting systems only include outside bets.
American Roulette Despite the higher house edge, this Roulette title still has its fans. The reason for the higher edge and the biggest difference between this and the European Roulette is the presence of the 00 and the absence of the La Partage rule.
How is the Security in the UK Guaranteed?
When playing real-money games, security is a priority and that should never change. The security topic also includes operating licences, encrypted banking transactions and user data, as well as the technical security of the IT infrastructure and the RNG (Random Number Generator).
The different aspects of security are all linked together, to offer players a safe and fraud-free experience. Also, gambling regulatory bodies don’t stop at issuing operating licences, but also follow strict rules and operators undergo regular inspections, to make sure that they provide a safe environment. Another role is to monitor the RNG, to exclude manipulation of the outcome of the games and ensure random, unpredictable game results. For UK gambling regulations, you can find useful information on the official site.
The security of the internet connection is a broad task which is provided and monitored by several companies. IT specialists handle the detection and prevention of fraud, ensure protection against viruses and malicious programs and provide secure payment processing. Also, encryption is used to protect personal and banking transaction data, which is later kept on protected servers.
The History of Casino Games at a Glance
Gambling has been a part of people’s culture for thousands of years. This chart should give you an overview of the games that can now be played both in land-based casinos and with most online operators.
The king of games is, without a doubt, dice. Ever since the Roman Empire, there has not been such a popular and prolific game of chance. It wasn’t until the 12th Century that predecessors of the best casino card games first surfaced in Asia, reaching Europe as late as the 14th Century.
Roulette games were first introduced in the 17th Century and only later the slots appeared, as well, which is perfectly understandable considering the complexity of their mechanisms. The last major development of the computers and the internet led to casino being played with real dealers and mobile casino apps.
Other Popular Games
So far, our focus has been on the most popular casino games online, such as Roulette, Blackjack and Slots. Now, we will turn your attention to other games that can be played at all of UK’s online casinos, which also have their fair share of fans.
Casino Poker Besides the Texas Hold’em Poker, where users play against each other, there are many variations in which players have to beat the bank – represented by the dealer to win. The dealer’s actions are usually limited and are previously set by the rules of the particular variation. The most popular poker variations are: Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Casino Hold’em, Tequila, Red Dog and Pai Gow Poker. Try Casino Poker at Ladbrokes Casino.
Other Table Games Aside from Roulette and Blackjack, there are several different table games offered by operators. Baccarat is considered to be the game of Royals and it is played in several different variations. The three major baccarat games are: Chemin de Fer, Punto Banco and Baccarat Banque. However, so far the only variation that can be played with real dealers on the live casino tables is Punto Banco.
Dice Games Despite the long history of dice games in ancient culture, nowadays they are barely represented with most online operators. The two most popular dice games are Craps and Sic Bo. While craps is really popular among land-based casino players, so far the Asian game Sic Bo has seen little popularity among players.
Scratch Cards This game usually falls under the lottery games category, but given the slightly different kind of entertainment and subject that they offer, I decided to list them separately. The game-play is very simple, but the wide range of topics, themes and jackpots are the real attraction of scratch card games. Among the most popular are: Rocky Scratch, Gladiator and Irish Luck. If you like the kind of scratch-and-win lottery tickets, you should have a blast playing online scratch games at William Hill Casino.
Lottery Games Of course, licensed online casinos don’t offer actual lotteries like the National one, but similar lottery games like Keno and Bingo are available. These are less known and not so popular, which means that the chances of finding other variations are slim to none existent. However, these games are easy to play and offer entertainment without any need for strategies or skills. Simply pick the winning ticket and fingers crossed for your numbers to come up.
Arcade Games These are some of the most fun games that we used to play, implemented now in the real-money online casino games. Well known representatives of this category are: The Wheel of Fortune, Darts, Bowling, Rock Paper Scissors, Horse Racing, Tetris and many more.
Frequently Asked Questions
We hope you found our casino guide useful and that we have managed to resolve all your doubts. Need more information? Have no worries and stay with us as we answer some of the most popular questions regarding the different types of casino games. Before we move on, however, we would like to remind you to revise each game’s rules thoroughly before you start playing it.
Are casino bonuses available for all games?
Generally speaking, in most cases, you can use the bonus funds on any game you want. We must note, however, that bonuses normally comes with certain wagering requirements and not all games offer the same contribution towards them. Thus, if you are planning to play specific casino games, we advise you to read the corresponding bonus terms and conditions thoroughly and to consider whether the promotion would actually be useful for you.
Are all casino games mobile friendly?
Software developers are working hard to make most of their casino games mobile-compatible. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and certain games cannot be played on the go. While the situation will most likely change in the near future, you can still choose among plenty of high-quality mobile casino games that will certainly match your interests as a players.
Are online casino games legit?
As long as the online casino you are playing at is licenced by an official institution such as the UKGC and the MGA, you can be certain that all games offered by it, are legit. Additionally, you should also look for the presence of independent testing agencies such as eCogra and GLI. For your own safety, we advise you to pick one of the best online casinos listed on our website.
Do all casino sites offer the same games?
No, even though there are games you will encounter in most online casinos, the majority of them offer different game selections. As the operators work with different software developers, they would almost always offer different games to their players. For more information about a certain operator's game portfolio, please find it amongst all the reviews of UK casino sites on our website.
Which casino game has the highest RTP?
Even though there are slots with an RTP higher than 99%, according to our research online blackjack is often listed as the game with the highest payout. With an average RTP of 99.50%, blackjack is one of the most beloved and popular online casino games nowadays. You can see the highest paying game categories here.
Can the house edge be eliminated when playing casino games?
To put briefly, no, the house edge cannot be eliminated completely. Even though there are certain strategies that claim they could help you reduce the house edge, they could never fully remove it. Thus, we recommend you to always play responsibly and well-aware of the fact that you cannot always win, no matter what srategy you play with.