You can check out our full list of the best live dealer casinos in the UK in 2021 above, and read our reviews to find the perfect site for you.
Gambling has been a part of British culture for centuries, and London is dotted with iconic brick and mortar casinos. But these days, you don’t even need to leave your house to jump in at a table.
Live casino gaming is the latest form of gambling to take the country by storm. The UK is uniquely placed to host live casino gaming, thanks to the excellent online betting infrastructure already in place.
The clear legal framework surrounding online betting means you can play safely with confidence. There are dozens of excellent online casinos in the UK already, and they have all embraced live casino games with open arms.
On this page we’ve got everything you need to know about the exciting world of live casinos in the UK, including:
Contents
The UK is a dream for online gamblers. Find out why right here.
Are Live Casinos Legal in the UK?
They certainly are. The UK has long embraced online gambling, be it sports betting or online casino games, and live casinos are just the latest line in that tradition.
The online betting laws in the UK are clear. Any site offering live casino games needs to be licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, which regulates all gambling in the UK. Lots of UK sites have additional licenses from the likes of Gibraltar or Malta.
Having clear gambling laws is a godsend. It means you never need to worry that a site is sketchy, or that your money might just disappear. Just stick to playing at fully regulated and legal sites, like our recommended casinos, and you can be certain you’ll have a great experience playing live games.
You may find offshore, unlicensed sites that will accept players from the UK, but we recommend avoiding them. Gambling at live casinos in the UK is totally legal as long as the site is licensed and regulated, so stick with those sites.
How to Choose a Live Casino
Choosing a live casino is a no easy task, and not something you want to rush into. The more time and attention you put into deciding what you’re looking for out of a casino at the beginning, the greater the pay off down the road.
Every casino is different, and my dream live casino might look very different to yours. Casinos are differentiated by practical things, like what specific games are on the menu, or whether the casino accepts a specific kind of e-wallet, but also by more intangible factors. Every casino just feels different, with its own unique software and its own aesthetics and vibe.
To help you make sense of all the options out there, and to get a clear sense of the differences between some of the top sites, look no further than our live casino reviews.
Favorite Live Casino Games in the UK
The UK is crazy for gambling. Sports betting may be the most popular form of gambling in the country, but casino games are not far behind.
Roulette is often the first choice for many players when they hit the casino floor, and it looks like that has translated to the live dealer world. A recent study found that live dealer roulette was the most popular game at UK live casinos.
This is hardly surprising.
Roulette works exceptionally well at online live dealer casinos. It’s fast-paced, easy to play, and nice and social so that you can share the experience with other live players.
There’s also just not really any substitute for watching a real roulette wheel spin, hearing the ball rattle around and craning forward to see where it ends up.
In addition to roulette, you can typically find the likes of blackjack, keno, baccarat, poker, bingo games, board games, game show-style games and many more at UK live casinos.
Live Casino Bonuses in the UK
UK based live casinos come fully loaded with some excellent bonuses for new and existing players.
Every site has welcome bonuses for new players.
These could be boosted deposit bonuses, where your first deposit will be matched with bonus cash up to a certain value.
Or, it could be a no deposit bonus – which means you get a small amount of bonus cash without even needing to deposit any of your own.
Lots of casinos have on-running bonuses focusing on live dealer games too. You might find some free bets at the blackjack table, or numbers with added value on the roulette wheel.
You can read more about these and more in our bonuses section.
What Is the Best Live Casino Bonus?
There is no real answer to this question. No two casinos have exactly the same promotions, and every player is different. Some players will value certain types of bonuses a lot higher than others.
For example, if you’re signing up especially to play live dealer roulette you won’t be too interested in a live poker bonus.
You can head over to our reviews of the top sites in the UK, where we take a look at the bonus options for each one, to find the best site and bonus for you.
How Do We Rate Live Casinos?
Our experts follow the same system for every review they conduct. The UK has one of the strongest gambling traditions in the world, and we have years of experience with all the different options in the industry – so we know exactly what to look for.
We analyze every site under a variety of umbrellas. We consider the software: how easy the site is to use, how smooth the games are, and how fast it responds. Of course we test out the games themselves, thinking about the range of options, which software providers are used and how well they perform. Bonuses and promotions are very important: what kind of welcome bonus is available? What type of player does it suit? What about other promos? We check out the security credentials and customer support, we look for that UK Gambling Commission licence, banking options and much more.
Basically, our experts cover the important stuff to help make your decision a breeze.
How to Deposit and Withdraw
UK live casinos accept all kinds of banking options, including all the most popular ways to pay for things online UK residents already use.
Generally, both depositing and withdrawing are very straightforward. It’s in the casino’s interest to make the administrative side of things painless and focus on getting new players up and running on the tables.
Once you’ve signed up to a casino you just need to head to the cashier section, choose your favorite payment option and follow the instructions.
The process tends to only take a minute or two to complete, and your funds should be ready to bet with almost immediately.
You can head over our section on banking for a full overview of the most popular banking methods in the UK, including the ones below:
- Bank Cards
- E-wallets like PayPal, Neteller and Skrill
- Prepaid Cards
- Bank Transfers
- Apple Pay
- Wire Transfer
History of Gambling in the UK
The UK has a rich history of gambling.
Some of the earliest forms of organized gambling date back to the 15th century, with gambling, split depending on social class. Dice based games were popular amongst the poorer classes, while the rich bet on horse racing.
That horse racing tradition remains today, although it’s no longer reserved for the upper classes. Huge international betting events like Ascot and Cheltenham take place every year, with hundreds of thousands of attendees.
The early 20th century saw the emergence of organized betting on sports, especially football. This was known as “the pools” and led to a huge proliferation of betting shops, many of which remain to this day such as William Hill. Bingo and lotteries surged in popularity too.
Private betting clubs began to appear in the second half of the 20th century, and London’s first casino appeared in 1962. Today, there are more than 150 active physical casinos in the UK.
Online gambling began to creep into the public consciousness in the late 90’s, growing in popularity and scope over the next two decades. Today, the online betting industry in the UK is huge – and online live casinos are the next revolution.
UK Live Casinos vs Land Based Casinos
Live online casinos have a lot in common with land based casinos. For one, the games you play are real, not virtual. The tables, the cards, the dealer – all of them are real, which means the outcome of every game is determined by the luck of the cards or the table as opposed to a piece of software.
Also unlike virtual games, you are playing with other real people. You can even chat with them using the chat box. Maybe best of all, you can play live casino games from virtually anywhere in the world, via your laptop or mobile, as long as you are connected to the internet.
Land based casinos do still have some advantages over live online casinos though. The in-person sociability of a bustling casino, strolling around watching the various games and chatting to fellow players is still an incredible experience. If it’s not possible however, live online casinos are a great option.
The Perfect Place for Live Casinos
You could not ask for a better place to play live casino games online than in the UK.
The country is quite simply betting mad. Online gambling is already a big part of the betting culture there, and thanks to the clear and effective laws, playing safely at a legal and licensed site is very easy.
The same is true for depositing and withdrawing. Playing at a safe and secure site means you can be sure your transactions are protected and your data is safe.
The UK has loads of options for live casino sites. This means they’re all in competition to provide the best welcome bonuses to attract new players, which is music to our ears!
Head over to our reviews of the very best live casinos in the UK to find your favorite. Don’t forget to use our links to sign up so you don’t miss out on a welcome bonus.
Have you checked out the most popular UK casinos? Make sure to see our list:
FAQs
Are live casino games illegal in the UK?
No. Online gambling, including betting at live casinos, is totally legal in the UK. Licenced sites are regulated by the UK Gambling Commission.
What live dealer games are available in the UK?
It varies depending on the casino, but you can find the likes of live roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker, keno, wheel of fortune, board games, game show style games and many more.
Are there bonuses for new players at live casinos?
Yes, every casino will have some kind of offer or promotion for new players.
Can I use UK payment methods?
Yes. There are lots of ways to fund your casino account, including UK bank cards and popular e-wallets like PayPal.