United Kingdom
One of the reasons why online casino and gambling in the UK has thrived so well is the fact that people from these regions have a storied and long cultural familiarity to betting and gambling in general. Placing bets on sporting events, races and casino games are not viewed with the same level of suspicion that they are viewed within other places such as The United States of America.
People from the UK are very different in terms of their gaming practices. Unlike other countries where online gaming has taken centre stage, people from the UK are not still tied up to the past centuries. The country has a liberal attitude in regards to online casino betting. When it comes to gambling rules, the United Kingdom can be regarded as one of the most forward-thinking countries. Both native and offshore gambling activities have been made available to punters living in Wales, Scotland, and England.
As long as a United Kingdom online casino makes an appearance on the white list of the UK Gambling Commission, then it has the liberty to market and offer services to British players. The United Kingdom has been described in the betting circles as the paradise for online casino gamblers.
All kinds of wagers are not only legal in the UK online casinos but also readily available from many betting platforms. British players will enjoy some of the best UK online casinos anytime they feel like. The other interesting thing to note about online casino is that the activity has been declared as a legal hobby and not a job. This implies that the citizens of these countries are not charged heavy taxes on their winnings.
2020 Gambling Laws in the United Kingdom
First of all, it is important to note that citizens of England, Scotland, and Wales have the liberty to place online bets as much as they adhere to the rules that have been laid down by the UK Gambling Commission. The Gambling Act has set 18 years as the minimum betting age, and bettors from these countries making up the United Kingdom must adhere to all that. Underage gambling would attract penalties in both the national and local penal codes.
The second thing that you should be aware of before you place any bet at any gaming sites is to make sure that those sites have a special license for remote gambling. At the moment, the UK government accepts licensure from several international jurisdictions as well as the licensure provided by its government. Soon, the law in this land might need all casinos in the UK to get their licenses by the Gambling Commission.
From the 19th century up to the year 2001, the government of the United Kingdom did not allow betting. But that does not mean that they were outlawed as betting is one of the cultures that this country prides itself for. All that, however, came to a halt in 2002 when the country’s parliament carried out a study on the positive impacts that the UK gaming market could have been bearing to the economy of the country.
Once the Gambling Act was passed later in that year, all enforcement and regulations were placed under the control of the UK Gambling Commission. This piece of legislation moves the power to license gaming from a system of the national court to the entities of local governments as well as some of the few licensing boards that were in existence back then.
It is this same Act of Parliament that regulated online betting for the first time in the history of United Kingdom betting. There have been some amendments to this law, but the one that was done in 2005 appeared to have more impact than the previous ones.
According to the Gambling Act of 2005, the law states it clear that the gaming market must act responsibly when it comes to the entire issue of gaming and addiction. This piece of legislation, therefore, requires the bodies that offer online casino, lottery, and contests of skills and chance to adhere to this rule. In a given year, the gaming industry in these three countries contributes 3 million Euros to programs that are meant to fight the growing gambling and online casino addiction.
Popular Games and Betting
- Fruit machines that are commonly referred to as slots in other parts of the universe are the most common betting choice in the United Kingdom. This does not come as a surprise as slots are the easiest games to play online. Besides that, they have also been designed to not only be fun to play but also very addictive.
- Poker is also another popular game that hit the British online casino market just within few months of its explosion in the United States casino market. As it can be seen in various gaming spots in England and Wales, poker rooms and both its table and electronic versions are becoming very popular all across.
There are, however, many other online casino games that are popular in the UK casinos as you can see from the analysis below:
- Casino Gambling. The first equipment for the casino was set up in the UK after the enactment of the 1968 Gambling Act. In most forms, it is legal in the UK, although the casinos are on the smaller side. Some of the popular table games that are played here include blackjack, together with Pontoon, which is its English variant, craps, and roulette. What is important to note is that American-style games are soon becoming the order of the day.
- Sports Betting. This is also another popular activity in the United Kingdom. The most popular sports that are wagered under this category are football matches, greyhound races, and horse races. Wagering has been legalized in the UK since 1960, and its impact can be seen all across the three countries. Storefront betting shops can be seen everywhere, and that makes the practice accessible from most parts of these countries. Certain sports are betting that is legalized to operate in pubs and restaurants!
- Online Gambling. In the United Kingdom penal code, remote gaming is the name used to refer to online gaming. Since UK casinos are regulated, readily available and also legal, it has become very popular among the residents. The other games that online United Kingdom casinos offer are housie, lotteries, social gaming, and pub bets.
Best Deposit and Withdrawal Methods for United Kingdom Casino Players
Placing a bet on any of the online casinos in the UK has been made so simple, mainly because of the improved and revised gambling laws that the country now enjoys. Making a deposit or withdrawing funds from any of these betting sites have also been made so easy and fast.
There are, however, certain UK financial institutions that have remained squeamish in regards to online gambling, and punters should not rely so much on brands such as Diner’s Club and American Express.
There are still plenty of options that British players would have to choose from. Here are just some of them: MasterCard, VISA, VISA Electron, Neteller, PayPal, Skrill, Western Union, Moneybookers, Paysafecard, bank transfers and a host of other options. Using some of them, gamblers can enjoy United Kingdom casino bonuses.
The Best Online Casinos in the United Kingdom
There are so many options to choose from if you are looking for the best United Kingdom online casinos. Before you even make your choice, you need to remember that there are over 130 online casino facilities in England alone with amazing UK casino bonuses. These facilities have 4,320 video poker and gaming slots machines, as well as 1,476 table games.
Recommended United Kingdom online casinos listed: Grosvenor Casino, Ladbrokes casino, Barracuda, Broadway Casino, Beacon Bingo Lowestoft, Colony Club Casino, Clermont Club, Castle Casino Dudley, Cunard Cruises – Queen Victoria Casino, 888 Casino, and others.
Brief History of Gambling in the United Kingdom
Gambling has been in the United Kingdom from the time the country was occupied by the Roman rulers. Lotteries were established in the 15th century; while the parliament authorized the first official government lottery in 1694 before it the private ones were banned in 1721. Some betting shops all over the United Kingdom came into existence in the 20th century.
The UK Gambling Commission was set up following the Gambling Act of 2005. In 2013, the duties of the National Lottery Commission were taken up by the newly formed UK Gambling Commission. There are so many other developments that have been seen in this market since the Gambling Act was passed in 2015.
Final Thoughts
The United Kingdom is one of the countries where gambling in general, has seen so many changes over the years. Online gambling has been so popular in these three countries that make up the United Kingdom. You can wager on any type of the game while betting on a United Kingdom online casinos.
