What Are the Best Online Casinos in the UK? A Short List of 7 With Their Licences Explained

The best online casino for most UK players is NetBet, thanks to its 5,500+ game library and a UK Gambling Commission licence it displays on its own site, followed by bet365 and 888casino, both with licence numbers on record. This short list explains each casino's licence in plain language, alongside what it offers, so you know who you are dealing with before you sign up.

Quick picks

Casino

UKGC account number

Where the number comes from

Welcome headline

NetBet

39170

NetBet's own site

100 spins for a £10 slot stake

Betfred

Not captured

Check the site footer

Up to 200 spins

bet365

55149

Third-party review site

Up to 500 spins

Casumo

61549 (Recro Limited)

Third-party review site

50% up to £100 (sources differ)

Paddy Power

Not captured

Check the site footer

260 spins

888casino

39028

Third-party review site

100% match up to £100

LeoVegas

Not captured

Check the site footer

50 spins

Welcome Terms to Read First

A licence tells you who oversees a casino. The welcome terms tell you what you are agreeing to. Before you deposit, check a few things: how many spins or how much bonus you get, whether spin winnings are paid as cash, any cap on what you can win, the deadline, and which payment methods qualify.

Wagering matters less than it used to. Since 19 January 2026, UK-licensed casinos cannot set bonus wagering above 10x, so the bigger differences are now spin counts and win caps. If a review and the casino's own page disagree, the casino's page is the one that applies. Several offers in this list are reported differently by different sources.

1. NetBet

NetBet shows its UK Gambling Commission account number, 39170, in its footer, linked to the Commission's public register. The company behind it, Netbet Enterprises Limited, was established in 2006, so it has two decades of operating history. Its safer gambling tools include deposit, loss and bet limits, reality checks, session timers, time-outs, self-exclusion and GAMSTOP, with links to GamCare, GambleAware and IBAS.

Behind the licence sits the biggest game choice on this list, a lobby of 5,500-plus titles with house exclusives like NetBet Bonanza and Gates of NetBet 1000. New players who stake £10 on slots receive 100 spins on Big Bass Splash, and anything those spins win comes as cash, up to £100.

Day to day, the help team answers chat and email between 7am and 11pm, cash-outs normally land within three business days, and you can pay with cards, PayPal, phone wallets or Trustly. Everyone is placed in the NetBet Max loyalty scheme automatically and gets a free daily spin of the Wheel of Gold.

Pros

Cons

2. Betfred

Betfred is a long-running UK bookmaker with a casino, bingo, lotto and poker. Its UK Gambling Commission account number has not been captured, so look for it in the site footer and check it on the register.

Its welcome lets you stake £10 on slots for up to 200 free spins with no wagering on winnings, choosing between packages such as 50 spins at £0.20 or 100 at £0.10. Spins expire after 7 days, and unused spins are removed along with their winnings. Existing players get extras such as Mystery Free Spins after a £10 stake.

Pros

Cons

3. bet365

A UK Gambling Commission account number, 55149, is cited for bet365 by a third-party review site. As always, confirm it on the register.

The bet365 casino has the biggest spin offer on this list: as many as 500, revealed across ten days once you deposit £10, with nothing to play through on winnings. They come in instalments and only on chosen games. The casino shares an account with bet365's sportsbook and poker room.

Pros

Cons

4. Casumo

Casumo's UK licence is held by Recro Limited, a Malta-based company, under UK Gambling Commission account 61549, according to TNT Sports. The licence previously sat with Casumo Services Limited. Casumo is also licensed in Malta, Gibraltar, Spain and Sweden.

Most reviews describe its welcome as half your deposit matched to £100 at 10x, though BettingExpert reports a bigger package with 100 spins. Daily free spins on the Spinumo wheel reward regular players, and some "Valuables" rewards come without wagering.

Pros

Cons

5. Paddy Power

Paddy Power is part of Flutter Entertainment. Its UK Gambling Commission account number has not been captured, but its group terms are published, and a self-exclusion there also applies at Betfair, Sky Betting and Gaming and tombola.

The welcome offers 260 free spins in stages, using code PGCDE1, with qualifying deposits by Pay by Bank, Apple Pay or debit card only. Spins expire after 7 days.

Pros

Cons

6. 888casino

888casino, these days within the Evoke group, has UK licence 39028 cited by a third-party source. It is a long-running casino brand, previously part of 888 Holdings.

New players can have a first deposit doubled to £100, played through ten times inside five days, with any winnings from it stopping at £100. Racing Post counts four figures of slots and 400-plus live dealer games, and the deal runs to the end of 2026.

Pros

Cons

7. LeoVegas

LeoVegas, owned by MGM Resorts International since 2022, is a mobile-first casino with a live casino and sportsbook. Its UK Gambling Commission account number has not been captured, so check the site footer.

Its welcome gives 50 free spins on Big Bass Splash after depositing and wagering £10. Wagering, spin value and expiry have not been confirmed, so read the full terms first.

Pros

Cons

How UK Casino Licensing Works

Every online casino that serves players in Great Britain must hold a licence from the UK Gambling Commission. Each licensee has an account number, which should appear in the footer of its website and can be checked on the Commission's public register.

The licence comes with rules that protect players. Bonus wagering is capped at 10x, "mixed product" offers are banned, slot stakes are limited by age, and casinos must offer safer gambling tools such as deposit limits and self-exclusion through GAMSTOP.

Some sites copy the look of well-known brands. Clone sites have posed as NetBet UK, for example, using web addresses that are not its own. Always check that the web address is genuine and that the licence number matches the register before you deposit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if a UK casino is licensed?

Scroll to the footer, note the account number and search the Gambling Commission's online register for it. NetBet's is 39170.

Do all UK casinos follow the same bonus rules?

Yes. From 19 January 2026 the regulator has capped playthrough at ten times and stopped offers that link products, like a sports bet that releases casino spins.

Why does a licence move from one company to another?

Ownership or company structure can change, and the licence follows the company that runs the site. Casumo's UK licence, for example, moved from Casumo Services Limited to Recro Limited.

What is GAMSTOP?

It is a free UK self-exclusion scheme that lets you block yourself from UK-licensed gambling sites in one step. NetBet lists it among its safer gambling tools, alongside deposit, loss and bet limits.

Which Casino Should You Choose?

Choose NetBet if you want the widest game choice with a licence number published on the site itself.

Choose bet365 if you want the most welcome spins from a licence-on-record brand.

Choose 888casino if you prefer a deposit match and a large live casino.

Choose Casumo if daily rewards appeal and you are happy to confirm its welcome first.

Whichever you pick, check the licence number on the register and set a deposit limit before you play.