In the United Kingdom gambling online is becoming a popular way for players to access bingo games, poker and casino games or a way for anyone to place a bet on any type of sporting event. The UK Government has taken a very sensible approach to licensing and regulating any type of gambling site online that offers services to citizens and residents of Great Britain.
As such they have set up and tasked the UK Gambling Commission with overseeing the licensing and regulation of any site based in the UK and any site offering their services to UK players are required to obtain a gambling license from the commission if they wish to be a legally recognised gambling site within the UK, and that license will also let them advertise their offerings to customers based in Great Britain as a whole.
Casino Game Fairness
There are many benefits of be had by sticking to gambling only at sites that have been fully licensed in the UK by the UK Gambling Commissioner, however there are several additional things you can do to ensure you will never have cause for concern when gambling at sites offering games of skill or chance and this is to make sure the sites you choose to gamble at have fair games tested by a third party games testing company.
There are several companies who offer such a service including eCOGRA, iTech Labs, Gaming Associates, GLI Europe BV, GLI Test Labs Canada ULC, NMI Metrology & Gaming Ltd, BMM Compliance and SQS India Info systems PVT Ltd.
You will find that when any casino poker or bingo site has had their respective suite of games tested for fairness by any of the above companies, they will display a link or logo to or of the game testing company on their website which is your guarantee of being able to access and play completely fair and random games.
Frequently Asked Questions
We know that you may have never gambled online before, and if this is the case then below we have put together a range of questions and answers surrounding the UK Gambling Commission and the gambling sites that they license.
If you have several additional questions that you are looking for the answers to then the UK Gambling Commissions website is packed with information and will also give you access to the contact details to get in touch with the commission.
Can I Set Session Limits?
One of the main requirements of the UK Gambling Commission is that any gambling site they have licensed must have in place a system whereby players are able to set their own limits in regards to how long or how much that they wish to gamble on any gaming session they take part in.
As such when playing at any casino, poker or bingo site licensed in the UK then you will also find out are able to put into play your own session limits which will allow you to be in full control of how much time you spend gambling or how much you can gamble on any one single session played.
Are there any AutoPlay Restrictions
Another thing that you are going to notice when you choose to play at any UK Gambling Commission licensed casino site is that when you choose to make use of the auto play feature there are some rules in place which limit just how many games you can set it to play off for you automatically.
So be prepared for these auto play restrictions as you are not going to be able to set more than 25 spins on a slot game for example to play off automatically, the reason for this is to allow players not to have the risk of settings into play hundreds or thousands of spins and busting out their bankrolls too quickly or becoming addicted to the fast play option that auto play offers them.
Will I get help with any Problems?
You are always going to be able to contact and get in touch with the UK Gambling Commission and you should do so if you are experiencing any type of problems at the gambling site you are playing at if that site holds one of their gambling licenses.
By getting n touch with the Commission you will be able to pass your complaints or problems to them and they will investigate them on your behalf, and this will allow you to get those problems sorted out fairly and rapidly.
What Age Restrictions are found at UK Licensed sites?
You are not going to be able to gamble online whether that gambling is betting on sporting events, playing bingo, poker or casino games or any games of chance at a UK Gambling Commission licensed gaming site unless you have reached the age of 18.
Each casino, poker, betting and bingo site or any other type of gambling related site is going to have to do checks to ensure all customers playing at their respective sites are over the age of 18, and will block and close the accounts on anyone found to be under 18 years of age.
What is Ukash?
Ukash is a way of online gamblers to be able to purchase from Pay Zone and Pay Point shops a pre paid voucher which will enable them to send funds into any online gambling site without the need to have a bank account or credit or debit card. Most UK licensed gambling sites accept these types of vouchers but when purchasing them age verification procedures are in place to stop anyone under the age of 18 to be able to buy tem and use them to gamble online.
Are Payout Time Expectations in Place?
There is no set in stone UK gambling laws which state that any online gambling site has to pay you within a certain set time frame, however as all UK licensed gambling sites have to adhere to a strict code of conduct and comply with some very strict regulations you are never going to find you are having to wait for any long periods of times to get paid any winnings you have achieved when playing and gambling at an UK licensed gambling site.
Will I be taxed on my Winnings?
Fortunately as a UK based gambler you are never going to have to pay tax on any winnings, and as such you can play safe in the knowledge that any and all winnings you achieve will be yours to keep and to do with as you please.
Be aware though that if you are based outside the UK and have chosen to gamble at any online gambling site that hold a UK Gambling Commission issued license you will be subject to your local tax laws in place in the country you are based.
Are Gambling Site Bonuses Regulated?
Any gambling site licensed in the UK is required to have fair and very easy to understands rules and terms and conditions attached to all of their bonus offers, if you feel any such site is offering bonuses that are not fair or have any problems with a bonus you have claimed then the UK Gambling Commission will be the people to speak to if the site you claimed a bonus at is not helping you or is refusing to resolve any outstanding bonus related issues.
Can Any Gambling Site Advertise in the UK?
Only licensed gambling sites are able to promote their gambling related sites in Great Britain, it is now deemed to be illegal for any site that does not hold a license in the UK to promote or advertise their services anywhere in the UK should they not have a license, this is now law in the UK and is actively being enforced.
Do Mobile Gambling Sites Need to Be Licensed?
Any gambling site whether it can be accessed online or via a mobile device will need to be fully licensed by the UK Gambling Commission if that site is promoting or advertising their services in the UK to UK based players. You will find a complete listing of all of thee licensed and regulated mobile and online gambling sites fully listed on the UK Gambling Commissions website, and you are actively encouraged to check that listing out to ensure the sites you choose to gamble at are indeed licensed in the UK.
Other Gambling Commissions and Licensing Authorities
First off, I want to say hi and wish a warm welcome to all gambling aficionados out there! My name is David Nugent and I am editor-in-chief of LegitGambling.com. I have always enjoyed various sports, primarily soccer, as I am a die-hard Everton fan.
Over time, I learned more about sports betting and discovered the fascinating online gambling industry. Eventually,...
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In the United Kingdom gambling online is becoming a popular way for players to access bingo games, poker and casino games or a way for anyone to place a bet on any type of sporting event. The UK Government has taken a very sensible approach to licensing and regulating any type of gambling site online that offers services to citizens and residents of Great Britain.
