We’re going to take you through the entertaining world of casino apps. Learn where you can get the best casino apps UK players can download to their iPhones, iPads or Android-powered devices.
Not all casino apps are equal. Some give an unparalleled user experience, allowing you to play games on your phone or tablet, while others are full of bugs, are slow to operate and crash more often than a PC running Windows XP. Want decent experiences when using real money casino apps? Then here’s what you should look for when assessing the range available.
First up, we are talking about real money casino apps, not the apps you can download from the Apple AppStore or Google Play to play casino games where no money is involved. It’s always best to obtain your apps from reliable sources, such as names you probably have already heard of. If you want to branch out a little, use a search engine for casino apps and then look at the user rating and playing reviews of the apps that you found. One point to note for Android users is that it’s best not to download and install an APK (Android Package) file from a source you’re not 100% sure is genuine.
Did you know that you can download mobile casino apps for free? Indeed, in the UK, neither Apple nor Google allow casino app sites to charge for their apps, so you should never pay for one. With apps being free, you will be able to use them for free too – although you will need an account to start playing games for real money. You can navigate around the app to see how user-friendly it is. If you find it hard to use, then there’s no point in opening an account at the online casino that supplied it.
The best casino apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices offer you everything for an extensive gambling experience. They should supply hundreds, if not thousands, of slots plus a full range of casino games and crash games. They should also supply access to an action-packed live casino. The very best online casino apps UK players can download to their devices, many even offer sports betting, bingo and poker all via the same, fully featured UK-friendly gambling app.
Again, you don’t need a casino account to download a new mobile casino app from a specific provider, so you can have a look around the app without an account. This means you can see what’s on offer. Does the app provide enough slot games (we think around 1,000 is a decent measure), and are they from well-known developers? Are all the casino basics (blackjack, roulette, baccarat) covered with RNG games and live casino tables? In short, are there enough games via the app that you want to play?
All the best casino slot apps and gambling apps are fully functional when it comes to banking. This means you don’t have to log on to a site via your PC or laptop to fund your account – you can do it all on your mobile device. If you are evaluating an app, you might want to check if mobile-friendly payment methods such as ApplePay and Google Pay are available, if you plan to use them. It’s worthwhile checking that all gambling apps you want to use have payment methods available that you’re comfortable using.
Again, if you need support via casino apps that pay real money it’s best that you can receive help directly via the app – there should again be no need to fire up your PC or laptop just to open a support applet. Most online casinos will allow you to use their support function without having an account, so you can check out and rate the support you receive (or don’t) before registering.
Platform compatibility can be a slight issue for some online casino apps, and you are more likely to find apps for Android phones than iPhones and iPads. Some online casinos will offer native downloads for Android as APK files, but you cannot do the same on iOS-based devices. Don’t worry, though. If a top mobile casino app you want to use for your iPhone/iPad is not available, you can still use a mobile-optimised version of most casino sites via your preferred mobile browser.
We spend a lot of time each day glued to our phones these days, so it’s only natural that more people now use gambling apps than gambling sites via a PC or laptop. But why are more people making the leap from PC or laptop play to using the best casino apps UK players can download to their devices? Here are a few quick reasons why.
No one wants to carry a laptop (or even a PC, monitor, keyboard and mouse) around with them all day, so it makes sense to play real money casino apps on your phone or tablet. As long as your device is charged and you are not in an internet dead zone, you can play slots and casino games wherever you may be!
Life’s a lot easier than it was a few decades back, meaning we have more spare time on our hands. Got a few moments with nothing to do? Then pull out your phone and pop open any of the best online casino apps UK players can download to their devices. Of course, you could play any mobile game, but how many mobile games have the potential to pay you real money?
You don’t need anything special to play casino games and slots on your mobile – just a charged device and a connection to the internet. There’s no need to plug anything in (unless your phone needs charging) and no peripherals to connect – the best gambling apps are just so easy to use!
Once you have a few real money casino apps installed on your device, you can set them up to send you phone notifications. The best online casino apps UK providers are constantly coming up with new deals and promotions for all their customers, so thanks to phone notifications, you’ll be made aware of an offer you’d otherwise miss out on!
We all love it when the reels land just right when playing Starburst, or we stick £20 on 26 black when playing roulette, and the gambling gods smile upon us. If this happens at mobile casinos, you can quickly snap a screenshot and brag about it to your friends on WhatsApp or upload it to Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads, BlueSky or whatever social media apps you have accounts with.
You may ask yourself why download a casino app when you can play at online casinos using a mobile browser on your device. While there is very little difference (casino apps are simply browsers without any navigation), there are some differences that make dedicated apps just that tiny bit better.
The first is convenience. You only need to tap the app to start playing (you can even use face/fingerprint recognition to log in instantly), whereas, with a browser, you have to open it and navigate to the site.
The second is privacy. Apps don’t collect your browsing history, which is then used by other parties to influence the marketing you receive.
The third is notifications. If you set the app to send you notifications about bonuses and other promotions, you’ll receive the information as soon as it’s available and not when you log onto the site, so you won’t miss any time-sensitive deals.
Casino apps are usually tiny. That’s because they’re just a framework to which images and games are temporarily downloaded to your device on an ‘as needed’ basis, so there’s really no harm in downloading them. Just stick them in a folder on your phone, and they are there whenever you fancy a few spins or think you can derail the dealer when playing blackjack.
There are no games that you can play on a desktop computer that you cannot play using online casino apps. In fact, there may be some games on an app that you cannot play on the desktop version of the online casino providing the app. Let’s take a look at some of the types of games you’ll be able to play using a new mobile casino app.
A card game where you play (sometimes alongside other people) against the dealer. You draw cards until you’re happy with your total without scoring 22 or more and busting. If you outscore the dealer, you’ve won. It’s worth studying casino blackjack a little before playing, as there are other rules, such as doubling down, splitting and surrendering. Look up ‘perfect blackjack strategy’ too, to really give yourself the edge.
The ‘spin the wheel’ game where you attempt to break the bank! One tip here – never play American roulette if the casino app has alternatives. Be inventive with your betting too, and research ‘called bets’ and other exotic wagers. Oh, and ignore any ‘surefire’ betting systems such as the Martingale, too, as they just don’t work in the long term.
Online slots are inventive recreations of the kind of video slots that became popular in Vegas in the 1980s. Most casino apps now give access to hundreds of slots. Indeed, we reckon the number of slots available globally is around 40,000! There’s a stunning amount of variety, and new slots are released weekly. Our tip here – look for casino apps with free spins to get the most from your slotting play.
Playing casual games via the best mobile casinos apps usually means playing games that don’t fit into the slots or casino games category. These could include ‘crash games’ where you have to decide when to quit before you lose all your stake, or Slingo, which is an entertaining mix of slots and bingo. This category varies per casino, but always check out the casual games section to see what’s available.
First tip here – never play live casino games unless your device has a strong and consistent internet connection. Unlike RNG (i.e. software-based) games if you lose connection during play, the live table will put you down as ‘sitting out’ so you could lose your stake. Live casinos via gambling apps usually contain all your casino favourites plus ‘game shows’, which allow you to participate in the kind of game show you might see on your TV.
Mobile games did not use to work well as they were written in Adobe Flash, which was slow and cumbersome. Then, happily, along came HTML5, which was much faster and more secure. Now all casino games – both desktop and mobile – are written using HTML5 so that they are guaranteed to work on all platforms – Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS and Android. Below, we take a quick look at names you will become familiar with when using the best online casino apps UK players can download to their phones and play at.
Microgaming
For over two decades, the name Microgaming was synonymous with top-quality casino games and slots, and in particular, progressive jackpot slots such as Mega Moolah and Major Millions. Alas, the name Microgaming will soon be vanishing from online casinos as the company has sold its gaming category and software platform to GamesGlobal and rebranded as ‘Apricot’. You’ll still be able to play their classics, though, but there’ll be no more future releases from Microgaming.
NetEnt
NetEnt shook the slotting world in 2011 when they released Gonzo’s Quest, a slot so much more advanced than any other that it was embarrassing. They followed this up with Starburst in 2013 and countless other classics. It all became too much, though, for the Swedish developers, and in 2020, the company was sold to Evolution Gaming. Evolution has maintained the NetEnt branding, although their slot output has diminished considerably.
Playtech
With the ‘demise’ of Microgaming, Playtech are now the undisputed elder statesmen of the online casino industry, having been around since 1999. There’s nothing that Playtech has not done – slots, casino games, live casino games, sports betting, bingo and poker – they’ve really done the lot. These days, they tend to concentrate on building casino platforms, but they still release the odd slot or casino game now and again.
Evolution
Evolution (they changed their name from ‘Evolution Gaming’ in 2020) is the undisputed king of live casino games. If you visit a live casino using top mobile casino apps, then there’s around a 95% chance that its live casino games are supplied by Evolution. This company is perhaps most famed for its ‘game shows’ such as Dreamcatcher and Monopoly Plus Live, which are both based on the age-old casino game of keno.
Pragmatic Play
From quite disastrous beginnings as TopGame, Pragmatic Play has emerged to become one of the most well-known names when it comes to slots and live casino titles. The company’s slots offshoot – Reel Kingdom – continues to produce games that are extremely high in quality, while their live casino titles are close to rivalling live dealer leaders Evolution in terms of popularity and reputation. Look out for games with Pragmatic’s ‘Drops & Wins’ feature, where you can be awarded random cash amounts by playing their games.
Betsoft
Betsoft is a company with a slightly chequered history. Founded in 2006, they became masters of ‘3D’ cinematic slots with titles such as Under the Bed, Pinnochio and Mr Vegas. In 2014, they had their licence revoked by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission for reasons that were never specified, and in 2015, they decided not to apply for a UKGC licence, going with Malta instead. This means you can’t play Betsoft’s games using gambling apps with UKGC licences, but you can at non-UKGC licensed casinos and apps.
Any bonus a gambling site offers can be claimed via the site’s casino app just as easily as via the desktop site. The best casino apps for iPhone and Android may even have bonuses you can claim that are mobile-only! Below are quick details of the types of casino bonuses you are likely to find at real money casino apps.
A welcome bonus is a bonus offer that’s based on your first deposit at a site you’ve just registered at. If the offer is a 200% bonus, then you will get double your deposit value as bonus money. You can’t withdraw bonus money, even from the best payout casinos, but you can use it to play games using the casino app or desktop site. Winnings from bonus money can only be withdrawn once wagering has been completed. Look out for expiry dates too, plus other T&Cs.
A reload bonus is identical to a welcome bonus in that you can claim it once you have completely fulfilled the terms of your welcome bonus. Some sites offer daily or weekly reload bonuses, while others offer reload bonuses that you can claim with every deposit that you make.
Cashback is paid via the best casino slot apps as a percentage of your daily, weekly or monthly losses, depending on the deal. For example, if an online casino offers 10% cash back on weekly losses and during the week you wagered £100 and won £60, you would also receive £4 in cashback (10% of £100 – £60). Cashback is usually paid as bonus cash with conditions attached.
Casino apps with free spins deals offer spins on slots that you don’t have to pay for. They have a fixed value and other conditions attached. For example, you may only be able to use them on a specific slot, a range of new online slots or all the slots available via the app. Usually, free spins winnings have to be wagered, but with the best deals, they don’t.
Tournaments offered by the best gambling apps usually involve slots, but some may include casino games such as blackjack. During the tournament, you need to win as much cash as possible using eligible games. At the tournament’s conclusion, the players who finish top of the leaderboards are awarded prizes such as bonus cash, withdrawable cash or prizes such as iPhones or holidays.
Loyalty or rewards programs reward high-spending customers. Rewards increase the more you spend. Loyalty programs are usually split over several levels, and once you’ve passed a specific level, you receive the next batch of rewards. Top-tier rewards may include bespoke high-roller bonuses, instant withdrawals and the services of a personal account manager.
You can make deposits and request withdrawals via real money casino apps as easily as you can via a desktop site. Below are details of the most common payment methods that are available.
Online casino apps are safe and secure as long as you are careful about where you acquire them. All apps hosted at the Apple AppStore and Google Play are perfectly secure. If you download and install a casino app as an APK file for an online casino site, make sure it comes directly from the casino and not a third party.
The top mobile casino apps also use encryption technology when receiving or transmitting data, the same tech used by mobile banking apps. When you send important information over the Internet via an app, you can trust that it is secure.
One final word – if you are out and about using casino apps that pay real money, make sure you are connected to the internet using a trusted internet connection.
When you are using gambling apps, it’s best practice to make sure the apps are provided by casinos that are licensed. If you are based in the UK, then casinos with UKGC licences are the ones where you’ll be safest, but other licensing authorities exist. Do not use a casino app from a casino that’s unlicensed or has a licence that you are unable to verify.
Details about the world’s leading licensing authorities can be found below.
Created in 2007 to replace the Gaming Board for Great Britain, the UK Gaming Commission (UKGC) regulates all forms of gambling in the UK, from seaside bingo halls to global sports betting websites. Legally, sites must have a UKGC licence in order to accept players from the UK, but some choose to ignore this, mainly because of the high fees the UKGC charges.
Due to the rise in gambling activity in Malta towards the end of the last century, the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) was created in 2001 as a regulator. Over time, the MGA began to offer licences to online gambling sites, too. The MGA is a highly respected licensing authority, so sites with MGA licences can be trusted.
Similar to the Malta Gaming Authority, the Gibraltar Regulatory Authority (GRA) was established in 2000 in response to the increase in online gambling. Several UK gambling companies had moved their headquarters to Gibraltar for tax reasons, and the GRA was set up in response. The Gibraltar Gambling Commissioner is part of the GRA.
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission arose in the sudden sway of gambling regulators around the turn of the last century. The AGCC is regarded as one of the strictest gambling boards in the industry, so casinos with AGCC licences can easily be trusted.
First established in 1996, Curaçao eGaming (as was) has always had to contend with accusations of handing eGaming licences out like confetti with incredibly cheap application and maintenance fees. However, the Curaçao Gambling Control Board now falls under the remit of GamingLicensing so Curaçao licences are much more trusted than they used to be.
It’s very easy to start playing on the best casino apps UK players can download and install on their devices. We’ll walk you through the process now, although it may vary depending on which casino and slots apps you download.
If you’re looking for the best casino app for Android or iPhone, then we hope this page has helped you. We’ve explained all about the top mobile casino apps, how you can get them, what games you can play and what bonuses you can claim. Let’s hope you have an ‘app-y’ time when playing at the best mobile casino apps.
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