This page discusses non UK casinos that accept UK players while not having a UKGC licence. Why you may choose to play at a non UK casino, what – if any – benefits there are, and what you need to consider before choosing to register at one.
There are plenty of online casinos available that have UKGC licences, so why would you choose to play at non UK casinos instead? Here are a few reasons why you might choose to play at non UK slots sites and casinos.
There are a few software companies that do not allow their games to be hosted at UKGC-licensed gambling sites because of all the bureaucracy and fees needed to acquire a UKGC licence. Therefore, if you play at non UK licensed casino sites, you will be able to play games that you may not have played before due to UKGC restrictions.
Over the last decade, the UKGC has seen fit to make certain popular game features unavailable. When it comes to slots, features such as turbo spins, auto play and ‘buy feature’ are now permanently disabled at online casinos with UKGC licences. If you enjoy using such features and others that have been outlawed by the UKGC, then playing at a trusted non UK casino is the only way of using them.
The UKGC has also, over the past decade or so, restricted the number of payment methods that you can use to fund your gambling at online gambling sites. If you want to use a payment method that is not commonly offered by UKGC-licensed sites, such as cryptocurrencies, then using an overseas casino accepting UK players is one way you can do that.
Sites with UKGC licences are constantly under pressure to limit their players’ gaming. The sites are pressured to get players to enforce deposit limits, playing session periods and to limit their stakes. If you want to play without so many limitations enforced upon you, then you can choose to play at a non UK online casino instead.
Again, online gambling sites with UKGC licences are required to ask registering players for a multitude of personal details. As well as your name, you will also need to provide your address, email address and telephone number. You may also be asked to send proof-of-address and proof-of-identity documents, and even recent bank statements. We’re pretty sure within a couple of years you’ll need to send a blood sample.
Disclosing personal information over the internet always carries risks, so if you don’t want to have to write a personal biography just to spend £1 on a slot, choose non UK gambling sites instead.
UKGC casinos often offer cautious bonuses, unwilling to risk incurring the wrath of the UKGC for ‘encouraging gambling’. Not limited by UKGC rules, a non UK online casino is likely to offer a much bigger bonus. One tip here – always check the terms and conditions associated with any bonus, paying particular attention to wagering and other restrictions. The word ‘big’ is not automatically synonymous with ‘best’.
Another 2020 UKGC-driven directive for online casinos was to stop allowing unregistered players to play games for free. Previously, a great way of testing out a casino was to have a poke around, testing games and the user experience at the site before signing up. This option has now been taken away at UKGC-licensed casinos, but you can still ‘audition’ non UKGC casinos before going through the registration process by playing games for free.
Are there any drawbacks with non UK casinos? Well, we think there are but only a couple, which we will discuss here.
The UKGC is supposed to offer protection for players who use UKGC-licensed casinos, although their track record in doing so is hardly something to boast about. If you play at an online casino that does not have a UKGC licence and you are based in the UK then you will have no protection at all. If, for example, you win a large amount of money at a non UK licensed casino and the casino refuses to pay out, then the UKGC will not be able to help you. Also note that casinos without a UKGC licence are also non-GAMSTOP casinos, which could be problematic for some.
Gambling winnings are not taxed in the UK, but they are in other jurisdictions. Such tax is usually removed at source. For example, in the United States, gambling winnings are taxed at 24%, and that percentage is removed before winnings are paid. This is to prevent people from attempting to offset gambling losses against gambling winnings and, hence, avoid paying taxes. In short, if you win money at non UK casinos accepting UK players, don’t always expect to be paid in full.
Selecting even the best non UK online casinos can challenging. Below, we have highlighted several features you might consider looking at before selecting which non UK casinos to register at.
Just because a casino is not licensed by the UKGC, it does not mean it can get away with not having a licence at all. When considering non UKGC casinos, always check to make sure it does have a licence and avoid casinos that say they are ‘self-regulated’. Licences from higher-tier authorities, such as those in Malta, Alderney and Gibraltar, are always preferable.
Finding out about the reputation of a non UK casino can be a tough task. The internet is littered with reviews about most things, but how many of those reviews can be trusted? Our rule of thumb when reading ‘independent’ reviews about a casino is to discard the top 10% and bottom 10% as they are the most likely to be biased. The middle ground is where you can really get a decent opinion about a casino’s standing with the players who actually use it.
If you are a fan of slots, then you really cannot go wrong at non-UK-licensed casinos, as most of them will have dozens or even hundreds. However, if you prefer classics like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat, your options may be more limited, and even more so if you just like scratchcards or crash games. Before signing up with a non-UK online casino, make sure it has enough variety in the games you want to play.
An online casino may look good on the surface, but how does it actually perform? Is it slow to load? Are the menus easy to navigate? Can you find the games you want to play quickly enough? Do the games load instantly, or do you have to wait? Do the games ever crash? Does the site crash? Is the site ever down? You can investigate all these aspects of non UK casinos before you complete your sign up.
All online casinos – both UKGC licensed and non UKGC licensed – offer welcome bonuses, but non UKGC casinos tend to offer bigger bonuses. Before you become enraptured by the size of a bonus though, take a look at the T&Cs. Aspects of casino bonuses that you need to understand include the wagering expectations, bet limits, game restrictions and expiry dates. A £5,000 bonus may look good in print, but what if the wagering is 60x the bonus amount, maximum bet £0.50 and expiry date 48 hours? Do you really have enough free time to spin a slot 600,000 times in two days?
All online casinos treat potential new customers very well, but the best sites don’t forget about their players once their sign-up has been completed. If you are looking at a site, make sure you check out its promotions page. There, you will be able to glean just how well regular customers are treated in terms of ongoing promotions such as reload and loyalty bonuses.
The UKGC are constantly pushing their licensed online casinos to only accept debit card payments. Naturally, unleashing your debit card numbers, expiry dates and CVC (card verification code) number onto the internet carries risk. It’s far better to use a payment system that offers more security, such as an eWallet or cryptocurrency. If you want to use a specific banking option, check that the non UK licensed casino you’re looking at offers it.
Unlike UKGC-licensed casinos, you are likely to be able to use the customer service options at non UK slots sites and casinos before you complete your sign up. This should give you a good idea of how you are likely to be treated should you encounter issues once/if you become a member. Are the waiting periods excessive? Do the answers you get make sense? Are the answers quick to come, or does each reply take several minutes? All of these are important considerations when it comes to customer service.
There are three key principles of player safety when it comes to any site that offers online gambling. The first is that all data that is transmitted to and from the site must be secured, preferably using SSL encryption (the highest level of encryption available for internet traffic) and other data protection tools. The second is that gameplay must be fair, and that a site’s slots must have been independently ratified. The third is that responsible gambling tools must be in place if needed, such as deposit limits, bet limits and self-exclusion. It can be tough to check out all these features of an online casino, but you ought to try and find out as much as you can.
You won’t find apps for a non UK online casino at the Apple App Store, and you probably won’t at Google Play, either. This is because of geo-location rules. Android users, though, should be able to download and install the apk version of the casino, while iPhone and iPad users will have to be satisfied with using the site via a mobile web browser. If you intend to use a site on your phone/tablet, check to see how well it functions on that device before you commit to registering for it.
There are always plenty of games to play at the best non UK casino sites. From progressive jackpot slots to live dealer baccarat, you will never be short of options. Below, we look at some of the most popular games you will find at non UK licensed casinos.
The classic casino game of roulette is found at 99.9% of online casinos. No matter what anyone might tell you, roulette is purely a game of chance where you risk your chips on the roulette ball landing in the right slot. Primarily, there are two forms of roulette: European or French roulette, where the wheel has a single ‘0’, and American roulette, where an extra ‘00’ is added to the wheel. If you have the option, never play American over European/French roulette, as the casino’s advantage is higher, at 5.26% compared to 2.7%.
Blackjack is the casino world’s most popular card game and the second most-played card game globally after poker. It’s a simple game – score a higher total than the dealer without scoring more than 21. – but casino play involves special rules that dictate what the dealer does. For example, if you ‘stick’ on 15 and the dealer has 16, the dealer is still required to draw another card despite having already ‘won’. When playing blackjack online, it’s worth researching the ‘perfect blackjack strategy’ as that will maximise your chances of beating the dealer.
Slots definitely dominate all online casino platforms, including non UK slots sites and casinos. Head to most online casinos and you’ll be able to select from dozens, if not hundreds, if not thousands of online slots. The best casinos have slots from the leading providers, and names you should soon become familiar with include NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO, Playtech, Microgaming, Betsoft, Big Time Gaming and many others. Of course, the best thing about slots is that if you play a few spins on a slot and you’re not having a good time, you can simply move on to the next one.
Thanks to the gradual increase in internet streaming speeds, live video streaming became possible in the mid-2000s. This led to the advent of lots of things, including live dealer games. With live dealer play, players still make their decisions using a software interface, but the ‘action’ takes place in a TV/Video studio that is made out to look like an authentic casino. Live dealer games are not quite the same as real casino games – for example, in live dealer blackjack, some cards are dealt unseen in order to prevent card counting – but it’s the closest a player can get to real casino play via the comfort of their own homes.
Crash games, originally, were games where the longer a player stays in the game, the more they win, but the more they risk. The term comes from the ‘crash’ aspect of the game, i.e. the moment the player is out and they lose all they have won before. The point of the game is to leave before the crash! The term crash game is generally used by non UK casino sites to refer to any title that’s not a slot or traditional casino game that’s a pure ‘chance’ game with no player decision-making involved.
Very few, if any, online casinos make their own games. Instead, they lease games from dedicated software providers. This is why you see the same games at multiple casinos. Below, we take a look at the leading providers of slots and casino games - these providers are generally regarded as the makers of the best titles.
From 2011 onwards NetEnt were the kings of online slots. The release of the brilliant ‘Gonzo’s Quest’ in that year accelerated NetEnt to the top of the slotting charts, and the 2013 release of the ‘best slot ever’ Starburst cemented that. Sadly, NetEnt over-reached themselves in the early 2020s and are no longer the industry game-changers they once were, although their classic slots are still available to be enjoyed. It’s just that there is no longer the keen anticipation for the next NetEnt release that there once was, and indeed, late in 2020, NetEnt was bought by Evolution Gaming.
Best Games: Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Finn’s Swirly Spin.
If there were an award for ‘most improved casino software provider’ (and there probably is), then Pragmatic Play would be in with a shout. From underachieving beginnings as ‘TopGame Technology’ in 2007, the company was purchased and rebranded in 2015 and has simply gone from strength to strength. It is most famed for the ‘Drops & Wins’ feature, which awards regular random prizes to people playing Pragmatic’s games at any online casino. Pragmatic Play also has a strong presence in the live casino arena.
Best Games: Big Bass Bonanza, The Dog House, Chilli Heat
Play’n Go really came of age in 2020 (despite that being the year of COVID) when they announced they were going to release a brand new slot that year, each and every week. While they didn’t quite make it (they released 50) it made people really take notice of this (like NetEnt) Swedish-based company, mainly because 90% of the slots they released were extremely playable. They don’t release games with that kind of regularity any more, but Play’n GO’s slots remain consistently of a very high standard.
Best Games: Book of Dead, Reactoonz, Moon Princess.
Evolution (‘Evolution Gaming’ until 2020) is the hottest name when it comes to live casino games and indeed, they do not do anything else. Go to any online casino, head to the live casino and nine times out of ten you will find Evolution’s games. Evolution constantly sets a high bar, especially with their ‘game show’ style games like Dreamcatcher and Crazy Time. Don’t worry if that is not for you, as Evolution also provides a complete range of classic casino titles. Late in 2020, Evolution entered the slots business, too, by purchasing Swedish slots giants NetEnt.
Best Games: Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, Gonzo’s Treasure Map.
Alas, the name of ‘Microgaming’ will soon be vanishing from online casino sphere after a quarter of a century of success. The company that was Microgaming (rebranded as ‘Apricot’) sold its software-creation platform Quickfire to Games Global in 2024. Microgaming (as Apricot) will be going back to what it initially did in providing the infrastructure for online casinos, but Microgaming’s classic titles – including their progressive jackpot titles – will still be available to be enjoyed at online casinos for many years, or at least until they all get rebranded as ‘Games Global’.
Best Games: Immortal Romance, Thunderstruck II, Mega Moolah.
While never really breaking into the ‘super league’ of casino software providers, Yggdrasil (pronounced ‘ig-drazel’) has managed to release a steady stream of very good titles ever since it has been in business. Yggdrasil Gaming (they eventually dropped the ‘Gaming’) was awarded its first licence in 2013 and is probably most famous for their ‘Vikings’ themed slots, which is very apt, given ‘Yggdrasil’ is an important part of Norse mythology, although Yggdrasil itself is based in Malta.
Best Games: Vikings Go Berzerk, Golden Fish Tank, GigaBlox.
Red Tiger Gaming really burst onto the scene in 2014 and impressed everyone as newcomers with the brilliance of their titles. They impressed NetEnt so much that the Swedish gaming giants purchased Red Tiger in 2019 for a cool £220m and they were included in the sale of NetEnt to Evolution Gaming a year later. Red Tiger was not absorbed by either company, remaining a brand in its own right, and continues to add to its range of impressive slots.
Best Games: Jackpot Quest, Totem Lightning, Epic Journey.
All the best non UK online casinos are big on offering their players promotional deals, but what kind of promotions should you expect from overseas casinos accepting UK players? We’re about to go through the most common types of offers that you should be able to take advantage of.
Even the veteran casino player can find wagering requirements confusing – but they really aren’t. Say a 200% bonus has a ‘40 x bonus’ wagering requirement, and you deposit £50. You will receive a £100 (2 x £50) bonus, but before you can withdraw winnings from it, you will need to wager £4,000, as 40 x £100 is obviously £4,000. From your bonus, you win £250. From your £50 deposit, you play 800 x £5 spins of a slot to meet that £4,000 wagering. After 800 spins, you have £35 of your deposit remaining, but you can now withdraw your £250 bonus winnings, too, meaning that from your £50, you now have £285.
One thing to watch out for when it comes to wagering is the game weightings. In our example above, we have assumed that slots contribute 100% to wagering, which is usually the case. Casino games such as blackjack and roulette usually only contribute 10% of each stake towards wagering or do not contribute at all. If we had used blackjack in our example above with a 10% contribution, our wagering would have risen to £40,000.
Also, don’t forget that you do not usually have the luxury of unlimited time to meet wagering requirements, and indeed, you will be required to meet wagering within a set timeframe.
There are plenty of payment methods available at non UK casino sites, and below we explore all the most popular ones. We also include details of payment speeds so you know which are fast withdrawal casino payment methods, and which aren't.
Credit cards have been banned at UKGC-licensed casinos since 2020. Some non-UK online casino sites will permit the use of credit cards, but in line with responsible gambling principles, we do not recommend this, particularly as there are plenty of alternatives.
Practically all gambling sites accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards. If you have a bank account with a debit card attached, you’ll have no problem using the card at any gambling site you register at.
For an extra layer of protection, you can fund most non UKGC casinos with money from an eWallet. Popular eWallets in the UK include PayPal (the biggest of them all), Skrill, Neteller, MuchBetter, Payz (formerly ecoPayz) and AstroPay. You can fund your eWallet from your bank account.
For the best layer of security at non UK licence casinos, you should use a cryptocurrency. Nearly all non UK casinos will allow you to send crypto payments in currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, DogeCoin and LiteCoin. You can keep your transactions at crypto casinos completely separate from your other financial accounts by using crypto payments.
For mobile casino play, ApplePay and Google Pay are great ways to pay, but you can also use them online. They link a payment method, such as a debit card, to your Apple or Google account, so any payments made via Apple or Google are taken from your attached payment method.
PaysafeCard is a way of paying with real cash online. You can purchase a one-time use PaysafeCard from a real-world retailer. This will have a unique 16-digit code, similar to a credit card number. You can then use that code to make purchases online, and you can manage your PaysafeCard online too.
‘Pay by Phone’ methods such as Boku may also be available, but they seem to have fallen out of favour, even at non-UK casino sites. These methods allowed you to make deposits from your mobile carrier account, which would then appear on your mobile phone bill.
| Payment Method | Examples | Timeframes |
| Debit card | Visa, MasterCard | Instant to 3 days |
| eWallets | PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, MuchBetter, AstroPay, Payz | Instant to 3 days |
| Cryptocurrencies | Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, BitcoinCash, Litecoin, Dogecoin | Instant |
It is not illegal for you to play at an overseas casino accepting UK players. The onus is on the casino to decide whether, as it does not have a UKGC licence, it accepts players from the UK. However, should you run into issues with the casino you will not be able to call upon the UKGC to help. This is why you should stick with online casinos that have higher-tier licences, such as the UKGC and licences granted by the authorities in Malta, Alderney and Gibraltar. Avoid non UK licensed casinos that claim they are self-regulated.
It is always best not to keep high balances at non UKGC casinos. A non UK online casino may suddenly decide to outlaw UK customers and would be under no legal obligation to pay you your outstanding balance. Your cash is much better off in a savings account anyhow where it can earn interest. Why allow an online casino to earn interest from your money?
The best non UK casino sites are those that still have licences - just not from the UKGC. Here, we take a quick look at the world’s leading online gambling licensing authorities.
The Malta Gaming Authority oversees land-based and internet-based gambling in Malta. It also grants gambling licences to companies that are not based in Malta but which offer gambling services over the internet. The MGA is a highly respected gambling authority and is now under the control of GamingLicensing, which itself is based in Curaçao.
Similar to the MGA, the Gibraltar Gambling Commission oversees gambling that occurs in Gibraltar. However, it is almost wholly concerned with internet-based gambling, as there is almost zero land-based gambling in the territory. Many non-Gibraltan gambling companies have licences from the GCC, and it is another highly-respected gambling control board.
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) is seen as one of the strictest gambling control boards in the world. There is almost no gambling on Alderney, so the AGCC almost wholly oversees internet-based gambling within and beyond the territory. Because of the AGCC’s history of strictness, playing at an online casino with an AGCC is very safe and secure.
Kahnawake is a very small native American territory in Quebec, Canada, just south of Montreal. Legally, gambling is permitted in Kahnawake, which is overseen by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC). The KGC also grants overseas licences, and currently, nearly 300 online casinos are licensed by them. The KGC maintains a very decent reputation.
Curaçao (pronounced Cure-a-Sow) is a tiny Caribbean island just off the coast of Venezuela. In previous years, a licence from the Curaçao Gaming Control Board was seen as a licence to get away with anything, but the CGCB now fall under the remit of GamingLicensing (which also controls licensing from Anjouan, Tobique, Malta and the Isle of Man) which has upped the reputation of such licences to previously unheralded heights.
Signing up at Non UK casinos is a lot easier than signing up at those licensed by the UKGC. This is because non UK casino sites ask for a lot less in terms of personal information. We’ll walk you through an example sign-up process now.
If you have read most of the words on this page, you can now consider yourself a non UKGC casinos expert! You will now know the legalities of playing at overseas casinos accepting UK players, what you can expect from them, and what steps you can take to keep yourself safe. Take all these aspects into account when playing at casinos that do not have a UKGC licence.
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