Online Casinos in the UK are so advanced in comparison to other countries. They are the leaders in gaming innovation and policy maturity.
The United Kingdom (UK) has far more liberal and pro gaming laws than many other countries. Renowned for their “pubs and clubs” culture, you will often find “fruit” machines (also known as slots) and sport betting facilities in venues for social gathering (small and large). Think horse racing, and the Gold Cup at Ascot immediately comes to mind. Think cricket and the Test Ashes series with Australia comes to mind. Think football and immediately the English Premier League springs to mind. Event’s whether big or small, you can legally place a bet on.
UK Online Gambling
And placing a bet doesn’t mean you need to go to a physical betting terminal at a casino, or at an authorised betting branch. Their advancement in online casinos and online sports betting has left many countries in the dust. They have strong governance, a strong operational framework, high quality and enjoyable online gambling sites and mobile apps as well. The environment is highly regulated as seen in advertisement placements. The advertisements can only be placed at certain events and only at certain times.
Minimum age is 18
For the residents of the UK, online gambling is legal and has been since 2005. The minimum age requirement is 18 years and a bet can be placed with any licensed gambling operator. These can easily be found or identified with, as their advertisements are commonly found at large sporting events or live on tv.
In 2005 the UK Gambling Act was formed. These gambling laws were created to protect the interests of the young and those who were susceptible to gambling addiction. The approach can be defined as opening the right to gamble to everyone, but then layers of exclusion controls were put in place. The opposite approach could be said for America whereby everything is excluded with the inclusions being the exception. The Gambling Act also allowed for the licensing of mega casino venues to be established. The intention was to follow in the foot steps of Las Vegas and Macau with the glamour and glitz. However the Gambling Act was subsequently amended to unwind the creation of mega casinos.
Innovation and exotic gaming and sports bet has taken off in the UK. They are very much at the forefront of reinventing the gambling and gaming experience.
Types of gambling in the UK
Remote Gambling
Remote gambling a.k.a online gambling has been a growing market even since the introduction of the Gambling Act in 2005. Prior to this introduction, remote gambling was perceived as a quick and nasty get rich scam for opportunistic online casino operators who preyed on the gullible or the unfortunate. Nowadays, the industry has cleaned up its act, and its image has completely transformed into one that is trustworthy, reputable and fun. This has led to a growth in betting in the UK and, of course, tax revenue being raised by the government.
Of current concern is the impact of Brexit. It is difficult to say, whether Brexit will have a detrimental impact to the online casino industry, but there can be no doubt that there will be an impact of some sort. We forecast an indirect impact as a consequence to the deterioration of the economy in general.
On the flip side, the Pound will most like depreciate and encourage foreign residents to gamble on UK online casinos. However, whether or not foreign residents will be allowed to bet on UK online casinos is still to be determined.
Online gambling in the UK is tax free. That means any winning by residents is not required to be submitted in their tax return and tax deducted. The reason is that gambling is deemed to be a hobby rather than being work related.
Fruit Machines
Also known as slot machines. Fruit machines were the rage during the youthful days of many Brits. Passing time with a beer in hand, and hitting the buttons. Usually passing time while waiting for a pool table or watching the cricket. The fruit machines would often give small payouts, providing an excellent fun factor.
Currently the name “fruit” machine is still in use, however, the name slots too is starting to gain traction. Fruit machines remain a popular game both at pubs and clubs and online.
Housie
Also known as bingo. Housie in bingo halls were a huge hit in the mid to late 1900’s in England. They remain extremely popular as many of the older generation grew up playing bingo. The advent of the internet has brought online bingo to the UK, and is one of the most popular online casino games in the industry. Online bingo provides a sense of community, with chat facilities, fun and entertainment, and is a game that is easy and familiar for many UK residents.
Online Bingo was legalized in 1996. The first game and site launched in 1996 was Bingo Zone. This game became so popular that many games followed suit.
Sports betting
Sports betting is massive in the UK. You can look no further than the love of football, cricket, horse races and rugby (just to name a few). Online sports betting is legal in UK, and it’s popularity is every growing. The online sports betting industry is highly regulated of which provides a benefit to the players. Regulation provides trust and assurance to players and promotes a quality player experience.