Frequently asked questions

Yes. A site only reaches our shortlist if it holds a current licence from the UK Gambling Commission. We check the licence number on the operator's site against the Commission's public register before we publish, and we re-check every listing each month.

Long directories make comparison harder, not easier. We keep the list at five so each entry earns its place, and we replace a site as soon as another one scores higher on licensing, game range, bonus fairness, mobile experience and player-safety tools.

No. The guide is free to read and there is nothing to sign up for here. We earn a commission from some operators when readers visit them, which funds our review work and never changes a score or a position in the list.

Every site is reviewed against five weighted criteria: licence and regulatory standing, breadth and quality of the game library, clarity and fairness of bonus terms, mobile and tablet experience, and the strength of its responsible-gambling tools and customer support. Our full method is on the How We Rate page.

Yes. UK rules require every licensed operator to confirm your age and identity before you play. Expect to provide proof of identity and address when you register, which usually takes a few minutes and helps keep under-18s out of the market.

All five shortlisted sites run in a mobile browser, so you can play on iOS or Android without installing anything. We test each lobby on a phone and a tablet and note anything that feels slow or awkward in our review.

Take it seriously and act early. Every UK-licensed site lets you set limits, take a time-out or self-exclude, and GAMSTOP blocks you from all licensed operators in one step. Free, confidential support is available from the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, 24 hours a day.

No. Top5OnlineCasinosUK is an independent comparison guide. We do not run games, hold player accounts or take bets. When you choose a site you leave our guide and register directly with that licensed operator.

We review the full list monthly and update sooner if an operator's licence status changes, its bonus terms change materially, or reader feedback points to a problem worth investigating.

Always. Casino promotions carry conditions such as wagering requirements, time limits, game restrictions and maximum bonus-win caps. Read the operator's full terms on their site before you opt in, and skip any offer whose conditions you are not comfortable with.

Yes, and we read every suggestion. Send the site name through our contact page. A suggestion is never a guarantee of inclusion and a commercial relationship alone will never earn a listing.

Typically thousands of slots, plus roulette, blackjack, baccarat, poker variants, live-dealer studios, game shows and instant-win titles from studios such as NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Play'n GO and Evolution.

On a licensed site, yes. Games must use tested random number generators, and independent laboratories audit them. Each game also publishes a return-to-player percentage, which is a long-run theoretical average rather than a promise about any single session.